SEDIMENT CONTROLLING IN PNEUMATIC JETTING OF METAL FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An additive manufacturing system, the system comprising:
- a nozzle defining a volume, a first port, a second port, and a discharge orifice in fluid communication with one another;
a source of a pressurized gas in selective fluid communication with the volume of the nozzle through the first port;
a media supply in fluid communication with the volume of the nozzle through the second port; and
one or more baffles disposed in the volume of the nozzle such that an axis defined by the discharge orifice and the second port intersects the one or more baffles, the one or more baffles oriented to direct sediment of a liquid form of a metal in the volume to a reservoir portion of the volume, the reservoir portion away from the discharge orifice.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Devices, systems, and methods are directed to separating sediment from liquid metal ejected, through pneumatic force, from a nozzle moving along a controlled three-dimensional pattern to fabricate a three-dimensional object. The separation of the sediment from the liquid metal can reduce the likelihood that the nozzle will become clogged or otherwise degraded during fabrication of the three-dimensional object or over the course of fabrication of multiple objects. Accordingly, the separation of the sediment from the liquid metal can facilitate, for example, the use of pneumatic ejection of liquid metal for high volume production of parts.
-
Citations
16 Claims
-
1. An additive manufacturing system, the system comprising:
-
a nozzle defining a volume, a first port, a second port, and a discharge orifice in fluid communication with one another; a source of a pressurized gas in selective fluid communication with the volume of the nozzle through the first port; a media supply in fluid communication with the volume of the nozzle through the second port; and one or more baffles disposed in the volume of the nozzle such that an axis defined by the discharge orifice and the second port intersects the one or more baffles, the one or more baffles oriented to direct sediment of a liquid form of a metal in the volume to a reservoir portion of the volume, the reservoir portion away from the discharge orifice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method of additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
-
directing a metal into a volume defined by a 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; separating, in the volume, a liquid form of the metal from a sediment; and based at least in part on a position of the discharge orifice along the controlled three-dimensional pattern, delivering pressurized gas into the volume to eject the liquid form of the metal from the discharge orifice to form a three-dimensional object on the build plate. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16)
-
Specification