Method and apparatus for volumetric manufacture of composite objects

• US 10,639,847 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2018
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Original Assignee: The Government Of The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy
• Inventors: Birnbaum, Andrew J., Iliopoulos, Athanasios, Steuben, John, Michopoulos, John G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Christina A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu, Xue H
• Application Number:
  US15/877,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20180215094A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/10 Formation of a green body
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/20 Direct sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0211 resistance heating B29C2035/0811 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0266 Local curing for repairing B29C73/34
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0272 using lost heating elements, i.e. heating means incorporated and remaining in the formed article for preforms with internal stresses B29C61/0625; joining using lost heating elements B29C65/34; making electrically conductive articles B29C70/882
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/10 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/141 using only solid materials
• 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 64/171 specially adapted for manufacturing multiple 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/264 Arrangements for irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/295 Heating elements
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/10 Thermosetting resins
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0002 monomers or prepolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0058 Liquid or visquous
• 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

Abstract

A method and apparatus for volumetric manufacture of three-dimensional physical objects from a precursor material based on plans, specifications, or virtual models. A build domain is provided comprising an enclosed three-dimensional wire grid in which the wires are connected to one or more electric power sources configured to controllably and addressably apply power to one or more individual wires to cause the wires to dissipate heat produced by Joule heating to the surrounding precursor material situated within the build domain, and to further allow for the control of the three-dimensional heat distribution and accordingly temperature distribution within the build domain. By activating and deactivating one or more predetermined subsets of the wires in the build domain, the precursor can be caused to melt and/or solidify so as to form a three-dimensional object within the build domain.

Claims

1. An apparatus for volumetric manufacture of a three-dimensional object, comprising:

a build domain comprising an enclosed space filled with a precursor material and having a three-dimensional array of wires in a predetermined arrangement extending through the precursor material;

a power source operatively connected to each of the wires, the power source being configured to controllably apply power individually to each of the connected wires; and

a controller operatively connected to the power source and to the processor, the controller being configured to control an application of power from the power source to one or more of the wires connected to the power source; and

a processor operatively connected to the power source, the processor being configured to receive information regarding a desired object to be manufactured and to provide instructions regarding manufacture of the desired object to the controller; and

wherein power from the power source is applied to a predetermined plurality of wires situated within a predetermined volume within the build domain based on the instructions from the processor to the controller; and

wherein the precursor material within the predetermined volume in the build domain forms a solid volumetric element as a result of the application of power from the wires extending through the precursor material in the predetermined volume of the build domain.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the precursor material comprises a polymer powder, a metal powder, a nanoparticle powder, or a ceramic powder.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the precursor material includes a shape memory material, a magnetic material, and a semiconductor material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the precursor material includes a polymer/metal, polymer/ceramic, or metal/ceramic composite material system.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive information regarding at least one process parameter for at least one predetermined volume within the build domain, the instructions from the processor to the controller regarding the application and deactivation of power to the wires within the predetermined volume including the information regarding at least one process parameter.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to receive data of a volumetric configuration of the entire object to be manufactured and to discretize the volumetric configuration into a plurality of constituent sub-volumes;

wherein the processor determines a sub-volume of the build domain corresponding to each of the constituent sub-volumes of the object to be manufactured and provides instructions regarding the constituent sub-volumes of the object to be manufactured and the sub-volumes of the build domain to the controller; and

wherein the power from the power source is applied to each of the sub-volumes in the build domain based on the instructions regarding the constituent sub-volumes and sub-volumes of the build domain from the processor to the controller.

7. A method for volumetric manufacture of a three-dimensional object, comprising:

providing a build domain comprising an enclosed space having a precursor material situated therein and a three-dimensional array of wires extending through a precursor material in a predetermined arrangement, each of the wires being operatively connected to a power source configured to controllably apply power individually to each of the connected wires;

receiving, at a processor programmed with appropriate software, information regarding a volumetric configuration of an intended object to be manufactured and information regarding the build domain;

receiving, at a controller operatively connected to the processor, instructions from the processor regarding an intended object to be manufactured and regarding an application of power to a predetermined plurality of the wires in a predetermined volume of the build domain; and

applying power to the predetermined plurality of the wires in a predetermined sequence;

wherein the precursor material in the predetermined volume is transformed into a solid material as a result of the application of power to the wires.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, at the processor, information regarding at least one process parameter for at least one predetermined volume within the build domain, the instructions from the processor to the controller regarding the application of power to the wires within the predetermined volume including the information regarding the at least one process parameter.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the following steps performed by the processor:

discretizing the volumetric configuration of the intended object into a plurality of constituent sub-volumes;

determining a sub-volume of the build domain corresponding to each of the constituent sub-volumes; and

providing information to the controller regarding the constituent sub-volumes of the object to be manufactured and the sub-volumes of the build domain to the controller; and

wherein the power from the power source is applied to each of the sub-volumes in the build domain based on the instructions regarding the constituent sub-volumes and sub-volumes of the build domain from the processor to the controller.