# US 10,245,784 B2 · Method and system for reuse of materials in additive manufacturing systems

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- Number: US 10,245,784 B2
- Document ID: US10245784B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/632,593
- Filed: 2017-06-26
- Published: 2017-11-09
- Granted: 2019-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2010-12-21
- Assignees: Stratasys, Inc.
- Applicants: Stratasys Ltd.
- Inventors: Avraham Teken; Boris Belocon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10245784B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/357: Recycling
- B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
- B29C 64/112: using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
- B29C 64/188: involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control (surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00)
- B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00)
- B33Y: 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

## Abstract

A printing system for forming three-dimensional objects, layer by layer is provided. The system includes inkjet printing heads, each printing head adapted to dispense one of a modeling material, a support material or a reusable waste material that comprises one or more materials that were previously discharged from at least one of the inkjet printing heads; a modeling material container; a support material container; a reusable waste material container and a leveling unit that removes surplus material from previously deposited layers, the surplus material being provided to the reusable waste container via a tube.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A printing system for forming three-dimensional objects, layer by layer, the system comprising:
a first inkjet printing head to dispense modeling material from a modeling material container;
a second inkjet printing head to dispense support material from a support material container;
a reusable waste material container;
a third inkjet printing head communicating with the reusable waste material container to dispense reusable material conveyed from the reusable waste material container, wherein said reusable material comprises materials previously discharged from at least one of the first and second inkjet printing heads; and
a leveling unit that removes surplus material from previously deposited layers of dispensed material, a bath wherein the surplus material is collected, a filter retaining solid particles through which liquid reusable waste material passes, and a tube conveying the reusable waste material to the reusable waste material container.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The printing system of claim 1, further comprising:
a purge unit for purging inkjet printing heads and collecting purge material during maintenance; and
a second tube that delivers the material from said purge unit to the reusable waste material container.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The printing system of claim 2, comprising:
a filter located between the purge unit and the reusable waste material container.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The printing system of claim 1, wherein:
a filter is coupled to the leveling unit, and wherein surplus material collected by the leveling unit is provided to the reusable waste material container via the filter.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The printing system of claim 1, wherein comprising:
a filter is located between the reusable waste material container and the inkjet printing heads.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The printing system of claim 1, wherein the leveling unit comprises a roller.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The printing system of claim 1, comprising a curing unit.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The printing system of claim 7, wherein the curing unit comprises a radiation light source.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The printing system of claim 1, further comprising:
a controller to control the formation of the three dimensional object by dispensing modeling material, support material and reusable waste material in layers from different inkjet printing heads.