System and method for enabling fused deposition metal 3D printing
AssigneeRobotic Research OpCo, LLC
InventorsAlberto Daniel Lacaze, Karl Nicholas Murphy
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A metal fused deposition printer can use the thixotropic properties of a metal (e.g., alloy) to control the viscosity of the material being deposited. The viscosity of the metal can be controlled by shearing the metal before, during, or after the deposition process. Use of the thixotropic properties can allow the viscosity of the metal to be controlled independent of the temperature of the metal. This can allow for more precise control of the temperature differential between the layer being deposited and the substrate layer, for example, such that the temperatures are substantially the same.
Claims18
A method comprising:
- forming, via a liquefier, a metal into a slurry, the liquefier comprising a heating element and a shearing device, the forming comprising controlling the heating element and the shearing device to cause the metal to have a first temperature and to achieve a viscosity within a thixotropic range of the metal;
- and
- depositing, via an extrusion nozzle in communication with the liquefier, the formed slurry onto a substrate, the substrate being at a second temperature during the depositing,
- wherein the first temperature is substantially the same as the second temperature.
A method comprising:
- forming, via a liquefier, a metal into a slurry, the liquefier comprising a heating element and a shearing device, the forming comprising controlling the heating element and the shearing device to cause the metal to have a first temperature and to achieve a viscosity within a thixotropic range of the metal;
- and
- depositing, via an extrusion nozzle in communication with the liquefier, the formed slurry onto a substrate, the substrate being at a second temperature during the depositing,
- wherein the first temperature is substantially the same as the second temperature,
- the controlling the shearing device causes the metal to achieve the viscosity within the thixotropic range before the slurry is deposited from the extrusion nozzle, and
- the controlling the shearing device to achieve the viscosity within the thixotropic range comprises shaking the metal within the liquefier.
A method comprising:
- forming, via a liquefier, a metal into a slurry, the liquefier comprising a heating element and a shearing device, the forming comprising controlling the heating element and the shearing device to cause the metal to have a first temperature and to achieve a viscosity within a thixotropic range of the metal;
- depositing, via an extrusion nozzle in communication with the liquefier, the formed slurry onto a substrate, the substrate being at a second temperature during the depositing;
- and
- shaking a part formed on the substrate by the slurry deposited from the extrusion nozzle, so as to control a viscosity of said part,
- wherein the first temperature is substantially the same as the second temperature.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.