Direct writing for additive manufacturing systems
Assignee3D Systems, Inc.
InventorsLuis N Folgar, Christian E Folgar
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
There are provided techniques for direct printing material into parts made by additive manufacturing, such as parts made by laser sintering. The direct printed material may be a metal, elastomer, ceramic, or any other material. Further, the direct printed material is typically different than the laser sintering material. Other aspects of the invention include using direct printed materials in the laser sintered parts to improve part strength, provide multi-materials, selectively provide electrical conductivity, and/or provide other desirable features to the parts.
Claims20
A method of fabricating a three-dimensional object from digital data representing the object, the method comprising:
- providing a first layer of particulate material;
- consolidating at least a first portion of the first layer of particulate material to form a consolidated first cross-section of the object;
- applying a first portion of conductive material to the consolidated first cross-section;
- applying a second layer of particulate material to the consolidated first cross-section of the first layer;
- and
- consolidating at least a second portion of the second layer of particulate material to form a consolidated second cross-section of the object.
An apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object from digital data representing the object, the apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a first additive manufacturing device positioned in the housing and having a bed configured for carrying a first layer of particulate material;
- the first additive manufacturing device being configured to consolidate a portion of the first layer of particulate material to form a consolidated first cross-section of the object;
- a second device positioned in the housing and configured to deposit a first portion of conductive material on the consolidated first cross-section;
- the first additive manufacturing device being configured to apply a second layer of particulate material to the consolidated first cross-section of the first layer;
- the first additive manufacturing device being configured to selectively consolidate a portion of the second layer of particulate matter to form a consolidated second cross-section of the object;
- and
- the second device being configured to apply a second portion of conductive material to the consolidated second cross-section of the object, wherein the first additive manufacturing device is a selective laser sintering device, and
- wherein the second device is a 3D printer.
An object made by additive manufacturing, the object comprising:
- a plurality of stacked layers formed from a particulate build material, the layers being bonded to one another in the z-direction;
- and
- an electrically conductive network disposed within the layers of particulate build material, the electrically conductive network extending in the z-direction through a plurality of the layers of particulate build material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.