Systems for three-dimensional printing

• US 10,207,454 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2016
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Velo3D, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Velo3D, Inc.
• Inventors: Buller, Benyamin, Milshtein, Erel, Brezoczky, Thomas Blasius, Christiansen, Daniel, Lappen, Alan Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): Schiffman, Benjamin A
• Application Number:
  US15/374,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20170165752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/36 of energy beam parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/47 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/68 Cleaning or washing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/73 of powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/70 Gas flow means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/04 Automatically aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam, e.g. using the back-scattered light
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0869 Devices involving movement of the laser head in at least one axial direction
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/142 for the removal of by-products
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/144 the fluid stream containing particles, e.g. powder
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/1462 Nozzles; Features related to nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 Build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/702 Auxiliary equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 37/06 for positioning the molten material, e.g. confining it to a desired area
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 17/0005 Direct recuperation and re-use of scrap material during moulding operation, i.e. feed-back of used material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/171 specially adapted for manufacturing multiple 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/188 involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/214 : Doctor blades
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/307 : Handling of material to be used in additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/35 : Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/357 : Recycling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 : Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 : Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/251 : Particles, powder or granules expandable particles B29K2105/046
• 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 40/20 : Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 : Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 : Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 : Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35134 : 3-D cad-cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 : Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 : Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

The present disclosure various apparatuses, and systems for 3D printing. The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, software and systems for a step and repeat energy irradiation process; controlling material characteristics and/or deformation of the 3D object; reducing deformation in a printed 3D object; and planarizing a material bed.

Claims

1. A system for three-dimensional printing of at least one three-dimensional object comprising:

a platform configured to accommodate the at least one three-dimensional object during the printing;

an energy source configured to generate an energy beam that transforms a pre-transformed material to a transformed material to print the at least one three-dimensional object;

a material remover that is laterally movable in a first direction, which material remover comprises;

an internal compartment configured to, at least during printing, (i) accommodate a pre-transformed material and (ii) facilitate equilibration of an attractive force, which equilibration is along a second direction that is different from the first direction, which attractive force is generated by an attractive force source operatively coupled to the internal compartment; and

an opening configured to facilitate entry of the pre-transformed material into the it compartment by being attracted by the attractive force, which opening is operatively coupled to the internal compartment,

wherein at least during printing;

(a) the internal compartment is configured to move laterally in the first direction, (b) the internal compartment is disposed above the at least one three-dimensional object, (c) the opening is configured to facilitate the entry of the pre-transformed material into the internal compartment by being attracted by the attractive force in a direction comprising an upwards component, or (d) any combination of (a), (b), and (c), wherein upwards and above are along a direction oriented vertically towards the energy beam.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second direction is a lateral direction.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal compartment comprises an aerodynamic shape.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal compartment is operatively coupled to a nozzle having the opening, which nozzle has an asymmetric axis.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal compartment is operatively coupled to a nozzle having the opening, which nozzle is configured to facilitate non-linear movement of the pre-transformed material in the nozzle.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal compartment is operatively coupled to a nozzle having the opening, which nozzle has an adjustable internal volume.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal compartment is configured to accommodate an amount of pre-transformed material that accumulates during removal of the pre-transformed material.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the attractive force source comprises a gas flow generator, an electrostatic force source, or a magnetic force source.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the gas flow generator comprises a vacuum pump.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the attractive force source is operatively coupled to the internal compartment through one or more openings.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the attractive force source is operatively coupled to the internal compartment through a plurality of openings, wherein at least some of the plurality of openings are equally spaced with respect to each other.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the attractive force source is operatively coupled to the internal compartment through a plurality of openings wherein at least some of the openings in the plurality of openings have a similar cross section.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the attractive force source is operatively coupled to the internal compartment through one or more channels.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more channels are flexible.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the attractive force source varies an atmospheric pressure in the internal compartment, and wherein the internal compartment is configured to facilitate homogenous pressure distribution in the opening along the second direction.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal compartment is configured to facilitate a turbulent flow in the internal compartment upon generation of the attractive force.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the material remover is configured to separate the pre-transformed material from a gas.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the material remover comprises a cyclonic separator that is configured to separate the pre-transformed material from a gas.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal compartment is operatively coupled to one or more additional force sources that removes an accumulated pre-transformed material from the internal compartment through an additional opening disposed in the internal compartment.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the one or more additional force sources are configured to generate a positive pressured gas and/or a negative pressured gas.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal compartment is configured to facilitate accumulation of the pre-transformed material in a volume of the internal compartment;

and wherein the opening and/or the internal compartment is configured to reduce back flow of the pre-transformed material from the internal compartment through the opening.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the opening is separated from the volume by a distance.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the distance is a horizontal distance and/or a vertical distance with respect to the platform.

24. The system of claim 1, wherein the internal compartment comprises (A) a first internal compartment that is (I) configured to accommodate a pre-transformed material and (II) is operatively coupled to the opening, and (B) a second internal compartment that facilitates the equilibration of the attractive force, which second internal compartment is operatively coupled to the first internal compartment to facilitate transition of the attractive force from the first internal compartment to the second internal compartment.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the opening is configured to facilitate entry of the pre-transformed material into the first internal compartment by being attracted by the attractive force.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the attractive force source is operatively coupled to the second internal compartment.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the internal compartment is configured to facilitate uniform removal of the pre-transformed material along the opening.

28. The system of claim 1, wherein, at least during printing, the internal compartment is configured to move laterally in the first direction.

29. The system of claim 1, wherein, at least during printing, the internal compartment is disposed above the at least one three-dimensional object.

30. The system of claim 1, wherein, at least during printing, the opening is configured to facilitate the entry of the pre-transformed material into the internal compartment by being attracted by the attractive force in a direction comprising an upwards component.

31. The system of claim 1, wherein, at least during printing:

the internal compartment is configured to move laterally in the first direction, and the internal compartment is disposed above the at least one three-dimensional object.

32. The system of claim 1, wherein, at least during printing:

the internal compartment is configured to move laterally in the first direction, and the opening is configured to facilitate the entry of the pre-transformed material into the internal compartment by being attracted by the attractive force in a direction comprising an upwards component.

33. The system of claim 1, wherein, at least during printing:

the internal compartment is disposed above the at least one three-dimensional object, and the opening is configured to facilitate the entry of the pre-transformed material into the internal compartment by being attracted by the attractive force in a direction comprising an upwards component.

34. The system of claim 1, wherein, at least during printing:

(a) the internal compartment is configured to move laterally in the first direction, (b) the internal compartment is disposed above the at least one three-dimensional object, and (c) the opening is configured to facilitate the entry of the pre-transformed material into the internal compartment by being attracted by the attractive force in a direction comprising an upwards component.