×

Support material for digital manufacturing systems

  • US 8,246,888 B2
  • Filed: 07/24/2009
  • Issued: 08/21/2012
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A method for building a three-dimensional model with a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:

  • at least partially melting a support material in the digital manufacturing system, wherein the support material comprises a first copolymer and a second copolymer, wherein the first copolymer comprises a plurality of carboxyl monomer units derived from acrylic acid monomers, a plurality of phenyl monomer units, and a plurality of first carboxylate ester monomer units derived from first alkyl acrylate monomers, and wherein the second copolymer comprises a plurality of epoxy-terminated carboxylate ester monomer units and a plurality of second carboxylate ester monomer units derived from second alkyl acrylate monomers;

    depositing the at least partially melted support material onto a platform of the digital manufacturing system using a layer-based additive technique to form a support structure;

    depositing a modeling material onto the platform of the digital manufacturing system using the layer-based additive technique to form the three-dimensional model, wherein the three-dimensional model comprises at least one overhanging region supported by the support structure; and

    substantially removing the support structure from the three-dimensional model with an aqueous solution.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×