Method of removing support structure using integrated fluid paths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017129173-A1
Application number	US-201514937979-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 11, 2015
Priority date	Nov 11, 2015
Publication date	May 11, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object is disclosed. The method includes operating a first ejector of a three-dimensional object printer to eject a first material towards a platen to form an object. The method further includes operating a second ejector of the three-dimensional object printer to eject a second material towards the platen to form support for portions of the object, the support being configured to provide support for portions of the object during the operation of the first ejector to form the object, at least one portion of the support having a body with at least one fluid path that connects at least one opening in the body to at least one other opening in the body. The method further includes connecting a fluid source to the at least one fluid path of the support to enable fluid to flow through the at least one fluid path to remove at least an inner portion the support from the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object:
operating a first ejector of a three-dimensional object printer to eject a first material towards a platen to form an object; operating a second ejector of the three-dimensional object printer to eject a second material towards the platen to form support for portions of the object, at least one portion of the support having a body with at least one fluid path that enables fluid to flow through the body of the support portion and contact a portion of the support material that formed the support; and connecting a fluid source to one end of the at least one fluid path of the support to enable fluid to flow through the at least one fluid path to contact the support material and exit from another end of the at least one fluid path to remove at least an inner portion of the support from the object.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
receiving image data that represents the object and the support;
modifying the image data to add the at least one fluid path to the at least one portion of the support;
operating the first ejector to form the object with reference to the modified imaged data; and
operating the second ejector to form the support with reference to the modified image data.

3 . The method of claim 1 , the connecting of the fluid source to the at least one fluid path further comprising:
operating an actuator to pump fluid from the fluid source through the at least one fluid path.

4 . The method of claim 3 further comprising:
operating the actuator to periodically reverse a flow direction of the fluid through the at least one fluid path.

5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
heating the fluid.

6 . The method of claim 5 , the heating of the fluid further comprising:
heating the fluid before the fluid flows through the at least one fluid path.

7 . The method of claim 5 , the heating of the fluid further comprising:
directing microwave radiation towards the support and the fluid as the fluid flows through the at least one fluid path.

8 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:
operating a third ejector of the three-dimensional object printer to eject a third material towards the platen to form an inner portion of the support with a dielectric strength that is greater than the dielectric strength of the first material and the dielectric strength of the second material.

9 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:
operating a third ejector of the three-dimensional object printer to eject the third material towards the platen to form an inner portion of the support with a particle additive that increases a dielectric strength of the third material relative to the dielectric strength of the third material without the particle additive.

10 . The method of claim 5 further comprising:
maintaining a temperature of the fluid that is below a predetermined threshold temperature.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the operating of the first ejector further comprises operating the first ejector to eject the first material towards the platen to form a plurality of objects, and
the connecting of the fluid source further comprises connecting the fluid source to a portion of the at least one fluid path of the support to enable fluid to flow through the portion of the at least one fluid path to separate at least one object of the plurality of objects from other objects of the plurality of objects.

12 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
operating at least one of the first ejector and the second ejector to form a fitting configured to connect to the fluid source to enable the fluid to flow through the at least one fluid path.

13 . A three-dimensional object printing system comprising:
a platen; an ejector head having a first ejector configured to eject a first material towards the platen and a second ejector configured to eject a second material towards the platen; a controller operatively connected to the ejector head, the controller being configured to (i) operate the first ejector to eject the first material towards the platen to form an object, and (ii) operate the second ejector to eject the second material towards the platen to form support for portions of the object, at least one portion of the support having a body with at least one fluid path that enables fluid to flow through the body of the support portion and contact a portion of the support material that formed the support; and a fluid source configured to connect to one end of the at least one fluid path of the support to enable fluid to flow through the at least one fluid path to contact the support material and exit from another end of the at least one fluid path to remove at least an inner portion of the support from the object.

14 . The printing system of claim 13 , the controller being further configured to:
receive image data that represents the object and the support; modify the image data to add the at least one fluid path to the at least one portion of the support; operate the first ejector to form the object with reference to the modified imaged data; and operate the second ejector to form the support with reference to the modified image data.

15 . The printing system of claim 13 , the heating element further comprising:
a microwave radiator configured to direct microwave radiation towards the support and the fluid as the fluid flows through the at least one fluid path.

16 . The printing system of claim 13 further comprising:
a third ejector in the ejector head, the third ejector being configured to eject a third material towards the platen; and
the controller is further configured to operate the third ejector to eject the third material towards the platen to form an inner portion of the support with a dielectric strength that is greater than the dielectric strength of the first material and the dielectric strength of the second material.

17 . The printing system of claim 13 , wherein:
the controller is further configured to operate the first ejector to eject the first material towards the platen to form a plurality of objects, and the fluid source is further configured to connect to a portion of the at least one fluid path of the support to enable fluid to flow through the portion of the at least one fluid path to separate at least one object of the plurality of objects from other objects of the plurality of objects.

18 . An article of manufacture comprising:
an object formed of a first material; and support formed of a second material having a dielectric strength that is higher than a dielectric strength of the first material, the support being configured to support portions of the object, at least one portion of the support having a body with at least one fluid path that enables fluid to flow through the body of the support portion and contact a portion of the support material that formed the support

19 . The article of manufacture of claim 18 , wherein the second material has a particle additive that increases the dielectric strength of the second material relative to the second material without the particle additive.

20 . The article of manufacture of claim 18 , the support further comprising:
an outer portion formed of the second material, the outer portion directly touching the object to support portions of the object; and an inner portion formed of a third material, the inner portion being separated from the object by the outer portion, the inner

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Mantell David A
• Hays Andrew W
• Hoover Linn C
• Dufort Ron E
• Ruiz Erwin
• Howe Patrick J

Classifications

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29C64/112 Primary

  using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C2035/0855

  using microwave · CPC title

• B29K2995/0006

  Dielectric · CPC title