Three-dimensional printing system and equipment assembly

• US 9,908,293 B2
• Filed: 02/02/2017
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• 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:
  US15/422,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20170151723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 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 circuitous conveyor system that conducts plural build modules along a circuit;

the plural build modules engaged with the circuitous conveyor system, wherein the plural build modules comprise respective height adjustable platforms and respective removable build plates disposed above the respective height adjustable platforms;

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

a bed transfer system that transfers the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles and the respective removable build plates away from the circuitous conveyor and the plural build modules.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the plural build modules further comprise respective one or more sidewalls defining a cavity within which the respective height adjustable platforms and the respective removable build plates are disposed.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

the circuitous conveyor system repeatedly transports the plural build modules through the at least one build station.

5. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one harvesting system that harvests the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

or

at least one liquid removal system that removes liquid from the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles.

6. The assembly of claim 5, 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 removable build plates and their contents at a time; and

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

7. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

a) the equipment assembly further comprises at least one packaging system adapted to package one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

b) the equipment assembly further comprises a liquid detector for detecting liquid in the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles; and

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

8. The assembly of claim 7, wherein:

a) the at least one inspection system determines the integrity of printing in the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles;

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

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

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein 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.

10. The assembly of claim 1, wherein a) the bed transfer system transfers the one or more three-dimensionally printed beds to one or more liquid removal systems and/or one or more harvesting systems;

and/or b) the bed transfer system is integrated and/or synchronized with the circuitous conveyor system.

11. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a dedusting system adapted to remove loose particles from the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles.

12. The assembly of claim 11, 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 one or more three-dimensionally printed articles being dedusted; and

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

13. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising a build plate loading system adapted to place the respective removable build plates on the respective height adjustable platforms.

14. The assembly of claim 1 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.

15. The assembly of claim 14, wherein:

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

b) one or more components of the at least one build station are computer controlled;

c) the circuitous conveyor system and the height adjustable platforms are computer controlled; and

/or d) the equipment assembly forms the three-dimensionally printed articles according to instructions provided by a computerized controller.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the instructions include one or more predetermined patterns based on one or more two-dimensional image files.

17. The assembly of claim 1 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.

18. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plural build modules are removably engaged with the circuitous conveyor system.

19. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

a) the respective height adjustable platforms lower and/or raise by one or more increments during formation of the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed articles.

20. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the removable build plate is flat, porous, perforated, textured, coated, knurled, smooth or a combination thereof.

21. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

a) the circuitous 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 circuitous conveyor system conducts the plural build modules in a counterclockwise direction or clockwise direction.

22. The assembly of claim 21, wherein:

a) the path of the circuitous 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 circuitous conveyor system is a continuous or discontinuous loop system.

23. The assembly of claim 1, wherein:

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

b) the circuitous conveyor system comprises plural attachments adapted to removably retain the plural build modules; and

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

24. The assembly of claim 23, wherein:

a) the plural conveyor modules comprise respective bodies, respective one or more build module engagement means, and respective conveyor module engagement mechanisms by way of which plural conveyor modules engage to form a modular conveyor; and

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

25. The assembly of claim 1, 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.

26. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising one or more powder recovery systems that collects powder from one or more systems of the equipment assembly and return it to a powder reservoir.

27. The assembly of claim 26, wherein the one or more powder recovery system 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.

28. The assembly of claim 27, wherein the one or more powder recovery system 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.

29. A method for the preparation of three-dimensionally printed articles with a three-dimensional printing equipment assembly according to claim 1, the method comprising:

with the circuitous conveyor system, conducting the plural build modules through the at least one build station to form the respective one or more three-dimensionally printed on the respective removable build plates; and

with the bed transfer system, transferring the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles and the respective removable build plates away from the circuitous conveyor.

2. A three-dimensional printing equipment assembly comprising:

a circuitous conveyor system that conducts the plural build modules along a circuit;

plural the build modules engaged with the circuitous conveyor system, wherein the plural build modules comprise respective height adjustable platforms and respective removable build plates disposed above the respective height adjustable platforms;

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

at least one liquid removal system that removes liquid from the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles; and

a bed transfer system that transfers the one or more three-dimensionally printed articles and the respective removable build plates away from the circuitous conveyor and the plural build modules.