Method for manufacturing a structural part by deposition technique
First Claim
1. A method for manufacturing a structural part by a multi-layer deposition technique, by depositing bulk particulate material in several stacked adjacent layers which are bonded to each other at predetermined sub-areas of the respective adjacent layers, said method comprisinga) depositing a porous first layer of bulk particulate material consisting of particles of a predetermined particle size to form a layer of a predetermined layer thickness;
- b) applying a predetermined dose of liquid binder material onto at least the sub-area of the first layer, so that the liquid binder material penetrates the sub-area and becomes distributed in the sub-area and wets the particles of the sub-area and a predetermined residual porosity of the sub-area remains after distribution of the liquid binder material;
c) applying selectively a predetermined dose of liquid curing agent, which causes the binder material to cure within a predetermined period of time, to the sub-area of the first layer containing the binder material, so that the curing agent becomes distributed in the sub-area of the first layer; and
d) depositing a second layer in accordance with step a) onto the first layer containing the binder material and the curing agent treating the second layer with a binder material in accordance with step b), and treating the second layer, in the sub-area of the second layer overlapping at least part of the sub-area of the first layer, with a liquid curing agent in accordance with step c), wherein the curing agent is applied to the sub-area of the second layer within the predetermined period of time, during which the binder material of the first layer cures selectively in the sub-area of the first layer, so that the binder material in the sub-area of the second layer is bonded to the curing binder material in the sub-area of the first layer before the curing binder material in the sub-area of the first layer has finally cured.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for manufacturing a structural part by a multi-layer deposition technique, in particular a part in the form of a casting mold or a casting core, a porous first layer of bulk particulate material consisting of particles of a predetermined particle size being deposited to form a layer of a predetermined layer thickness, a predetermined dose of liquid binder material being applied onto the layer, so that the liquid binder material penetrates the layer and becomes distributed within the layer and wets the particles of the layer and a predetermined residual porosity of the layer remains after distribution, a predetermined dose of liquid curing agent being selectively applied to a predetermined sub-area of the layer containing the binder material, a second layer being deposited on the first layer containing the binder material and the curing agent and being treated with a binder material and selectively with a liquid curing agent, the curing agent being applied to the second layer before the binder material of the first layer has cured.
246 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for manufacturing a structural part by a multi-layer deposition technique, by depositing bulk particulate material in several stacked adjacent layers which are bonded to each other at predetermined sub-areas of the respective adjacent layers, said method comprising
a) depositing a porous first layer of bulk particulate material consisting of particles of a predetermined particle size to form a layer of a predetermined layer thickness; -
b) applying a predetermined dose of liquid binder material onto at least the sub-area of the first layer, so that the liquid binder material penetrates the sub-area and becomes distributed in the sub-area and wets the particles of the sub-area and a predetermined residual porosity of the sub-area remains after distribution of the liquid binder material;
c) applying selectively a predetermined dose of liquid curing agent, which causes the binder material to cure within a predetermined period of time, to the sub-area of the first layer containing the binder material, so that the curing agent becomes distributed in the sub-area of the first layer; and
d) depositing a second layer in accordance with step a) onto the first layer containing the binder material and the curing agent treating the second layer with a binder material in accordance with step b), and treating the second layer, in the sub-area of the second layer overlapping at least part of the sub-area of the first layer, with a liquid curing agent in accordance with step c), wherein the curing agent is applied to the sub-area of the second layer within the predetermined period of time, during which the binder material of the first layer cures selectively in the sub-area of the first layer, so that the binder material in the sub-area of the second layer is bonded to the curing binder material in the sub-area of the first layer before the curing binder material in the sub-area of the first layer has finally cured. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 23, 24)
the curing agent comprises toluene sulfonic acid in a proportion of 45 to 55 percent, diethylene glycol in a proportion of 5 to 15 percent, and sulphuric acid in a proportion of at most 1 percent. -
15. The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein
the curing agent comprises toluene sulfonic acid in a proportion of 45 to 55 percent, diethylene glycol in a proportion of 5 to 15 percent, and sulphuric acid in a proportion of at most 1 percent, and the binder material and the curing agent are used in a ratio of weight of 2: - 1.
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16. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the curing agent is diluted with alcohol in a ratio of approximately 2:
- 1.
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17. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the binder material and/or the curing agent are applied in corresponding step b) and c), respectively, with a droplet line density ranging from 300 to 600 dpi.
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18. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein in step b), the liquid binder material is exclusively applied to said sub-area.
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19. The method of claim 1 wherein the structural part is a mold or a core for a lost-form method.
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23. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the predetermined particle size ranges from 110 to 160 μ
- m.
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24. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the predetermined particle average size is 140 μ
- m.
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20. An apparatus for manufacturing parts by a deposition technique, comprising:
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a base being vertically movable in a z-direction;
a control unit;
an application device being horizontally movable in a y-direction and being controllable by means of the control unit and by which layers of a bulk particulate material is deposited to form a layer of a predetermined thickness;
a binder dosing device being controllable by means of the control unit and being mounted on a carriage being, above the base, horizontally movable in the y-direction, the binder dosing device further comprising a nozzle arrangement by means of which a liquid binder material is applied in a dosed quantity in form of droplets of a predetermined diameter onto the layer; and
a curing agent dosing device being horizontally movable in an x-direction and being controllable by means of the control unit and being mounted on the carriage and by means of which a liquid curing agent is applied in form of droplets of a predetermined diameter to selected sub-areas of the layer. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification