Method and device for applying fluids

• US 7,879,393 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Issued: 02/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exone GMBH (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Höchsmann, Rainer, Ingo Ederer, Türck, Harald
• Inventors: Höchsmann, Rainer, Türck, Harald, Ederer, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Bareford; Katherine A
• Application Number:
  US10/474,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20040170765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,234 Days
• Field of Search: 427/600
• US Class Current: 427/203
• CPC Class Codes: B05C 11/023 Apparatus for spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to a surface B05C11/021, B05C11/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/42 by non-rotary members
• 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 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for applying fluids, especially particle material, on a area that is to be coated, wherein the fluid is applied on the area to be coated in front of a blade when observed from the direction of forward movement of the blade and said blade is then displaced on the applied fluid. The method is characterized in that the blade performs an oscillation similar to a rotational movement.

Claims

1. A process for applying a particle material to a assembly platform for the creation of a three dimensional rapid prototype, comprising the steps of:

a. applying the particle material to the assembly platform, for the creation of a three dimensional rapid prototype by a layer by layer deposition method, in advance of a moving blade that is mounted on an end of an arm;

b. moving the blade, the blade including;

1) a front edge and

2) a rear edge essentially aligned vertically with respect to the front edge, the edges facing a surface to be coated rounded by radii,

wherein the moving blade creates a zone that includes;

1) a homogenization zone in front of the blade,

2) a compression zone between the front radius of the blade and the assembly platform, and

3) a smoothing zone between the front and rear radii of the blade and the assembly platform;

c. vibrating the blade in an oscillating rotary motion about an axis in which the blade is rotatably mounted,

wherein the vibration of the blade causing the particles to be fluidized and creating a roll of the particles in front of the blade, further wherein a proportion of the particle material is drawn through the compression zone during the movement over the assembly platform and during reversal of the blade providing an even layer of particle material on the assembly platform;

d. passing the blade over the assembly platform;

e. lowering the assembly platform; and

f. repeating steps a-e until the three dimensional rapid prototype is complete.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein particle material is sand that is applied in excess measure to the assembly platform to be coated.

3. A process according to claim 2, wherein the rotary motion of the blade includes motion generally in the same direction as the blade passes over the assembly platform.

4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the rotary motion of the blade includes motion generally in the same direction as the blade passes over the assembly platform.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the process includes the step of applying a hardener to selective area on each layer thickness before applying a next layer of the particle material to the assembly platform.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the particle material includes a bonding agent.

7. A process according to claim 1, wherein the moving blade is essentially aligned orthogonally with respect to the assembly to be coated and is adapted to move linearly with respect to the platform.

8. A process according to claim 7, wherein the arm and the blade are driven by at least one electric motor whose eccentricity causes the moving blade to vibrate.

9. A process according to claim 1, wherein the particle material consists essentially of sand.

10. A process for applying a particle material to an assembly platform for the creation of a three dimensional rapid prototype, comprising the steps of:

a. applying the particle material to the assembly platform, for the creation of a three dimensional rapid prototype by a layer by layer deposition method, in advance of a moving blade;

b. providing a moving blade mounted on an arm, the moving blade including;

1) a front edge and

2) a rear edge essentially aligned vertically with respect to the front edge, the edges facing a surface to be coated rounded by radii,

wherein the moving blade creates a zone that includes;

1) a homogenization zone in front of the blade,

2) a compression zone between the front radius of the blade and the assembly platform, and

3) a smoothing zone between the front and rear radii of the blade and the assembly platform;

c. advancing the moving blade across the assembly platform;

d. swinging the blade forward, in a rotary motion, about an axis in which the blade is rotatably mounted,

wherein the swinging of the blade causes the particles to be fluidized;

e. creating a roll of the particles in the homogenization zone by the rotary motion of the blade and a forward movement of the blade across the assembly platform;

f. swinging the blade backwards in a rotary motion about the axis;

g. drawing a proportion of the particle material from the roll through a gap formed between at least one of the radii of the blade and a surface of the assembly platform to be coated;

h. compressing and applying the particle material to the surface of the assembly platform to be coated in the compression zone;

i. smoothing the particles in the smoothing zone during both the forward and backwards swinging steps providing an even layer of particle material on the assembly platform;

j. lowering the assembly platform; and

k. repeating steps a-j until the three dimensional rapid prototype is complete.

11. The process according to claim 10, wherein the three dimensional rapid prototype is a casting pattern.