Three-dimensional printing system and equipment assembly

• US 10,118,335 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2018
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company
• Original Assignee: Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company
• Inventors: Yoo, Jaedeok, Bradbury, Thomas J., Bebb, Thomas J., Iskra, James, Surprenant, Henry L., West, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sultana, Nahida
• Application Number:
  US15/871,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20180162042A1
• Time in Patent Office: 295 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/176 Sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/236 for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/35 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing system and equipment assembly for the manufacture of three-dimensionally printed articles is provided. The equipment assembly includes a three-dimensional printing build system, an optional liquid removal system and an optional harvester system. The build system includes a conveyor, plural build modules and at least one build station having a powder-layering system and a printing system. The equipment assembly can be used to manufacture pharmaceutical, medical, and non-pharmaceutical/non-medical objects. It can be used to prepare single or multiple articles.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printing equipment assembly comprising:

a circuitous or oscillating conveyor system;

plural build modules comprising respective height adjustable platforms;

at least one build station that forms respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles on the plural build modules;

a bed transfer system that transfers the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles away from the conveyor system;

a control system that determines and specifies the location of one or more of the plural build modules relative to the conveyor system;

wherein the conveyor system repeatedly conducts the plural build modules through the at least one build station.

2. The equipment assembly of claim 1 further comprising one or more build module positioning systems, one or more conveyor positioning systems or both.

3. The equipment assembly of claim 2, wherein the control system comprises a proximity sensor that specifies the location of one or more of the plural build modules relative to the circuitous or oscillating conveyor system.

4. The equipment assembly of claim 3 further comprising a component that considers at least the linear speed of the circuitous or oscillating conveyor or of the plural build modules when forming the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles.

5. The equipment assembly of claim 4 further comprising a control system that determines the location of one or more of the plural build modules.

6. The equipment assembly of claim 5 further comprising a synchronizer that facilitates synchronization of operation of various components of the equipment assembly.

7. The equipment assembly of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises a proximity sensor that specifies the location of one or more of the plural build modules relative to the circuitous or oscillating conveyor system.

8. The equipment assembly of claim 1 further comprising a component that considers at least the linear speed of the conveyor or one or more of the plural build modules when forming the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles.

9. The equipment assembly of claim 1 further comprising a control system that determines the location of one or more of the plural build modules.

10. The equipment assembly of claim 1 further comprising a synchronizer that facilitates synchronization of operation of various components of the equipment assembly.

11. The equipment assembly of claim 1 further comprising at least one of the following:

a) at least one harvesting system;

b) at least one liquid removal system;

c) at least one packaging system;

d) at least one powder recovery system for recovering, and optionally recycling, unprinted powder;

e) at least one liquid detector;

f) at least one inspection system;

g) at least one dedusting system;

or h) at least one build plate loading system.

12. A method for the preparation of three-dimensionally printed articles, the method comprising:

with a conveyor system, repeatedly conveying plural build modules through at least one build station to form from build material respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles in one or more of the plural build modules;

considering at least the linear speed of the conveyor system or of the plural build modules when forming the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

determining the location of one or more of the plural build modules and/or specifying the location of one or more of the plural build modules relative to the conveyor system when forming the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

transferring the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles away from the conveyor system;

wherein;

the plural build modules comprise respective height adjustable platforms; and

the conveyor is a circuitous or reciprocating conveyor.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising forming plural three-dimensionally printed incremental layers during formation of respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the build material is powder material, and the step of forming plural three-dimensionally printed incremental layers comprises forming respective plural powder layers and binding particles of the plural powder layers according to one or more predetermined patterns.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising charging powder onto one or more of the plural build modules at a feed rate that takes into consideration the linear speed of the conveyor or the plural build modules.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising creating print instructions specifying or considering one or more patterns to be printed on respective powder layers.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the print instructions specify or consider at least the linear speed of one or more of the plural build modules.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the print instructions further specify or consider the intended print density of the one or more patterns to be printed.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the print instructions further specify or consider the intended print density of the one or more patterns to be printed.

20. The method of claim 14 further comprising creating print instructions specifying or considering one or more patterns to be printed on one or more of the powder layers.

21. The method of claim 12 further comprising at least one of the following steps:

a) harvesting the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

b) removing liquid from the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

c) dedusting the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

d) packaging the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

e) recovering loose build material;

f) detecting the presence, amount or concentration of liquid present in the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

g) inspecting the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

h) controlling one or more components of the equipment assembly with a control system comprising one or more computerized controllers, one or more computers, and one or more user interfaces for the one or more computers;

i) providing printing instructions;

j) providing one or more two-dimensional image files comprising pixels;

k) forming plural stacked three-dimensionally printed incremental layers to form the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

l) transferring surplus build material from one of said plural build modules to an adjacent one of said plural build modules;

or m) creating print instructions specifying or considering one or more patterns to be printed.