US 10,046,552 B2 · Method and apparatus for automated composite-based additive manufacturing

Abstract

An apparatus and method for the automated manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) composite-based objects is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a material feeder, a printer, a powder system, a transfer system, and optionally a fuser. The method comprises inserting a stack of substrate sheets into a material feeder, transferring a sheet of the stack from the material feeder to a printer, depositing fluid on the single sheet while the sheet rests on a printer platen, transferring the sheet from the printer to a powder system, depositing powder onto the single sheet such that the powder adheres to the areas of the sheet onto which the printer has deposited fluid, removing any powder that did not adhere to the sheet, optionally melting the powder on the substrate, and repeating the steps for as many additional sheets as required for making a specified 3D object.

Claims36

Dependent claims

An apparatus for the automated preparation of areas on

substrate layers that correspond to cross sections of a three-dimensional (3D) object manufactured by additive manufacturing of composite-based objects, comprising:
a material feeder capable of holding a plurality of substrate sheets;
a printer for depositing fluid onto at least one substrate sheet from the plurality of substrate sheets;
a powder system having a powder applicator and a powder remover, wherein the powder applicator deposits powder onto the at least one substrate sheet;
and
a transfer system for transferring the at least one substrate sheet from the material feeder to the printer, and from the printer to the powder system;
whereby the powder adheres to the areas of the at least one substrate sheet onto which the printer has deposited fluid, and the powder remover removes powder that did not adhere to the at least one substrate sheet.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

15/611,320Filed 1 Jun 2017 · continuation

Priority

12 Feb 2016

Published

US 2017/0274595 A128 Sep 2017

Granted

14 Aug 2018

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification20 codes

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,…
B29B 15/105
Coating or impregnating independently of the moulding or shaping step: of reinforcement of definite length with a matrix in solid form, e.g.…
B29C 31/085
Of preforms to be moulded, e.g. tablets, fibre reinforced preforms, extruded ribbons, tubes or profiles; Manipulating means specially adapted…
B29C 64/147
Using only solid materials: using sheet material, e.g. laminated object manufacturing [LOM] or laminating sheet material precut to local cross…

Method and apparatus for automated composite-based additive manufacturing

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for automated composite-based additive manufacturing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims36