# US 2018/0022026 A1 · Three-dimensional printing system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0022026 A1 - Document ID: US20180022026A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/656,407 - Filed: 2017-07-21 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-21 - Assignees: Genesis Dimensions, LLC - Applicants: Genesis Dimensions, LLC - Inventors: James Eric Compton; Casey Roberts; Ben Steinhaurer; Kaleb Steinhauer; Daniel Holman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180022026A1 ## CPC - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - A61B 34/30: Surgical robots - B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material - B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] - B29C 64/188: involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control (surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00) - B29C 64/20: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B29C 64/336: of two or more materials - B29K 2075/00: Use of {PU, i.e.} polyureas or polyurethanes {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material - B29K 2105/04: cellular or porous - B29K 2995/0063: Density - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS ## Abstract A three-dimensional printing system including at least one positioning mechanism, and at least one end effector movably connected to the at least one positioning mechanism. The at least one end effector includes at least one mixing head configured to dispense a material, and at least one subtractive tool configured to subtract at least a portion of the material such that a desired design is achieved. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A three-dimensional printing system, comprising: at least one positioning mechanism; and at least one end effector movably connected to said at least one positioning mechanism and including at least one mixing head configured to dispense a material, and at least one subtractive tool configured to subtract at least a portion of said material such that a desired design is achieved. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one mixing head dispenses said material layer-by-layer to form a mold. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 2, wherein said at least one subtractive tool is configured to subtract at least a portion of said material from a surface of said mold such that said desired design is achieved in said surface of the mold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 1, wherein said at least one positioning mechanism is in the form of at least one robotic arm which is configured to position said at least one end effector. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 1, wherein said material is a plural component material such that said material is composed of at least two components including an activator mixture and a resin mixture. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 5, wherein said mixing head mixes said at least two components and dispenses said material. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 5, further including a proportioning system operably coupled to said at least one mixing head and configured to proportion said at least two components. ### Claim 8 A three-dimensional printing system, comprising: a first positioning mechanism; a second positioning mechanism associated with said first positioning mechanism; a first end effector movably connected to said first positioning mechanism and including at least one nozzle which is configured for dispensing a material layer-by-layer to form a mold; and a second end effector movably connected to said second positioning mechanism and including at least one subtractive tool which is configured for subtracting at least a portion of said mold. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 8, further including a proportioning system operably coupled to said at least one nozzle and configured to proportion said material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 9, wherein said proportioning system further includes a first mixer and a second mixer, said second mixer is fluidly connected to said at least one nozzle and located downstream of said first mixer and upstream of said at least one nozzle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 10, wherein said material is composed of a first component and a second component such that said first mixer of said proportioning system mixes an accelerant and a blowing agent of said second component, and said second mixer mixes said first component and said second component. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 11, wherein said proportioning system selectively adjusts said blowing agent depending upon a desired density of the material such that a material density of at least a first portion of a first layer of material is different than a material density of at least a second portion of a second layer of material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 8, wherein said at least one subtractive tool is configured to subtract at least a portion of material from a surface of said mold such that a desired design is achieved in said surface of the mold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The three-dimensional printing system of claim 8, wherein said at least one first positioning mechanism and said at least one second positioning mechanism are respectively in the form of at least one first robotic arm and at least one second robotic arm which are configured to respectively position said at least one first end effector and said at least one second end effector. ### Claim 15 A method for 3D printing, comprising the steps of: providing a three-dimensional printing system including at least one positioning mechanism, and at least one end effector movably connected to said at least one positioning mechanism and including at least one mixing head configured to dispense a material, and at least one subtractive tool configured to subtract at least a portion of said material; depositing said material by said nozzle layer-by-layer to form a mold; and subtracting said material by said subtractive tool to subtract at least a portion of a surface of said material in order to achieve a desired design on said mold. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, further including a proportioning system operably coupled to said at least one nozzle and configured to provide at least two components to said at least one nozzle such that said material is composed of said at least two components. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein said proportioning system further includes a first mixer and a second mixer, said second mixer is fluidly connected to said at least one nozzle and located downstream of said first mixer and upstream of said at least one nozzle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further including a step of selectively adjusting a density of the material such that a material density of at least a first portion of a first layer of material is different than a material density of at least a second portion of a second layer of material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method according to claim 18, wherein said density is adjusted by adjusting a blowing agent of one component of said at least two components. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein said at least two components include an activator mixture and a resin mixture.