US 10,471,652 B2Granted

Systems and methods for additive manufacturing processes that strategically buildup objects

AssigneeCalifornia Institute of Technology

InventorsDouglas C. Hofmann, John Paul C. Borgonia

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Abstract

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement additive manufacturing techniques that employ different sets of deposition characteristics and/or material formation characteristics during the additive manufacture of an object so as to strategically build up the object. In many embodiments, material used to build up an object is deposited at different deposition rates during the additive manufacture of the object, and the object is thereby strategically built up. In one embodiment, a method of additively manufacturing an object includes: depositing material onto a surface at a first deposition rate so as to define a first region of the object to be additively manufactured; and depositing material onto a surface at a second deposition rate so as to define a second region of the object to be additively manufactured; where the second deposition rate is different from the first deposition rate.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:

a manufacturing controller configured to obtain a 3-dimensional model of an object and to map the model of the object by dividing the object into one or more boundary regions, wherein the perimeter of each boundary region is defined by a three-dimensional boundary surface enclosing a contiguous volume region that is to exist within the object to be manufactured, wherein the one or more boundary regions reproduce the entirety of the object;
a first additive manufacturing element configured to define the boundary surface of at least a first boundary region of the object by depositing material onto a surface through a point deposition process at a first deposition rate;
and
a second additive manufacturing element configured to fill the associated volume of the at least first boundary region of the object by depositing material within the volume region of the at least first boundary region through one of either a surface deposition element or volume deposition element at a second deposition rate;
wherein the second deposition rate is faster than the first deposition rate.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/139,959Filed 24 Sep 2018 · division
Priority: 15 Jul 2013
Published: US 2019/0022923 A124 Jan 2019
Granted: 12 Nov 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

B29C 64/106
Processes of additive manufacturing: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
B22D 23/003
Casting processes not provided for in groups B22D1/00 - B22D21/00: moulding by spraying metal on a surface
B29C 64/112
Using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material: using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
B29C 64/393
Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Family

Application61/846,501Us provisional application · filed 15 Jul 2013
Application14/332,187Parent of this division · filed 15 Jul 2014
US 2019/0022923 A1Pre-grant publication · published 24 Jan 2019
US 10,081,136 B2Parent of this division
US 2015/0014885 A1Published application
US 10,471,652 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.