THREE DIMENSIONAL (3D) PRINTER SYSTEM WITH PLACEMENT AND CURING MECHANISMS

• US 20070252871A1
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Silverbrook Research Pty Limited
• Inventors: Silverbrook, Kia
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/54
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 5/0212 only at particular parts of the articles at particular part of web, band, strip, belt or ribbon B05C5/025
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/10 Formation of a green body
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/53 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/70 Gas flow means
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/68 by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers , e.g. foam blocks mould constructions therefor B29C33/12; joining preformed parts by moulding B29C65/70
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/002 Curing or drying the ink on the copy materials, e.g. by heating or irradiating
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0021 using irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00214 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/00216 using infrared [IR] radiation or microwaves
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0022 using convection means, e.g. by using a fan for blowing or sucking air
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/0024 using conduction means, e.g. by using a heated platen
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 : Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4073 : Printing on three-dimensional objects not being in sheet or web form, e.g. spherical or cubic objects B41J3/283, B41J3/286 take precedence; building up a 3D object using individual droplets from jetting heads B29C64/112
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/543 : with multiple inkjet print heads B41J2/17503, B41J2/2103 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/185 : Components encapsulated in the insulating substrate of the printed circuit or incorporated in internal layers of a multilayer circuit semiconductor chips encapsulated by interconnect and support structures H01L23/5389, H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/125 : by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4664 : Adding a circuit layer by thick film methods, e.g. printing techniques or by other techniques for making conductive patterns by using pastes, inks or powders H05K3/4647 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 439/901 : Connector hood or shell
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49144 : by metal fusion

Abstract

A printer system is provided for developing a three dimensional (3D) printed structure. The system includes a plurality of spaced apart sets of printing devices. A conveyor system is arranged to serially convey a print medium operatively with respect to each set so that printed voxels from each successive set can form successive layers of the 3D printed structure upon the print medium. A placement mechanism is configured to place an object upon layers of the 3D printed structure. The placement mechanism includes a translation mechanism configured to translate the object at substantially the same velocity as the conveyance of the print medium during placement of the object. A plurality of curing mechanisms is interleaved between the sets of printing devices and is configured to cure the printed voxels.

Claims

1. A printer system for developing a three dimensional (3D) printed structure, the system comprising:

a plurality of spaced apart sets of printing devices;

a conveyor system arranged to serially convey a print medium operatively with respect to each set so that printed voxels from each successive set can form successive layers of the 3D printed structure upon the print medium;

a placement mechanism configured to place an object upon layers of the 3D printed structure, the placement mechanism comprising a translation mechanism configured to translate the object at substantially the same velocity as the conveyance of the print medium during placement of the object; and

a plurality of curing mechanisms interleaved between the sets of printing devices and configured to cure the printed voxels.

2. A printer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the placement mechanism comprises another translation mechanism configured to translate the object toward the print medium during placement.

3. A printer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printing devices are arranged so that each successive set is located further from the conveyor than any preceding set.

4. A printer system as claimed in claim 3, wherein each set comprises a plurality of printing devices arranged in a row.

5. A printer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein all of the printing devices in each set are configured to print voxels of material concurrently.

6. A printer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each set is a singleton set containing exactly one printing device.

7. A printer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material printed by a row of each set comprises any one of the following group:

a polymeric material, a metallic material, a sacrificial material, and an evaporative drying material.

8. A printer system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the metallic material is any one of the group of:

Indium and an alloy of Indium and Gallium.

9. A printer system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each curing mechanism is configured to carry out at least one of the following operations:

cooling to cause the voxels to solidify, evaporative drying, precipitation reactions, catalytic reactions and curing using electromagnetic radiation.

10. A printer system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said electromagnetic radiation comprises ultra violet radiation.