INORGANIC IONIC SUPPORT MATERIALS FOR DIGITAL MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

• US 20100193998A1
• Filed: 02/02/2010
• Published: 08/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Crump, S. Scott, Batchelder, J. Samuel, Barnett, John, Sampson, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 8,245,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/401
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/385 Overhang structures
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/47 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/222 for motion along a direction orthogonal to the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/224 for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/38 Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/20 Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 26/02 applying molten material to the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A support material for use with a digital manufacturing system, the support material comprising at least one inorganic ionic compound and is configured to be deposited with the digital manufacturing system using a layer-based additive technique to form a support structure for supporting at least one overhanging region of a three-dimensional model built with the digital manufacturing system.

Claims

1. A support material for use with a digital manufacturing system, the support material comprising at least one inorganic ionic compound and is configured to be deposited with the digital manufacturing system using a first layer-based additive technique to form a support structure for supporting at least one overhanging region of a three-dimensional model built with the digital manufacturing system using a second layer-based additive technique.

2. The support material of claim 1, wherein the at least one inorganic ionic compound comprises a salt compound having a halide ion ionically bonded to a metal element, wherein the halide ion is selected from the group consisting of monoatomic halide ions and polyatomic halide ions.

3. The support material of claim 1, wherein the at least one inorganic ionic compound is selected from the group consisting of lithium chloride, lithium bromide, potassium chloride, potassium iodide, sodium chloride, sodium bromide, rubidium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and combinations thereof.

4. The support material of claim 1, wherein the at least one inorganic ionic compound comprises a substantially eutectic blend of a first inorganic ionic compound and a second inorganic ionic compound.

5. The support material of claim 1, wherein the at least one inorganic ionic compound comprises lithium chloride.

6. The support material of claim 5, wherein the at least one inorganic ionic compound further comprises potassium chloride.

7. The support material of claim 1, wherein the support material is configured to at least partially dissociate in water.

8. The support material of claim 1, wherein the at least one inorganic ionic compound constitutes from about 75% by weight to 100% by weight of the support material, based on a dry weight of the support material.

9. A digital manufacturing system comprising:

a build chamber configured to be maintained at one or more temperatures of at least about 200°

C.;

a first deposition line disposed at least partially within the build chamber, and configured to deposit a heated support material using a first layer-based additive technique to build a support structure, wherein the support material comprises at least one inorganic ionic compound; and

a second deposition line disposed at least partially within the build chamber, and configured to deposit a heated modeling material using a second layer-based additive technique to build a three-dimensional model having at least one overhanging region that is supported by the support structure.

10. The digital manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein the at least one inorganic ionic compound comprises a salt compound having a halide ion ionically bonded to a metal element, wherein the halide ion is selected from the group consisting of monoatomic halide ions and polyatomic halide ions.

11. The digital manufacturing system of claim 9, and further comprising a quenching tank disposed outside of the build chamber, wherein the quenching tank comprises a liquid configured to quench the three-dimensional model and further configured to at least partially remove the support structure from the three-dimensional model.

12. The digital manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein the first deposition line comprises a jetting assembly, and wherein the second deposition line comprises an extrusion assembly.

13. The digital manufacturing system of claim 9, and further comprising a planarizer configured to regulate a rate of accumulation of the support material and the modeling material.

14. The digital manufacturing system of claim 9, and further comprising a recycling system configured to recycle at least a portion of the deposited support material.

15. A method for building a three-dimensional model with a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:

heating a build chamber of the digital manufacturing system;

depositing a support material into the build chamber using a first layer-based additive technique to form a support structure, wherein the support material comprises an inorganic ionic compound; and

depositing a modeling material into the build chamber using a second layer-based additive technique to form the three-dimensional model, wherein the three-dimensional model comprises at least one overhanging region supported by the support structure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one inorganic ionic compound comprises a salt compound having a halide ion ionically bonded to a metal element, wherein the halide ion is selected from the group consisting of monoatomic halide ions and polyatomic halide ions.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein heating the build chamber comprises heating the build chamber to maintain one or more temperatures of at least about 200°

C.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein depositing the support material comprises jetting the support material in a liquid state.

19. The method of claim 15, and further comprising removing at least a portion of the support structure from the three-dimensional model by dissolving the portion of the support structure in a liquid.

20. The method of claim 19, and further comprising quenching the three-dimensional model in the liquid while removing at least the portion of the support structure from the three-dimensional model.