Polymer additive layer manufacturing
AssigneeEads UK Limited
InventorJonathan Meyer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An additive layer manufacturing method for producing a shaped article, comprising providing a powdered thermoplastic polymer material (7, 8) having a re-solidification temperature at most 10% below its melting temperature on the Celsius scale, depositing successive layers of the powdered polymer material (7, 8) and selectively sintering each layer prior to deposition of the subsequent layer so as to form the article, wherein during its production the article is maintained at a temperature above the glass transition temperature and significantly below the re-solidification temperature of the polymer.
Claims19
An additive layer manufacturing (ALM) method for producing a shaped article, comprising providing a powdered thermoplastic polymer material having a re-solidification temperature at most 10% below its melting temperature on the Celsius scale, depositing successive layers of the powdered polymer material and selectively sintering each layer prior to deposition of the subsequent layer so as to form the article, wherein during its production the article is maintained at a temperature above the glass transition temperature and significantly below the re-solidification temperature of the polymer.
An additive layer manufacturing (ALM) method for producing a shaped article, comprising providing a powdered thermoplastic polymer material having a re-solidification temperature not significantly below its melting temperature on the Celsius scale, depositing successive layers of the powdered polymer material and selectively sintering each layer prior to deposition of the subsequent layer so as to form the article, wherein during its production the article is maintained at a temperature above the glass transition temperature and significantly below the re-solidification temperature of the polymer.
An additive layer manufacturing (ALM) method for producing a shaped article, comprising providing a powdered thermoplastic polymer material, depositing successive layers of the powdered polymer material and selectively sintering each layer prior to deposition of the subsequent layer so as to form the article, wherein during its production the article is maintained at a temperature above the glass transition temperature and significantly below the re-solidification temperature of the polymer, and wherein the polymer is selected from the group comprising polyaryletherketones, polyetheretherketones (PEEK), polyetherketones (PEK), polyetherimides (PEI), or acrylonitrile butadiene styrenes (ABS).
An additive layer manufacturing (ALM) method for producing a shaped article, comprising providing a powdered thermoplastic polymer material, depositing successive layers of the powdered polymer material and selectively sintering each layer prior to deposition of the subsequent layer so as to form the article, wherein during its production the article is maintained at a temperature above the glass transition temperature and significantly below the re-solidification temperature of the polymer, and wherein the polymer has a continuous service temperature in excess of 100 degrees Celsius, and preferably in excess of 150 degrees Celsius.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.