Three-Dimensional Printing of Metallic Materials

• US 20150217367A1
• Filed: 02/03/2015
• Published: 08/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: North Carolina State University (University of North Carolina System)
• Original Assignee: North Carolina State University (University of North Carolina System)
• Inventors: Dickey, Michael D., Mohammed, Mohammed, Ladd, Collin, Bjarnason, Elsie
• Application Number:
  US14/613,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20150217367A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/22 Direct deposition of molten metal
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/30 Process control
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/50 Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/115 by spraying molten metal, i.e. spray sintering, spray casting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• 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: C22C 1/0483 Alloys based on the low melting point metals Zn, Pb, Sn, Cd, In or Ga
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

Methods of printing metallic objects include providing parameters of an object for printing, and controlling a deposition of a fluid metallic material to form the object. At least an outer surface region of the fluid metallic material is converted to a solid region after deposition.

Claims

1. A method of printing metallic objects, the method comprising:

providing parameters of an object for printing; and

controlling a deposition of a fluid metallic material to form the object, wherein at least an outer surface region of the fluid metallic material is converted to a solid region after deposition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling a deposition of the fluid metallic material comprises controlling a pressure and/or flow rate of the material while simultaneously controlling a deposition location of the material such that deposited material forms the object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling a deposition of the fluid metallic material comprises depositing a first portion of the material, and then depositing a second portion of the material on the first portion after an outer surface region of the first portion is converted to a solid region.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling a deposition of the fluid metallic material comprises depositing a stream of the fluid metallic material from a nozzle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the object comprises an electrical connection on a substrate formed by the stream of the fluid metallic material.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling the flow rate while simultaneously controlling a deposition location of the material comprises depositing globules of the fluid metallic material to thereby form a three-dimensional structure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein depositing globules of the fluid metallic material comprises depositing stacks of connected globules that together form a three-dimensional object.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the globules are about 1 micron to 1 mm in diameter.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid region comprises an oxidized region of the fluid metallic material.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid metallic material is a fluid at or below temperatures of about 60°

C.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid metallic material is selected from the group consisting of gallium, mercury or alloys thereof.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a three-dimensional metallic structure, the method further comprising depositing a three-dimensional polymeric structure adjacent the metallic three-dimensional structure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid metallic material is deposited with a deposition system having a fluid metallic material reservoir and an outlet for dispensing the fluid metallic material.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid metallic material comprises an amalgam, and the material is deposited using a mixing element.

15. A system for printing metallic objects, the system comprising:

a deposition system having a fluid metallic material reservoir and an outlet for dispensing a fluid metallic material; and

a controller configured to control a deposition of the fluid metallic material by the deposition system so as to form a solid structure such that at least an outer surface region of the fluid metallic material is converted to a solid region after deposition.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the controller is configured to control the deposition of the fluid metallic material by controlling a pressure and/or flow rate of the material while simultaneously controlling a deposition location of the outlet such that deposited material forms the object.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to control a deposition of the fluid metallic material to deposit a first portion of the material, and then to deposit a second portion of the material on the first portion after an outer surface region of the first portion is converted to a solid region.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to control a deposition of the fluid metallic material to deposit a stream of the fluid metallic material from a nozzle.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the object comprises an electrical connection on a substrate formed by the stream of the fluid metallic material.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the controller is configured to control the flow rate while simultaneously controlling a deposition location of the material to deposit globules of the fluid metallic material to thereby form the three-dimensional structure.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the controller is configured to deposit globules of the fluid metallic material in stacks of connected globules that together form a three-dimensional object.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the globules are about 1 micron to 1 mm in diameter.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the solid region comprises an oxidized region of the fluid metallic material.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the fluid metallic material is a fluid at or below temperatures of about 60°

C.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the fluid metallic material is selected from the group consisting of gallium, mercury or alloys thereof.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the object comprises a three-dimensional metallic structure, and the controller is further configured to control a deposition of a three-dimensional polymeric structure adjacent the metallic three-dimensional structure.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the metallic material comprises an amalgam and the deposition system further comprises a mixing element configured to mix the fluid metallic material prior to deposition.