Three-dimensional printing control

• US 10,639,842 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chromatic 3D Materials, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Chromatic 3D Materials, Inc.
• Inventors: Leibig, Cora, Gilbert, Daniel, Hopkins, Paul, Garrod, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Yi, Stella K
• Application Number:
  US16/256,657
• Publication Number:
  US 20190168446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/321 Feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/336 of two or more materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/10 Thermosetting resins
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0094 having particular viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing

Abstract

A three-dimensional (3D) object production system and methods for 3D printing reactive components to form a thermoset product. The disclosure relates to Use of a 3D printer having a controller comprising one or more processors to print a 3D object. The disclosure also provides a 3D object production system and methods for 3D printing comprising adjusting one or more parameters of an at least one actuator to produce a 3D object based on a reaction rate between reactive components.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional (3D) object production system comprising:

an extruded thermoset printing apparatus comprising;

a mixing chamber to receive and mix at least a first reactive component and a second reactive component to provide a thermosetting material;

an extrusion nozzle to deliver the thermosetting material to form the 3D object; and

a controller comprising one or more processors and operably coupled to the extruded thermoset printing apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to;

produce the 3D object based on a 3D object design using the thermosetting material delivered by the extruded thermoset printing apparatus, and

adjust one or more parameters of producing the 3D object based on a reaction rate between at least the first reactive component and the second reactive component to provide the thermosetting material, wherein the one or more parameters comprises adjusting a time per layer of the thermosetting material and the time per layer of the thermosetting material is from about 20 seconds to about 30 minutes.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters further comprises at least one of a flow rate of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle, a viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle, a cure acceleration of the thermosetting material, a temperature of the thermosetting material, a temperature of a platform upon which the 3D object is produced, a temperature within a cavity of a chamber within which the 3D object is produced, a temperature of the extrusion nozzle, and a humidity within a cavity of a chamber within which the 3D object is produced.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the time per layer of the thermosetting material is from about 60 seconds to about 20 minutes.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the extrusion nozzle comprises a cone shape.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises adjusting a viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle and the viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle produces a bead aspect ratio of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle of from about 1 to about 5.

2. A three-dimensional (3D) object production method comprising:

providing an extruded thermoset printing apparatus comprising;

a mixing chamber to receive and mix at least a first reactive component and a second reactive component to provide a thermosetting material; and

an extrusion nozzle to deliver the thermosetting material to form the 3D object;

producing the 3D object based on a 3D object design using the thermosetting material delivered by the extruded thermoset printing apparatus; and

adjusting one or more parameters of producing the 3D object based on a reaction rate between at least the first reactive component and the second reactive component to provide the thermosetting material, wherein the one or more parameters comprises adjusting a time per layer of the thermosetting material and the time per layer of the thermosetting material is from about 20 seconds to about 30 minutes.

8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the one or more parameters further comprises at least one of a flow rate of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle, a viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle, and a cure acceleration of the thermosetting material, a temperature of the thermosetting material, a temperature of a platform upon which the 3D object is produced, a temperature within a cavity of a chamber within which the 3D object is produced, a temperature of the extrusion nozzle, and a humidity within a cavity of a chamber within which the 3D object is produced.

9. The method according to claim 2, wherein the time per layer of the thermosetting material is from about 60 seconds to about 20 minutes.

10. The method according to claim 2, wherein the time per layer of the thermosetting material is from about 60 seconds to about 10 minutes.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein the method comprises adjusting a viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle and the viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle produces a bead aspect ratio of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle of from about 1 to about 5.

4. A three-dimensional (3D) object production method comprising:

providing an extruded thermoset printing apparatus comprising;

a mixing chamber to receive and mix at least a first reactive component and a second reactive component to provide a thermosetting material,

an extrusion nozzle to deliver at least one bead of the thermosetting material to form the 3D object, and

at least one actuator operably coupled to the extrusion nozzle to move the extrusion nozzle when delivering the thermosetting material to form the 3D object;

producing the 3D object based on a 3D object design using the thermosetting material delivered by the extruded thermoset printing apparatus; and

adjusting one or more parameters of the at least one actuator to produce the 3D object based on a reaction rate between at least the first reactive component and the second reactive component to provide the thermosetting material, wherein the one or more parameters comprises adjusting a layer translation path and the layer translation path is selected such that from about 1 second to about 5 minutes elapses between delivering a bead and an adjacent bead.

12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the layer translation path is selected such that from about 5 seconds to about 1 minute elapses between delivering a bead and an adjacent bead.

13. A three-dimensional (3D) object production system comprising:

an extruded thermoset printing apparatus comprising;

a mixing chamber to receive and mix at least a first reactive component and a second reactive component to provide a thermosetting material;

an extrusion nozzle to deliver the thermosetting material to form the 3D object; and

a controller comprising one or more processors and operably coupled to the extruded thermoset printing apparatus, wherein the controller is configured to;

produce the 3D object based on a 3D object design using the thermosetting material delivered by the extruded thermoset printing apparatus, and

adjust one or more parameters of producing the 3D object based on a reaction rate between at least the first reactive component and the second reactive component to provide the thermosetting material, wherein the one or more parameters comprises adjusting a flow rate of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle and the flow rate of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle is from about 0.01 mm³/s to about 1 mm³/s.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the flow rate of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle is from about 0.05 mm³/s to about 0.75 mm³/s.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the system comprises adjusting the viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle and the viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle produces a bead aspect ratio of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle of from about 1 to about 5.

16. A three-dimensional (3D) object production method comprising:

providing an extruded thermoset printing apparatus comprising;

a mixing chamber to receive and mix at least a first reactive component and a second reactive component to provide a thermosetting material; and

an extrusion nozzle to deliver the thermosetting material to form the 3D object;

producing the 3D object based on a 3D object design using the thermosetting material delivered by the extruded thermoset printing apparatus; and

adjusting one or more parameters of producing the 3D object based on a reaction rate between at least the first reactive component and the second reactive component to provide the thermosetting material, wherein the one or more parameters comprises adjusting a flow rate of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle and the flow rate of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle is from about 0.01 mm³/s to about 1 mm³/s.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the flow rate of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle is from about 0.05 mm³/s to about 0.75 mm³/s.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the method comprises adjusting a viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle and the viscosity of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle produces a bead aspect ratio of the thermosetting material through the extrusion nozzle of from about 1 to about 5.

19. A three-dimensional (3D) object production method comprising:

providing an extruded thermoset printing apparatus comprising;

a mixing chamber to receive and mix at least a first reactive component and a second reactive component to provide a thermosetting material,

an extrusion nozzle to deliver the thermosetting material to form the 3D object, and

at least one actuator operably coupled to the extrusion nozzle to move the extrusion nozzle when delivering the thermosetting material to form the 3D object;

producing the 3D object based on a 3D object design using the thermosetting material delivered by the extruded thermoset printing apparatus; and

adjusting one or more parameters of the at least one actuator to produce the 3D object based on a reaction rate between at least the first reactive component and the second reactive component to provide the thermosetting material, wherein the one or more parameters comprises adjusting a movement speed and the movement speed is from about 1 mm/s to about 50 mm/s.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the movement speed is from about 2 mm/s to about 25 mm/s.