Fabricating multi-part assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019118260-A1
Application number	US-201816170942-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 25, 2018
Priority date	Apr 14, 2016
Publication date	Apr 25, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques are disclosed for fabricating multi-part assemblies. In particular, by forming release layers between features such as bearings or gear teeth, complex mechanical assemblies can be fabricated in a single additive manufacturing process.

First claim

1 . A printer for three-dimensional fabrication, the printer comprising:
a build plate; a print head; a robotic system operable to move the print head relative to the build plate; and a processor configured by computer executable code to move the robotic system along a build path relative to the build plate to:
fabricate a first object from a first material, wherein the first material includes a powdered material and a binder system, the binder system including one or more binders that resist deformation of a net shape of the first object during processing of the first object into a final part;
apply an interface layer adjacent to a first surface of the first object, the interface layer reducing to a powder during sintering of the first material; and
fabricate a second surface of a second object from a second material at a location adjacent to the interface layer and opposing the first surface of the first object, wherein the second object is structurally independent from and mechanically related to the first object, and wherein the interface layer resists bonding of the first surface to the second surface during sintering.

2 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the first material and the second material are supplied from a single source of build material and have a substantially common composition.

3 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the first material and the second material have substantially similar shrinkage rates during a thermal sintering cycle.

4 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the first object and the second object form a multi-part mechanical assembly.

5 . The printer of claim 4 wherein the multi-part mechanical assembly includes one or more moving parts within a casing.

6 . The printer of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to move the robotic system along the build path relative to the build plate to provide a physical exit path from the casing for a third material of the interface layer.

7 . The printer of claim 5 wherein the processor is further configured to move the robotic system along the build path relative to the build plate to provide a physical exit path within the multi-part mechanical assembly for extraction of a support material.

8 . The printer of claim 7 wherein the support material reduces to a powder during sintering of the first material.

9 . The printer of claim 7 wherein the support material is a dissolvable support material such that the support material is configured to be dissolved in a solvent and removed with the solvent through the physical exit path.

10 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the powdered material includes a powdered metal.

11 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the interface layer includes a powdered ceramic.

12 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the first object and the second object are debindable.

13 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the first object and the second object are sinterable.

14 . The printer of claim 1 wherein fabricating the first object and the second object includes fabricating at least one of the first object and the second object using a fused filament fabrication process.

15 . The printer of claim 1 wherein fabricating the first object and the second object includes fabricating at least one of the first object and the second object using a binder jetting process.

16 . The printer of claim 1 wherein fabricating the first object and the second object includes fabricating at least one of the first object and the second object using a stereolithography process.

17 . The printer of claim 1 wherein applying the interface layer includes depositing an interface material using a fused filament fabrication process.

18 . The printer of claim 1 wherein applying the interface layer includes at least one of inkj etting, micropipetting, and painting an interface material onto the first surface to form the interface layer.

19 . The printer of claim 18 wherein the interface material includes a ceramic-loaded polymer.

20 . The printer of claim 18 wherein the interface material includes a ceramic-loaded suspension or a ceramic-loaded slurry.

21 . The printer of claim 1 wherein the first object and the second object include complementary gears.

22 . The printer of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first object and the second object includes an axel.

23 . The printer of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first object and the second object includes a bearing.

24 . A printer for three-dimensional fabrication, the printer comprising:
a build plate; a print head; a robotic system operable to move the print head relative to the build plate; and a processor configured by computer executable code to move the robotic system along a build path relative to the build plate to:
fabricate a first object from a first material, wherein the first material includes a powdered material and a binder system, the binder system including one or more binders that resist deformation of a net shape of the first object during processing of the first object into a final part;
apply an interface layer adjacent to a first surface of the first object;
fabricate a second surface of a second object from a second material at a location adjacent to the interface layer and opposing the first surface of the first object, wherein the second object is structurally independent from and mechanically related to the first object, wherein the first object and the second object form a multi-part mechanical assembly including one or more moving parts within a casing, and wherein the interface layer resists bonding of the first surface to the second surface during sintering; and
provide a physical exit path from the casing for a third material of the interface layer.

25 . A printer for three-dimensional fabrication, the printer comprising:
a build plate; a print head; a robotic system operable to move the print head relative to the build plate; and a processor configured by computer executable code to move the robotic system along a build path relative to the build plate to:
fabricate a first object from a first material, wherein the first material includes a powdered material and a binder system, the binder system including one or more binders that resist deformation of a net shape of the first object during processing of the first object into a final part;
apply an interface layer adjacent to a first surface of the first object;
fabricate a second surface of a second object from a second material at a location adjacent to the interface layer and opposing the first surface of the first object, wherein the second object is structurally independent from and mechanically related to the first object, wherein the first object and the second object form a multi-part mechanical assembly, and wherein the interface layer resists bonding of the first surface to the second surface during sintering; and
provide a physical exit path within the multi-part mechanical assembly for extraction of a support material, wherein the support material reduces to a powder during sintering of the first material.

26 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Schmitt Peter Alfons
• Myerberg Jonah Samuel
• Fulop Ricardo
• Gibson Michael Andrew
• Verminski Matthew David
• Fontana Richard Remo
• Schuh Christopher Allan
• Chiang Yet-Ming
• Hart Anastasios John

Classifications

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B22F10/18

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

• B22F10/14

  by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder · CPC title

• B22F10/368

  Temperature or temperature gradient, e.g. temperature of the melt pool · CPC title