Method for producing a part using a depostion technique

• US 8,741,194 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2000
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Exone GMBH (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Voxeljet AG
• Inventors: Ederer, Ingo, Hchsmann, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B
• Application Number:
  US10/381,546
• Time in Patent Office: 4,999 Days
• Field of Search: 264/113, 264/497, 264/236, 249/63, 249/117, 249/175, 419/2, 419/61
• US Class Current: 264/113
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 1/162 use of a gaseous treating agent for hardening the binder
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 23/00 Tools; Devices not mentioned before for moulding
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/00 Moulds or cores uniquely adapted to particular casting processes B22D; Moulding processes
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/02 Sand moulds or like moulds for shaped castings
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/10 Cores; Manufacture or installation of cores breaker cores B22C9/084
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/60 Treatment of workpieces or articles after build-up
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/73 of powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/224 for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/67 Blades
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/16 for producing layered articles coating B28B11/04
• 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 71/009 using gases without chemical reaction C08J7/12 takes precedence; in combination with blow-moulding B29C49/46; surface treatment using plasma B29C59/14, ionised gas B29C59/16
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24893 including particulate material

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing a part using a deposition technique, especially a part in the form of a casting mold or a casting core. A layered composite is built up in layers, the individual layers each containing particulate material and binding material as well as optionally, a treatment agent. The layers maintain a predetermined porosity. The binding agent can be hardened especially with a fluid hardening agent. The layer composite is built up in the absence of the hardening agent. Once construction is complete, the layer composite is flooded with the fluid hardening agent using the residual porosity of the predetermined partial areas and in this way, is hardened.

Claims

1. A method for producing a part layer-by-layer, comprising the steps of:

a. depositing a layer of particulate matter having a particle size range from 90 μ

m to 200 μ

m into a building box having a movable building platform;

b. applying a resinous binder to a predefined subarea of the layer so that the layer has treated particulate matter in the predefined subarea and untreated particulate matter outside of the predefined subarea;

c. providing support to both the treated particulate matter and the untreated particulate matter by moving the movable building platform downward a given distance so that partial consolidation of the treated particulate matter is not required to prevent the treated particulate matter from flowing beyond the predefined subarea of the layer;

d. repeating steps a. through c. for depositing additional layers over the previously deposited layer until a multi-layered part is complete, and

e. curing the resinous binder in the part after step d. is complete by flooding or flowing a gas curing agent through the part;

wherein no bonding step is provided per layer and bonding of the plurality of layers employs just one step at the end of the process;

wherein the gas curing agent is selected from a group that consists of carbon dioxide, dimethylethylamine, triethylamine, sulphur dioxide, methylformiate, formaldehyde-dimethylacetate, or isocyanate, and

wherein the steps of depositing the layer of particulate material and applying the resinous binder are done in the absence of an initiator.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder is an epoxy resin.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder is a furan resin.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder is a polyphenol resin.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes a step of matching a dose of the resinous binder applied in step b. to a volume of the predefined subarea of the layer.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder is a liquid.

8. The method according to claim 5, wherein the binder is in the form of a free-flowing powder or a liquid.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein prior to deposition of a subsequent layer a treatment agent is applied on each layer.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein prior to deposition of a subsequent layer a treatment agent is applied on each layer.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the treatment agent is applied in a free-flowing state;

each layer includes between 2 percent and 3 percent binder to particulate matter by weight; and

the binder is applied using a drop-on-demand print head.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein each layer has a thickness in the range of 0.15 mm to 0.30 mm.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein each layer includes between 2 percent and 3 percent binder to particulate matter by weight.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the resinous binder is applied using a drop-on-demand print head.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein the resinous binder is applied with a silk-screen printing technology or through a mask.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the treated particulate matter and the untreated particulate matter are both exposed to the gas curing agent.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of curing occurs in the building box.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the deposited layers including treated particulate matter and untreated particulate matter remain in the building box until after the step of curing with the gas curing agent.

6. A method for producing a part layer-by-layer, comprising the steps of:

a. depositing a first layer of particulate matter having a particle size range from 90 μ

m to 200 μ

m into a building box having a movable building platform;

b. applying a resinous binder to a predefined subarea of the layer so that the layer has treated particulate matter in the predefined subarea and untreated particulate matter outside of the predefined subarea;

c. providing support to both the treated particulate matter and the untreated particulate matter by moving the movable building platform downward a given distance so that partial consolidation of the treated particulate matter is not required to prevent the treated particulate matter from flowing beyond the predefined subarea of the layer;

d. repeating steps a. through c. until the part is complete; and

e. curing the resinous binder in the part after step d. is complete by flooding or flowing a gas curing agent through the part;

wherein the gas curing agent is selected from a group that consists of carbon dioxide, dimethylethylamine, triethylamine, sulphur dioxide, methylformiate, formaldehyde-dimethylacetate, or isocyanate, and

wherein the steps of depositing the layer of particulate material and applying the resinous binder are done in the absence of an initiator; and

wherein the binder is applied as a free-flowing powder.

16. A method comprising the steps of:

a. depositing a first layer of particulate matter having a particle size range from 90 μ

m to 900 μ

m onto a movable building platform of a building box;

b. applying a resinous binder to a predefined subarea of the layer so that the layer has treated particulate matter in the predefined subarea and untreated particulate matter outside of the predefined subarea;

c. matching a dose of the resinous binder applied in step b. to a volume of the predefined subarea of the layer so that the resinous binder in the predefined subarea do not flow;

d. moving the movable building platform downward a given distance into the building box;

e. supporting both the treated particulate matter and the untreated particulate matter with the building box so that the layer is prevented from flowing beyond the predefined subarea of the layer and partial consolidation of is not required to prevent the treated particulate matter from flowing beyond the predefined subarea of the layer;

f. repeating steps a. through e. for depositing additional layers over the first layer until a multi-layered part is formed; and

g. curing the resinous binder in the part after step f. is complete by flooding or flowing a gas curing agent through the part while the part is in the building box;

wherein the gas curing agent is carbon dioxide, dimethylethylamine, triethylamine, sulphur dioxide, methylformiate, formaldehyde-dimethylacetate, or isocyanate, wherein no bonding step is provided per layer and bonding of the plurality of layers employs just one step at the end of the process; and

wherein the steps of depositing the layer of particulate material and applying the resinous binder are done in the absence of an initiator.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of matching includes determining the volume of the predefined subarea based upon the surface area, layer thickness, and particle size of the particulate matter.