Method and support structures for creation of objects by layer deposition

• US 5,286,573 A
• Filed: 09/17/1992
• Issued: 02/15/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fritz Prinz, Lee Weiss
• Original Assignee: Fritz Prinz, Lee Weiss
• Inventors: Weiss, Lee, Prinz, Fritz
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bahta, Abraham
• Application Number:
  US07/946,969
• Time in Patent Office: 516 Days
• Field of Search: 428/457, 428/419, 428/469, 428/913.3, 427/229
• US Class Current: 264/308
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/43 characterised by material
• 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 10/64 by thermal means control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/115 by spraying molten metal, i.e. spray sintering, spray casting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/141 using only solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49011 Machine 2-D slices, build 3-D model, laminated object manufacturing LOM
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49016 Desktop manufacturing [DTM]; Solid freeform machining [SFM]; Solid freeform fabrication [SFF]
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49039 Build layer of different, weaker material between support and prototype
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49885 with coating before or during assembling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49982 Coating
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49986 Subsequent to metal working
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49989 Followed by cutting or removing material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31533 Of polythioether

Abstract

An improved support structure is provided in a method for making objects by the incremental build-up of layers of a deposition material and adjacent support material. The improved support structure includes a first material and a second material placed as a coating upon the first material. The deposition material, first material and second material each preferably have a selected melting point such that the first material melting point is lower than the deposition material melting point and such that the second material melting point is greater than the first material melting point.

Claims

1. A support structure for use in the manufacture of three-dimensional objects formed from a deposition material by incremental build-up of layers of deposition material layers and adjacent support structure layers, the support structure comprised of a plurality of layers, each support structure layer having at least one article face shaped such that a combination of all article faces defines an object to be manufactured, at least one of the support structure layers comprising:

(a) a first material; and

(b) a coating of a second material placed upon the first material in a manner so that at least a portion of the coating is adjacent to an article face wherein the deposition, material first material and the second material are selected to permit the manufacture of the three-dimensional objects by incremental build-up of layers of deposition material and the support structure and at least a portion of the support structure is removable from a manufactured three-dimensional object.

2. The support structure of claim 1 wherein each of the deposition material layers, the first material and the second material respectively have a deposition material melting point, a first material melting point and a second material melting point, wherein the first material melting point is lower than the deposition material melting point.

3. The support structure of claim 2 wherein the second material melting point is greater than the first material melting point.

4. The support structure of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the support structure is removed after the object is completed.

5. The support structure of claim 1 wherein the first material is a ceramic.

6. The support structure of claim 1 wherein the second material is the same material as the deposition material.

7. The support structure of claim 1 wherein the deposition material layers are metal.

8. The support structure of claim 7 wherein the deposition material is applied by weld deposition.

9. The support structure of claim 7 wherein the first material is one of a tin-zinc alloy and a tin-bismuth alloy.

10. The support structure of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first material and the second material is applied by thermal spray deposition.

11. The support structure of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the second material forms a coating around at least a portion of the manufactured three-dimensional object.