Apparatus, system and method of forming polymer microspheres for use in additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022016830-A1
Application number	US-201917311635-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 6, 2019
Priority date	Dec 6, 2018
Publication date	Jan 20, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

The embodiments are and include at least an apparatus, system and method for forming print material particles for additive manufacturing (AM) printing. The apparatus, system and method include at least a melt chamber comprising a polymer melt; a vertical extruder that fluidically receives the polymer melt; an atomizer that atomizes the polymer melt from the vertical extruder and that distributes the atomized polymer melt; a fall chamber comprising a plurality of zones into which the atomized polymer melt is distributed; and a collector to receive the print material particles formed of the atomized polymer melt after falling through the plurality of zones.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for forming print material particles for additive manufacturing (AM) printing, comprising:
a melt chamber comprising a polymer melt; a vertical extruder that fluidically receives the polymer melt; an atomizer that atomizes the polymer melt from the vertical extruder and that distributes the atomized polymer melt; a fall chamber comprising a plurality of zones into which the atomized polymer melt is distributed; and a collector to receive the print material particles formed of the atomized polymer melt after falling through the plurality of zones.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the atomizer comprises a high-pressure non-reactive gas jet.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the non-reactive gas comprises nitrogen gas.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the high pressure comprises a range of about 1050 psi.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the print material particles range in size from about 0.1 μm to about 200 μm.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the melt is polyethylene-based.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collected print material particles comprise a powder having a maximum weight fraction of about 0.1-200 μm.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the atomized polymer melt comprises about a 3.175-mm melt stream size.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a feeder to the melt chamber, wherein the polymer in the feeder comprises pellets.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the melt chamber comprises a heater to form the polymer melt.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the heater is capable of heating above a melt temperature of a polymer of the polymer melt.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the vertical extruder comprises at least one heater.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fall through the plurality of zones is gravimetric.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the fall through the plurality of zones is one of advanced or retarded from a gravimetric fall.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of zones comprise successive active cooling zones.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of zones comprise successive active heating and cooling zones.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the extruder comprises a twin screw extruder.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the polymer melt comprises non-polymer additives.

19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the additives comprise at least one of an alloy and a reinforcement.

20 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the atomizer comprises one of a centrifugal, a chopping disc, and a gas atomization.

21 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the collector further comprises a classifier.

Assignees

• Jabil Inc

Inventors

• Dippel Nicholas
• Gardner Thomas

Classifications

• H04L63/107

  wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals · CPC title

• H04W4/38

  for collecting sensor information · CPC title

• B29C64/25

  Housings, e.g. machine housings · CPC title

• G06T19/006

  Mixed reality (object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00) · CPC title

• G06F8/65

  Updates (security arrangements therefor G06F21/57) · CPC title