A flexible 3D printing feedstock material is disclosed. The flexible 3D printing feedstock material includes 45-80 vol% of a powder having at least one of a metal powder and a ceramic powder, 0-5 vol% of a compatibilizer, 10-35 vol% of a soluble flexibilizer, and 5-35 vol% of a non- soluble binder component. Methods of forming the flexible 3D printing feedstock material by melt mixing the components are disclosed. Methods of producing a 3D printed part by operating a fused deposition modeling 3D printer loaded with a filament formed of the 3D printing feedstock material are also disclosed.
According to one aspect, embodiments of the invention provide a method of 3D printing, comprising depositing a model material in successive layers to form a part, the model material being a metal composite including greater than 50% by volume metal powder and less than 50% by volume a first removable binder, depositing the model material in successive layers to form a support structure adjacent the part, depositing a sinterable separation material between a surface of the part and a surface of the support structure, the sinterable separation material formed from 10-40% by volume ceramic powder and greater than 50% by volume a second removable binder, debinding the first removable binder of the model material and the second removable binder of the sinterable separation material, and sintering the part, the support structure, and the sinterable separation material at a temperature profile that sinters the model material and the sinterable separation material.
B22F 3/115 - Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the manner of compacting or sintering; Apparatus specially adapted therefor by spraying molten metal, i.e. spray sintering, spray casting
According to various aspects and embodiments described herein, a method for optimizing a three-dimensional (3D) printing process comprises receiving 3D data characterizing a target 3D part, generating a 3D part mesh based on the received 3D data, generating a Signed Distance Field (SDF) based on the 3D part mesh, performing a predictive analysis using the SDF to generate a predicted error field, calculating a correction field based on the predicted error field, applying the correction field to the 3D part mesh to produce a corrected 3D part mesh, creating a corrected 3D print profile using the corrected 3D part mesh, outputting the corrected 3D print profile to a 3D printing device, and printing a corrected 3D part using the 3D printing device and the corrected 3D print profile.
According to one aspect, embodiments herein provide a furnace for debinding and sintering additively manufactured parts comprising a unitarily formed retort having at least one open side, a heater for heating a sintering volume within the retort to a debinding temperature and to a sintering temperature, an end cap sealing the at least one open side, a forming gas line penetrating the end cap for supplying forming gas at a flowrate, and a heat exchanger within the retort, outside the sintering volume, and adjacent a heated wall of the retort, the heat exchanger having an inlet connected to the forming gas line and an outlet to the sintering volume, wherein the heat exchanger includes a heat exchange tube length sufficient to heat the forming gas to within 20 degrees Celsius of the sintering temperature before the forming gas exits the outlet.
B22F 3/00 - Manufacture of workpieces or articles from metallic powder characterised by the manner of compacting or sintering; Apparatus specially adapted therefor
B33Y 30/00 - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Details thereof or accessories therefor
For 3D printing green parts to be debound and sintered, a binder may be jetted into successive layers of sinterable powder feedstock to build up a 3D shape of a desired 3D green part, associated sintering supports, and an associated shrinking platform. A release material may be deposited to intervene between the 3D green parts and the sintering supports. A placeholder material may be deposited upon bound powder to form 2D layer shapes of placeholder material, and the sinterable powder feedstock refilled and leveled about the placeholder material. Upon debinding, internal cavities corresponding to the 3D shapes of the placeholder material are formed.
B29C 64/165 - Processes of additive manufacturing using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
B33Y 70/00 - Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
Successive layers of a wall of a part are deposited to form a first access channel extending from an exterior of the part to an interior of the part, as well as to form a distribution channel connecting an interior volume of the honeycomb infill to the first access channel. A binder matrix retaining sinterable powder is debound by flowing a debinding fluid through the first access channel and the distribution channel within the interior volume of the honeycomb infill.
B29C 64/20 - Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering - Details thereof or accessories therefor
B33Y 30/00 - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Details thereof or accessories therefor
B33Y 40/00 - Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
7.
SINTERING ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED PARTS IN MICROWAVE OVEN
A method comprising supplying a first material containing a removable binder and greater than 50% volume fraction of a powdered metal having a melting point greater than 1200 degrees C, in which more than 50% of powder particles of the powdered metal have a diameter less than 10 microns, additively depositing the first material in successive layers to form a green body, removing the binder to form a brown body, loading the brown part into a fused tube formed from a second material having an operating temperature less than substantially 1200 degrees C, a thermal expansion coefficient lower than lxlO-6/°C, and a microwave field penetration depth of 10 m or higher, sealing the fused tube and replacing internal air with a sintering atmosphere, applying microwave energy from outside the sealed fused tube to the brown part, and sintering the brown part at a temperature lower than 1200 degrees C.
A method comprising supplying a first brown part and a second brown part, each of the first and second brown parts formed from a material in which more than 50 percent of powder particles of a second powdered metal have a diameter less than 10 microns, in a first mode, loading the first brown part into a fused tube, and ramping a temperature inside the fused tube at greater than 10 degrees C per minute but less than 40 degrees C per minute to a first sintering temperature from 500-700 degrees C, and in a second mode, loading the second brown part into the fused tube, and ramping the temperature inside the fused tube at greater than 10 degrees C per minute but less than 40 degrees C per minute to a second sintering tempering temperature from 1000-1200 degrees C.
B22F 3/105 - Sintering only by using electric current, laser radiation or plasma
B33Y 30/00 - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Details thereof or accessories therefor
9.
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING WITH HEAT-FLEXED MATERIAL FEEDING
In additive manufacturing, composite build material filament and release material filament (each a composite of metal/ceramic powder plus binder) are dropped from respective spools to a print head. On the spools and over the drop height, the filaments are heated to a temperature that flexes the filaments but does not soften them to a breaking point, e.g., heated but below a glass transition temperature of a softener (for example, wax) of the binder. The drop height is of similar linear scale to the build plate. The materials are debound and sintered.
To build a part with a deposition-based additive manufacturing system with a binder matrix and a sinterable powder, walls of a part, sintering supports, or interconnecting platform are formed with access, distribution or routing channels therein to permit debinding fluid to pass through and/or enter the interior of the same.
B33Y 30/00 - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Details thereof or accessories therefor
11.
SINTERING ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED PARTS WITH A DENSIFICATION LINKING PLATFORM
To reduce distortion in an additively manufactured part, a densification linking platform and/or supports of the same composite as the desired part may be printed below the part. After debinding, a resulting shape-retaining brown part assembly is sintered to densify together at a same rate as neighboring metal particles throughout the shape- retaining brown part assembly undergo atomic diffusion. Distortion is reduced by interconnecting portions of the shape-retaining brown part assembly, printing release layers among the portions, depositing adjacent roads of the assembly in retrograde directions, and/or providing channels to accelerate a debinding process.
B29C 64/165 - Processes of additive manufacturing using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
B29C 64/40 - Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
To reduce distortion in an additively manufactured part, a shrinking platform is formed from a metal particulate filler in a debindable matrix. Shrinking supports of the same material are formed above the shrinking platform, and a desired part of the same material is formed upon them. A sliding release layer is provided below the shrinking platform of equal or larger surface area than a bottom of the shrinking platform to lateral resistance between the shrinking platform and an underlying surface. The matrix is debound sufficient to form a shape-retaining brown part assembly including the shrinking platform, shrinking supports, and the desired part. The shape-retaining brown part assembly is heated to shrink all of the components together at a same rate via atomic diffusion.
B33Y 30/00 - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Details thereof or accessories therefor
B33Y 40/00 - Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
13.
STRESS RELAXATION IN ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURED PARTS
To build a part with a deposition-based additive manufacturing system using a polymer-based binder of a composite feedstock, a first tool path of a perimeter contour segment and a second tool path that is parallel and adjacent are deposited in retrograde directions to produce stress-offsetting adjacent paths, where directions of residual stress within the polymer-based binder of the composite are opposite in the stress-offsetting adjacent path.
A reinforced molding is formed having an internal continuous fiber reinforcement preform embedded therein. Continuous reinforcing fiber is deposited in a reinforcement volume to form a continuous fiber reinforcement preform, and the reinforcement preform is then located within a mold of a molding apparatus. The mold is loaded with flowable and substantially isotropic molding material, e.g., by injection with heated and/or pressurized resin. The molding material is hardened (by curing or cooling or the like) to overmold the continuous fiber reinforcement preform. The resulting reinforced molding surrounds the internal continuous fiber reinforcement preform with a hardened substantially isotropic molding material.
Combined continuous/random fiber reinforced composite filament including a plurality of axial fiber strands extending substantially continuously within a matrix material of the fiber reinforced composite filament as well as a multiplicity of short chopped fiber rods extending at least in part randomly within the same matrix material is 3D printed via a deposition head including a conduit continuously transitioning to a substantially rounded outlet tipped with an ironing lip, which is driven to flatten the fiber reinforced composite filament against previously deposited portions of the part, as the matrix material and included therein a first proportion of the short chopped fiber rods are is flowed interstitially among the axial fiber strands spread by the ironing lip. A second proportion of the short chopped fiber rods is forced against previously deposited portions of the part.
B33Y 30/00 - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Details thereof or accessories therefor
B33Y 40/00 - Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
16.
MULTILAYER FIBER REINFORCEMENT DESIGN FOR 3D PRINTING
A three-dimensional geometry is received, and sliced into layers. A first anisotropic fill tool path for controlling a three dimensional printer to deposit a substantially anisotropic fill material is generated defining at least part of an interior of a first layer. A second anisotropic fill tool path for controlling a three dimensional printer to deposit the substantially anisotropic fill material defines at least part of an interior of a second layer. A generated isotropic fill material tool path defines at least part of a perimeter and at least part of an interior of a third layer intervening between the first and second layers.
B29C 67/00 - Shaping techniques not covered by groups , or
B33Y 30/00 - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Details thereof or accessories therefor
B33Y 50/02 - Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
17.
COMPOSITE FILAMENT 3D PRINTING USING COMPLEMENTARY REINFORCEMENT FORMATIONS
In a method for additive manufacturing, a multi- strand core reinforced filament including a flowable matrix material and substantially continuous reinforcing strands extending in a direction parallel to a length of the filament is supplied. A first consolidated composite swath of a height less than ½ the width of the filament is deposited in a first reinforcement formation including at least one straight path and at least one curved path against a deposition surface, and a second consolidated composite swath of a height less than ½ the width of the filament is deposited in a second reinforcement formation against the first consolidated composite swath. Each deposition flows the matrix material and applies an ironing force to spread the reinforcing strands within the filament against the underlying surface and/or previously deposited swath.
Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi- continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to applying the filament from the conduit nozzle.
B29C 67/00 - Shaping techniques not covered by groups , or
B33Y 30/00 - ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - Details thereof or accessories therefor
B33Y 50/02 - Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
A three dimensional printer incorporates a kinematic coupling between the build platform and movable stage which holds the build platform, of three curved protrusions attached to one of the build platform or the movable stage and six locating features formed in receivers of the other. At least two flexures differentially change a Z position of each of two of the curved protrusions. 3D printing is paused at a preset level of completion, and the build platform may be removed for external operations. A print resume circuit resumes printing of additional printed layers at the previous position in response to a return detection circuit that responds to an input (e.g., a touch screen confirmation).
A three-dimensional geometry is received, and sliced into layers. A first anisotropic fill tool path for controlling a three dimensional printer to deposit a substantially anisotropic fill material is generated defining at least part of an interior of a first layer. A second anisotropic fill tool path for controlling a three dimensional printer to deposit the substantially anisotropic fill material defines at least part of an interior of a second layer. A generated isotropic fill material tool path defines at least part of a perimeter and at least part of an interior of a third layer intervening between the first and second layers.
Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to applying the filament from the conduit nozzle.
Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an extrusion nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to extruding the filament from the extrusion nozzle.
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