Additive manufacturing object removal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016075091-A1
Application number	US-201414487518-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 16, 2014
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Mar 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An object can be produced by depositing a material, layer-by-layer by an additive manufacturing process, onto a surface of a substrate. Removal of the object from the substrate may be accomplished without mechanically contacting the object with a device or chemically contacting the object. In an example, removal of the object from the substrate can be accomplished by flexing or bending the substrate. The substrate can be configured to elastically deform in response to a load applied to the sheet causing a deflection at a center of the sheet in an amount of at least about 12 mm and/or the sheet to have a radius of curvature that is less than or equal to about 305 mm.

First claim

1 . A method comprising:
removably mounting a preformed substrate to a platform, the preformed substrate having a surface including a first material, the first material having a first surface energy and a first Hildebrand solubility parameter; forming one or more layers of a second material on the surface of the preformed substrate by an additive manufacturing process to produce an object comprised of the one or more layers of the second material, the second material having a second surface energy and a second Hildebrand solubility parameter, wherein a percent difference between the first Hildebrand solubility parameter and the second Hildebrand solubility parameter is at least about 5%, and wherein a percent difference between the first surface energy and the second surface energy is within about 10%; and removing the object from the preformed substrate by flexing the preformed substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a bottom layer of the one or more layers is fixedly attached to the preformed substrate during the forming of the one or more layers.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the preformed substrate is included in a range of about 0.7 mm to about 3 mm.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material are thermoplastic.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the first material includes a first copolyester and the second material includes a second copolyester.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising heating the platform to a temperature included in a range of about 35° C. to about 100° C.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing process forms the one or more layers of the second material according to a pattern that is predetermined by software code.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flexing the preformed substrate comprises flexing the preformed substrate in three-point bending to cause: (i) a center of the preformed substrate to deflect under elastic deformation in an amount of at least about 12 mm, or (ii) the preformed substrate to have a radius of curvature that is less than or equal to about 305 mm.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the object comprises a first object, the method further comprising, after the removing the object from the preformed substrate:
reusing the preformed substrate by forming one or more additional layers of the second material on the surface of the preformed substrate by the additive manufacturing process to produce a second object comprised of the one or more additional layers of the second material; and removing the second object from the preformed substrate by flexing the preformed substrate.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the flexing the preformed substrate is performed by a machine.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, upon the removing the object from the preformed substrate, the object delaminates from the preformed substrate without leaving a residue that is visible to the eye.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the preformed substrate is not pretreated with a release agent prior to the forming the one or more layers of the second material on the surface of the preformed substrate.

13 . An additive manufacturing method comprising:
accessing three-dimensional (3D) model data indicating a pattern; producing an object by depositing a material, layer-by-layer according to the pattern, on a surface of a substrate; and removing the object from the substrate without mechanically contacting the object with a device or chemically contacting the object.

14 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 13 , wherein the removing comprises flexing the substrate to remove the object from the substrate.

15 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 14 , wherein the flexing the preformed substrate comprises flexing the preformed substrate in three-point bending to cause: (i) a center of the preformed substrate to deflect under elastic deformation in an amount of at least about 12 mm, or (ii) the preformed substrate to have a radius of curvature that is less than or equal to about 305 mm.

16 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 13 , wherein a thickness of the preformed substrate is included within a range of about 0.7 mm to about 3 mm.

17 . A package containing a number of items for use in forming additive manufactured objects, the package including:
a sheet configured to elastically deform in response to a load applied to the sheet causing: (i) a deflection at a center of the sheet in an amount of at least about 12 mm, or (ii) the sheet to have a radius of curvature that is less than or equal to about 305 mm; and an instruction for removing an additive manufactured object from the sheet without mechanically contacting the additive manufactured object with a device or chemically contacting the additive manufactured object.

18 . The package of claim 17 , wherein the instruction for removing the additive manufactured object comprises providing an instruction to flex the sheet in order to cause the additive manufactured object to dislodge from the sheet.

19 . The package of claim 17 , wherein the sheet is made of a first material having a first surface energy and a first Hildebrand solubility parameter, the package further comprising a filament of a second material for producing the additive manufactured object, the second material having a second surface energy and a second Hildebrand solubility parameter, wherein a percent difference between the first Hildebrand solubility parameter and the second Hildebrand solubility is at least about 5%, and wherein a percent difference between the first surface energy and the second surface energy is within about 10%.

20 . A system comprising:
a three-dimensional (3D) printing machine; a polymeric sheet having a thickness included within a range of about 0.7 mm to about 3 mm and being configured to elastically deform in response to a load applied to the sheet causing: (i) a deflection at a center of the sheet in an amount of at least about 12 mm, or (ii) the sheet to have a radius of curvature that is less than or equal to about 305 mm.

21 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the polymeric sheet is made of a thermoplastic polymer.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the 3D printing machine is configured to deposit a second thermoplastic polymer, layer-by-layer, on a surface of the polymeric sheet to produce an object, and wherein the polymeric sheet is configured to deform in order to remove the object without mechanically contacting the object with a device or a chemical contacting the object and without thermal cycling.

23 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the polymeric sheet is removable from the 3D printing machine.

24 . The system of claim 20 , wherein the 3D printing machine comprises a nozzle of a dispenser head configured to deposit one or more layers of a material onto a surface of the polymeric sheet to produce an object, the system further comprising a conveyer configured to receive the polymeric sheet and to move the polymeric sheet underneath the nozzle for producing the object on the surface of the polymeric sheet.

Assignees

• Eastman Chem Co

Inventors

• Cable Kevin Michael

Classifications

• B29C64/379

  Handling of additively manufactured objects, e.g. using robots · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29L2009/00

  Layered products · CPC title

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title