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US 10,589,352 B2Granted
Molten metal jetting for additive manufacturing
AssigneeMarkforged, Inc.
InventorGregory Thomas Mark
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In molten metal jetting, where droplets of metal are jetted to 3D print a part, each layer may be traversed each successive layer with a normalizing grinding wheel or other leveling device such as a layer to level each successive layer, and/or the melt reservoir or printing chamber may be filled with an anoxic gas mix to prevent oxidation.
Claims34
A three-dimensional printer for additive manufacturing, comprising:
- a material feed path configured to receive a wire of metal material;
- a print head housing a nozzle and a melt reservoir, the melt reservoir in fluid communication with the nozzle and configured to receive the wire of metal material and melt the metal material to molten metal;
- a build plate opposing the print head;
- a plurality of actuators configured to move the print head relative to the opposing build plate in at least three degrees of freedom;
- a kinetic driver configured to maintain pressure in the melt reservoir at a predetermined pressure insufficient to eject droplets and to generate a pressure oscillation in the melt reservoir to force jetting of the molten metal through the nozzle and forming of molten metal droplets by surface tension at the nozzle;
- a normalizing grinding wheel connected to the print head;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the kinetic driver, the print head, the build plate, and the plurality of actuators, the controller configured to:
- operate the print head and the kinetic driver to form successive layers of solidified metal by accumulation of the molten metal droplets impacting a previously deposited layer of solidified metal and cooling thereon, and
- drive at least one of the print head and the build plate to move such that the normalizing grinding wheel traverses each successive layer to level each successive layer.
7 more elements
A three-dimensional printer for additive manufacturing, comprising:
- a material feed path configured to receive a wire of metal material;
- a print head housing a nozzle and a melt reservoir, the melt reservoir in fluid communication with the nozzle and configured to receive the wire of metal material and melt the metal material to molten metal;
- a chamber including a build plate opposing the print head;
- a plurality of actuators configured to move the print head relative to the opposing build plate in at least three degrees of freedom;
- a kinetic driver configured to maintain pressure in the melt reservoir at a predetermined pressure insufficient to eject droplets and generate a pressure oscillation in the melt reservoir to force jetting of the molten metal through the nozzle and forming molten metal droplets by surface tension at the nozzle;
- a controller operatively connected to the kinetic driver, the print head, the build plate, and the plurality of actuators, the controller configured to operate the print head and the kinetic driver to form, in the chamber, a part with successive layers of solidified metal by accumulation of the molten metal droplets impacting a previously deposited layer of solidified metal and cooling thereon;
- and
- an optical inspection system configured to inspect the successive layers of solidified metal, wherein the controller is further configured to operate the kinetic driver to adjust the pressure oscillation in the melt reservoir based on the inspection of the optical inspection system.
5 more elements
A three-dimensional printer for additive manufacturing, comprising:
- a material feed path configured to receive a wire of metal material;
- a print head housing a nozzle and a melt reservoir, the melt reservoir in fluid communication with the nozzle and configured to receive the wire of metal material and melt the metal material to molten metal;
- a build plate opposing the print head;
- a plurality of actuators configured to move the print head relative to the opposing build plate in at least three degrees of freedom;
- a kinetic driver configured to maintain pressure in the melt reservoir at a predetermined pressure insufficient to eject droplets and generate a pressure oscillation in the melt reservoir to force jetting of the molten metal through the nozzle and forming molten metal droplets by surface tension at the nozzle;
- a leveling system connected to the print head;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the kinetic driver, the print head, the build plate, and the plurality of actuators, the controller configured to:
- operate the print head and the kinetic driver to form successive layers of solidified metal by accumulation of the molten metal droplets impacting a previously deposited layer of solidified metal and cooling thereon, and
- drive at least one of the print head and the build plate to move such that the leveling system traverses each successive layer to level each successive layer.
7 more elements
A three-dimensional printer for additive manufacturing, comprising:
- a material feed path configured to receive a wire of metal material;
- a print head housing a nozzle and a melt reservoir, the melt reservoir in fluid communication with the nozzle and configured to receive the wire of metal material and melt the metal material to molten metal;
- a build plate opposing the print head;
- a chamber including a build plate opposing the print head;
- a plurality of actuators configured to move the print head relative to the opposing build plate in at least three degrees of freedom;
- a kinetic driver configured to maintain pressure in the melt reservoir at a predetermined pressure insufficient to eject droplets and to generate a pressure oscillation in the melt reservoir to force jetting of the molten metal through the nozzle and forming molten metal droplets by surface tension at the nozzle;
- a controller operatively connected to the kinetic driver and the print head, the controller configured to operate the print head and the kinetic driver to form, in the chamber, a part with successive layers of solidified metal by accumulation of the molten metal droplets impacting a previously deposited layer of solidified metal and cooling thereon;
- and
- a feedback control system configured to monitor behavior of the molten metal in the melt reservoir,
- wherein the controller is further configured to operate the kinetic driver to adjust the pressure oscillation in the melt reservoir based on the behavior of the molten metal in the melt reservoir monitored by the feedback control system.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.