Thermal energy delivery in multi-directional binder jetting for additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018304357-A1
Application number	US-201815959083-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 20, 2018
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Oct 25, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

The devices, systems, and methods of the present disclosure are directed to thermal energy delivery to facilitate rapid layer-by-layer fabrication of three-dimensional objects formed through binder jetting. More specifically, a powder may be spread to form a layer along a volume defined by a powder box, a binder may be deposited along the layer to form a layer of a three-dimensional object, and the direction of spreading the layer and depositing the binder may be in a first direction and in a second direction, different from the first direction, thus facilitating rapid formation of the three-dimensional object. Thermal energy may be delivered to each layer in the first and second directions to dry or otherwise change the binder and/or the powder to reduce the likelihood of distorting the binder in a given layer as a subsequent layer is rapidly formed over the given layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of additive manufacturing of an object, the method comprising:
along a volume defined by a powder box, spreading a layer of powder including metal particles; depositing a binder in a controlled two-dimensional pattern along the layer; and directing thermal energy to the layer, wherein the steps of spreading the layer, depositing the binder, and directing the thermal energy to the layer are performed in a first direction across the volume and repeated in a second direction, different from the first direction, across the volume to form alternating layers of a three-dimensional object.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing thermal energy to the layer includes directing the thermal energy to the binder deposited along the layer.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing thermal energy to the layer includes increasing at least a local temperature of the layer.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein directing thermal energy to the layer includes drying at least a portion of the layer.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the thermal energy to the layer includes directing infrared energy to the layer.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the thermal energy to the layer includes directing microwave energy to the layer.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing thermal energy to the layer includes moving a thermal energy source across the layer, with movement of the thermal energy source indexed relative to spreading sequential layers of powder along the volume.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second direction is substantially opposite the first direction across the volume.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the binder includes ejecting the binder from at least one ejection orifice defined by a print carriage moving in the first direction and in the second direction.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, in the first direction, spreading the layer of powder includes dispensing a first powder from a first hopper and, in the second direction, spreading the layer of powder includes dispensing a second powder from a second hopper, the second hopper different from the first hopper, and the second powder different from the first powder.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the first powder includes metal particles of a first metal and the second powder includes metal particles of a second metal, different from the first metal.

12 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing an anti-sintering agent along the layer of powder along a portion of the layer outside of or along the controlled two-dimensional pattern.

13 . An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a powder box defining a volume; at least one spreader movable over the volume to spread a layer of a powder across the volume; a print carriage defining at least one ejection orifice, the print carriage movable over the volume, and the print carriage actuatable to eject a binder from the at least one ejection orifice in a direction toward the layer as the print carriage moves over the volume; and at least one thermal energy source movable over the volume in coordination with movement of the at least one spreader over the volume, the at least one thermal energy source positioned to direct thermal energy toward the layer as the at least one thermal energy source moves over the volume.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one thermal energy source is movable over the volume in coordination with movement of the print carriage to trail the at least one ejection orifice across the volume.

15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one thermal energy source is movable over the volume at a substantially constant rate.

16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one spreader, the print carriage, and the at least one thermal energy source are each movable over the volume at substantially the same rate as one another.

17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one thermal energy source includes one or more of an infrared energy source or a microwave energy source.

18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the at least one spreader is movable over the volume in a first direction and in a second direction different from the first direction, and the at least one spreader is positionable relative to the volume to spread alternating layers of the powder through movement in the first direction and in the second direction.

19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein the at least one spreader includes a first spreader and a second spreader, the first spreader disposed relative to the second spreader to precede the second spreader over the volume in the first direction, and the second spreader disposed relative to the first spreader to precede the first spreader over the volume in the first direction.

20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the at least one thermal energy source includes a first thermal energy source and a second thermal energy source, the first thermal energy source trailing the first spreader over the volume in the first direction, and the second thermal energy source trailing the second spreader over the volume in the second direction.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Myerberg Jonah Samuel
• Fulop Ricardo
• Hoisington Paul A
• Sachs Emanuel Michael
• Hart Anastasios John
• Vaillancourt Keith
• Garrant Steven
• SCHUSTER Brett

Classifications

• B22F3/004

  Filling molds with powder (feeding material to presses in general B30B15/302) · CPC title

• B22F3/18

  by using pressure rollers · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title

• B22F3/16

  in successive or repeated steps · CPC title