Three-dimensional Printing System and Equipment Assembly

• US 20190275730A9
• Filed: 05/16/2018
• Published: 09/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company
• Original Assignee: Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company
• Inventors: YOO, Jaedeok, BRADBURY, Thomas J., BEBB, Thomas J., ISKRA, James, SURPRENANT, Henry L., WEST, Thomas G.
• Granted Patent: US 10,449,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• 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 64/176 Sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/236 for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/35 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• 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 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing system and equipment assembly for the manufacture of three-dimensionally printed articles is provided. The equipment assembly includes a three-dimensional printing build system, an optional liquid removal system and an optional harvester system. The build system includes a conveyor, plural build modules and at least one build station having a powder-layering system and a printing system. The equipment assembly can be used to manufacture pharmaceutical, medical, and non-pharmaceutical/non-medical objects. It can be used to prepare single or multiple articles.

Claims

1-155. -155. (canceled)

156. ) A three-dimensional printing equipment assembly comprising:

a circuitous or oscillating conveyor system;

plural build modules comprising respective height adjustable platforms and removable build plates;

at least one build station that forms respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles on the plural build modules;

a control system that determines and specifies the location of one or more of the plural build modules relative to the conveyor system;

wherein the conveyor system repeatedly conducts the plural build modules through the at least one build station.

157. ) The equipment assembly of claim 156 further comprising one or more build module positioning systems, one or more conveyor positioning systems or both.

158. ) The equipment assembly of claim 157, wherein the control system comprises a proximity sensor that specifies the location of one or more of the plural build modules relative to the circuitous or oscillating conveyor system.

159. ) The equipment assembly of claim 158 further comprising a component that considers at least the linear speed of the circuitous or oscillating conveyor or of the plural build modules when forming the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles.

160. ) The equipment assembly of claim 159 further comprising a control system that determines the location of one or more of the plural build modules.

161. ) The equipment assembly of claim 160 further comprising a synchronizer that facilitates synchronization of operation of various components of the equipment assembly.

162. ) The equipment assembly of claim 156, wherein the control system comprises a proximity sensor that specifies the location of one or more of the plural build modules relative to the circuitous or oscillating conveyor system.

163. ) The equipment assembly of claim 156 further comprising a component that considers at least the linear speed of the conveyor or one or more of the plural build modules when forming the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles.

164. ) The equipment assembly of claim 156 further comprising a control system that determines the location of one or more of the plural build modules.

165. ) The equipment assembly of claim 156 further comprising a synchronizer that facilitates synchronization of operation of various components of the equipment assembly.

166. ) The equipment assembly of claim 156 further comprising at least one of the following:

a) at least one harvesting system;

b) at least one liquid removal system;

c) at least one packaging system;

d) at least one powder recovery system for recovering, and optionally recycling, unprinted powder;

e) at least one liquid detector;

f) at least one inspection system;

g) at least one dedusting system;

or h) at least one build plate loading system.

167. ) The equipment assembly of claim 156 further comprising:

1) a bed transfer system that transfers the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles away from the circuitous or oscillating conveyor system; and

     2) at least one of the following;

a) at least one harvesting system;

b) at least one liquid removal system;

c) at least one packaging system;

d) at least one powder recovery system for recovering, and optionally recycling, unprinted powder;

e) at least one liquid detector;

f) at least one inspection system;

g) at least one dedusting system;

h) at least one build plate loading system;

i) one or more build module positioning systems;

j) one or more conveyor positioning systems;

k) a component that considers at least the linear speed of the circuitous or oscillating conveyor or of the plural build modules when forming the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

1) a control system that determines the location of one or more of the plural build modules;

m) a synchronizer that facilitates synchronization of operation of various components of the equipment assembly.

168. ) A method for the preparation of three-dimensionally printed articles, the method comprising:

with a removable build plate loading system, loading removable build plates onto respective plural build modules;

with a conveyor system, repeatedly conveying plural build modules through at least one build station to form from build material respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles in one or more of the plural build modules;

considering at least the linear speed of the conveyor system or of the plural build modules when forming the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles; and

determining the location of one or more of the plural build modules and/or specifying the location of one or more of the plural build modules relative to the conveyor system when forming the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

wherein;

the plural build modules comprise respective height adjustable platforms and respective removable build plates; and

the conveyor is a circuitous or reciprocating conveyor.

169. ) The method of claim 168 further comprising forming plural three-dimensionally printed incremental layers during formation of respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles.

170. ) The method of claim 169, wherein the build material is powder material, and the step of forming plural three-dimensionally printed incremental layers comprises forming respective plural powder layers and binding particles of the plural powder layers according to one or more predetermined patterns.

171. ) The method of claim 170 further comprising charging powder onto one or more of the plural build modules at a feed rate that takes into consideration the linear speed of the conveyor or the plural build modules.

172. ) The method of claim 171 further comprising creating print instructions specifying or considering one or more patterns to be printed on respective powder layers.

173. ) The method of claim 172, wherein the print instructions specify or consider at least the linear speed of one or more of the plural build modules.

174. ) The method of claim 173, wherein the print instructions further specify or consider the intended print density of the one or more patterns to be printed.

175. ) The method of claim 172, wherein the print instructions further specify or consider the intended print density of the one or more patterns to be printed.

176. ) The method of claim 170 further comprising creating print instructions specifying or considering one or more patterns to be printed on one or more of the powder layers.

177. ) (Previously resented) The method of claim 168 further comprising at least one of the following steps:

a) harvesting the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

b) removing liquid from the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

c) dedusting the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

d) packaging the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

e) recovering loose build material;

f) detecting the presence, amount or concentration of liquid present in the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

g) inspecting the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

h) controlling one or more components of the equipment assembly with a control system comprising one or more computerized controllers, one or more computers, and one or more user interfaces for the one or more computers;

i) providing printing instructions;

j) providing one or more two-dimensional image files comprising pixels;

k) forming plural stacked three-dimensionally printed incremental layers to form the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

l) transferring surplus build material from one of said plural build modules to an adjacent one of said plural build modules;

or m) creating print instructions specifying or considering one or more patterns to be printed.