Methods and systems for producting an object through solid freeform fabrication

• US 20040239009A1
• Filed: 06/02/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Collins, David C., Nielsen, Jeffrey Allen, Hunter, Shawn D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,435,072 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/497
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• 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 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

A method of producing an object through solid freeform fabrication, the method including fabricating a support structure about at least a portion of the object by applying a binder or focused energy to a build material.

Claims

1. A method of producing an object through solid freeform fabrication, said method comprising fabricating a support structure about at least a portion of said object by applying a binder or focused energy to a build material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one layer or voxel of build material separates said support structure from said object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said support structure comprises one or more pillars built below said object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said one or more pillars are sparsely arranged below said object.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said sparsely arranged pillars comprise an aggregate footprint area of no more than 10% of an object footprint area.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said sparsely arranged pillars comprise an aggregate footprint area of about 10-100% of an object footprint area.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein said support structure further comprises a wall disposed at least partially around said object.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein said support structure further comprises a wall disposed at least partially around said object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said support structure extends to a base of a solid freeform fabrication bin.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said wall completely surrounds said object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said build material comprises a powder.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said support structure further comprises one or more pillars disposed between object features or stacked objects.

13. A method of stabilizing an object fabricated through solid freeform fabrication comprising building a support structure below said object by applying a binder or focused energy to build material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said support structure below said object further comprises one or more pillars separated from said object by at least one layer or voxel of unbound build material.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said one or more pillars comprise a plurality of pillars sparsely arranged below said object.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein an aggregate footprint area of said plurality of pillars comprises no more than 10% of an object footprint area.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein an aggregate footprint area of said plurality of pillars comprises about 10-100% of an object footprint area.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising building a support wall disposed at least partially around said object.

19. A method of stabilizing powder surrounding an object fabricated through solid freeform fabrication comprising building a support structure around at least a portion of said object simultaneously with fabricating said object.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said support structure comprises a continuous or discontinuous wall extending to a base of a solid freeform fabrication bin.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said support structure comprises discontinuous walls having individual portions separated from each other and at least one voxle of unbound build material positioned between said portions.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said support structure comprises a wall having an interior surface that matches or substantially matches a shape of an outer surface of said object.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein said support structure is built sparsely around said object.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said object and said support structure do not directly interface with one another.

25. A method of building a support structure for an object fabricated through solid freeform fabrication comprising applying a binder or focused energy to build material in a predetermined pattern about at least a portion of the object.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said support structure comprises one or more pillars built below said object.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein one or more of said pillars are discontinuous, having individual portions separated from each other and at least one voxle of unbound build material positioned between said portions.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein said one or more pillars are sparsely built below said object.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein said sparsely arranged pillars comprise an aggregate footprint area of about 10-100% of an object footprint area.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein said support structure is built simultaneously with said object, wherein said support structure further comprises a wall disposed at least partially around said object.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein said support structure further comprises one or more pillars disposed between object features or stacked objects.

32. A solid freeform fabrication apparatus comprising:

a fabrication bin;

a movable stage for distributing successive layers of build material in said fabrication bin to form an object; and

a binder device;

wherein said binder device is programmed to apply a binder or focused energy to a build material to build a support structure in said fabrication bin about at least a portion of said object.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said binder device comprises a focused energy or a liquid ejection apparatus comprising inkjet technology.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said support structure comprises one or more pillars built below said object.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein one or more of said pillars are discontinuous, having individual portions separated from each other and at least one voxle of unbound build material positioned between said portions.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said pillars are sparsely arranged and comprise an aggregate footprint area of about 10-100% of an object footprint area.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said support structure comprises a continuous or discontinuous wall disposed around said object and extending to a base of said bin.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said support structure comprises discontinuous walls having individual portions separated from each other and at least one voxle of unbound build material positioned between said portions.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein said support structure further comprises one or more pillars disposed between object features or stacked objects.

41. The bin of claim 37, further comprising at least one layer or voxel of unbound build material disposed between said support structure and said object being formed.

40. A solid freeform fabrication bin comprising:

a support structure built by applying a binder or a focused energy to a build material;

an object being formed built by applying the binder or focused energy to the build material;

wherein said support structure is arranged about at least a portion of said object.

42. The bin of claim 40, wherein said support structure comprises one or more pillars built below said object being formed.

43. The bin of claim 40, wherein said support structure comprises a wall circumnavigating a perimeter of said object being formed.

44. A method of improving dimensional accuracy of an object fabricated through a powder-based solid freeform fabrication system comprising:

applying binder or focused energy to a build material in predetermined patterns to create a stabilization structure at least partially about said object.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said stabilization structure further comprises one or more pillars built under said object, a wall built around said object, one or more pillars built between object features;

or two or more of said one or more pillars built under said object, said wall built around said object, and said one or more pillars built between object features.

46. A method of producing an object through solid freeform fabrication comprising:

applying binder or focused energy to one or more first sets of layers of build material to build a support structure;

applying binder or focused energy to one or more second sets of layers of build material to build said object;

applying binder or focused energy to said one or more second sets of layers of build material about, but spaced from, said object, to build a stabilizing wall for containing build material disposed between said object and said stabilizing wall.

47. A method of reducing settlement of an object fabricated through SFF comprising:

building a support structure underneath, around, or both underneath and around said object by applying a binder or focused energy to a build material in patterns corresponding to said support structure.