Systems and method for monitoring three-dimensional printing

• US 10,449,721 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2017
• Issued: 10/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Deborah D.L. Chung
• Original Assignee: Deborah D.L. Chung
• Inventors: Chung, Deborah D. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Booth, Richard A
• Application Number:
  US15/730,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20190105840A1
• Time in Patent Office: 741 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/18 by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/22 Direct deposition of molten metal
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/30 Platforms or substrates
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2301/052 Aluminium
• 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: B28B 17/0072 Product control or inspection
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/10 Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2235/6026 Computer aided shaping, e.g. rapid prototyping
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

This invention provides systems and method for monitoring three-dimensional printing of printing material. A system comprises two coplanar and electrically conductive electrodes and a substrate, which provides a printing surface. The proximate edges of the electrodes, which are on the surface, are separate by a distance ranging from 5 mm to 300 mm. Each electrode is smaller in area than the substrate. The system also comprises a plurality of layers, which are formed layer-by-layer by the printing, and are derived from the printing material. The electrodes are electrically oppositely charged, as enabled by an alternating electric current between the two electrodes. The current partly flows in the layers. The two electrodes exhibit between them a capacitance ranging from 0.1 pF to 10 nF.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring three-dimensional printing of printing material,

said system comprising two coplanar electrodes,

said electrodes being electrically conductive,

said system also comprising substrate,

said substrate providing a surface on which said printing occurs,

said electrodes being positioned on said substrate,

said electrodes exhibiting proximate edges,

said edges being separate from one another by a distance,

said distance ranging from 5 mm to 300 mm,

each of said electrodes being smaller in area than said substrate,

said system also comprising a plurality of layers,

said layers being derived from said printing material,

said layers being formed layer-by-layer on said substrate by said printing,

said layers being positioned in a region,

said region extending from the location of one said edge to the location of the other said edge,

said two electrodes being electrically oppositely charged,

said charge being enabled by an alternating electric current,

said alternating electric current flowing between said two electrodes,

said alternating electric current partly flowing in said layers,

said two electrodes exhibiting a capacitance between them,

said capacitance ranging from 0.1 pF to 10 nF.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said layers comprise material selected from the group consisting of:

metal, metal alloy, metal-based material, metal-matrix composite, aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, steel, ceramic, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, ceramic-based material, ceramic-matrix composite, cement-based material, cement paste, cement mortar, concrete, polymer, polymer-based material, polymer-matrix composite, thermosetting polymer, thermoplastic polymer, biopolymer, photopolymer, organic-based material, and combinations thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said substrate comprises material selected from the group consisting of:

ceramic, ceramic-based material, ceramic-matrix composite, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, cement-based material, cement paste, cement mortar, concrete, polymer, polymer-based material, polymer-matrix composite, organic-based material, and combinations thereof.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said electrodes comprise material selected from the group consisting of:

metal, metal alloy, metal-based material, metal-matrix composite, aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, steel, electrically conductive polymer, and combinations thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said two electrodes are the same in composition.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said two electrodes are electrically connected,

said electrical connection being positioned on said substrate, and

said electrical connection providing an exterior surface on which said printing occurs.

7. A system for monitoring three-dimensional printing of printing material,

said system comprising two coplanar electrodes,

said electrodes being electrically conductive,

said system also comprising substrate,

said substrate providing a surface on which said printing occurs,

said electrodes being positioned on said substrate,

said electrodes exhibiting proximate edges,

said edges being separate from one another by a distance,

each of said electrodes being smaller in area than said substrate,

said system also comprising a plurality of layers,

said layers being derived from said printing material,

said layers being material selected from the group consisting of:

metal, metal alloy, metal-based material, metal-matrix composite, aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, steel, and combinations thereof,

said layers being formed layer-by-layer on said substrate by said printing,

said layers being positioned in a region,

said region extending from the location of one said edge to the location of the other said edge,

said two electrodes being electrically oppositely charged,

said charge being enabled by an alternating electric current,

said alternating electric current flowing from one electrode to the other electrode,

said alternating electric current partly flowing in said layers,

said two electrodes exhibiting a capacitance between them,

said capacitance ranging from 0.1 pF to 10 nF.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said distance ranges from 5 mm to 300 mm.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein said two electrodes are electrically connected,

said electrical connection being positioned on said substrate,

said electrical connection providing an exterior surface on which said printing occurs,

said electrical connection comprising material selected from the group consisting of:

metal, metal alloy, metal-based material, metal-matrix composite, aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, steel, and combinations thereof,

said electrical connection extending the distance between said two proximate edges.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said two electrodes are electrically connected,

said electrical connection comprising material selected from the group consisting of:

metal, metal alloy, metal-based material, metal-matrix composite, aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, steel, and combinations thereof,

said electrical connection extending the distance between said two proximate edges,

a dielectric film being positioned between said electrical connection and at least one of said electrodes,

said dielectric film exhibiting electrical resistance.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said substrate comprises material selected from the group consisting of:

ceramic, ceramic-based material, ceramic-matrix composite, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, and combinations thereof.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein said electrodes comprise material selected from the group consisting of:

metal, metal alloy, metal-based material, metal-matrix composite, aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, steel, and combinations thereof.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein said two electrodes are the same in composition.

14. A method of monitoring the three-dimensional printing of printing material,

said method comprising

(a) positioning two coplanar electrodes on a substrate,

said electrodes being electrically conductive,

said electrodes exhibiting proximate edges, said edges being separate from one another by a distance,

said electrodes being smaller in area than said substrate,

said substrate providing a surface on which said printing occurs,

said printing involving layer-by-layer formation of a plurality of layers on said substrate,

said layers being derived from said printing material,

said layers being positioned in a region,

said region extending from the location of one said edge to the location of the other said edge,

said electrodes being electrically oppositely charged,

said charge being enabled by an alternating electric current,

said alternating electric current flowing from one electrode to the other electrode,

said alternating electric current partly flowing in said layers,

and

(b) measuring the capacitance between said two electrodes.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said distance ranges from 5 mm to 300 mm.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said two electrodes are the same in composition.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein each of said electrodes comprises material selected from the group consisting of:

metal, metal alloy, metal-based material, metal-matrix composite, aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, steel, electrically conductive polymer, and combinations thereof.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said substrate comprises material selected from the group consisting of:

ceramic, ceramic-based material, ceramic-matrix composite, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, cement-based material, cement paste, cement mortar, concrete, polymer, polymer-based material, polymer-matrix composite, organic-based material, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said layers comprise material selected from the group consisting of:

metal, metal alloy, metal-based material, metal-matrix composite, aluminum, copper, nickel, titanium, steel, ceramic, ceramic-based material, ceramic-matrix composite, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon carbide, silicon dioxide, cement-based material, cement paste, cement mortar, concrete, polymer, polymer-based material, polymer-matrix composite, thermosetting polymer, thermoplastic polymer, biopolymer, photopolymer, organic-based material, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said two electrodes are electrically connected,

said electrical connection being positioned on said substrate, and

said electrical connection providing an exterior surface on which said printing occurs.