Processes for facilitating removel of fabricated objects from platens of programmed material consolidation equipment, and fabrication processes employing the object release elements
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating at least one object by programmed material consolidation, comprising:
- placing at least one object release element on a platen of programmed material consolidation equipment;
fabricating a first layer of the at least one object directly on the at least one object release element;
fabricating a remainder of the at least one object;
removing the at least one object release element from the platen while leaving substantially no residue on the platen; and
removing the at least one object release element from the at least one object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A programmed material consolidation method includes use of an object release element for facilitate removal of an object from a platen of programmed material consolation equipment while leaving substantially no residue on the platen or a fabricated object, and without requiring substantial post-release modification of the fabricated object. The object release element may be adhesively secured to a non-stick surface of the platen, with a material that adheres to the platen before being cured and that may be removed from the platen upon curing, or by application of a negative pressure through the platen to the object release element. The object release element may be formed from a material or include coating of a material, such as polyethylene, polyethyleneteraphthalate, or polyethylene ethyl ketone, that adheres to a fabricated object, but may be readily released from the fabricated object (e.g., by peeling).
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Citations
36 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating at least one object by programmed material consolidation, comprising:
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placing at least one object release element on a platen of programmed material consolidation equipment;
fabricating a first layer of the at least one object directly on the at least one object release element;
fabricating a remainder of the at least one object;
removing the at least one object release element from the platen while leaving substantially no residue on the platen; and
removing the at least one object release element from the at least one object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for removing a fabricated object from a support surface of a platen of programmed material consolidation equipment, comprising:
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removing unconsolidated material from at least a portion of the fabricated object;
removing an object release element upon which the fabricated object was formed from a platen without leaving a residue on the platen; and
removing the object release element from the fabricated object. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for fabricating at least one object by programmed material consolidation, comprising:
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placing at least one object release element comprising at least one of polyethylene, polyethyleneteraphthalate, and polyethylene ethyl ketone on the platen on a platen of programmed material consolidation equipment;
fabricating at least one object on the on the at least one object release element, the at least one object being temporarily adhered to the at least one object release element;
removing the at least one object release element from the platen while leaving substantially no residue on the platen; and
removing the at least one object release element from the at least one object. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification