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US 12,654,228 B2Granted
High energy 3-D printer employing continuous print path
AssigneeWisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
InventorsBrandon Joseph Walker, Thomas Rockwell Mackie, Nathan Donald Schumacher
Life of this patent
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Abstract
High-throughput printing, possible with multiple electron beams, is facilitated by a continuous powder bed preparation process operating in parallel to apply and pre-sinter the powder along a continuous helical path. The sintered powder may be self-supporting to allow unconstrained expansion in the radial direction when high energy is used for powder fusion.
Claims9
A three-dimension printer comprising:
- a print bed for supporting an object to be printed;
- a powder dispenser movable along a path for applying layers of powder over the print bed;
- a first energy source movable along the path behind the powder dispenser to produce a sintered powder layer;
- a traveling form providing two walls opposed across an axis receiving therebetween powder from the powder dispenser and retaining the powder therebetween during sintering;
- and
- a second energy source positionable to selectively liquefy selected portions of the sintered powder to produce a printed part;
- wherein the traveling form is adapted to move along the path away from the sintered powder layer after sintering so that the sintered powder layer is substantially unconstrained at its limits on either side of the path during the liquefying process.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.