Method and apparatus for automatic fabrication of three-dimensional objects

• US 5,879,489 A
• Filed: 05/02/1996
• Issued: 03/09/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marshall Burns
• Original Assignee: Marshall Burns
• Inventors: McGinnis, Kim F., Burns, Marshall, Hayworth, Kenneth J.
• Primary Examiner(s): ENGEL, JAMES J
• Application Number:
  US08/640,549
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 156/58, 156/59, 156/64, 156/230, 156/234, 156/235, 156/238, 156/247, 156/249, 156/344, 156/540, 156/538, 156/563, 156/566, 156/584
• US Class Current: 156/64
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/18 by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/005 Loading or unloading powder metal objects transport in general B65G
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/141 using only solid materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/147 using sheet material, e.g. laminated object manufacturing [LOM] or laminating sheet material precut to local cross sections of the 3D object
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B31B 50/00 Making rigid or semi-rigid containers, e.g. boxes or cartons
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/1891 Using a robot for handling the layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/185 combined with the cutting of one or more layers
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1064 Partial cutting [e.g., grooving or incising]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1075 of plural laminae from single stock and assembling to each other or to additional lamina
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1082 Partial cutting bonded sandwich [e.g., grooving or incising]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1105 Delaminating process responsive to feed or shape at delamination
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/13 Severing followed by associating with part from same source
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1322 Severing before bonding or assembling of parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1761 Stacked serially
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1906 Delaminating means responsive to feed or shape at delamination

Abstract

A method and apparatus automatically fabricates a three dimensional object from individual layers of fabrication material having a predetermined configuration. Successive layers are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form the object. The fabrication material is carried on a substrate to a stacker. At the stacker the layers are stacked together, with each layer being successively affixed to the stack of previously affixed layers, and with the substrate removed from each layer after it is affixed.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from fabrication material formed into individual layers, where successive individual layers are stacked to form said object,

said method including

(a) providing a station where the successive individual layers are formed into a stack,

(b) placing on a carrier substrate a first layer of fabrication material corresponding to the configuration of one individual layer,

(c) conveying the first layer of fabrication material on said carrier substrate to said station,

(d) prior to separating the carrier substrate selectively inducing bonding of at least a portion of the fabrication material to the stack, and

(d) separating said carrier substrate after bonding said one individual layer to said stack by incrementally pulling the substrate from the layer of fabrication material to expose a bonding surface on the layer of fabrication material.

2. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from fabrication material formed into individual layers, each layer having a predetermined configuration, and where successive individual layers are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form said object,

said method including

(a) providing a station where the successive individual layers are stacked together to form a stack,

(b) placing on a carrier substrate a first layer of fabrication material and dividing said first layer of fabrication material into a negative region of waste material and a positive region corresponding to the configuration of one individual layer,

(c) conveying the divided, first layer of fabrication material on said carrier substrate to said station,

(d) prior to separating the carrier substrate, including the negative region of waste material, from the positive region, selectively inducing bonding of at least a portion of the positive region to the stack, and

(e) separating said carrier substrate, including the negative region of waste material, from the positive region after bonding said positive region to said stack by incrementally pulling the substrate from the first layer of fabrication material to expose a bonding surface on the first layer of fabrication material.

3. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from fabrication material formed into individual layers having a predetermined configuration, where successive individual layers are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form said object,

said method including

(a) providing a station where the successive individual layers are stacked together,

(b) placing on a carrier substrate a first layer of fabrication material and dividing said first layer of fabrication material into a negative region of waste material and a positive region corresponding to the configuration of one individual layer,

(c) conveying the divided, first layer of fabrication material on said carrier substrate to said station and transferring to said station,

(d) separating the carrier substrate, including the negative region of waste material, from the positive region, by incrementally pulling the substrate from the first layer of fabrication material exposing a bonding surface on said one individual layer to which a successive individual layer is affixed, said bonding surface including a first region which accepts a second layer of fabrication material and a second region that interferes with attaching said second layer of fabrication material to the bonding surface,

(e) deactivating the second region of the bonding surface prior to affixing said second layer of fabrication material to the bonding surface,

(f) placing on the carrier substrate a second layer of fabrication material and dividing said second layer of fabrication material into another negative region of waste material and another positive region corresponding to the configuration of a successive individual layer, and conveying the divided, second layer of fabrication material on the carrier substrate to said station,

(g) aligning said individual layers and bringing said bonding surface on said one individual layer into contact with said successive individual layer so that said layers become affixed together,

(h) separating said carrier substrate, including the negative region of waste material, from the positive region after affixing said one individual layer to said successive layer, exposing a bonding surface on said successive individual layer to which another successive fabrication layer is affixed, and

(i) repeatedly aligning and then affixing successive fabrication layers together divided into positive and negative regions after conveying said successive fabrication layers on the carrier substrate in series to the station until said object is formed, first affixing individual successive fabrication layers together and then separating the carrier substrate, including the negative region of waste material, from each individual, successive fabrication layer.

4. In an improved method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from fabrication material formed into individual layers having a predetermined configuration, where successive individual layers are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form said object, in said method providing a station where the successive individual layers are stacked together, said successive layers being conveyed to the stacking station on a carrier substrate after dividing individual successive layers into a negative region of waste material and a positive region corresponding to the configuration of one individual layer, and separating the carrier substrate, along with the negative region of waste material, from the positive region, exposing a bonding surface on said one individual layer to which successive individual layers may be affixed,

the improvement comprising selectively deactivating at least a portion of the bonding surface and separating the carrier from the layer of fabrication material by incrementally pulling the substrate from the first layer of fabrication material to expose said bonding surface on said one individual layer of fabrication material.

5. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from fabrication material formed into individual layers where successive individual layers are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form said object,

said method including

(a) providing a station where the successive individual layers are aligned and affixed together to form a stack having a bonding surface to which a successive individual layer is affixed,

(b) placing one successive layer of fabrication material on a carrier substrate carried on a platen positioned next to said station, and

(c) bringing said platen into engagement with the stack to affix the one successive layer to the bonding surface, and

(d) separating said carrier substrate from the one successive layer when said one successive layer is affixed to the bonding surface by moving the platen to pull incrementally the carrier substrate from the stack to expose another bonding surface on said one successive layer.

6. The method of claim 5 where the fabrication material is being affixed to the stack at the same time the carrier substrate is being removed.

7. The method of claim 5 where the carrier substrate is releasably held to the platen, with the layer of fabrication material on the carrier substrate placed on the platen uniformly to avoid entrapment of air between the carrier substrate and the platen, so that the layer of fabrication material does not wrinkle or buckle.

8. The method of claim 5 where the platen has a face with (a) a constant single curvature, (b) a flexible curvature, or (c) a controlled curvature.

9. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object from fabrication material formed into individual successive layers each having a predetermined configuration, where successive individual layers are stacked in a predetermined sequence and affixed together to form said object,

said method including

(a) providing a station were the successive individual layers are stacked together,

(b) forming on a surface of one or more carrier substrates a series of layers of fabrication material corresponding to the configuration of individual layers by extruding the fabrication material through a nozzle guided over said surface of a carrier substrate,

(c) conveying said layers of fabrication material on a carrier substrate to said station,

(d) aligning layers and bringing each of said individual layers into contact with a successive individual layer so that said layers become affixed, and

(e) separating the carrier substrate from the individual layers of fabrication material by incrementally pulling the substrate from the layer of fabrication material, exposing a bonding surface to which a successive individual layer is affixed.