Three-dimensional structured printing

• US 20040145088A1
• Filed: 03/24/2004
• Published: 07/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Huntsman Advanced Materials Americas, Inc.
• Inventors: Patel, Ranjana C, Peace, Richard J, Zhao, Yong
• Granted Patent: US 7,578,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/463
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/003 characterised by the choice of material
• 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 67/246 Moulding high reactive monomers or prepolymers, e.g. by reaction injection moulding [RIM], liquid injection moulding [LIM] casting monomers B29C39/006, mixing construction B29B7/74
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of 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

Abstract

A process for forming a three-dimensional article in sequential layers in accordance with a digital model of the article. The process comprises the steps of defining a layer of powder or liquid material, applying a liquid reagent to the layer in a pattern corresponding to the digital model, and repeating these steps to form successive layers. The powder or liquid material comprises a first reactive component and the applied liquid includes a second active component capable of reacting with the first reactive component so that the article is built up in layers. The characteristics of the layers vary across those layers and/or the properties vary from layer to layer.

Claims

1. A process for forming a three-dimensional article in sequential layers in accordance with a model of the article, the process comprising the steps of:

defining a layer of a first material;

applying a second material in the form of a liquid reagent to the layer of first material in a pattern corresponding to the model; and

repeating these steps to form successive layers; and

in which the deposited layer comprises a first reactive component and the applied liquid material includes a second active component capable of either reacting with the first reactive component or facilitating the first reactive component to react with itself, whereby the article is built up in layers; and

in which the characteristics of at least some of the layers vary across those layers and/or the properties vary from layer to layer.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, in which the first material is a powder.

3. A process as claimed in claim 2, in which the powder substantially comprises the first reactive component.

4. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the applied liquid reagent comprises a viscosity lowering diluent.

5. A process as claimed in claim 4, in which the diluent is present in the range 30 to 60% by volume.

6. A process as claimed in any of claims 2 to 5, in which the powder comprises reactive organic or organometallic polymers, oligomers or monomers and the liquid reagent comprises a curable resin.

7. A process as claimed in claim 6, in which the powder and/or the applied liquid contains an organic or inorganic filler, a pigment, nanoparticles, a dye and/or a surfactant.

8. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the applied liquid reagent additionally comprises a reactive diluent.

9. A process as claimed in claim 8, in which the reactive diluent in the liquid has reactive groups capable of swelling and/or dissolving the powder.

10. A process as claimed in any of claims 2 to 9, in which the thickness of the applied powder layers is in the range 1 to 1000 μ

m.

11. A process as claimed in claim 1, in which the first material is a first liquid material.

12. A process as claimed in claim 11, in which the first liquid material substantially comprises the first active component and/or the applied liquid substantially comprises the second active component.

13. A process as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, in which the applied liquid material includes a proportion of the first active component in the first material.

14. A process as claimed in any of claims 11 to 13, in which the first liquid material comprises a curable cross-linkable or polymerisable compound and the applied liquid comprises an initiator.

15. A process as claimed in any of claims 11 to 14, in which the first active component is selected from:

resins with ring opening compounds, eg cyclic ethers (epoxy, polyepoxy, oxetanes, cycloaliphatic-epoxy), thiiranes, aziridines, cyclic acetals, cyclic lactones or vinyl ethers and polymerising compounds such as vinyl, ethylenic and (metha) acrylate, hydroxyacrylates, urethane acrylates and polyacrylates;

hybrid compounds, such as epoxy-acrylates, isocyanurate-epoxy, Epoxy-Silane advanced resins and polyurethane-silanes;

siloxanes containing ring opening groups (eg epoxy, oxetane, cycloaliphatic-epoxy etc) ;

condensing resins such as isocyanates; and

mixtures thereof.

16. A process as claimed in any of claims 11 to 15, in which the first liquid material contains an organic, inorganic, or metallic filler, pigments, nanoparticles, dyes, surfactants and/or dispersants.

17. A process as claimed in any of claims 11 to 16, in which the first liquid material is coloured.

18. A process as claimed in any of claims 11 to 17, in which the second active component is a radical and/or cationic photoinitiator and/or a catalyst.

19. A process as claimed in any of claims 11 to 18, in which the first reactive component represents essentially 100% of the first liquid material.

20. A process as claimed in any of claims 11 to 19, in which the second active component represents 1 to 80% of the applied liquid material.

21. A process as claimed in any of claims 11 to 20, in which the thickness of the deposited layers of the first liquid material is in the range 0.1 to 200 μ

m.

22. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the applied liquid material is coloured.

23. A process as claimed in any preceding claim in which the applied liquid material contains colloidal or nano-particles, such as silica, organic core-shells (made from micro-emulsions), metals or alloys.

24. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the viscosity of the applied liquid material is in the range of 2 to 500 cps at room temperature.

25. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the second active component acts as a catalyst to facilitate cross-linking of the first reactive component.

26. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the applied liquid material is deployed through a plurality of nozzles.

27. A process as claimed in claim 26, in which the nozzles form part of an inkjet printer or a device including a set of nozzles generally equivalent to an inkjet print head.

28. A process as claimed in claim 27 in which the nozzles operate on the principles of piezo inkjet technology.

29. A process as claimed in any of claims 26 to 28 in which the size of the nozzle openings is the range 10 to 200 μ

m and/or the size of the applied droplets is in the range 10 to 200 μ

m.

30. A process as claimed in any of claims 1 to 28, in which the size of the nozzle openings is in the range 0.1 to 200 μ

m and/or the size of the applied droplets is in the range 0.1 to 200 μ

m.

31. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the applied liquid material has a viscosity in the range 2 to 30 cps at ambient temperature.

32. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, further including the step of irradiating the article.

33. A process as claimed in claim 32, in which the article is irradiated, pixel by pixel, line by line or layer by layer, either randomly or clustered.

34. A process as claimed in claim 32, in which the article is irradiated after several layers have been formed.

35. A process as claimed in claim 32, in which the article is irradiated after all the layers have been formed.

36. A process as claimed in any of claims 32 to 35, in which the irradiating step employs electromagnetic radiation.

37. A process as claimed in any of claims 32 to 35 in which the irradiating step employs UV radiation.

38. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the model is a digital model.

39. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the first and/or second active components comprise respective mixtures of active components.

40. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the thickness of the formed layer is from 30 μ

m to 200 μ

m.

41. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a plurality of different liquids is applied to respective deposited layers of the first material.

42. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a plurality of different liquids is applied to a single deposited layer of the first material, in the same or in different locations.

43. A process as claimed in claim 42, in which the different liquids are applied in a single pass.

44. A process as claimed in claim 42, in which the different liquids are applied in respective sequential passes.

45. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which at least one of the deposited layers comprises a different material.

46. A process claimed in any preceding claim, in which the layers formed have differing thicknesses.

47. A process as claimed in any preceding claim, in which a layer is formed with a varying thickness over its extent.

48. A process as claimed in any preceding claims, including the step of varying the number of pixel drops and/or varying the applied liquid per pixel, per line applied and/or per layer, in order to achieve variable properties in the article.