System and method for forming integrated interfaces within a three-dimensionally printed object with different build materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017320270-A1
Application number	US-201615145304-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 3, 2016
Priority date	May 3, 2016
Publication date	Nov 9, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system operates at least one ejector and an extruder to form three-dimensional objects with photopolymer material and thermoplastic material. The system operates to deposit the two materials in a layer-by-layer manner. The photopolymer material provides high resolution finishes on the objects and the thermoplastic material enables strong and stable formation of internal portions of the objects.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . An additive manufacturing method for producing three-dimensional objects with multiple materials comprising:
operating with a controller at least one ejector in a plurality of ejectors to eject drops of a photopolymer material towards a substrate, the drops of photopolymer material being formed with a perimeter portion that extends above a base portion so the perimeter portion and the base portion define a volume; operating with the controller a source of ultraviolet (UV) radiation to cure the drops of photopolymer material at least partially; operating with the controller an extruder to extrude a thermoplastic material within the volume defined by base portion and the perimeter portion; operating with the controller the at least one ejector to eject additional photopolymer material onto the thermoplastic material to form a surface over at least a portion of the thermoplastic material; and operating with the controller the source of UV radiation to cure the drops of photopolymer material and the additional photopolymer material.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
operating a leveling device to remove a portion of the drops of photopolymer material to enable the perimeter portion to have an upper surface located at a predetermined height about the base portion of the at least one layer of photopolymer material.

3 . The method of claim 2 , the operation of the extruder further comprising:
operating with the controller the extruder to extrude the thermoplastic material within the volume defined by the base portion and the perimeter portion to position an upper surface of the thermoplastic material at a height that is less than the predetermined height of the perimeter portion above the base portion.

4 . The method of claim 1 , the operation of the at least one ejector further comprising:
operating with the controller the at least one ejector to form the perimeter portion with at least one surface that is positioned at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to a planar surface that supports the base portion of the photopolymer material.

5 . The method of claim 1 , the operation of the at least one ejector further comprising:
operating with the controller the at least one ejector to form the perimeter portion with at least one surface that is positioned at a perpendicular angle with respect to a planar surface that supports the base portion of the photopolymer material.

6 . The method of claim 1 , the operation of the at least one ejector further comprising:
operating with the controller the at least one ejector to form the base portion with protrusions that extend from the base portion into the volume formed by the perimeter portion and the base portion; and operating with the controller the extruder to fill at least partially areas between the protrusions with the thermoplastic material.

7 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
operating with the controller the extruder to extrude a support material in an area adjacent to an external wall of the perimeter portion;
operating with the controller another ejector to eject another support material over the extruded support material to form a surface over the extruded support material, the ejected support material being different than the extruded support material; and
operating with the controller the ejector that ejects drops of photopolymer material to extend the perimeter portion over the surface formed over the other ejected support material.

8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
operating with the controller another extruder to extrude a support material in an area adjacent to an external wall of the perimeter portion;
operating with the controller another ejector to eject another support material over the extruded support material to form a surface over the extruded support material, the ejected support material being different than the extruded support material; and
operating with the controller the ejector that ejects drops of photopolymer material to extend the perimeter portion over the surface formed over the other ejected support material.

9 . The method of claim 1 , the operation of the extruder further comprising:
operating with the controller the extruder to form a structure having a first plurality of thermoplastic members having a first orientation and a second plurality of thermoplastic members having a second orientation that is different than the first orientation over the first plurality of thermoplastic members, the first plurality and the second plurality of thermoplastic members being separated by interstitial spaces between the thermoplastic members in the first plurality of thermoplastic members and the thermoplastic members in the second plurality of thermoplastic members.

10 . The method of claim 9 further comprising:
operating with the controller the ejector to eject drops of photopolymer material into at least some of the interstitial spaces between the thermoplastic members in the first plurality of thermoplastic members and the thermoplastic members in the second plurality of thermoplastic members before forming the surface with the photopolymer material over the extruded thermoplastic material.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the ejected drops of photopolymer material have a diameter that is less than a width of the thermoplastic members in the first plurality and second plurality of thermoplastic members.

12 . The method of claim 10 further comprising:
operating with the controller the ejector to form a solid layer of photopolymer material within the structure formed by the first plurality of thermoplastic members and the second plurality of thermoplastic members.

13 . The method of claim 10 further comprising:
operating with the controller the extruder to form a solid layer of photopolymer material within the structure formed by the first plurality of thermoplastic members and the second plurality of thermoplastic members.

14 . An additive manufacturing system for producing three-dimensional objects with multiple materials comprising:
a planar member; at least one ejector configured to eject drops of photopolymer material towards the planar member; a source of ultraviolet (UV) radiation; an extruder configured to extrude thermoplastic material towards the planar member; and a controller operatively connected to the at least one ejector, the source of UV radiation, and the extruder, the controller being configured to:
operate at least one ejector in a plurality of ejectors to eject drops of a photopolymer material towards the planar member, the drops of photopolymer materials forming a perimeter portion that extends above a base portion so the perimeter portion and the base portion define a volume;
operate the source of UV radiation to cure the drops of photopolymer material at least partially;
operate the extruder to extrude a thermoplastic material within the volume of the defined by the base portion and the perimeter portion of the at least partially cured photopolymer material;
operate the at least one ejector to eject additional photopolymer material onto the thermoplastic material to form a surface over at least a portion of the thermoplastic material; and
operate the source of UV radiation to cure the drops of photopolymer material and the additional photopolymer material.

15 . The system of claim 14 further comprising:
a leveling device; and
the controller being operatively connected to the leveling device, the controller being further configured to:
operate the leveling device to remove a portion of

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Mandel Barry P
• Mcconville Paul J
• Nystrom Peter J
• Folkins Jeffrey J
• Mantell David A

Classifications

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C2035/0827

  using UV radiation · CPC title

• B29C64/268

  using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] · CPC title