System for digital fabrication of graded, hierarchical material structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016175884-A1
Application number	US-201414578071-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 19, 2014
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method to fabricate hierarchical graded materials includes providing a reservoir of functionalized particles, mixing at least some of the functionalized particles using a mixer in the print head having a mixed fluid volume control on an order of a voxel to produce mixed functionalized particles, and actuating a print head to deposit the mixed functionalized particles on a substrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method to fabricate hierarchical graded materials, comprising:
providing a reservoir of functionalized particles; mixing at least some of the functionalized particles using a mixer in the print head having a mixed fluid volume control on an order of a voxel to produce mixed functionalized particles; and actuating a print head to deposit the mixed functionalized particles on a substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a stimulus to the mixed functionalized particles to reactively bond the functionalized particles.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein applying a stimulus comprises applying one of either heat or light.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising focusing a flow of the mixed functionalized particles.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein focusing a flow comprises creating a coaxial flow of materials.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein creating a coaxial flow of materials comprises applying a sheathing fluid to outer channels of a flow focusing section and applying a main fluid to a central channel.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising fluidic particle alignment.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein fluidic particle alignment comprises altering an angle of deposition based upon a scale of the particles.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a reservoir of functionalized particles comprises providing a reservoir of at least one of anisotropic platelets, chiplets, wires, fibers, and colloidal building blocks.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein mixing at least some of the functionalized particles comprises mixing a characteristic volume of the functionalized particles on an order of a voxel.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein mixing comprises mixing at least one of a resin and reinforcement materials in a time required to deposit a voxel of material at a desired material deposition rate.

12 . A method to fabricate hierarchical graded materials, comprising:
providing a reservoir of functionalized particles; mixing at least some of the functionalized particles using a mixer in the print head mixer in the print head having a mixed fluid volume control on an order of a voxel to produce mixed functionalized particles; and actuating a print head to deposit the mixed functionalized particles on a substrate at an angle of deposition determined by a scale of the particles.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Paschkewitz John Steven
• Iftime Gabriel
• Beck Victor Alfred
• Johnson David Mathew

Classifications

• B29C64/209

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B29C64/141

  using only solid materials · CPC title

• B22F12/22

  Driving means · CPC title

• B22F10/22

  Direct deposition of molten metal · CPC title

• B22F12/53

  Nozzles · CPC title