Infiltration of three-dimensional objects formed by solid freeform fabrication
Assignee3D Systems, Inc.
InventorsMichael Thomas Sherwood, Pingyong Xu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for processing a three-dimensional object formed by solid freeform fabrication from a build material having a polymer component to alter the appearance of the object. A fluid medium carrying an infiltration agent is applied to the object at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the polymer component for a desired period of time wherein the infiltration agent penetrates the three-dimensional object. The infiltration agent can be a dye that can alter the color of the object.
Claims16
A method of altering the appearance of a three-dimensional object formed by a solid freeform fabrication apparatus, the three-dimensional object formed from a build material comprising at least one polymer component and having a surface and an internal volume, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying a fluid medium to the three-dimensional object at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the polymer component, the fluid medium carrying an infiltration agent and permeating the three-dimensional object at a temperature above a glass transition temperature of the polymer component;
- (b) maintaining the application of the fluid medium to the three-dimensional object to allow the infiltration agent to penetrate the three-dimensional object and colorize the entire internal volume of the object to thereby establish a desired appearance of the three-dimensional object;
- and
- (c) terminating the application of the fluid medium carrying the infiltration agent to the three-dimensional object.
A method of altering the appearance of a three-dimensional object formed by a solid freeform fabrication apparatus, the three-dimensional object formed from a build material comprising at least one polymer component, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) applying a fluid medium to the three-dimensional object at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the polymer component, the fluid medium carrying an infiltration agent and permeating the three-dimensional object at a temperature above a glass transition temperature of the polymer component;
- (b) maintaining the application of the fluid medium to the three-dimensional object to allow the infiltration agent to penetrate the three-dimensional object and establish a desired appearance of the three-dimensional object;
- (c) terminating the application of the fluid medium carrying the infiltration agent to the three-dimensional object;
- and
- (d) the infiltrating agent having the characteristic of one selected from the group consisting of phosphorescent, fluorescent, iridescent, conductive and combinations thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.