Methods of manufacturing layered three-dimensional forms

• US 8,506,870 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2008
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exone GMBH (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Voxeljet Technology GMBH (Voxeljet AG)
• Inventors: Hochsmann, Rainer, Ederer, Ingo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B
• Application Number:
  US12/136,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20080237933A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,890 Days
• Field of Search: 264/113, 264/219, 264/308, 264/460, 264/463, 164/15, 164/526
• US Class Current: 264/463
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/02 Sand moulds or like moulds for shaped castings
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/06 Permanent moulds for shaped castings moulds for ingots B22D7/06
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/10 Cores; Manufacture or installation of cores breaker cores B22C9/084
• 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: B33Y 10/00 Processes of 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: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

New methods and systems for manufacturing a three-dimensional form, comprising steps of providing a plurality of particulates; contacting the particulates with an activation agent; contacting particulates having the activation agent with a binder material that is activatable by the activation agent; at least partially hardening the binder for forming a layer of the three-dimensional form; and repeating these steps to form the remainder of the three-dimensional form. Following sequential application of all required layers and binder material to make the form, the unbound particles are appropriately removed (and optionally re-used), to result in the desired three-dimensional form. The invention also contemplates a novel method for preparing a form, where unbound particulates free of binder material are re-claimed.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional form, comprising:

a) providing a plurality of particulates in the absence of a binder material;

b) coating the surface of the particulates with an activation agent so that the diameter of the particulates is enlarged;

c) spreading a layer of coated particulates in the absence of any binder material;

d) selectively dispensing a fluidic unreacted organic binder material that is activated by the activation agent with a drop-on-demand dispenser onto a pre-selected portion of the particulates having the activation agent, the binder material being contacted with particles no earlier than when the binder material first contacts the activation agent;

e) hardening the binder material for forming a layer of the three-dimensional form that defines a matrix having the particulates firmly held within it; and

f) then repeating the steps (a)-(e) to form a remainder of the three-dimensional form.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulates are polymeric and the resulting three dimensional form includes a mineral filler.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulates are polymeric and the resulting three dimensional form includes a (meth)acrylate.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the particulates are polymeric and the resulting three dimensional form includes a (meth)acrylic acid.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the resulting three dimensional form includes a dye.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising applying ultraviolet radiation to assist the hardening.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation agent includes an aromatic amine.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of re-claiming particulates that are free of the binder material.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of re-claiming particulates that are free of the binder material.

10. The method of claim 2 wherein the particulates are polymeric and the resulting three dimensional form includes a (meth)acrylate.

11. The method of claim 2 wherein the particulates are polymeric and the resulting three dimensional form includes a (meth)acrylic acid.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the activation agent includes an aromatic amine.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the activation agent includes an aromatic amine.