MANUFACTURING METHOD, MANUFACTURING APPARATUS, DATA PROCESSING METHOD, DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS, DATA CARRIER

• US 20170326789A1
• Filed: 11/18/2015
• Published: 11/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digital Metal AB (H. Intressenter AB)
• Original Assignee: Digital Metal AB (H. Intressenter AB)
• Inventors: Kimblad, Hans, Carlstrm, Ralf, Olsrius, Cornelia, Rosenquist, Bo
• Granted Patent: US 10,926,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/00 Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/47 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/73 of powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/80 Data acquisition or data processing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/003 Apparatus, e.g. furnaces in general F27B
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/10 Sintering only
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/04 Sintering combined with compression B29C43/00
• 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: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an object is provided. The method comprises depositing a first layer of construction material on a build platform. The method comprises depositing binder onto the first layer of construction material to bind at least a region of the first layer together to form a support layer. The method comprises depositing a second layer of construction material on the support layer to form a spacer layer. The method comprises depositing a third layer of construction material on the spacer layer. The method comprises depositing binder selectively onto the third layer to bind one or more regions of the third layer together to form a first layer of the object. Also provided are data processing methods, program carriers, data processing apparatus and manufacturing apparatus for implementing the method.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an object, comprising:

depositing a first layer of construction material on a build platform;

depositing binder onto the first layer of construction material to bind at least a region of the first layer together to form a support layer;

depositing a second layer of construction material on the support layer to form a spacer layer;

depositing a third layer of construction material on the spacer layer;

depositing binder selectively onto the third layer to bind one or more regions of the third layer together to form a first layer of the object.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the region of the first layer which is bound together includes a region arranged directly below the first layer of the object.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the region of the first layer which is bound together includes substantially all the first layer.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein the region includes one of an apertured portion, a mesh portion, or a grid portion in which apertures are formed.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein the region is contiguous.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the spacer layer has a thickness such that binder from the third layer cannot penetrate to the support layer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder of the support layer is different from the binder of the object layer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein a spacer layer is deposited onto the support platform before the first layer is deposited.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the deposition of binder to the first layer is carried out with a different spatial resolution than the deposition of binder to the third layer.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the construction material comprises metal powder and/or ceramic powder.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein further layers of construction material are deposited and binder is deposited selectively onto each further layer to bind one or more regions of each further layer together to form a successive layers of the object

16. An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a support surface;

a construction material deposition unit arranged for relative movement in at least a first direction across the support surface for depositing a construction material incrementally in layers on the support surface;

a binding unit arranged for relative movement in at least a first direction across the support surface for depositing a binder selectively to locations on each deposited layer,

wherein the apparatus is configured to carry out a method in accordance with claim 1.

12. A method of processing object data comprising:

acquiring data representing the structure of an object;

generating data representing the structure of a support layer to be provided beneath the object during manufacturing of the object;

combining the data representing the structure of an object and the data representing the structure of a support layer to form combined data representing the structure of the object arranged above the support layer;

outputting the combined data.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining the spatial extent in a plane of a support layer to be provided beneath the object during manufacturing of the object, and wherein the data representing the structure of a support layer is generated based on the determined spatial extent.

14. A data carrier carrying program instructions configured to control data-processing equipment to perform a method in accordance with claim 13.

15. An apparatus for processing object data comprising:

an acquisition unit operable to acquire data representing the structure of an object;

a generation unit operable to generate data representing the structure of a support layer to be provided beneath the object during manufacturing of the object;

a combining unit operable to combine the data representing the structure of an object and the data representing the structure of a support layer to form combined data representing the structure of the object arranged above the support layer; and

an output unit operable to output the combined data.