Method of three dimensional printing

• US 5,902,441 A
• Filed: 09/04/1996
• Issued: 05/11/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Z CORPORATION (A Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Bredt, James F., Anderson, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Ball, Michael W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mitchell, Shawn A.
• Application Number:
  US08/707,693
• Time in Patent Office: 979 Days
• Field of Search: 156/272.8, 156/275.1, 156/275.7, 156/283, 156/284, 156/305, 264/401, 264/482, 264/497, 264/123
• US Class Current: 156/284
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/00 Producing shaped prefabricated articles from the material using presses B28B3/00; shaping on moving conveyors B28B5/00; producing tubular articles B28B21/00 ; producing articles with embedded elements B28B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 7/465 Applying setting liquid to dry mixtures
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/003 characterised by the choice of 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 67/243 for making articles of definite length
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0097 Glues or adhesives, e.g. hot melts or thermofusible adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/16 Fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0059 Degradable
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/20 Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/10 Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 12/04 Alkali metal or ammonium silicate cements ; Alkyl silicate cements; Silica sol cements; Soluble silicate cements alkali metal silicates per se, their preparation C01B33/32; ammonium silicates per se, their preparation C01C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/104 Bentonite, e.g. montmorillonite
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/386 Carbon carbon nanotubes C04B14/026
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/42 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/46 Rock wool ; Ceramic or silicate fibres C04B14/40, C04B14/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/24 Vegetable refuse, e.g. rice husks, maize-ear refuse; Cellulosic materials, e.g. paper , cork
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/54 Pigments; Dyes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/00181 : Mixtures specially adapted for three-dimensional printing (3DP), stereo-lithography or prototyping
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/143 : Calcium-sulfate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/02 : Alcohols; Phenols; Ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/38 : Polysaccharides or derivatives thereof C04B24/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 26/02 : Macromolecular compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 26/06 : Acrylates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 26/28 : Polysaccharides or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/001 : containing unburned clay polymer binder - clay mixtures used in well cementing C09K8/44
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/14 : containing calcium sulfate cements gypsum-paper plates E04C
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/26 : Silicates of the alkali metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/00 : Processes, in general, for influencing or modifying the properties of mortars, concrete or artificial stone compositions, e.g. their setting or hardening ability active ingredients C04B22/00 - C04B24/00; hardening of a well-defined composition C04B26/00 - C04B28/00; making porous, cellular or lightening C04B38/00; mechanical aspects B28, e.g. conditioning the materials prior to shaping B28B17/02
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24994 : Fiber embedded in or on the surface of a polymeric matrix
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249949 : Two or more chemically different fibers

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a Three Dimensional Printing materials systems and method that satisfies the need for a quick, reliable, safe, and inexpensive method for producing both appearance models and small numbers of functional parts in an office environment. The method of the present invention includes building cross-sectional portions of a three-dimensional article, and assembling the individual cross-sectional areas in a layer-wise fashion to form a final article. The individual cross-sectional areas are built by using an ink-jet printhead to deliver an aqueous solvent to an adhesive particulate mixture, causing the particles of the mixture to adhere together, and to previous cross-sectional areas.

Claims

1. A method for forming an article comprising:

applying, to a first portion of a first film of particles that each carry an activatable adhesive, a fluid that activates said adhesive, in an amount sufficient to activate said adhesive to the extent that the particles within the first portion adhere together to form an essentially solid, singular article;

forming a second film of the particles on the first film; and

applying, to a first portion of said second film of said particles, said fluid in an amount sufficient to activate said adhesive to the extent that the particles within said first portion of said second film adhere to each other and to at least a portion of said first portion of said first layer to form an essentially solid, singular article from said first portion of said first film and said first portion of said second film article;

wherein, at least a portion of said particles are sparingly soluble in said fluid.

2. The method of claim 1, involving allowing a second portion of the first film contiguous with the first portion of the first film and a second portion of the second film contiguous with the first portion of the second film to remain free of said fluid to the extent that said second portions remain non-adherent, further comprising removing particles defining the second portions of the first and second films.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

applying, to a first portion of successive films of particles that each carry an activatable adhesive, a fluid that activates said adhesive, in an amount sufficient to activate said adhesive to the extent that the particles within the first portion of successive films adhere together and to at least a portion of an underlying film to form an essentially solid, singular article; and

allowing a second portion of each of said successive films contiguous with the first portion of each of said successive films to remain free of said fluid to the extent that said second portions remain non-adherent, further comprising removing particles defining the second portions of said successive films.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said sparingly soluble particles include an essentially solid filler.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said sparingly soluble particles include a first fibrous component.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said first fibrous component has a length of about 60 μ

m to about 200 μ

m.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said sparingly soluble particles include a second fibrous component.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said second fibrous component has a length of about 30 μ

m to about 100 μ

m.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said fluid is an aqueous fluid.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said fluid is an aqueous fluid.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said particles have a mean diameter of about 10-300 μ

m.

12. A method for forming an article comprising:

applying, to a first portion of a first film of particles that each carry an activatable adhesive, an aqueous fluid that activates said adhesive, in an amount sufficient to activate said adhesive to the extent that the particles within the first portion adhere together to form an essentially solid, singular article;

forming a second film of the particles on the first film; and

applying, to a first portion of said second film of said particles, said aqueous fluid in an amount sufficient to activate said adhesive to the extent that the particles within said first portion of said second film adhere to each other and to at least a portion of said first portion of said first layer to form an essentially solid, singular article from said first portion of said first film and said first portion of said second film article.

13. The method of claim 12, involving allowing a second portion of the first film contiguous with the first portion of the first film and a second portion of the second film contiguous with the first portion of the second film to remain free of said aqueous fluid to the extent that said second portions remain non-adherent, further comprising removing particles defining the second portions of the first and second films.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a portion of said particles is sparingly soluble in said aqueous fluid.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said portion of sparingly soluble particles include a first fibrous component.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said first fibrous component has a length of about 60 μ

m to about 200 μ

m.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said sparingly soluble particles include a second fibrous component.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said second fibrous component has a length of about 30 μ

m to about 100 μ

m.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said particles have a mean diameter of about 10-300 μ

m.

20. A method comprising:

providing a plurality of adjacent particles of mean diameter of about 10-300 μ

m, comprised of an essentially solid filler and an adhesive;

applying to said plurality of particles a fluid, within which said adhesive is essentially soluble and said filler is sparingly soluble, that activates said adhesive from an essentially inert state, in an amount sufficient to bond said plurality of particles together to define an essentially solid, singular article.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said plurality of adjacent particles include a first fibrous component that is sparingly soluble in said fluid.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said first fibrous component has a length of about 60 μ

m to about 200 μ

m.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said plurality of adjacent particles further include a second fibrous component that is sparingly soluble in said fluid.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said second fibrous component has a length of about 30 μ

m to about 100 μ

m.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said fluid is an aqueous fluid.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said fluid is an aqueous fluid.