Dissolvable bulk metallic glass support materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017252818-A1
Application number	US-201715451059-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 6, 2017
Priority date	Mar 3, 2016
Publication date	Sep 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A printer fabricates an object from a computerized model using a fused filament fabrication process and a metallic build material. A thermally compatible support structure may be formed to support regions of the object using a dissolvable bulk metallic glass.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A printer for three-dimensional fabrication of metallic objects, the printer comprising:
a first extruder configured to deposit a metallic build material in an additive fabrication process; a second extruder configured to deposit a support material for the additive fabrication process, wherein the support material includes a dissolvable bulk metallic glass; a build plate; and a robotic system configured to move the first extruder and the second extruder in a three-dimensional path relative to the build plate in order to fabricate a support structure from the support material and an object from the metallic build material on the build plate according to a computerized model of the object.

2 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the metallic build material includes a bulk metallic glass.

3 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the metallic build material includes an off-eutectic composition of eutectic systems.

4 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the metallic build material includes a composite material having a metallic base that melts at a first temperature and a high-temperature inert second phase in particle form that remains inert up to at least a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

5 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass includes magnesium.

6 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass includes calcium.

7 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass includes lithium.

8 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass is dissoluble in an aqueous solution containing hydrogen chloride.

9 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass is dissoluble in an aqueous solution.

10 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass dissolves in a predetermined solvent at a rate ten times faster than the metallic build material.

11 . A method for controlling a printer in a three-dimensional fabrication of a metallic object, the method comprising:
moving a first nozzle along a first build path relative to a build plate of the printer while extruding a support material from the first nozzle to fabricate a support structure for an object, wherein the support material includes a dissolvable bulk metallic glass; and moving a second nozzle along a second build path relative to the build plate to fabricate a portion of an object above the support structure from a metallic build material, wherein the second build path is based upon a computerized model of the object.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the metallic build material includes a bulk metallic glass.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the metallic build material includes an off-eutectic composition of eutectic systems.

14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the metallic build material includes a composite material having a metallic base that melts at a first temperature and a high-temperature inert second phase in particle form that remains inert up to at least a second temperature greater than the first temperature.

15 . The method of claim 11 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass includes a magnesium alloy.

16 . The method of claim 11 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass includes a calcium alloy.

17 . The method of claim 11 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass includes a lithium alloy.

18 . The method of claim 11 further comprising dissolving the dissolvable bulk metallic glass in an aqueous solution.

19 . The method of claim 11 further comprising dissolving the dissolvable bulk metallic glass in an aqueous solution containing hydrogen chloride.

20 . The method of claim 11 wherein the dissolvable bulk metallic glass dissolves in a predetermined solvent at a rate at least ten times greater than the metallic build material.

21 . A method for controlling a printer in a three-dimensional fabrication of a metallic object, the method comprising:
moving a first nozzle along a first build path relative to a build plate of the printer while extruding a support material from the first nozzle to fabricate a support structure for an object; moving a second nozzle along a second path relative to the build plate to fabricate a dissoluble release layer above the support structure from a dissolvable bulk metallic glass; and moving a third nozzle along a third build path relative to the build plate to fabricate a portion of an object above the dissoluble release layer from a metallic build material, wherein the third build path is based upon a computerized model of the object.

22 . An article of manufacture comprising:
a support structure for additively manufacturing a portion of an object, the support structure formed of a dissolvable bulk metallic glass; and a surface of the object adjacent to the support structure, wherein the surface of the object is formed of a metallic build material.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Gibson Michael Andrew
• Fontana Richard Remo
• Myerberg Jonah Samuel
• Fulop Ricardo
• Schroers Jan
• Schuh Christopher Allan
• Chiang Yet-Ming

Classifications

• B22F12/33

  translatory in the deposition plane · CPC title

• B22F10/18

  by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF] · CPC title

• B22F12/53

  Nozzles · CPC title

• B22F10/31

  Calibration of process steps or apparatus settings, e.g. before or during manufacturing · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title