Metal Three-Dimensional Printing without Sintering using Concurrent Particle Deposition and Electroplating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021123153-A1
Application number	US-201916665504-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 28, 2019
Priority date	Oct 28, 2019
Publication date	Apr 29, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system is provided for use with a volume of metal particles suspended in electroplating solution. The system includes: a positional tip operable to have a positive electrical bias; a dispenser operable to dispense at least one of the metal particles and the electroplating solution; a metal base depositing system operable to deposit a metal base; a controller operable to control the positional tip to move and to control the dispenser to dispense the at least one of the metal particles and the electroplating solution; and a voltage controller operable to provide the positive electrical bias to the positional tip and to provide a negative electrical bias to the metal base so as to electroplate metal onto the metal base from the particles suspended in the electroplating solution and so as to three-dimensionally print a metal shape.

First claim

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1 . A system for use with a volume of metal particles suspended in electroplating solution, said system comprising:
a positional tip operable to have a positive electrical bias; a dispenser operable to dispense at least one of the metal particles and the electroplating solution; a metal base depositing system operable to deposit a metal base; a controller operable to control said positional tip to move and to control said dispenser to dispense the at least one of the metal particles and the electroplating solution; and a voltage controller operable to provide the positive electrical bias to said positional tip and to provide a negative electrical bias to said metal base so as to electroplate metal onto said metal base from the metal particles suspended in the electroplating solution and so as to three-dimensionally print a metal shape.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said positional tip and said dispenser are a unitary device.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein said controller is operable to control said positional tip to move and to control said dispenser to dispense the metal particles suspended in the electroplating solution.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said dispenser comprises a first dispensing portion operable to dispense the metal particles as a layer of powder and a second dispensing portion operable to subsequently dispense the electroplating solution within a portion of the layer of powder.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein said positional tip and said second dispensing portion are a unitary device.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said positional tip and said dispenser are separate components.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein said controller is operable to control said positional tip to move and to control said dispenser to dispense the metal particles suspended in the electroplating solution.

8 . The system of claim 1 ,
wherein the positional tip comprises an insulating dispensing tip and an electroplating tip, wherein the insulating dispensing tip is operable to dispense the metal particles suspended in electroplating solution, wherein the electroplating tip has a connecting portion and an electroplating portion, wherein the connecting portion is operable to connect to the insulating dispensing tip, and wherein the electroplating portion is arranged so as to contact a portion of the dispensed metal particles suspended in electroplating solution and is operable to receive the positive electrical bias from the voltage controller.

9 . A method comprising:
depositing, via a metal base depositing system, a metal base; dispensing, via a dispenser, at least one of metal particles and an electroplating solution; controlling, via a controller, a positional tip to move; controlling, via the controller, the dispenser to dispense the at least one of the metal particles and the electroplating solution; and providing, via a voltage controller, a positive electrical bias to the positional tip and a negative electrical bias to the metal base so as to electroplate metal onto the metal base from the metal particles suspended in the electroplating solution and so as to three-dimensionally print a metal shape.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the positional tip and the dispenser are a unitary device.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the controller is operable to control the positional tip to move and to control the dispenser to dispense the metal particles suspended in the electroplating solution.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the dispenser comprises a first dispensing portion operable to dispense the metal particles as a layer of powder and a second dispensing portion operable to subsequently dispense the electroplating solution within a portion of the layer of powder.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the positional tip and the second dispensing portion are a unitary device.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the positional tip and the dispenser are separate components.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the controller is operable to control the positional tip to move and to control the dispenser to dispense the metal particles suspended in the electroplating solution.

16 . The method of claim 9 ,
wherein the positional tip comprises an insulating dispensing tip and an electroplating tip, wherein the insulating dispensing tip is operable to dispense the metal particles suspended in electroplating solution, wherein the electroplating tip has a connecting portion and an electroplating portion, wherein the connecting portion is operable to connect to the insulating dispensing tip, and wherein the electroplating portion is arranged so as to contact a portion of the dispensed metal particles suspended in electroplating solution and is operable to receive the positive electrical bias from the voltage controller.

17 . A metal object prepared by a process which comprises:
depositing, via a metal base depositing system, a metal base; dispensing, via a dispenser, at least one of metal particles and an electroplating solution; controlling, via a controller, a positional tip to move; controlling, via the controller, the dispenser to dispense the at least one of the metal particles and the electroplating solution; and providing, via a voltage controller, the positive electrical bias to the positional tip and a negative electrical bias to the metal base so as to electroplate metal onto the metal base from the metal particles suspended in the electroplating solution and so as to three-dimensionally print a metal shape.

18 . The metal object of claim 17 , wherein the positional tip and the dispenser are a unitary device.

19 . The metal object of claim 17 , wherein the dispenser comprises a first dispensing portion operable to dispense the metal particles as a layer of powder and a second dispensing portion operable to subsequently dispense the electroplating solution within a portion of the layer of powder.

20 . The metal object of claim 17 , wherein the positional tip and the dispenser are separate components.

Assignees

• Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific
• Us Navy

Inventors

• Swanson Paul D
• Emery-Adleman Teresa H

Classifications

• B22F1/145

  Chemical treatment, e.g. passivation or decarburisation · CPC title

• B22F1/147

  Making a dispersion · CPC title

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• Y02P10/25

  Process efficiency · CPC title

• C25D5/02

  Electroplating of selected surface areas · CPC title