Droplet deposition method for rapid formation of 3-D objects from non-cross-linking reactive polymers
First Claim
1. A freeform fabrication method for making a three-dimensional object from a design created on a computer, comprising:
- (a) providing a support member by which said object is supported while being constructed;
(b) operating a droplet dispensing head for dispensing droplets of a material composition in a fluent state at a first temperature onto said support member, said material composition comprising a reactive prepolymer with a melting point above 23°
C. and said first temperature being greater than said melting point;
(c) operating material treatment means disposed a distance from said dispensed droplets of material composition for causing said material composition to rapidly achieve a rigid state in which said material composition is substantially solidified and built up in a form of said three-dimensional object, said material treatment means comprising means for converting said reactive prepolymer to a thermoplastic resin; and
(d) operating control means for generating control signals in response to coordinates of said design of said object and controlling the position of said dispensing head relative to said support member in response to said control signals to control dispensing of said material composition for constructing said object.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A droplet deposition-based freeform fabrication method for making a three-dimensional object from a design created on a computer, including (a) providing a support member; (b) operating a droplet dispensing head for dispensing droplets of a material composition in a fluent state at a first temperature onto the support member, the material composition including a reactive prepolymer with a melting point above 23° C. and the first temperature being greater than the prepolymer melting point; (c) operating material treatment devices for causing the material composition to rapidly achieve a rigid state in which the material composition is substantially solidified to build up the 3-D object, the material treatment devices also working to convert the reactive prepolymer to a higher molecular weight thermoplastic resin; and (d) operating control devices for generating control signals in response to coordinates of the object design to control the movement of the dispensing head relative to the support member and for controlling the droplet dispensing of the material composition to construct the 3-D object.
-
Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A freeform fabrication method for making a three-dimensional object from a design created on a computer, comprising:
-
(a) providing a support member by which said object is supported while being constructed;
(b) operating a droplet dispensing head for dispensing droplets of a material composition in a fluent state at a first temperature onto said support member, said material composition comprising a reactive prepolymer with a melting point above 23°
C. and said first temperature being greater than said melting point;
(c) operating material treatment means disposed a distance from said dispensed droplets of material composition for causing said material composition to rapidly achieve a rigid state in which said material composition is substantially solidified and built up in a form of said three-dimensional object, said material treatment means comprising means for converting said reactive prepolymer to a thermoplastic resin; and
(d) operating control means for generating control signals in response to coordinates of said design of said object and controlling the position of said dispensing head relative to said support member in response to said control signals to control dispensing of said material composition for constructing said object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
17. A freeform fabrication method for making a three-dimensional object comprising:
-
(a) providing at least one material composition in a fluent state, said composition comprising a reactive prepolymer;
(b) feeding said at least one material composition to a dispensing head with at least one discharge orifice of a predetermined size;
(c) dispensing droplets of said at least one material composition on demand from said dispensing head onto a support member disposed at a predetermined initial distance from said dispensing head;
(d) operating material treatment means for further extending the chain length of said prepolymer in said dispensed droplets to obtain a higher molecular weight thermoplastic resin; and
(e) during said dispensing step, moving said dispensing head and said support member relative to one another in a plane defined by first and second directions and in a third direction orthogonal to said plane to form said at least one material composition into a three-dimensional shape of said object.
-
Specification