Apparatus and method for imprinting surface pattern on printed polymeric articles
Assignee3Dnextech S.R.L.
InventorsAndrea ARIENTI, Maurizio FOLLADOR, Luca NENCINI
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for forming surface patterns on polymer articles made by additive manufacturing is disclosed. The apparatus includes a temporary surface softening station for the articles wherein vapors of a polymer softening substance are kept in contact with the surface of the articles for a prefixed time, and a pattern imprinting station for imprinting a pattern on the softened surface of the articles leaving the temporary surface softening station which includes means for pressure transferring the pattern on the article surface.
Claims21
-20. (canceled)
An apparatus for forming surface patterns on polymer articles made by additive manufacturing, comprising:
- a temporary surface softening station of said polymer articles, wherein vapors of a polymer softening substance are kept in contact with the surface of said polymer articles for a prefixed time;
- and wherein the apparatus comprises a pattern imprinting station for imprinting pattern on the softened surface of said articles leaving said temporary surface softening station comprising means for pressure transferring said pattern on the polymer article surface.
A method for forming surface patterns on a polymer article made by additive manufacturing, wherein a surface layer of said article is softened, comprising contacting the article with vapors of a softening substance compatible with the article material, wherein the softened surface of the article is contacted with means capable of pressure imprinting a pattern on said surface before hardening thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.