Powder dispensing apparatus using vibration

• US 6,036,777 A
• Filed: 04/14/1995
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Sachs, Emanuel M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin, Steven P.
• Application Number:
  US08/422,384
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 118/56, 118/57, 118/100, 118/120, 118/300, 118/308, 118/310, 118/429, 118/422, 118/612, 118/22, 118/421
• US Class Current: 118/56
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 19/04 the particulate material being projected, poured or allowed to flow onto the surface of the work B05C19/02 takes precedence; involving spraying or electrostatic projection B05B B05C19/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/22 Direct deposition of molten metal
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/366 Scanning parameters, e.g. hatch distance or scanning strategy
• 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 12/224 for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/53 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/004 Filling molds with powder feeding material to presses in general B30B15/302
• 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: B29C 41/006 using an electrostatic field for applying the material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/12 Spreading-out the material on a substrate , e.g. on the surface of a liquid
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/36 Feeding the material on to the mould, core or other substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• 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 67/02 Moulding by agglomerating B29C67/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/04 Sintering combined with compression B29C43/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/243 for making articles of definite length
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 15/302 Feeding material in particulate or plastic state to moulding presses
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 : Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 : Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/20 : Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 : Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/01 : Ink jet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/085 : Charge means, e.g. electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/09 : Deflection means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49013 : Deposit layers, cured by scanning laser, stereo lithography SLA, prototyping
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/013 : Inkjet printing, e.g. for printing insulating material or resist using ink-jet printing to form a conductive pattern H05K3/125
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2203/0522 : Using an adhesive pattern
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/102 : by bonding of conductive powder, i.e. metallic powder H05K3/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12014 : having metal particles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/12021 : having composition or density gradient or differential porosity

Abstract

An apparatus and method for use in producing three dimensional components by bonding together successive layers of a porous material with droplets of a binder material. A powder is dispensed on a support surface in a layer. A vibratory mechanism vibrates the layer of dispensed powder to compact the powder.

Claims

1. An apparatus for distributing a powder comprising:

a support surface for receiving powder across at least a portion thereof;

a powder dispenser mounted in association with said support surface to dispense the powder thereon;

a spreader moveable relative to said support surface for spreading the powder in a layer on said support surface; and

a vibratory mechanism cooperative with said spreader to compact the powder in the layer, comprising a vibrating transducer system operative to vibrate said spreader.

2. An apparatus for distributing a powder comprising:

a support surface for receiving powder across at least a portion thereof;

a powder dispenser mounted in association with said support surface to dispense the powder thereon;

a spreader moveable relative to said support surface for spreading the powder in a layer on said support surface; and

a vibratory mechanism cooperative with said spreader to compact the powder in the layer, wherein said vibratory mechanism is operative to vibrate said spreader as said spreader moves relative to said support surface.

3. An apparatus for distributing and compacting a powder comprising:

a support surface for receiving powder;

a powder dispenser mounted in association with said support surface to dispense the powder in a layer onto said support surface; and

a vibratory mechanism to compact the dispensed powder in said layer;

wherein said powder dispenser includes a spreader mounted to move linearly across said support surface and said vibratory mechanism comprises a vibrating transducer system operative to vibrate said spreader at least during linear movement across said support surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said vibratory mechanism is operative to vibrate said spreader orthogonal to the layer of the dispensed powder.

5. For use in a system for making an object in successive layers, apparatus for distributing a powder across a support surface comprising:

a support surface for receiving powder;

a powder dispenser mounted in association with said support surface to dispense the powder in a layer onto said support surface, including a spreader mounted to move linearly across said support surface; and

a vibratory mechanism cooperative with said support surface to compact the dispensed powder in the layer, comprising a vibrating transducer system operative to vibrate said spreader.