Adept three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9676145-B2
Application number	US-201615339775-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2016
Priority date	Nov 6, 2015
Publication date	Jun 13, 2017
Grant date	Jun 13, 2017

Abstract

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, systems, and non-transitory computer-readable medium. The disclosure delineates real time manipulation of three-dimensional printing to reduce deformation. The present disclosure further provides 3D object formed using the methods, apparatuses, and systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming a three-dimensional object, comprising:
(a) transforming at least a portion of a material bed with an energy beam, wherein the material bed is disposed in an enclosure;
(b) while transforming the at least the portion of the material bed, cooling the material bed with a first cooling member that is mobile, wherein the first cooling member is disposed in the enclosure, wherein the first cooling member is separated from an exposed surface of the material bed by a gap comprising a gas, wherein the first cooling member comprises a heat conductive material; and
(c) cooling the first cooling member with a second cooling member that is disposed (i) at a wall of the enclosure, or (ii) outside of the enclosure, wherein the second cooling member is stationary, wherein the second cooling member comprises a first opening.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cooling in (c) comprises physical contact cooling.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the physical contact cooling is through direct physical contact between the first cooling member and the second cooling member.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the physical contact cooling is through indirect physical contact between the first cooling member and the second cooling member.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second cooling member comprises a coolant, and wherein in (c), the first cooling member is cooled by active cooling using the coolant.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the coolant travels through the second cooling member during the cooling in (c).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first opening is an exit opening, and wherein the second cooling member further comprises an entrance opening.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein in (c), the first cooling member is cooled using a coolant that flows from the entrance opening of the second cooling member to the exit opening of the second cooling member.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cooling member comprises a heat sink.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second cooling member comprises a heat exchanger.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heat conductive material has a thermal conductivity of at least about 20 Watts per meter times degrees Kelvin (W/mK), as measured at an ambient temperature.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cooling member and the second cooling members are disposed in different atmospheres.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cooling member is disposed in an inert atmosphere.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second cooling member is disposed in an ambient atmosphere.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first cooling member follows the energy beam during formation of the three-dimensional object.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising cooling the material bed with a third cooling member during formation of the three-dimensional object.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the third cooling member is mobile during formation of the three-dimensional object.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the third cooling member is disposed in the enclosure and is separated from the exposed surface of the material bed by a gap comprising a gas.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the third cooling member comprises a heat conductive material.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the third cooling member cools the material bed through passive cooling.

21. The method of claim 16 , further comprising cooling the third cooling member with the second cooling member.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the cooling of the third cooling member with the second cooling member comprises physical contact cooling.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the physical contact cooling is through direct physical contact between the third cooling member and the second cooling member.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the physical contact cooling is through indirect physical contact between the third cooling member and the second cooling member.

25. The method of claim 16 , wherein the first cooling member and the second cooling member interchangeably absorb heat from the material bed.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the first cooling member and the third cooling member deplete heat interchangeably.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein deplete heat interchangeably is using the second cooling member.

28. The method of claim 25 , wherein the third cooling member interchanges its position with the first cooling member for the cooling in (c).

29. The method of claim 25 , wherein the first cooling member depletes heat during (c).

30. The method of claim 25 , wherein the first cooling member depletes heat after (b).

Assignees

• Velo3D Inc

Inventors

• Buller Benyamin
• Milshtein Erel

Classifications

• B29C64/268

  using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B28B17/0081

  Process control · CPC title

• B23K15/0086

  welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding · CPC title

• C22C33/02

  by powder metallurgy · CPC title