# US 12,005,501 B2 · Additive manufacturing process for forming a metal part using ceramic support and bodies formed thereby

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- Number: US 12,005,501 B2
- Document ID: US12005501B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/147,987
- Filed: 2022-12-29
- Published: 2024-01-11
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2022-07-06
- Assignees: Markforged, Inc.
- Applicants: Markforged, Inc
- Inventors: Maxim Seleznev; Joseph Roy-Mayhew
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005501B2

## CPC

- B22F 10/38: to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures
- B22F 1/10: Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material
- B22F 5/106: {Tube or ring forms}
- B22F 10/10: Formation of a green body
- B22F 10/18: by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF]
- B22F 10/34: of powder characteristics, e.g. density, oxidation or flowability
- B22F 10/64: by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364)
- B22F 10/85: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B28B 1/001: {Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00)}
- B28B 7/346: {Manufacture of moulds}
- B32B 15/04: comprising metal as the main or only constituent of a layer, {which is} next to another layer of {the same or of} a {different material (next to a bituminous or tarry layer B32B11/08; next to a water-setting substance layer B32B13/06; next to a glass layer B32B17/061; next to a cellulosic plastic layer B32B23/042)}
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- C04B 35/04: based on magnesium oxide
- C04B 35/10: based on aluminium oxide
- C04B 35/185: Mullite {3Al2O3-2SiO2}
- C04B 35/48: based on zirconium or hafnium oxides, zirconates, {zircon} or hafnates
- C04B 35/505: based on yttrium oxide
- C04B 35/563: based on boron carbide
- C04B 35/565: based on silicon carbide
- C04B 35/581: based on aluminium nitride
- C04B 35/584: based on silicon nitride
- C04B 35/622: Forming processes; Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products
- B22F 7/06: of composite workpieces or articles from parts, e.g. to form tipped tools {(B22F7/002 takes precedence)}
- B22F 10/43: characterised by material
- B22F 10/47: characterised by structural features
- B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
- B33Y 70/10: Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials
- C04B 2235/5436: micrometer sized, i.e. from 1 to 100 micron
- C04B 2235/5445: submicron sized, i.e. from 0,1 to 1 micron
- C04B 2235/6026: Computer aided shaping, e.g. rapid prototyping
- C04B 2235/9607: Thermal properties, e.g. thermal expansion coefficient
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER
- B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B)
- B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM
- 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
- C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing a part formed of metal, a method of determining a ceramic support structure for the metal part, and an un-sintered metal part including the ceramic support. The method of manufacturing the part includes forming a metal part and forming a ceramic support by depositing a ceramic composite material in a pattern to form ceramic print layers. The ceramic support supports a supportable portion of the metal part. The method of determining the ceramic support structure for the metal part includes determining, (i) a composition of a ceramic filament used to produce the ceramic support or (ii) a geometry of an infill of the ceramic support such that the ceramic support has a strength sufficient to support the supportable portion prior to sintering and is deformable to allow the supportable portion to undergo geometric changes during sintering.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a metal part, comprising:
depositing a metal composite material in a pattern to form layers of the metal part, the metal composite material including sinterable metal particles, the metal part including a supportable portion; and
depositing a ceramic composite material to form a ceramic support for the metal part, the ceramic support being deposited in a position to support the supportable portion and be in contact with the supportable portion, the ceramic composite material having a strength to support the supportable portion prior to sintering and being deposited in a geometry that is deformable by the supportable portion to allow the supportable portion to undergo geometric changes during sintering.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic support is deformable during sintering by a portion of the ceramic support exceeding its failure strain.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic composite material is deposited in a pattern to form infill supports for the ceramic support.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the infill supports are deposited in a pattern that is one of a triangular geometry, an orthogonal geometry, an accordion geometry, or a gyroid geometry.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic composite material includes ceramic particles having an average particle size from 0.1 μm to 100 μm.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the ceramic composite material includes ceramic particles having an average particle size from 0.1 μm to 25 μm.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the ceramic composite material includes ceramic particles having an average particle size from 0.1 μm to 10 μm.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising sintering the metal part with the ceramic support supporting the supportable portion, wherein the sintering temperature is from 1000° C. to 1400° C.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic composite material includes ceramic particles, the ceramic particles comprising alumina, magnesia, zirconia, yittria, silicon carbide, mullite, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, boron carbide, or combinations thereof.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic composite material includes ceramic particles and a binder.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the ceramic particles are from 40% to 70% by volume of the ceramic composite material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the ceramic particles are from 55% to 65% by volume of the ceramic composite material.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the ceramic particles are from 58% to 62% by volume of the ceramic composite material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the metal composite material includes metal particles and a binder.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the binder of the metal composite material and the binder of the ceramic composite material each include a primary component, the primary component of the binder of the metal composite material being the same as the primary component of the binder of the ceramic composite material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, further comprising exposing the metal part with the ceramic support supporting the supportable portion to a thermal process, wherein each of the metal composite material and the ceramic composite material has a coefficient of thermal expansion when exposed to the thermal process, the coefficient of thermal expansion of the ceramic composite material being within 50% of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal composite material.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the ceramic composite material being within 25% of the coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal composite material.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the thermal process is thermal debinding.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising sintering the metal part with the ceramic support supporting the supportable portion, the thermal debinding being performed as part of sintering the metal part.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the ceramic support comprises a plurality of layers.