Method and material system for building models in layers

• US 9,321,934 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Voxeljet AG
• Original Assignee: Voxeljet AG
• Inventors: Mgele, Florian, Kellner, Imke Nora
• Primary Examiner(s): Theisen, Mary F
• Application Number:
  US13/977,209
• Publication Number:
  US 20130302575A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05D 1/00 Processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials B05D5/00, B05D7/00 take precedence
• 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: B29K 2033/12 Polymers of methacrylic acid esters, e.g. PMMA, i.e. polymethylmethacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2103/00 Use of resin-bonded materials as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/251 Particles, powder or granules expandable particles B29K2105/046
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C09D 133/12 Homopolymers or copolymers of methyl methacrylate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

The present invention describes a method for building models in layers, wherein a first material and subsequent thereto selectively a second material are applied in layers in a build space, and these two application steps are repeated until a desired model is obtained. The two materials form a solid object in a suitable mixing ratio, the first material including a particulate material and the second material being applied with the aid of a print head. The first material, the second material and/or the particulate material include one or more diamines and/or one or more dicarbonyl compounds as the binder.

Claims

1. A method for building models in layers, wherein a first material and subsequent thereto selectively a second material are applied in layers in a build space, and these two application steps are repeated until a desired model is obtained;

the two materials form a solid body in a suitable mixing ratio;

the first material includes particulate material; and

the second material is applied with the aid of a print head, and wherein the first material, the second material or the particulate material includes at least one or more dicarbonyl compounds as a binder.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method includes a step of printing a final applied layer, and the solid body remains in a powder bed under environmental conditions for 5 to 24 hours after the final applied layer has been printed.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the solid body is subjected to heat treatment in an additional step, the solid body being stored at 40°

C. to 60°

C.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the binder includes one or more diamines, and the first material, the second material or the particulate material includes the at least one or more diamines.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the method includes a step of reacting the one or more diamines and the one or more dicarbonyl compounds and a step of removing condensate of the reaction from the system with the aid of hygroscopic substances.

19. A solid body manufactured with the method of claim 1, wherein the solid body has a modulus of elasticity of 700 to 950 MPa.

4. A material system for building models in layers, comprising a first material and a second material, wherein one of the materials includes a particulate material and one of the materials includes one or multiple diamines and one of the materials includes one or multiple dicarbonyl compounds as a binder.

6. The material system according to claim 4, wherein the first material contains organic or inorganic substances which do not participate in a reaction with the binder.

7. The material system according to claim 4, wherein a particular material containing PMMA or a powder based on PA is used as the first material.

8. The material system according to claim 4, wherein the second material is an atomizable solution which contains diamines or dicarbonyl compounds.

10. The material system according to claim 4, wherein the second material is a solvent.

11. The material system according to claim 4, wherein the second material contains the diamines or dicarbonyl compounds in a liquid phase.

12. The material system according to claim 11, wherein the material system includes metal salts of dicarbonyl compounds.

14. The material system according to claim 4, wherein the diamine and/or the dicarbonyl compound is present in a carrier solution.

15. The material system of claim 4, wherein the one or multiple diamines includes a diamine selected from the group comprising primary diamine alkanes, polyamines, aromatic diamines, diaminobenzoic acids, and liquid diamines.

16. The material system according to claim 15, wherein the diamine is present in a quantity of 5 to 15 wt % in relation to the total quantity.

17. The material system according to claim 4, wherein the dicarbonyl compound is selected from the group consisting of diketone compounds and their metal complexes, liquid dialdehydes, solid phthaldialdehyde, solid isophthaldialdehyde and solid terephthaldialdehyde.

18. The material system according to claim 4, wherein the binder is between 5% and 40%.

20. The material system according to claim 4, wherein the second material is a solvent mixture of benzyl alcohol, hexylacetate and 2-propanol.

5. A method for building models in layers, wherein a first material and subsequent thereto selectively a second material are applied in layers in a build space, and these two application steps are repeated until a desired model is obtained;

the two materials form a solid body in a suitable mixing ratio;

the first material contains a particulate material; and

the second material is applied with the aid of a print head, wherein the composition comprising the first and second materials includes diamines and dicarbonyl compounds.