Apparatus and Method for Building a Three-Dimensional Article

• US 20080211132A1
• Filed: 09/04/2006
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Feenstra, Frits Kornelis
• Application Number:
  US12/065,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20080211132A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/113
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/20 Direct sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/73 of powder
• 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: Y02P 10/20 Recycling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus for building a three-dimensional article in sequential cross-sectional layers, which apparatus comprises: a powder delivery system comprising one or more reservoirs for delivering a powder and a powder spreading system; a printing system for delivering a liquid; a build chamber comprising a outer wall, an inner wall and a build platform which is movable along the inner wall of the build chamber; and a powder recovery system; wherein more than 25% of the outer wall of the build chamber is in communication with the powder recovery system and/or the build platform is capable of releasing unused powder (directly) from the build chamber in a downward direction into the powder recovery system. The invention further provides a method building a three-dimensional article wherein use is made of said apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for building a three-dimensional article in sequential cross sectional layers, which apparatus comprises:

a powder delivery system comprising one or more reservoirs for delivering a powder and a powder spreading system;

a printing system for delivering a liquid;

a build chamber comprising a outer wall, an inner wall and a build platform which is movable along the inner wall of the build chamber; and

a powder recovery system;

wherein more than 50% of the outer wall of the build chamber is in communication with the powder recovery system.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the build platform is capable of releasing unused powder in a downward direction into the powder recovery system.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the build platform is capable of releasing the unused powder directly from the build chamber in a downward direction into the powder recovery system.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the build platform has the form of a rectangle and more than one side of the rectangle is in communication with the powder recovery system.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein two sides of the rectangle are in communication with the power recovery system.

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein three sides of the rectangle are in communication with the power recovery system.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least 75% of the outer wall of the build chamber is in communication with the powder recovery system.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least 50% or the at least 75% of the outer wall of the build chamber is in direct communication with the powder recovery system.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing system comprises one or more nozzles.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the printing system comprises a plurality of nozzles.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the nozzles form part of an inkjet printer or a device including a set of nozzles generally equivalent to an inkjet print head.

12. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the nozzles operate on the principles of piezo inkjet technology.

13. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing system comprises two or more print heads.

14. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the powder delivery system comprises a plurality of reservoirs for delivering a powder.

15. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the building platform comprises an upper structure provided with openings and a bottom structure that can be opened or removed to release unused powder through the openings of the upper structure.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the upper structure comprises a mesh tray, a grill or a grid.

17. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the bottom structure comprises parts that are openable, collapsible or removable.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the bottom structure comprises parts that are openable.

19. An apparatus according to claim 1, which farther comprises a means for curing the article to be built.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the means for curing the article to be built is an electromagnetic radiation-based system.

21. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the powder recovery system comprises a conduit for transporting unused powder and a powder carrier screw for moving unused powder through the conduit or it comprises a conduit for transporting unused powder and a vacuum pump for moving unused powder through the conduit.

22. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing system and the powder spreading system are connected to the same guiding means.

23. A method for building a three-dimensional article in sequential cross-sectional layers in accordance with a model of the article, which method comprises the steps of:

defining a layer of a powder material;

applying a liquid to the layer of powder material so defined, in a pattern corresponding to the respective cross-sectional layer of the model;

repeating these steps to form successive layers so as to obtain a three-dimensional article;

optionally curing the three-dimensional article thus obtained; and

recovering the (cured) three-dimensional article;

in which method use is made of an apparatus as defined in claim 1.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the powder material comprises a polymeric material, a precursor of a metallic material, a metallic material, a ceramic material or a combination thereof.

25. A method according to claim 23, wherein the model is a digital model.

26. A method according to claim 23, wherein at least one of the layers of powder material comprises a different type of powder material.

27. A method according to claim 23, wherein a plurality of different liquids is applied to at least one layer of powder material.

28. A method according to claim 27, wherein the different liquids are applied in a single pass.

29. A method according to claim 27, wherein the different liquids are applied in sequential passes.

30. A method according to claim 23, wherein in the powder recovery system an underpressure is applied.