TUNING PNEUMATIC JETTING OF METAL FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An additive manufacturing system, the system comprising:
- a nozzle defining a volume and a discharge orifice in fluid communication with one another, the nozzle including an exhaust passage in fluid communication with the volume;
a source of a pressurized gas in selective fluid communication with the volume of the nozzle; and
a media supply in fluid communication with the volume of the nozzle such that metal from the media supply is movable into the volume, wherein the exhaust passage has an adjustable back pressure to control a pressure profile in the volume of the nozzle as the pressurized gas moves through the volume to eject a liquid form of the metal from the discharge orifice along a controlled three-dimensional pattern for fabrication of a three-dimensional object.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Devices, systems, and methods are directed to adjusting a pneumatic circuit associated with pneumatic ejection of liquid metal from a nozzle as the nozzle moves along a controlled three-dimensional pattern to fabricate a three-dimensional object. The adjustment of the pneumatic circuit can facilitate adjusting a pressure profile within the nozzle as pressurized gas moves through the nozzle to eject, through pneumatic force, liquid metal from the nozzle. Through adjustment of the pneumatic circuit, characteristics of the liquid metal (e.g., size, shape, and flow rate) can be controlled to facilitate control over fabrication of the three-dimensional object.
5 Citations
21 Claims
-
1. An additive manufacturing system, the system comprising:
-
a nozzle defining a volume and a discharge orifice in fluid communication with one another, the nozzle including an exhaust passage in fluid communication with the volume; a source of a pressurized gas in selective fluid communication with the volume of the nozzle; and a media supply in fluid communication with the volume of the nozzle such that metal from the media supply is movable into the volume, wherein the exhaust passage has an adjustable back pressure to control a pressure profile in the volume of the nozzle as the pressurized gas moves through the volume to eject a liquid form of the metal from the discharge orifice along a controlled three-dimensional pattern for fabrication of a three-dimensional object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method of additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
-
directing a metal into a volume defined by a nozzle, the volume in fluid communication with an exhaust passage defined by the nozzle; moving a discharge orifice and a build plate relative to one another along a controlled three-dimensional pattern, the discharge orifice defined by the nozzle and in fluid communication with the volume; delivering pulses of pressurized gas into the volume of the nozzle; and adjusting a back pressure of the exhaust passage through which the pressurized gas is vented from the volume of the nozzle, wherein, in response to the adjustment of the back pressure, the pressurized gas in the volume exerts a force on a liquid form of the metal in the nozzle to eject the liquid metal from the discharge orifice as the discharge orifice and the build plate are moved relative to one another along the controlled three-dimensional pattern to form a three-dimensional object on the build plate. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
Specification