Method and apparatus for additive manufacturing with powder material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019232367-A1
Application number	US-201916381042-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 11, 2019
Priority date	Apr 11, 2016
Publication date	Aug 1, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for building a three dimensional green compact comprising a printing station configured to print a mask pattern on a building surface, wherein the mask pattern is formed of solidifiable material; a powder delivery station configured to apply a layer of powder material on the mask pattern; a die compaction station for compacting the layer formed by the powder material and the mask pattern; and a stage configured to repeatedly advance a building tray to each of the printing station, the powder delivery station and the die compaction station to build a plurality of layers that together form the three dimensional green compact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for building a three dimensional green compact on a building tray, the system comprising:
a printing station configured to print a mask pattern on a building surface, wherein the mask pattern is formed with a solidifiable material, wherein the solidifiable material is deposited on the building surface in a liquid state and solidified on the building surface; a powder delivery station configured to apply a layer of powder material on the mask pattern; a die compaction station for compacting the powder material and the mask pattern; and a stage configured to repeatedly advance the building tray to each of the printing station, the powder delivery station and the die compaction station to build a plurality of layers that together form the three dimensional green compact.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the three dimensional green compact includes an object being formed and a support region.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the solidifiable material is selected from the group consisting of a phase-change ink, a thermal ink, a photopolymer material, wax, or any combination thereof.

4 . The system according to claim 3 , wherein the phase-change ink is configured to substantially evaporate at a temperature of above 100° C.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the powder material is an aluminum alloy.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the powder delivery station comprises:
a powder hopper configured to store the powder material; a dispensing tip configured to dispense the powder material; a powder dispensing tray configured to receive the powder material from the dispensing tip; and an actuator configured to deliver the powder material on the powder dispensing tray to the building tray.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the powder delivery station includes a roller and wherein the roller is actuated to both rotate and move across the layer for spreading the powder material and wherein the powder delivery station includes a plurality of gutters configured to receive excess powder material falling from the edges of the building tray during roller movement across the layer.

8 . The system according to claim 7 , wherein the powder delivery station is configured to recirculate the excess powder material and wherein the powder delivery station includes at least one cyclone separator configured to remove air from the powder material collected from the plurality of gutters, and a mesh configured to separate the powder material from debris prior to delivering the powder material to a powder hopper.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the die compacting station includes side walls that are configured to be introduced around the building tray and wherein the side walls are configured to be introduced around the building tray based on contact of the layer with the compacting station.

10 . A system for forming a three dimensional object comprising:
a system for building a three dimensional green compact according to claim 1 ; and a post-processing station selected from the group consisting of a second compacting station, a heating station, a sintering station, and any combination thereof.

11 . A method for building a three dimensional green compact, the method comprising:
printing a mask pattern on a building surface with solidifiable material, wherein the solidifiable material is deposited on the building surface in a liquid state and solidified on the building surface; forming a layer by filling unmasked portions of the layer by spreading powder material on the mask pattern of the layer after the mask pattern of the layer is completed; compacting the layer; and repeating the printing, forming and compacting until the three dimensional green compact is completed.

12 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of rows of powder material is prepared off-line prior to dispensing on the building surface.

13 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of rows of powder material is positioned perpendicular to a spreading direction.

14 . The method according to claim 11 comprising at least one of: inverting the spreading direction from one powder layer to the subsequent one; and varying the positioning of the plurality of rows of powder material from one powder layer to the subsequent one.

15 . The method according to claim 11 , further comprising collecting excess powder material falling from the edges of the building surface during the spreading and recirculating the excess powder material to a powder hopper.

16 . The method according to claim 15 , comprising:
suctioning the excess powder material to at least one cyclone separator; separating the powder material from air in the at least one cyclone separator; filtering the powder material from the at least one cyclone separator with a mesh; and delivering powder material filtered through the mesh to a powder hopper, wherein the powder hopper provides the powder material for building the three dimensional green compact.

17 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein the printing, forming and compacting are performed in ambient temperatures.

18 . The method according to claim 11 , wherein a first layer is formed on a building tray coated with a tacky material.

19 . A method for forming a three dimensional object comprising:
building a three dimensional green compact according to the method of claim 11 , wherein said three dimensional green compact comprises an object and a support region including solidifiable material; and post-processing the green compact by:
removing the solidifiable material;
separating the object from the support region; and
sintering the object.

20 . The method according to claim 19 , wherein post-processing further comprises compacting the green compact as a whole.

Assignees

• Stratasys Ltd

Inventors

• Sheinman Yehoshua
• Hirsch Shai
• Shahar Almog
• Grach Uri
• Tanhilevich Kirill

Classifications

• B22F12/52

  Hoppers · CPC title

• B22F10/50

  Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title

• B22F12/57

  Metering means · CPC title

• B22F12/63

  Rollers · CPC title