Three-dimensional printing system and equipment assembly

• US 9,610,735 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company
• Original Assignee: Aprecia Pharmaceuticals Company
• Inventors: Yoo, Jaedeok, Bradbury, Thomas J., Bebb, Thomas J., Iskra, James, Surprenant, Henry L., West, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sultana, Nahida
• Application Number:
  US14/501,716
• Publication Number:
  US 20150183166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 425375, 4251744, 425193, 264308, 264113, 264401
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• 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 64/176 Sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/236 for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/35 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24851 Intermediate layer is discontinuous or differential

Abstract

A three-dimensional printing system and equipment assembly for the manufacture of three-dimensionally printed articles is provided. The equipment assembly includes a three-dimensional printing build system, an optional liquid removal system and an optional harvester system. The build system includes a conveyor, plural build modules and at least one build station having a powder-layering system and a printing system. The equipment assembly can be used to manufacture pharmaceutical, medical, and non-pharmaceutical/non-medical objects. It can be used to prepare single or multiple articles.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional printing equipment assembly comprising:

a modular conveyor system that conducts plural build modules along a circuitous path;

plural build modules engaged with the modular conveyor system, wherein the plural build modules temporarily retain one or more three-dimensionally printed articles, and a build module comprises a respective incrementally height adjustable platform, a respective removable build plate disposed above the height adjustable platform, and one or more sidewalls defining a cavity within which the height adjustable platform and the removable build plate are disposed; and

at least one build station that forms one or more three-dimensionally printed articles on the removable build plates;

wherein the modular conveyor system transports the plural build modules through at least one build station.

2. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising one or more of the following:

a) at least one packaging system that packages one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

b) at least one inspection system for inspecting completed or in-process three-dimensionally printed articles;

c) at least one transfer system that transfers three-dimensionally printed articles and corresponding removable build plates away from the three-dimensional printing build system;

d) at least one build plate loading system that places one or more removable build plates on respective height adjustable platforms of the respective plural build modules;

e) at least one control system comprising one or more computerized controllers, one or more computers, and one or more user interfaces for one or more computers;

f) at least one positioning controller;

g) one or more build module engagement means; and

h) at least one three-dimensionally printed article collector.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the assembly excludes at least one of the following:

a) an equipment assembly that prints articles according to a polar coordinate algorithm;

b) an equipment assembly comprising a print head that moves laterally or transversely or is not stationary, with respect to a build module beneath the print head, during printing; and

c) an equipment assembly comprising a powder fill head that moves laterally or transversely or is not stationary, with respect to a build module beneath the powder fill head, during printing.

4. The three-dimensional printing equipment assembly of claim 1, wherein:

a) a three-dimensional printing build system comprising;

a modular conveyor system;

plural build modules engaged with the conveyor system;

a removable build plate loading region, wherein removable build plates are loaded onto respective plural build modules;

the at least one build station comprises a build region comprising a powder dispensing region, wherein powder is dispensed into the plural build modules, and a printing region, wherein printing fluid is dispensed onto the powder in the plural build modules; and

the assembly further comprises;

a powder recovery region, wherein powder is removed from one or more surfaces of the plural build modules;

one or more liquid removal systems; and

a bed transfer system comprising a bed transfer region wherein three-dimensionally printed beds are transferred, one or more at a time, away from the three-dimensional printing build system to the one or more liquid removal systems;

wherein the modular conveyor system conducts the plural build modules along a circuitous path through the build plate loading region, build region, printing region, powder recovery region and bed transfer region.

5. The equipment assembly of claim 4 further comprising one or more harvesting systems to separate loose powder from the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles in a three-dimensionally printed powder bed.

6. The equipment assembly of claim 5, wherein the one or more harvesting system comprises loose powder collector and three-dimensionally printed article collector.

7. The equipment assembly of claim 6 further comprising one or more dedusting systems to remove loose particles from one or more three-dimensionally printed articles that have been harvested by the harvesting system.

8. The equipment assembly of claim 4, wherein the assembly excludes an equipment assembly that dispenses printing fluid to the powder according to a polar coordinate system.

9. The equipment assembly of claim 4, wherein the assembly excludes an equipment assembly wherein the print head moves laterally or transversely or is not stationary, with respect to respective plural build modules, while applying liquid to respective incremental powder layers.

10. The equipment assembly of claim 4, wherein the assembly excludes an equipment assembly wherein the at least one powder fill head moves laterally or transversely or is not stationary, with respect to respective plural build modules, while depositing respective incremental powder layers.

11. The equipment assembly of claim 4, wherein:

a) at least one liquid removal system is present;

b) the equipment assembly further comprises at least one packaging system that packages one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

c) the modular conveyor system repeatedly transports the plural build modules, from the at least one powder layering system to the at least one printing system and the printing is done using Cartesian coordinate-based printing and not a radial or polar coordinate printing;

d) the equipment assembly further comprises a powder recovery system for recovering, and optionally recycling, unprinted powder;

e) the equipment assembly further comprises a liquid detector; and

/or f) the equipment assembly further comprises at least one inspection system.

12. A three-dimensional printing equipment assembly comprising:

a) a three-dimensional printing build system comprising;

a conveyor system that conducts plural build modules along a path;

plural build modules engaged with the conveyor system, wherein at least one build modules of the plural build modules receives and temporarily retains powder from a powder layering system; and

at least one build station comprising;

     1) at least one powder layering system that forms incremental powder layers within the plural build modules; and

     2) at least one printing system that applies a liquid according to a predetermined pattern to the incremental powder layers;

wherein the conveyor system comprises plural attachments that removably retain the plural build modules, and the plural attachments comprises one or more links with cam followers or comprises one or more wheels, one or more plates and/or bearings engaged with respective ones of the plural build modules and mounted on a system upon which the plural build modules are conducted, and

the conveyor system repeatedly transports the plural build modules from the at least one powder layering system to the at least one printing system to form a three-dimensionally printed bed comprising one or more three-dimensionally printed articles in the plural build modules; and

the equipment assembly excludes a printing system adapted to apply liquid to the incremental powder layers according to a polar coordinate algorithm.

13. The three-dimensional printing equipment assembly of claim 12, wherein:

the at least one build module comprises an incrementally height adjustable platform, a removable build plate disposed above the height adjustable platform, and one or more sidewalls defining a cavity within which the height adjustable platform and the removable build plate are disposed; and

the at least one printing system comprises at least one liquid feed system and at least one print head.

14. The assembly of claim 13 wherein:

the conveyor comprises positioning-controller and plural build module engagements; and

the at least one powder layering system comprises at least one powder fill head, at least one powder spreader and at least one powder reservoir,

whereby the three-dimensional printing build system forms a three-dimensionally printed bed comprising one or more three-dimensionally printed articles, and optionally loose powder that has not been printed upon;

and the assembly further comprises

at least one harvesting system that separates loose powder from one or more three-dimensionally printed articles in a three-dimensionally printed bed; and

optionally, at least one liquid removal system that removes liquid from one or more incremental powder layers onto which the liquid has been applied and/or from the three-dimensionally printed bed.

15. The assembly of claim 13, wherein:

a) at least one liquid removal system is present;

b) the equipment assembly further comprises at least one packaging system that packages one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

c) the conveyor system repeatedly transports the plural build modules, from the at least one powder layering system to the at least one printing system and the printing is done using Cartesian coordinate-based printing and not a radial or polar coordinate printing;

d) the equipment assembly further comprises a powder recovery system for recovering, and optionally recycling, unprinted powder;

e) the equipment assembly further comprises a liquid detector; and

/or f) the equipment assembly further comprises at least one inspection system.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein:

a) the liquid detector detects the presence of liquid in the one or more printed incremental layers and/or in one or more printed articles;

b) the at least one inspection system is a printed powder inspection system that determines the integrity of printing in the one or more printed incremental layers and/or the one or more printed articles and/or determines whether or not powder was properly applied in the one or more incremental layers;

c) the at least one inspection system is a printed article inspection system that determines whether or not the one or more printed articles have the correct size, shape, weight, appearance, density, content and/or color;

d) the at least one inspection system is a liquid application inspection system that monitors droplets of liquid applied by the print head to powder; and

/or e) the at least one inspection system comprises one or more cameras.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein:

a) determining the integrity of printing comprises at least one of determining whether or not liquid has been correctly applied to the one or more incremental layers according to one or more predetermined patterns and/or determining whether or not liquid has been correctly applied to the one or more incremental layers according to a predetermined amount; and

/or b) the one or more cameras is independently selected at each occurrence from the group consisting of a visible wavelength camera, an UV wavelength camera, a near infrared wavelength camera, an x-ray camera and an infrared wavelength camera.

18. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising a bed transfer system that transfers the removable build plates and the one or more three-dimensionally printed beds, one or more at a time, away from the three-dimensional printing build system, wherein the one or more three-dimensionally printed beds are with or without their corresponding build modules.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein:

a) the bed transfer system that transfers the removable build plates and the one or more three-dimensionally printed beds to the at least one liquid removal systems and/or the at least one harvesting system; and

/or b) the bed transfer system is integrated and/or synchronized with the conveyor system, the at least one liquid removal system or both.

20. The assembly of claim 14 wherein the at least one liquid removal system is present and receives the one or more three-dimensionally printed beds and removes liquid from the one or more incremental powder layers onto which the liquid has been applied and/or from the one or more three-dimensionally printed beds.

21. The assembly of claim 20, wherein:

a) the at least one liquid removal system comprises at least one dryer;

b) the at least one liquid removal system processes two or more of the plural build plates and their contents at a time;

c) the at least one liquid removal system processes two or more of the three-dimensionally printed beds at a time; and

/or d) the at least one liquid removal system processes two or more of the three-dimensionally printed articles at a time.

22. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising a dedusting system that removes loose particles from the three-dimensionally printed articles that have been harvested from the three-dimensionally printed powder bed.

23. The assembly of claim 22, wherein the dedusting system comprises:

a) a housing defining a dedusting region;

b) one or more air jets that direct pressurized air into the dedusting region;

c) one or more surfaces or retainers in the dedusting region for temporarily retaining the one or more the dimensionally printed articles being dedusted; and

d) one or more outlets through which air and removed particles exit the housing or dedusting region.

24. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising a removable build plate loading system that places one or more removable build plates on respective height adjustable platforms of respective plural build modules.

25. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising one or more powder recovery systems that collects powder from the one or more systems of the equipment assembly and returns it to a powder reservoir.

28. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising a control system comprising one or more computerized controllers, one or more computers, and one or more user interfaces for one or more computers.

29. The assembly of claim 28, wherein:

a) one or more components of the equipment assembly are computer controlled;

b) one or more components of the three-dimensional printing build system are computer controlled;

c) the conveyor, the height adjustable platforms of respective plural build modules, the at least one powder layering system and the at least one printing system are computer controlled; and

/or d) the equipment assembly spreads layers of powder and deposits droplets of liquid in one or more predetermined pattern on to the one or more incremental powder layers according to instructions provided by a computerized controller.

30. The assembly of claim 29, wherein:

a) the predetermined pattern is based on one or more two-dimensional image files comprising pixels.

31. The assembly of claim 30, wherein:

a) the two-dimensional image files are structured such that certain pixels indicate dispensing of droplets, and other pixels represent no dispensing of droplets; and

/or b) the two-dimensional image files include different colors of pixels to indicate dispensing of different liquids, or no dispensing of liquid.

32. The assembly of claim 14 further comprising:

a) one or more working surfaces;

b) one or more tables;

c), one or more gantries;

d) one or more enclosures; and

/or e) one or more platforms.

33. The assembly of claim 14, wherein:

a) at least one of the plural build modules comprises a respective incrementally height adjustable platform that receives and temporarily retains at least one of the incremental powder layers or retains plural stacked incremental powder layers;

b) at least one of the plural build modules comprises a body comprising an upper surface with a respective cavity, a respective height adjustable build platform disposed within the cavity, a respective height adjuster engaged with the body and the height adjustable platform, and engagement mechanism;

c) the plural build modules are removably engaged with the conveyor system;

d) the plural build modules comprises respective one or more sidewalls surrounding respective removable build plates and retains powder on the height adjustable platform; and

/or e) at least one of the plural build modules is removably engaged with the conveyor system.

34. The assembly of claim 33, wherein:

a) the height adjustable platforms lowers and/or raises by one or more increments after placement of respective incremental powder layers thereon.

35. The assembly of claim 34, wherein:

a) the lowering or raising can occur prior to or after placement of a subsequent incremental powder layer thereon, thereby press-rolling or removing a portion of powder from an incremental powder layer that has already been laid down;

b) the size of an increment is predetermined;

c) the removable build plate is disposed above the height adjustable platform and receives and supports one or more incremental layers of powder; and

/or d) the removable build plate is flat, porous, perforated, textured, coated, knurled, smooth or a combination thereof.

36. The assembly of claim 14, wherein:

a) the conveyor system conducts the plural build modules along a planar circuitous path, a horizontal circuitous path, a vertical circuitous path, or a combination thereof and/or b) the conveyor system transports plural build modules along a path in a counterclockwise direction or clockwise direction.

37. The assembly of claim 36, wherein:

a) the path of the conveyor system is circular, ellipsoidal, rectangular, semicircular, square, triangular, pentagonal, hexagonal, octagon, oval, polygonal, parallelogram, quadrilateral, geometric, symmetrical, asymmetrical, or equivalents thereof with rounded corners and/or edges; and

/or b) the conveyor system is a continuous or discontinuous loop system.

38. The assembly of claim 36, wherein:

a) the conveyor system comprises plural conveyor systems, at least one drive motor, at least one positioning controller, and a path along which the plural build modules are conducted;

b) the conveyor system comprises plural attachments that removably retain the plural build modules; and

/or c) the modular conveyor system further comprises one or more positioning-controllers.

39. The assembly of claim 38, wherein:

a) the conveyor comprises plural conveyor modules, wherein a conveyor module comprises a respective body, respective one or more build module engagement means, and respective conveyor module engagement mechanism by way of which the plural conveyor modules are engaged to form the modular conveyor; and

/or b) the plural attachment comprises plural one or more links with cam followers or comprises wheels, plates and/or bearings attached to respective build modules and mounted on a rail system upon which the respective build modules are conducted.

40. The assembly of claim 14, wherein:

a) the at least one build station is incrementally height adjustable with respect to the plural build modules, whereby the vertical space between the plural build modules and the at least one build station can be adjusted by one or more increments; and

/or b) the at least one build station is vertically fixed with respect to the plural build modules and respective build platforms within respective build modules are vertically height adjustable with respect to the plural build modules so that the vertical distance between the at least one build station and the plural build module remains the same during a print lap or print cycle.

41. The assembly of claim 40, wherein the incrementally height adjustable build station raises by one or more increments after placement of one or more incremental powder layers on respective ones of the plural build modules.

42. The assembly of claim 41, wherein the raise is achieved by changing vertical position with respect to a prior position of the height adjustable platform or with respect to an absolute position of the height adjustable platform relative to respective ones of the plural build modules.

43. The assembly of claim 14, wherein the at least one powder layering system further comprises at least one powder reservoir and at least one powder feeder tube that transfers powder from the at least one powder reservoir to the at least one powder fill head.

44. The assembly of claim 43, wherein:

a) the at least one powder fill head does not move, either longitudinally or transversely with respect to the plane of the upper surface of a build module, when applying an incremental layer of powder onto the build module;

b) the at least one powder fill head comprises at least one powder fill head body, at least one powder spreader, and at least one powder-height controller; and

/or c) the at least one powder fill head comprises a hopper or chute.

45. The assembly of claim 44, wherein:

a) the at least one powder spreader is a cylindrical roller the axis of which has or defines a radial direction of motion opposite the linear direction of motion of a build module through the at least one powder layering system; and

/or b) the at least one powder spreader is a cylindrical roller, bar, rod, plate or straight smooth edge.

46. The assembly of claim 13, wherein:

a) the at least one printing system deposits liquid to the powder according to a Cartesian coordinate algorithm instead of a polar coordinate algorithm;

b) the at least one printing system comprises at least one print head that deposits liquid onto the incremental powder layer in the at least one build station and at least one liquid feed system; and

/or c) the at least one printing system deposits liquid as a three-dimensional pattern of droplets or as plural two-dimensional patterns of droplets defining one or more articles.

47. The assembly of claim 46, wherein:

a) at least one print head comprises one or more print modules or plural print modules;

b) the pattern comprises droplets placed at equal spacing within one or more articles;

b) the pattern comprises droplets placed at unequal spacing within one or more articles;

c) the pattern comprises droplets with different spacing within different regions of an article;

d) the pattern comprises droplets with higher print density in a region defining the exterior of an article;

e) the pattern comprises droplets with lower print density in a region interior to an article;

f) the system prints more than one pattern;

g) the printing system uses more than one liquid;

h) the predetermined pattern for applying the liquid is the same in each incremental powder layer, is the same in two or more incremental powder layers, is different in one or more incremental powder layers, is different in all incremental powder layers, or is the same for a first group of incremental powder layers and the same for a second group of incremental powder layers but the pattern for the first group is different than the pattern for the second group; and

/or i) both the at least one print head and the at least one powder fill head are stationary during formation of a printed incremental powder layer.

48. The assembly of claim 14, wherein both the at least one print head and the at least one powder fill head are stationary during formation of a printed incremental powder layer.

49. The assembly of claim 14, wherein:

a) the at it one harvesting system processes printed beds already processed by the at least one liquid removal system;

b) the at least one harvesting system comprises loose powder collector and three-dimensionally printed article collector;

c) the at least one harvesting system comprises a vibrating or orbiting surface that receives the three-dimensionally printed powder bed or the three-dimensionally printed articles; and

/or d) the at least one harvesting system comprises a vacuum conveyor with a screen to separate articles from loose powder.

50. The assembly of claim 49, wherein the vibrating surface is perforated, non-perforated, corrugated, smooth or non-smooth and separates loose powder from the three-dimensionally printed articles.

51. The assembly of claim 14 excluding a printing system that applies liquid to the incremental powder layer solely according to a polar coordinate or radial algorithm.

52. The assembly of claim 14, wherein:

a) the assembly excludes an equipment assembly or a method wherein liquid is applied to the powder according to a polar coordinate system;

b) the assembly excludes an equipment assembly or a method wherein the at least one print head moves laterally or transversely or is not stationary, with respect to a build module beneath the at least one print head, while applying liquid to an incremental powder layer; and

/or c) the assembly excludes an equipment assembly or a method wherein the at least one powder fill head moves laterally or transversely or is not stationary, with respect to a build module beneath the at least one powder fill head, while depositing an incremental powder layer.

26. The assembly of 25, wherein the one or more powder recovery systems comprises one or more loose powder collectors and one or more conduits for conducting loose powder from the one or more collectors to a powder reservoir.

27. The assembly of claim 26, where the one or more powder recovery systems further comprises:

a) one or more powder mixers for mixing recovered loose powder with virgin loose powder;

b) one or more pressurized air powder handling systems that facilitate transfer of loose powder from one location to another;

c) one or more vacuum powder handling systems that facilitate transfer of loose powder from one location to another;

d) one or more mechanical powder handling systems that transfer loose powder from one location to another;

and/or e) one or more manual powder handling systems that transfer loose powder from one location to another.

53. A method for the preparation of three-dimensionally printed articles with an equipment assembly, the method comprising:

a) initiating operation of a three-dimensional printing build system comprising;

a conveyor system that conducts plural build modules along a path;

the plural build modules engaged with the conveyor system, wherein the plural build modules receive and temporarily retain powder from at least one powder layering system; and

at least one build station comprising;

     1) the at least one powder layering system that forms incremental powder layers within the plural build modules; and

     2) at least one printing system that applies a liquid according to a predetermined pattern to the incremental powder layers;

b) with the conveyor system, repeatedly transporting the plural build modules from the at least one powder layering system to the at least one printing system to form a three-dimensionally printed bed comprising one or more three-dimensionally printed articles in the plural build modules.