Methods and systems for manufacturing the manufacture of layered three-dimensional forms
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Accused Products
Abstract
New methods and systems for manufacturing a three-dimensional form, comprising steps of providing a plurality of particulates; contacting the particulates with an activation agent; contacting particulates having the activation agent with a binder material that is activatable by the activation agent; at least partially hardening the binder for forming a layer of the three-dimensional form; and repeating these steps to form the remainder of the three-dimensional form. Following sequential application of all required layers and binder material to make the form, the unbound particles are appropriately removed (and optionally re-used), to result in the desired three-dimensional form. The invention also contemplates a novel method for preparing a form, where unbound particulates free of binder material are re-claimed.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional form, comprising:
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a) providing a plurality of particulates in the absence of a binder material; b) coating the surface of the particulates with an activation agent so that the diameter of the particulates is enlarged; c) spreading a layer of the coated particulates in the absence of any binder material; d) selectively dispensing a fluidic unreacted organic binder material that is activated by the activation agent with a drop-on-demand dispenser onto a pre-selected portion of the particulates having the activation agent, the binder material being contacted with particles no earlier than when the binder material first contacts the activation agent; e) hardening the binder material for forming a layer of the three-dimensional form that defines a matrix having the particulates firmly held within it; and f) then repeating the steps (a)-(d) to form the remainder of the three-dimensional form. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional form, comprising:
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a) providing a plurality of polymeric particulates in the absence of a binder material; b) contacting the particulates with an aromatic amine; c) selectively dispensing droplets of about 10 microns or smaller of a fluidic unreacted organic binder material that is activated by the aromatic amine with a drop-on-demand dispenser onto a pre-selected portion of the particulates that are contacted with the aromatic amine; d) hardening the binder material for forming a layer of the three-dimensional form that defines a matrix having the polymeric particulates firmly held within it; e) applying ultraviolet radiation to assist the hardening; and f) then repeating the steps (a)-(e) to form the remainder of the three-dimensional form; and g) re-claiming and re-using particulates that are free of the binder material; wherein a curing accelerator is employed to make the three-dimensional form. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional form, comprising:
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a) providing a plurality of polymeric particulates in the absence of a binder material; b) contacting the particulates with an activation agent; c) selectively dispensing droplets of about 10 microns or smaller of a fluidic unreacted organic binder material that is activated by the activation agent with a piezoelectric jet dispenser onto a pre-selected portion of the particulates having the activation agent; d) hardening the binder material for forming a layer of the three-dimensional form that defines a matrix having the polymeric particulates firmly held within it; and e) then repeating the steps (a)-(d) to form the remainder of the three-dimensional form; and wherein the resulting three dimensional form includes a dye and at least one of a (meth)acrylic acid or a (meth)acrylate; wherein the relative amount of the binder to activation agent (in parts by weight) is about 1;
10 to about 10;
1; andwherein the binder is present in an amount by weight less than about 25% in the resulting three dimensional form.
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Specification