DIGITAL MANUFACTURING WITH AMORPHOUS METALLIC ALLOYS

• US 20090263582A1
• Filed: 04/03/2009
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Batchelder, John Samuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,215,371 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/256
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 43/00 Alloys containing radioactive materials

Abstract

A method for building a three-dimensional object in a layer-by-layer manner, the method comprising heating a build chamber of a digital manufacturing system, feeding a solid feedstock of a modeling material comprising an amorphous metallic alloy to a liquefier assembly of the digital manufacturing system, heating the modeling material of the solid feedstock in the liquefier assembly to an extrudable state, and depositing the heated modeling material within the heated build chamber in a predetermined pattern to form the three-dimensional object.

Claims

1. A method for building a three-dimensional object in a layer-by-layer manner with a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:

heating a build chamber of the digital manufacturing system;

feeding a solid feedstock of a modeling material to a liquefier assembly of the digital manufacturing system, wherein the modeling material comprises an amorphous metallic alloy;

heating the modeling material of the solid feedstock in the liquefier assembly to an extrudable state; and

depositing the heated modeling material within the heated build chamber in a predetermined pattern to form the three-dimensional object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amorphous metallic alloy of the modeling material has a glass transition temperature of less than about 450°

C.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the glass transition temperature of the amorphous metallic alloy is less than about 250°

C.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the amorphous metallic alloy has a melting temperature and a glass transition temperature, and wherein the difference between the glass transition temperature and the melting temperature is at least about 20°

C.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the amorphous metallic alloy comprises cerium, copper, aluminum, and niobium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the amorphous metallic alloy comprises an alloy having a chemical formula of Ce₆₈Cu₂₀Al₁₀Nb₂.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the amorphous metallic alloy of the modeling material has a creep relaxation temperature and a solidification temperature, and wherein the build chamber is heated to an elevated temperature that is between the creep relaxation temperature and the solidification temperature.

8. A feedstock for use in a digital manufacturing system having a feedstock drive mechanism, the feedstock being derived from a modeling material that comprises an amorphous metallic alloy having a glass transition temperature less than about 450°

C. and a difference between a melting temperature of the amorphous metallic alloy and the glass transition temperature of at least about 20°

C., wherein the feedstock has dimensions configured to be engaged with the feedstock drive mechanism of the digital manufacturing system.

9. The feedstock of claim 8, wherein the dimensions of the feedstock provide a wire shape having an average diameter ranging from about 0.508 millimeters to about 2.54 millimeters.

10. The feedstock of claim 8, wherein the amorphous metallic alloy comprises cerium, copper, aluminum, and niobium.

11. The feedstock of claim 8, wherein the amorphous metallic alloy comprises an alloy having a chemical formula of Ce₆₈Cu₂₀Al₁₀Nb₂.

12. The feedstock of claim 8, wherein the glass transition temperature of the amorphous metallic alloy is less than about 250°

C.

13. The feedstock of claim 8, wherein the difference between the melting temperature and the glass transition temperature is at least about 50°

C.

14. A method for building a three-dimensional object in a layer-by-layer manner with a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:

heating a build chamber of the digital manufacturing system;

plastic-metal extruding a modeling material in a first predetermined pattern within the build chamber to form the three-dimensional object, wherein the modeling material comprises an amorphous metallic alloy; and

thermoplastic extruding a support material in a second predetermined pattern within the build chamber to form a support structure for the three-dimensional object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the modeling material and the support material each have a creep relaxation temperature, and wherein the difference between the creep relaxation temperatures of the modeling material and the support material is less than about 30°

C.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the difference between the creep relaxation temperatures of the modeling material and the support material is less than about 20°

C.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the build chamber is heated to an elevated temperature that is within about 20°

C. of an average creep relaxation temperature of the creep relaxation temperatures of the modeling material and the support material.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the elevated temperature that is within about 15°

C. of the average creep relaxation temperature.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the amorphous metallic alloy comprises cerium, copper, aluminum, and niobium.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the amorphous metallic alloy comprises an alloy having a chemical formula of Ce₆₈Cu₂₀Al₁₀Nb₂.