US20190022926A1 - Electrophotography-based additive manufacturing with part molding - Google Patents
Electrophotography-based additive manufacturing with part molding Download PDFInfo
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- US20190022926A1 US20190022926A1 US16/144,555 US201816144555A US2019022926A1 US 20190022926 A1 US20190022926 A1 US 20190022926A1 US 201816144555 A US201816144555 A US 201816144555A US 2019022926 A1 US2019022926 A1 US 2019022926A1
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C64/00—Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
- B29C64/10—Processes of additive manufacturing
- B29C64/141—Processes of additive manufacturing using only solid materials
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C64/00—Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
- B29C64/10—Processes of additive manufacturing
- B29C64/188—Processes of additive manufacturing involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C70/00—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts
- B29C70/68—Shaping composites, i.e. plastics material comprising reinforcements, fillers or preformed parts, e.g. inserts by incorporating or moulding on preformed parts, e.g. inserts or layers, e.g. foam blocks
- B29C70/74—Moulding material on a relatively small portion of the preformed part, e.g. outsert moulding
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B33—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
- B33Y—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- B33Y10/00—Processes of additive manufacturing
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B33—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY
- B33Y—ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING
- B33Y30/00—Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
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- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
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- G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
- G03G15/14—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base
- G03G15/16—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern, e.g. magnetic transfer
- G03G15/1625—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern for transferring a pattern to a second base of a toner pattern, e.g. a powder pattern, e.g. magnetic transfer on a base other than paper
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- G—PHYSICS
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- G03G15/00—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern
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- G03G15/221—Machines other than electrographic copiers, e.g. electrophotographic cameras, electrostatic typewriters
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- G03G15/24—Apparatus for electrographic processes using a charge pattern involving the combination of more than one step according to groups G03G13/02 - G03G13/20 whereby at least two steps are performed simultaneously
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C64/00—Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
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- B29C64/106—Processes of additive manufacturing using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C64/00—Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
- B29C64/10—Processes of additive manufacturing
- B29C64/106—Processes of additive manufacturing using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
- B29C64/118—Processes of additive manufacturing using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C64/00—Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
- B29C64/10—Processes of additive manufacturing
- B29C64/141—Processes of additive manufacturing using only solid materials
- B29C64/147—Processes of additive manufacturing using only solid materials using sheet material, e.g. laminated object manufacturing [LOM] or laminating sheet material precut to local cross sections of the 3D object
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C64/00—Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
- B29C64/10—Processes of additive manufacturing
- B29C64/141—Processes of additive manufacturing using only solid materials
- B29C64/153—Processes of additive manufacturing using only solid materials using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C64/00—Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
- B29C64/20—Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C64/00—Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
- B29C64/20—Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B29C64/264—Arrangements for irradiation
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B29—WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE IN GENERAL
- 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
- B29C64/00—Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
- B29C64/20—Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B29C64/264—Arrangements for irradiation
- B29C64/268—Arrangements for irradiation using laser beams; using electron beams [EB]
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- G—PHYSICS
- G03—PHOTOGRAPHY; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ANALOGOUS TECHNIQUES USING WAVES OTHER THAN OPTICAL WAVES; ELECTROGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY
- G03G—ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY
- G03G2215/00—Apparatus for electrophotographic processes
- G03G2215/16—Transferring device, details
- G03G2215/1676—Simultaneous toner image transfer and fixing
- G03G2215/1695—Simultaneous toner image transfer and fixing at the second or higher order transfer point
Abstract
An additive manufacturing method produces a 3D part utilizes electrophotography-based additive manufacturing and molding processes. A layered structure having a cavity is printed on a build platform using at least one electrophotographic (EP) engine to develop imaged layers of powder material, and a transfusion assembly to stack and fuse the imaged layers on the build platform. Molding material is deposited into the cavity as the layered structure is printed, using a deposition unit. The molding material solidifies to form at least a portion of the 3D part, which may also include portions formed from imaged powder material.
Description
- The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for manufacturing 3D parts through a combination of electrophotography-based additive manufacturing processes and molding processes.
- Additive manufacturing is generally a process in which a three-dimensional (3D) object is manufactured utilizing a computer model of the objects. A basic operation of an additive manufacturing system consists of slicing a three-dimensional computer model into thin cross sections, translating the result into two-dimensional position data, and feeding the data to control equipment which manufacture a three-dimensional structure in a layerwise manner using one or more additive manufacturing techniques. Additive manufacturing entails many different approaches to the method of fabrication, including fused deposition modeling, ink jetting, selective laser sintering, powder/binder jetting, electron-beam melting, electrophotographic imaging, and stereolithographic processes.
- In an electrophotographic 3D printing or production process, each slice of the digital representation of the 3D part is printed or developed from powder materials using an electrophotographic engine. The electrophotographic engine generally operates in accordance with 2D electrophotographic printing processes, using charged powder materials that are formulated for use in building a 3D part (e.g., a polymeric toner material). The electrophotographic engine typically uses a conductive support drum that is coated with a photoconductive material layer, where latent electrostatic images are formed by electrostatic charging, followed by image-wise exposure of the photoconductive layer by an optical source. The latent electrostatic images are then moved to a developing station where the charged powder is applied to charged areas, or alternatively to discharged areas of the photoconductive insulator to form the layer of the charged powder material representing a slice of the 3D part. The developed layer is transferred to a transfer medium, from which the layer is transfused to previously printed layers with heat and/or pressure to build the 3D part.
- In fabricating 3D parts by depositing layers of a part material, supporting layers or structures are typically built underneath overhanging portions or in cavities of objects under construction, which are not supported by the part material itself. The support structure is typically built utilizing the same deposition techniques by which the part material is deposited. The support material adheres to the part material during fabrication, and is removable from the completed 3D part when the printing process is complete.
- Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for manufacturing 3D parts through a combination of electrophotography-based additive manufacturing processes and molding processes. In some embodiments of the method of producing a 3D part using electrophotography-based additive manufacturing and molding processes, a mold structure is built or printed having a cavity on a build platform using at least one electrophotographic (EP) engine and a transfusion assembly. Molding material is then deposited into the cavity using a deposition unit to form the 3D part.
- One embodiment of an additive manufacturing system for producing 3D parts includes an electrophotographic engine and a deposition unit. The electrophotography unit includes a transfer assembly including a transfer medium, at least one EP engine configured to develop layers of a powder material, and a transfusion assembly configured to build a mold structure having a cavity on a build platform in a layer-by-layer manner by transfusing the developed layers to each other. The deposition unit is configured to deposit molding material into the cavity and form a molded part portion of the 3D part within the cavity.
- Unless otherwise specified, the following terms as used herein have the meanings provided below:
- The term “copolymer” refers to a polymer having two or more monomer species, and includes terpolymers (i.e., copolymers having three monomer species).
- The terms “at least one” and “one or more of” an element are used interchangeably, and have the same meaning that includes a single element and a plurality of the elements, and may also be represented by the suffix “(s)” at the end of the element. For example, “at least one polyimide”, “one or more polyamides”, and “polyamide(s)” may be used interchangeably and have the same meaning.
- The terms “preferred” and “preferably” refer to embodiments of the invention that may afford certain benefits, under certain circumstances. However, other embodiments may also be preferred, under the same or other circumstances. Furthermore, the recitation of one or more preferred embodiments does not imply that other embodiments are not useful, and is not intended to exclude other embodiments from the scope of the present disclosure.
- Directional orientations such as “above”, “below”, “top”, “bottom”, and the like are made with reference to a direction along a printing axis of a 3D part. In the embodiments in which the printing axis is a vertical z-axis, the layer-printing direction is the upward direction along the vertical z-axis. In these embodiments, the terms “above”, “below”, “top”, “bottom”, and the like are based on the vertical z-axis. However, in embodiments in which the layers of 3D parts are printed along a different axis, the terms “above”, “below”, “top”, “bottom”, and the like are relative to the given axis.
- The term “providing”, such as for “providing a material” and the like, when recited in the claims, is not intended to require any particular delivery or receipt of the provided item. Rather, the term “providing” is merely used to recite items that will be referred to in subsequent elements of the claim(s), for purposes of clarity and ease of readability.
- Unless otherwise specified, temperatures referred to herein are based on atmospheric pressure (i.e. one atmosphere).
- The terms “about” and “substantially” are used herein with respect to measurable values and ranges due to expected variations known to those skilled in the art (e.g., limitations and variabilities in measurements).
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FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of an exemplary additive manufacturing system for producing 3D parts and associated support structures, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an exemplary electrophotographic engine of the system for developing layers of the support material. -
FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of an exemplary electrophotography engine, which includes an intermediary drum or belt. -
FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of an exemplary transfusion assembly of the system for performing layer transfusion steps with the developed layers. -
FIG. 5 is a simplified diagram of a deposition unit and exemplary method steps of a part molding process in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIGS. 6-11 , which are simplified side cross-sectional views of a combinedstructure 16 at various stages of production. -
FIG. 12 is a simplified top view of an exemplary structure supported on a build platform after completing multiple transfusion processes and one or more molding processes, in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 13 is a simplified cross-sectional view of the exemplary structure taken generally along lines 13-13 ofFIG. 12 . - As mentioned above, during a electrophotographic 3D part additive manufacturing or printing operation, an electrophotographic (EP) engine may develop each layer of the 3D part (part portions) and associated support structures (support structure portions) out of powder materials (e.g., polymeric toners) using the electrophotographic process. The developed layers are then transferred to a transfer medium, which delivers the layers to a transfusion assembly where the layers are transfused together (e.g., using heat and/or pressure) to build the 3D part and support structures in a layer-by-layer manner. The support structures are later removed (e.g., dissolved) to reveal the completed 3D part.
- Electrophotography is sensitive to numerous characteristics of the powder material used to form the part and support portions. These include the charge-to-mass ratio (Q/M), size, surface, morphology, roundness, flow, and infrared absorption. Additionally, the support structure material must be compatible with the part material (including, for example, the pressures and temperatures at which the part material fuses), while also being removable after the part is built (for example, soluble in a solution that will not affect the part material). The materials for use in electrophotographic part building processes must be precisely matched for use with the hardware components of the electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system. As a result of the numerous variables, the selection of materials available for forming 3D parts using the electrophotographic process are limited, or additional cost is necessary in their creation.
- Embodiments of the present disclosure are a hybrid system that utilizes the electrophotographic manufacturing process to print or build a mold structure in a layer-by-layer manner in coordination with using a non-electrophotographic process to produce a 3D part, or a molded portion of a 3D part, within the mold structure. This allows for manufacturing of parts out of materials that are not compatible with the electrophotographic manufacturing process used to build the support structure. Additionally, this gives flexibility to sharp melting point materials (crystalline materials) that may have less latitude in pressure settings relative to the support material.
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FIG. 1 is a simplified diagram of an exemplaryadditive manufacturing system 10 for producing 3D parts and associated support structures using electrophotographic and molding processes.System 10 includes an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing unit (EP unit) 12 and adeposition unit 14. TheEP unit 12 provides imaged powder layers of toner material that undergo a transfusion process in order to build EP layers of a combinedstructure 16 having acavity 18 that defines a part mold. Thedeposition unit 14 forms a molded part portion of thestructure 16 by depositingmolding material 20 into thecavity 18. - As discussed in greater detail below, these EP structure building and molding processes may be performed on a layer-by-layer basis to form the final 3D part. That is, the
EP unit 12 may form at least one layer, generally referred to asEP layer 22, of thestructure 16 that defines a portion of the desired cavity orpart mold 18. Thedeposition unit 14 is then used to apply themolding material 20 into thecavity 18 to form the molded part portion.Additional EP layers 22 may then be formed over the previously builtEP layers 22 and the molded part portions that define another portion of the desired cavity orpart mold 18 using theEP unit 12. Thedeposition unit 14 may then depositmolding material 20 into thenew cavity 18 to form another layer of the molded part. The deposited layers ofmolding material 20 may be courser than the EP layers 22, and they may be deposited only after several EP layers 22 are transfused to form a mold cavity. These steps may be repeated as necessary until thestructure 16 is completely formed. Afterward, portions of the electrophotographically builtstructure 16 may be removed by, for example, dissolving or disintegrating sacrificial material portions of thestructure 16 in an aqueous solution or dispersion, to complete the production of a final produced 3D part that includes the molded part. In some embodiments, the EP layers 22 of the EP printedstructure 16 may include printed part portions along with sacrificial portions, wherein the printed part portions are combined with the molded part portions to form the final produced 3D part. - In some embodiments, the
system 10 includes acontroller 26, which represents one or more processors that are configured to execute instructions, which may be stored locally in memory of thesystem 10 or in memory that is remote to thesystem 10, to control components of thesystem 10 to perform one or more functions described herein. In some embodiments, thecontroller 26 includes one or more control circuits, microprocessor-based engine control systems, and/or digitally-controlled raster imaging processor systems, and is configured to operate the components ofsystem 10 in a synchronized manner based on printing instructions received from ahost computer 28 or a remote location. In some embodiments, thehost computer 28 includes one or more computer-based systems that are configured to communicate withcontroller 26 to provide 3D part printing instructions (and other operating information). For example, thehost computer 28 may transfer information to thecontroller 26 that relates to the sliced layers of the 3D parts and support structures, thereby allowing thesystem 10 to produce the 3D parts and support structures in a layer-by-layer manner. - Exemplary embodiments of the
EP unit 12 will initially be described with reference toFIGS. 1-4 . In some embodiments, theEP unit 12 includes one or more EP engines, generally referred to as 32, atransfer assembly 34, biasingmechanisms 36, and atransfusion assembly 40, as shown inFIG. 1 . Examples of suitable components and functional operations for theEP unit 12 include those disclosed in Hanson et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,879,957 and 8,488,994. - The
EP engines 32 image or otherwise develop thelayers 22 of powder materials, where the powder materials are each preferably engineered for use with the particular architecture of each of theEP engines 32. As discussed below, the developed EP layers 22 may be transferred to atransfer medium 44 of thetransfer assembly 34, which delivers thelayers 22 to thetransfusion assembly 40. Thetransfusion assembly 40 operates to build or print the3D structure 16, which may include support structures, part structures that form a portion of the 3D part being produced, and/or other structures, in a layer-by-layer manner by transfusing thelayers 22 together on abuild platform 48. - In some embodiments, the
transfer medium 44 includes a belt, as shown inFIG. 1 . Examples of suitable transfer belts for thetransfer medium 44 include those disclosed in Comb et al. U.S. Publication Nos. 2013/0186549 and 2013/0186558. In some embodiments, thebelt 44 includesfront surface 44 a andrear surface 44 b, wherefront surface 44 a faces theEP engines 12, and therear surface 44 b is in contact with the biasingmechanisms 36. - In some embodiments, the
transfer assembly 34 includes one or more drive mechanisms that include, for example, amotor 50 and adrive roller 52, or other suitable drive mechanism, and operate to drive the transfer medium orbelt 44 in afeed direction 53. In some embodiments, thetransfer assembly 34 includesidler rollers 54 that provide support for thebelt 44. Theexemplary transfer assembly 34 illustrated inFIG. 1 is highly simplified and may take on other configurations. Additionally, thetransfer assembly 34 may include additional components that are not shown in order to simplify the illustration, such as, for example, components for maintaining a desired tension in thebelt 44, a belt cleaner for removing debris from thesurface 44 a that receives thelayers 22, and other components. - The
EP unit 12 includes at least oneEP engine 32 s that develops layers of powder support material. In some embodiments, the one ormore EP engines 32 shown inFIG. 1 may include one ormore EP engines 32 that develop layers of powder part material, and are generally referred to herein asEP engines 32 p. In some embodiments, theEP engine 32 s is positioned upstream from acorresponding EP engine 32 p relative to thefeed direction 53, as shown inFIG. 1 . In alternative embodiments, the arrangement of theEP engines EP engine 32 p is upstream from theEP engine 32 s relative to thefeed direction 53. In further alternative embodiments,EP unit 12 may include three ormore EP engines 32 for printing layers of additional materials, as indicated inFIG. 1 , or it may includeonly EP engine 32 s. -
FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of theEP engines EP unit 12, in accordance with exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In the shown embodiment, theEP engines photoconductor drum 62 having aconductive body 64 and aphotoconductive surface 66. Theconductive body 64 is an electrically-conductive body (e.g., fabricated from copper, aluminum, tin, or the like), that is electrically grounded and configured to rotate around ashaft 68. Theshaft 68 is correspondingly connected to adrive motor 70, which is configured to rotate the shaft 68 (and the photoconductor drum 62) in the direction ofarrow 72 at a constant rate. While embodiments of theEP engines 32 are discussed and illustrated as utilizing aphotoconductor drum 62, a belt having a conductive material, or other suitable bodies, may also be utilized in place of thephotoconductor drum 62 and theconductive body 64. - The
photoconductive surface 66 is a thin film extending around the circumferential surface of theconductive body 64, and is preferably derived from one or more photoconductive materials, such as amorphous silicon, selenium, zinc oxide, organic materials, and the like. As discussed below, thesurface 66 is configured to receive latent-charged images of the sliced layers of a 3D part or support structure (or negative images), and to attract charged particles of the part or support material to the charged or discharged image areas, thereby creating the layers of the 3D part or support structure. - As further shown, each of the
exemplary EP engines charge inducer 74, animager 76, adevelopment station 78, a cleaningstation 80, and adischarge device 82, each of which may be in signal communication with thecontroller 26. Thecharge inducer 74, theimager 76, thedevelopment station 78, the cleaningstation 80, and thedischarge device 82 accordingly define an image-forming assembly for thesurface 66 while thedrive motor 70 and theshaft 68 rotate thephotoconductor drum 62 in thedirection 72. - The
EP engines 32 use the charged particle or powder material(s) (e.g., polymeric or thermoplastic toner), generally referred to herein as 86, to develop or form the EP layers 22. For example, the image-forming assembly for thesurface 66 of theEP engine 32 s is used to form support layers 22 s of thepowder support material 86 s, where a supply of thesupport material 86 s may be retained by the development station 78 (of theEP engine 32 s) along with carrier particles. Similarly, the image-forming assembly for thesurface 66 of theEP engine 32 p is used to form part layers 22 p of thepowder part material 86 p, where a supply of thepart material 86 p may be retained by the development station 78 (of theEP engine 32 p) along with carrier particles. - The
charge inducer 74 is configured to generate a uniform electrostatic charge on thesurface 66 as thesurface 66 rotates in thedirection 72 past thecharge inducer 74. Suitable devices for thecharge inducer 74 include corotrons, scorotrons, charging rollers, and other electrostatic charging devices. - The
imager 76 is a digitally-controlled, pixel-wise light exposure apparatus configured to selectively emit electromagnetic radiation toward the uniform electrostatic charge on thesurface 66 as thesurface 66 rotates in thedirection 72 thepast imager 76. The selective exposure of the electromagnetic radiation to thesurface 66 is directed by thecontroller 26, and causes discrete pixel-wise locations of the electrostatic charge to be removed (i.e., discharged, thereby forming latent image charge patterns on thesurface 66. - Suitable devices for the
imager 76 include scanning laser (e.g., gas or solid state lasers) light sources, light emitting diode (LED) array exposure devices, and other exposure device conventionally used in 2D electrophotography systems. In alternative embodiments, suitable devices for thecharge inducer 74 and theimager 76 include ion-deposition systems configured to selectively directly deposit charged ions or electrons to thesurface 66 to form the latent image charge pattern. As such, as used herein, the term “electrophotography” can broadly be considered as “electrostatography,” or a process that produces a charge pattern on a surface. Alternatives also include such things as ionography. - Each
development station 78 is an electrostatic and magnetic development station or cartridge that retains the supply of thepowdered part material 86 p or thesupport material 86 s, along with carrier particles. Thedevelopment stations 78 may function in a similar manner to single or dual component development systems and toner cartridges used in 2D electrophotography systems. For example, eachdevelopment station 78 may include an enclosure for retaining thepart material 86 p or thesupport material 86 s and carrier particles. When agitated, the carrier particles generate triboelectric charges to attract the powders of thepart material 86 p or thesupport material 86 s, which charges the attracted powders to a desired sign and magnitude, as discussed below. - Each
development station 78 may also include one or more devices for transferring the charged material to thesurface 66, such as conveyors, fur brushes, paddle wheels, rollers, and/or magnetic brushes. For instance, as the surface 66 (containing the latent charged image) rotates from theimager 76 to thedevelopment station 78 in thedirection 72, thesupport material 86 s is attracted to the appropriately charged regions of the latent image on thesurface 66, utilizing either charged area development or discharged area development (depending on the electrophotography mode being utilized). This createssuccessive layers 22 s as thephotoconductor drum 62 continues to rotate in thedirection 72, where thesuccessive layers 22 s correspond to the successive sliced layers of the digital representation of the 3D part or support structure. - The successive layers 22 p or 22 s are then rotated with the
surface 66 in thedirection 72 to a transfer region in which layers 22 p or 22 s are successively transferred from thephotoconductor drum 62 to thebelt 44 or other transfer medium. While illustrated as an engagement between thephotoconductor drum 62 and thebelt 44, in some preferred embodiments, theEP engines photoconductive drum 62 may engage directly with a transfer drum of the transfusion assembly 40 (thus obviating the need for transfer assembly 34). - After a given
layer photoconductor drum 62 to the belt 44 (or an intermediary transfer drum or belt), as adrive motor 70 rotates theshaft 68 and thephotoconductor drum 62 in thedirection 72 such that the region of thesurface 66 that previously held thelayer station 80. The cleaningstation 80 is a station configured to remove any residual, non-transferred portions of part or supportmaterial station 80 include blade cleaners, brush cleaners, electrostatic cleaners, vacuum-based cleaners, and combinations thereof. - After passing the cleaning
station 80, thesurface 66 continues to rotate in thedirection 72 such that the cleaned regions of thesurface 66 pass thedischarge device 82 to remove any residual electrostatic charge on thesurface 66, prior to starting the next cycle. Suitable devices for thedischarge device 82 include optical systems, high-voltage alternating-current corotrons and/or scorotrons, one or more rotating dielectric rollers having conductive cores with applied high-voltage alternating-current, and combinations thereof. - The biasing
mechanisms 36 are configured to induce electrical potentials through thebelt 44 to electrostatically attract thelayers EP engines belt 44. Because thelayers layers EP engines belt 44. - The
controller 26 preferably rotates the photoconductor drums 62 of theEP engines belt 44 and/or with any intermediary or alternative transfer drums or belts. This allows theEP unit 12 to develop and transfer thelayers part layer 22 p may be transferred to thebelt 44 with proper registration with eachsupport layer 22 s to produce a combined part and support material layer, which is generally designated asEP layer 22. - As can be appreciated, some of the EP layers 22 transferred to the
layer transfusion assembly 40 may only includesupport material 86 s or may only includepart material 86 p, depending on the particular geometries of thestructure 16 and layer slicing. This may eliminate the necessity of registeringlayers different engines 32. Furthermore, when the system 100 only includes or uses oneEP engines 32 s to print single-material EP layers 22, registering different portions of eachlayer 22 may be avoided. - In a further alternative embodiment, one or both of the
EP engines photoconductor drum 62 and the belt ortransfer medium 44. For example, as shown inFIG. 3 , theEP engine 32 s may also include anintermediary drum 62 a that rotates in thedirection 72 a that opposes thedirection 72, in which drum 62 is rotated, under the rotational power of motor 70 a. Theintermediary drum 62 a engages with thephotoconductor drum 62 to receive thedeveloped layers 22 s from thephotoconductor drum 62, and then carries the received developedlayers 22 s and transfers them to thebelt 44. When present in the system 100, anEP engine 32 p may include the same arrangement of anintermediary drum 62 a for carrying thedeveloped layers 22 p from thephotoconductor drum 62 to thebelt 44. The use of such intermediary transfer drums or belts for theEP engines photoconductor drum 62 from thebelt 44, for example. -
FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment for thelayer transfusion assembly 40. As shown, thetransfusion assembly 40 includes thebuild platform 48, anip roller 90, alayer heater 92, top-of-part heater 94, and anoptional post-transfusion heater 96. Thebuild platform 48 is a platform assembly or platen of theEP unit 12 that is configured to receive the heated EP layers 22 for printing or building thestructure 16, which may includepart portions 22 p of the 3D part, and/orsupport portions 22 s, in a layer-by-layer manner. In some embodiments, thebuild platform 48 may include removable film substrates (not shown) for receiving the printed layers 22, where the removable film substrates may be restrained against build platform using any suitable technique (e.g., vacuum). - The
structure 16 illustrated inFIG. 4 includes EP layers 22 havingportions 22 sp, that represent eithersupport portions 22 s orpart portions 22 p. Thus, thestructure 16 illustrated inFIG. 4 represents astructure 16 that is formed entirely ofsupport portions 22 s, and astructure 16 that includes bothsupport portions 22 s andpart portions 22 p.Portions 22 sp are also shown in other figures to illustrate these alternative options for thestructure 16 and theindividual layers 22 forming thestructure 16. - The
build platform 48 is supported by agantry 104 or other suitable mechanism, which is configured to move thebuild platform 48 along abuild path 106 that traverses the z-axis and the x-axis, as illustrated schematically inFIGS. 1 and 4 . In some embodiments, thegantry 104 may move theplatform 48 along thebuild path 106 in a reciprocating rectangular pattern where the primary motion is back-and-forth along the x-axis, as illustrated inFIG. 4 . Thegantry 104 may be operated by amotor 108 based on commands from thecontroller 26, where themotor 108 may be an electrical motor, a hydraulic system, a pneumatic system, or the like. - In some embodiments, the
build platform 48 includes a heating element 110 (e.g., an electric heater), as illustrated inFIG. 4 . Theheating element 110 may be configured to heat and maintain thebuild platform 48 at an elevated temperature that is greater than room temperature (25° C.), such as at a desired average temperature of thestructure 16, as discussed in Comb et al. U.S. Publication No. 2013/0186549. - The
nip roller 90 is an exemplary pressing element or elements, which is configured to rotate around a fixed axis with the movement of thebelt 44. In particular, thenip roller 90 may roll against therear surface 44 b in the direction ofarrow 112 while thebelt 44 rotates in thefeed direction 53. In some embodiments, thenip roller 90 includes a heating element 114 (e.g., an electric heater). Theheating element 114 is configured to heat and maintain niproller 90 at an elevated temperature that is greater than room temperature (25° C.), such as at a desired transfer temperature for the EP layers 22. - The
layer heater 92 includes one or more heating devices (e.g., an infrared heater and/or a heated air jet) that are configured to heat the EP layers 22 on thebelt 44 to a temperature at or above an intended transfer temperature of theEP layer 22, such as a fusion temperature of thepart material 86 p and/or thesupport material 86 s, prior to reaching thenip roller 90. EachEP layer 22 desirably passes by (or through) thelayer heater 92 for a sufficient residence time to heat thelayer 22 to the intended transfer temperature. The top-of-part heater 94 may function in a similar manner as thelayer heater 92, and heats the top surfaces of thestructure 16 on thebuild platform 48 to an elevated temperature, such as at or above a fusion temperature (or other suitable elevated temperature) of the powder material. - If a part material is printed using a EP engine, the
support material 86 s of the present disclosure used to form the support layers orportions 22 s preferably has a melt rheology that is similar to or substantially the same as the melt rheology of thepart material 86 p of the present disclosure used to form the part layers orportions 22 p of thestructure 16. This allows the part and supportmaterials layers materials structure 16 to be heated together by top-of-part heater 94 to substantially the same temperature. Thus, the part layers 22 p and the support layers 22 s may be transfused together to the top surfaces of thestructure 16 supported on theplatform 48 in a single transfusion step as the combinedEP layer 22 using thetransfusion assembly 40. However, thepart material 86 p is optional and, therefore, supportmaterials 86 s of any suitable rheology is within the scope of the present disclosure. For example,multiple EP engines 32 s that produce layers 22 s formed of asingle support material 86 s may also be used. - The
optional post-transfusion heater 96 may be located downstream from niproller 90 relative to thefeed direction 53, and is configured to heat the transfused layers 22 to an elevated temperature. Again, close melt rheologies of the part and supportmaterials post-transfusion heater 96 to post-heat the top surfaces of thestructure 16, such aspart portions 22 p andsupport structure portions 22 s, together in a single post-fuse step whenpart material 86 p is utilized. - As mentioned above, in some embodiments, prior to building the combined
structure 16 on thebuild platform 48, thebuild platform 48 and thenip roller 90 may be heated to desired temperatures. For example, thebuild platform 48 may be heated to the average part temperature ofstructure 16. In comparison, thenip roller 90 may be heated to a desired transfer temperature for the EP layers 22. During the printing or transferring operation, thebelt 44 carries anEP layer 22 past thelayer heater 92, which may heat thelayer 22 and the associated region of thebelt 44 to at or above the transfer temperature. Suitable transfer temperatures for the charged powder materials of the present disclosure include temperatures that exceed the glass transition temperature of these materials, where thelayer 22 is softened but not melted. - As further shown in
FIG. 4 , during operation, thegantry 104 may move thebuild platform 48 with thecurrent structure 16 in a reciprocating rectangular build pattern 86. In particular, thegantry 104 may move thebuild platform 48 along the x-axis below, along, or through the top-of-part heater 94. Theheater 94 heats the intermediate top surfaces of thecurrent structure 16 to an elevated temperature, such as at or above the transfer temperatures of the part and supportmaterials heaters current structure 16 to about the same temperatures to provide a consistent transfusion interface temperature. Alternatively, theheaters layers 22 and the top surfaces of thepart portions 22 p and thesupport portions 22 s to different temperatures to attain a desired transfusion interface temperature. - The continued rotation of the
belt 44 and the movement of thebuild platform 48 align theheated EP layer 22 with the heated top surfaces of thestructure 16 with proper registration along the x-axis. Thegantry 104 may continue to move thebuild platform 48 along the x-axis, at a rate that is synchronized with the rotational rate of thebelt 44 in the feed direction 53 (i.e., the same directions and speed). This causes therear surface 44 b of thebelt 44 to rotate around thenip roller 90 to nip thebelt 44 and theheated layer 22 against the top surfaces ofstructure 16. This presses theheated layer 22 between the heated top surfaces of thestructure 16 at the location of thenip roller 90, which at least partially transfuses theheated layer 22 to the top layers of thestructure 16. - As the transfused
layer 22 passes the nip of thenip roller 90, thebelt 44 wraps around thenip roller 90 to separate and disengage from thebuild platform 48. This assists in releasing the transfusedlayer 22 from thebelt 44, allowing the transfusedlayer 22 to remain adhered to thestructure 16. Maintaining the transfusion interface temperature at a transfer temperature that is higher than its glass transition temperature, but lower than its fusion temperature, allows theheated layer 22 to be hot enough to adhere to thestructure 16, while also being cool enough to readily release from thebelt 44. In alternative embodiments, niproller 90 may be replace with multiple nip rollers (e.g., a pair of nip rollers), or by a press plate, such as are disclosed in Chillscyzn et al. U.S. Pat. No. 8,718,522. In other alternative embodiments, as mentioned above, thetransfer assembly 34 may be eliminated, and thebelt 44 and niproller 90 replaced with a transfer drum or other transfer medium configured to receive imaged layers from theEP engines 32, such as is disclosed in Hanson et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,879,957. In such embodiments, the imaged layers may be heated while on the transfer drum. - After release from the
belt 44 or other transfer medium, in some embodiments, thegantry 104 continues to move thebuild platform 48 along the x-axis to thepost-transfusion heater 96. Atpost-transfusion heater 96, thetop-most layers 22 of thestructure 16 may be heated to at least the fusion temperature of the thermoplastic-based powder in a post-fuse or heat-setting step. This melts the material of the transfusedEP layer 22 to a highly fusable state such that polymer molecules of the transfusedlayer 22 quickly interdiffuse to achieve a high level of interfacial entanglement with thesupport structure 16. - In some embodiments, the
transfusion assembly 40 includes a cooling device, shown aschiller 116, configured to cool thetop layers 22 of thestructure 16 on theplatform 48, such as using air jets, as thegantry 104 moves thebuild platform 48 along thebuild path 106. To assist in keeping thestructure 16 at the average part temperature, in some preferred embodiments, theheater 94 and/or theheater 96 may be configured to heat only the top-most layers ofstructure 16. For example, in embodiments in whichheaters materials heaters structure 16. In either case, limiting the thermal penetration into thestructure 16 allows the top-most layers to be sufficiently transfused, while also reducing the amount of cooling required to keep thestructure 16 at the desired average part temperature. - After the transfusion of the
EP layer 22 to thestructure 16 supported on thebuild platform 48, thegantry 104 may move the build platform and the supportedstructure 16 to thedeposition unit 14. Thedeposition unit 14 then performs a molding process to form a moldedpart portion 22 mp within the one ormore cavities 18 of thelayer 22, as illustrated inFIG. 1 . Alternatively, the molding process is performed after the transfusion of two or more of thelayers 22 to thecurrent structure 16 supported on thebuild platform 48. - In some embodiments, the
build path 106 includes abypass portion 106 a that bypasses thebuild path portion 106 b, along which thedeposition unit 14 is positioned, as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 4 . In some embodiments, when multiple EP layers 22 are to be transfused to thestructure 16 before performing the molding process using thedeposition unit 14, following the transfusion of anEP layer 22 to thestructure 16, thegantry 104 moves thebuild platform 48 and the supportedstructure 16 along thebypass portion 106 a (which may include the chiller 116) back to thetransfusion assembly 40. After registering thebuild platform 48 or thestructure 16 with thetransfusion assembly 40, which may require lowering thebuild platform 48 using thegantry 104, anotherlayer 22 is transfused to thestructure 16 in accordance with embodiments described above. This process can be repeated as necessary until thestructure 16 is ready for the molding process. Thegantry 104 then moves thebuild platform 48 along thebuild path portion 106 b and a molding process is performed using thedeposition unit 14 to form a multilayer moldedpart portion 22 mp within the one ormore cavities 18 of thestructure 16, in accordance with one or more embodiments described herein. - In some embodiments, the
system 10 allows at least the top portion of thestructure 16 to be cooled before performing a molding process using thedeposition unit 14. In some embodiments, following the transfusion process performed by theEP unit 12, thegantry 104 moves thebuild platform 48 with the supportedstructure 16 along thebuild path 106, such as along thebuild path portion 106 b, to thechiller 116, which is illustrated schematically inFIGS. 1 and 4 . Thechiller 116 operates to cool at least a top portion of thestructure 16 supported on thebuild platform 48 before commencing the molding process using thedeposition unit 14. Thechiller 116 cools thestructure 16 to sufficiently solidify at least the portions of thestructure 16 forming the cavity orpart mold 18 that is to be used by thedeposition unit 14 during the molding process stage of the formation of the molded part. Exemplary embodiments of thechiller 116 include a blower configured to produce air jets that blow over the top surface of thestructure 16, and/or other suitable cooling devices. After sufficiently cooling thestructure 16, thegantry 104 delivers thebuild platform 48 and the supportedstructure 16 along thebuild path 106 b and registers thebuild platform 48 and/orstructure 16 with thedeposition unit 14 to allow for the commencement of a molding process using thedeposition unit 14. - Exemplary embodiments of the
deposition unit 14 are illustrated in the simplified diagram ofFIG. 5 .FIG. 5 also illustrates thedeposition unit 14 performing exemplary molding processes. WhileFIG. 5 illustrates a molding process being performed using a cavity orpart mold 18 that is generally formed by asingle EP layer 22 of thestructure 16, alternative embodiments cover molding processes in which the cavity orpart mold 18 is defined bymultiple layers 22 of thestructure 16, as mentioned above. - The molding process performed using the
deposition unit 14 allows thesystem 10 to produce a multi-material 3D part having one or more moldedpart portions 22 mp comprisingmolding materials 20 and one or more printedpart portions 22 p comprising powder material, which may take on many different forms. In some embodiments, themolding material 20 comprises a material that is not conventionally used in electrophotographic part producing processes, such as, for example, materials comprising electrically conductive particles such as metal, ceramic particles, large particles, or particles having a wide charge distribution. This can allow for the use of materials that are not printable by theEP engines 32 and/or without the additional cost to develop and manufacture the materials into a toner or powder that may be used with theEP engines 12. In some embodiments, themolding material 20 has a melt rheology that is similar to or substantially the same as the melt rheology of thepart material 86 p and/or thesupport material 86 s of the electrophotographically formedlayers 22 of thestructure 16. - Optionally, the combined electrophotographic and molding processes performed by the
system 10 allow for the formation of unique, composite 3D parts. For example, when the illustratedportions 22 sp of thestructure 16 inFIG. 5 includes thepart portions 22 p formed using theEP unit 12, the final 3D part produced by thesystem 10 includes both thepart portions 22 p and the moldedpart portions 22 mp. This allows the final produced 3D part to includepart portions 22 p that protrude from the molded part, surround the molded part, and/or are enclosed within the molded part, for example. Typically, thepart portions 22 p would be formed from a different material type than is used to formpart portions 22 mp, creating a two material part. Other configurations of thepart portions 22 p and the molded part may also be achieved using thesystem 10. For example, more than two part materials may be used. When thestructure 16 is only formed of thesupport structure portions 22 s, the molded part forms the entire 3D part being produced. - In some embodiments, the
deposition unit 14 includes amolding material dispenser 120, which is configured to dispense themolding material 20 over atop surface 121 of thestructure 16 and into the one ormore cavities 18 of thestructure 16 using any suitable technique, as illustrated inFIG. 5 . Thedispenser 120 may comprise conventional components that are suitable for dispensing themolding material 20. In some embodiments, themolding material 20 is in a powdered or granular form. In some embodiments, themolding material 20 is in a molten form. In accordance with this embodiment, themolding material dispenser 120 may include one or more heaters to maintain themolding material 20 in the molten form, or to transition themolding material 20, either partially or completely, from a solid form (e.g., granular or powder) to the molten form. - In some embodiments, the
deposition unit 14 includes a spreadingdevice 122 that operates to spread themolding material 20 over thetop surface 121 of thestructure 16 and into the one ormore cavities 18, as illustrated inFIG. 5 . Exemplary embodiments of the spreadingdevice 122 include a blade (shown) that extends across a width of thestructure 16 that is transverse to thedirection 123 in which thegantry 104 feeds thebuild platform 48 along thebuild path 106, or other suitable spreading device. - In some embodiments, the
deposition unit 14 includes aheater 124 that is configured to heat themolding material 20 within the one ormore cavities 18 of thestructure 16, as thebuild platform 48 and the supportedstructure 16 are fed along thebuild path 106 by thegantry 104. In some embodiments, theheater 124 includes a resistive heating element, a radiant heater, an infrared radiation heater, a hot air blower, and/or another suitable heating device. - In some embodiments, when the
molding material 20 is in a powdered or granular form, theheater 124 is configured to at least melt a portion of themolding material 20 within the one ormore cavities 18. In some embodiments, theheater 124 is configured to fuse the powdered orgranular molding material 20 to itself. In some embodiments, theheater 124 is configured to heat the molding material within the one ormore cavities 18 such that it transfuses to the surfaces of the layer or layers 22 that define the one ormore cavities 18. In some embodiments, theheater 124 is configured to heat the powdered orgranular molding material 20 to soften the powdered orgranular molding material 20 and prepare themolding material 20 for a sintering process. - In some embodiments, the
deposition unit 14 includes apressing device 126 that is configured to engage thetop surface 128 of themolding material 20 within the one ormore cavities 18, and press themolding material 20 into the one ormore cavities 18, as illustrated inFIG. 5 . In some embodiments, thepressing device 126 is configured to sinter the molding material, or a portion of the molding material, into the one ormore cavities 18 while themolding material 20 is in a softened or partially melted state. In some embodiments, thepressing device 126 includes a roller that is configured to roll over thetop surface 128, as shown inFIG. 5 . Other exemplary embodiments of thepressing device 126 include a blade (not shown) that is configured to slide over thetop surface 128 of themolding material 20, or other suitable pressing device. In some embodiments, the functions of thespreader 122 and thepressing device 126 may be combined into a single roller, blade, or other suitable component, to both spread and press themolding material 20 into thecavities 18. In some embodiments, thepressing device 126 includes aheating element 127 that is configured to maintain thepressing device 126 at an elevated temperature that is greater than room temperature (25° C.), such as at a desired temperature for sintering themolding material 20. - In some embodiments, the
pressing device 126 is located downstream of theheater 124 relative to thefeed direction 123, as shown inFIG. 5 . Alternatively, thepressing device 126 may be located upstream of the heater 124 (if present) relative to thefeed direction 123. - In some embodiments, the nip roller 90 (
FIG. 4 ) of thetransfusion assembly 40, with or without the top-of-part heater 94, is used to perform the functions of heating themolding material 20, and pressing themolding material 20 into the one ormore cavities 18 of thestructure 16. Accordingly, theheater 124 and thepressing device 126 of the deposition unit may be eliminated. In some embodiments, following the deposition of themolding material 20 into thecavities 18 of thestructure 16, thebuild platform 48 is moved along thebuild path 106 to the niproller 90, and thenip roller 90 presses themolding material 20 into thecavities 18. In some embodiments, thebelt 44 at thenip roller 90 is free fromlayers 20 during this pressing process. Additionally, in some embodiments, thenip roller 90 may apply heat to themolding material 20 as it presses themolding material 20 into the cavities. In some embodiments, the top-of-part heater 94 is used to apply heat to themolding material 20 before it is pressed into thecavities 18 by thenip roller 90. - In some embodiments, the
system 10 includes achiller 130 located downstream of thedeposition unit 14 relative to thefeed direction 123, as shown inFIG. 1 . Thechiller 130 operates to cool themolding material 20 within thecavities 18 and at least the top sections of thestructure 16. In some embodiments, thechiller 130 cools these components to the average temperature for thestructure 16 that is desired for performing the transfusion operation using thetransfusion assembly 40. Thechiller 130 may take on any suitable form, such as that described above with regard tochiller 116. - In some embodiments, the
system 10 includes aplanarization device 132 that is located downstream of thedeposition unit 14 relative to the feed direction 123 (FIG. 1 ). In some embodiments, theplanarization device 132 is configured to planarize thetop surface 128 of themolding material 20 within thecavities 18. In some embodiments, theplanarization device 132 is configured to planarize thetop surface 121 of thestructure 16, which removesmolding material 20 from thetop surface 121 of thestructure 16, such aspart portions 22 p andsupport portions 22 s. Embodiments of theplanarization device 132 include a grinder, a blade, or other conventional planarizing devices. In some embodiments, the planarization operation performed by theplanarization device 132 ensures that thetop surfaces 121 and/or 128 of thestructure 16 and themolding material 20 are substantially flat and are prepared to receive additional EP layers 22 ormolding material 20 in subsequent transfusion and molding processes. - After the molding process is completed using the
deposition unit 14, the one or more EP layers 22 of thestructure 16 include only structureportions 22 s, orstructure portions 22 s and one or more moldedpart portions 22 mp, as indicated byportions 22 sp inFIG. 5 . Thegantry 104 moves thebuild platform 48 and the supportedstructure 16 with the moldedpart portions 22 mp along thebuild path 106 back to thetransfusion assembly 40 to begin another round of the transfusion and molding processes as necessary to form a completedstructure 16 that includes the molded part formed of the moldedpart portions 22 mp and thestructure portions 22 s, with the option of also includingpart portions 22 p. As discussed below, thestructure portions 22 s may be removed to reveal the final 3D part. - Exemplary embodiments of a method of producing a 3D part using embodiments of the
additive manufacturing system 10 will be described with reference toFIGS. 6-13 .FIGS. 6-11 are simplified side cross-sectional views of astructure 16 at various stages of the method.FIG. 12 is an exemplary completedstructure 16 comprising a3D part 140, andFIG. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of thestructure 16 ofFIG. 12 , taken generally along line 13-13. As discussed above, theportions 22 sp are used to illustrate embodiments in which thestructure 16 includesonly support portions 22 s, or bothsupport portions 22 s andpart portions 22 p. - In some embodiments of the method, a
structure 16 having at least onecavity 18, such as that illustrated inFIG. 6 , is built on thebuild platform 48 in a layer-by-layer manner using theEP unit 12 in accordance with one or more embodiments describe above. For example, atop layer 22 a of theexemplary structure 16 includes astructure portion 22 s, and at least oneportion 22 sp that may be astructure portion 22 s or apart portion 22 p. In some embodiments, theportions EP engines FIGS. 1-3 . Thelayer 22 a is then transferred to thetransfer medium 44, which feeds thetransfer layer 22 a to thetransfusion assembly 40. The transfusion assembly transfuses thelayer 22 a to, for example, abottom layer 22 of thestructure 16, to form thestructure 16 shown inFIG. 6 . - In some embodiments of the method, the
structure 16 is cooled on thebuild platform 48 using thechiller 116, exemplary embodiments of which are shown inFIGS. 1 and 4 . As mentioned above, this cools thestructure 16 in preparation for the molding process. - In some embodiments of the method, the molding process is performed on the
structure 16 using thedeposition unit 14 in accordance with one or more embodiments described above. For example,molding material 20 is deposited into the one ormore cavities 18 of thelayer 22 a using thedispenser 120, as shown inFIG. 5 , to form the moldedpart portion 22 mp of thestructure 16, as shown inFIG. 7 . In some embodiments, themolding material 20 is spread over atop surface 121 of thestructure 16 and into the one ormore cavities 18 using the spreader 122 (FIG. 5 ). - In some embodiments, the
molding material 20 is deposited into the one ormore cavities 18 when themolding material 20 is in a powdered or granular state. In some embodiments, the step of forming the moldedpart portion 22 mp within the one ormore cavities 18 involves heating themolding material 20 within the cavity, such as using theheater 124 shown inFIG. 5 . In some embodiments, this heating of themolding material 20 causes themolding material 20 to soften, melt, or fuse together. In some embodiments, only a portion of themolding material 20 in thecavities 18, such as a top surface or top portion, is softened, melted, or fused together, while the remaining portion remains in its deposited condition or different condition. - In some embodiments, the
molding material 20 is deposited into the one ormore cavities 18 of thestructure 16 when in a molten state. In accordance with this embodiment, it may not be necessary to further heat themolten molding material 20, such as by usingheater 124. - In some embodiments, the
molding material 20 within the one ormore cavities 18 is pressed into the one ormore cavities 18 by a pressing device 126 (FIG. 5 ). In some embodiments, this operates to sinter themolding material 20 within the one ormore cavities 18. In some embodiments, when only the top surface or top portion of themolding material 20 within thecavities 18 is softened, melted or fused together, this pressing step causes the top portion of themolding material 20 to be sintered into thecavities 18. A post-production process may later be formed on the molded part portions of the 3D part, such as the application of heat and pressure to finalize the 3D part. For example, a moldedpart portion 22 mp may be partially fused at moderate temperatures and intermediate pressures as the 3D part is formed, then a final fuse may be performed when the part is fully assembled at higher temperature and pressure. - In some embodiments, the
molding material 20 within the one ormore cavities 18 is cooled to solidify themolding material 20 and/or return thestructure 16 to a desired temperature, such as a desired temperature for performing a transfusion process using thetransfusion assembly 40, for example. In some embodiments, this cooling step may be performed by achiller 130 shown inFIG. 1 , for example. - In some embodiments, a
top surface 128 of themolding material 20 in the one ormore cavities 18 is planarized using theplanarization device 132. This ensures a uniformtop surface 128 of themolding material 20, and can also removemolding material 20 from thetop surfaces 121 of thelayer 22 a. - In some embodiments, the
3D part 140 is produced by adding one or more EP layers 22 to the current structure 16 (FIG. 7 ) using theEP unit 12, and forming another moldedpart portion 22 mp within the one ormore cavities 18 of each of thelayers 22 using thedeposition unit 14. For example, alayer 22 b may be transfused to the top surface of thelayer 22 a using theEP unit 12 to form theexemplary structure 16 shown inFIG. 8 . Moldedpart portions 22 mp may then be formed within the one ormore cavities 18 of thelayer 22 b using thedeposition unit 14 to form thestructure 16 illustrated inFIG. 9 . Subsequently, alayer 22 c may be transfused to the top of thelayer 22 b by theEP unit 12, and moldedportions 22 mp may be formed within the one ormore cavities 18 of thelayer 22 c by performing embodiments of the molding process using thedeposition unit 14, resulting in astructure 16 shown inFIG. 10 . The completedstructure 16 may then be formed by transfusing alayer 22 d on the top surface of thelayer 22 c using theEP unit 12, and moldedportions 22 mp may be formed within the one ormore cavities 18 of thelayer 22 d by performing embodiments of the molding process using thedeposition unit 14, resulting in thestructure 16 shown inFIGS. 12 and 13 . - One alternative to this process of transfusing the
layers 22 and forming the moldedpart portions 22 mp in a layer-by-layer manner, involves building astructure 16 havingmultiple layers 22 defining the one ormore cavities 18, and molding thepart portions 22 mp within the one or more cavities using thedeposition unit 14. For example, thestructure 16 illustrated inFIG. 11 may first be formed using theEP unit 12 by developing and transfusing thelayers 22 a-22 d in a layer-by-layer manner. In some embodiments, this involves feeding thebuild structure 48 along abypass route 106 a (FIGS. 1 and 4 ), as discussed above. After themulti-layered structure 16 is formed, moldedportions 22 mp may be formed in thecavities 18 in accordance with embodiments of the molding process described above. This generally involves moving thestructure 16 to thedeposition unit 14 using thegantry 104, such as along thebuild path 106 b, depositing themolding material 20 into the one ormore cavities 18, and possibly performing other method steps, such as, for example, spreading themolding material 20 using thespreader 122, heating themolding material 20 using theheater 124, pressing themolding material 20 within thecavities 18 using thepressing device 126, cooling themolding material 20 within thecavities 18 using thechiller 130, and/or planarizing thetop surface 128 of themolding material 20 using theplanarization device 132, to form the structure shown inFIGS. 12 and 13 . - After the
structure 16 with the moldedpart portions 22 mp is completed, such as illustrated by theexemplary structure 16 ofFIGS. 12 and 13 , thestructure 16 may be removed from thesystem 10 and undergo one or more operations to reveal the completed3D part 140 formed by the moldedpart portions 22 mp and, optionally, thepart portions 22 p. For example, thesupport portions 22 s may be sacrificially removed from the3D part 140 using an aqueous-based solution such as an aqueous alkali solution. Under this technique, thesupport portions 22 s may at least partially dissolve in the solution separating thesupport portions 22 s from the 3D part in a hands-free manner. - In comparison, the molded
part portions 22 mp and thepart portions 22 p are chemically resistant to aqueous alkali solutions. This allows the use of an aqueous alkali solution for removing thesacrificial support portions 22 s without degrading the shape or quality of the3D part 140. - Furthermore, after the
support portions 22 p are removed, the3D part 140 may undergo one or more additional processes, such as surface treatment processes, a curing application such as one using ultraviolet light or heat, a sintering operation, or other process. - Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, workers skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.
Claims (20)
1. A method of producing a 3D part using an additive manufacturing system comprising steps of:
printing a layered structure having a cavity on a build platform from a powder material using at least one electrophotographic (EP) engine and a transfusion assembly;
molding a 3D part portion within the cavity including depositing molding material into the cavity using a deposition unit; and
alternating the printing and molding steps multiple times to form a 3D part.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the layered structure comprises a sacrificial support material
3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the layered structure comprises a sacrificial support material and a part material.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
depositing the molding material into the cavity comprises depositing the molding material into the cavity when the molding material is in a powdered state; and
molding a 3D part portion within the cavity comprises heating the molding material within the cavity to fuse together the molding material.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein molding the 3D part portion within the cavity further comprises pressing the molding material into the cavity.
6. The method according to claim 1 , and further comprising cooling the structure on the build platform before each molding step.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein depositing the molding material into the cavity comprises depositing the molding material into the cavity when the molding material is in a molten state.
8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein forming a 3D part portion further comprises cooling the molding material within the cavity.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein forming the 3D part portion comprises planarizing a top surface of the molding material within the cavity.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein printing the layered structure comprises:
forming at least one structure layer using the at least one EP engine;
transferring the at least one structure layer to a transfer medium; and
transfusing each structure layer on the transfer medium to a top structure layer on the build platform.
11. A method of producing a multi-material 3D part using an additive manufacturing system comprising steps of:
printing a structure having one or more layers on a build platform comprising:
forming the one or more imaged layers of powder material using two or more electrophotographic (EP) engines;
transferring the one or more layers to a transfer medium; and
sequentially transfusing each of the one or more layers on the transfer medium onto the build platform to form a layered structure having one or more cavities;
wherein the layered structure includes a sacrificial material portion and a part portion; and
forming a molded part portion within the cavity including depositing molding material into a cavity of the structure using a deposition unit; and
repeating the printing and forming steps multiple times to form a combined structure comprising a 3D part and a sacrificial support structure, wherein the 3D part includes the part portion of the layered structure and the molded part portion.
12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein:
depositing the molding material into the cavity comprises depositing the molding material into the cavity when the molding material is in a powdered state; and
forming a molded part portion within the cavity comprises heating the molding material within the cavity to fuse together the molding material.
13. The method according to claim 11 , and further comprising cooling the layered structure on the build platform before each forming step.
14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein forming a molded part portion comprises at least one of heating the molding material and pressing the molding material into the cavity.
15. An additive manufacturing system for producing 3D parts comprising:
a build platform;
an electrophotographic additive manufacturing unit comprising:
a transfer medium;
at least one EP engine configured to develop layers of a powder material and transfer the layers to the transfer medium; and
a transfusion assembly configured to build a structure having a cavity on the build platform in a layer-by-layer manner by transferring the developed layers from the transfer medium and fusing them together using heat and pressure; and
a deposition unit configured to deposit molding material into the cavity and form a molded part portion of a 3D part within the cavity.
16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the deposition unit includes a heater configured to heat the molding material within the cavity.
17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein the deposition unit includes a pressing device configured to engage a top surface of the molding material within the cavity and press the molding material into the cavity.
18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein the deposition unit comprises a spreading device configured to spread the molding material into the cavity of the structure on the build platform.
19. The system according to claim 15 , further comprising a gantry configured to feed the build platform and the structure between the electrophotographic additive manufacturing unit and the deposition unit along a build path.
20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the build path includes a by-pass route that avoids the deposition unit.
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US16/144,555 US20190022926A1 (en) | 2016-04-18 | 2018-09-27 | Electrophotography-based additive manufacturing with part molding |
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US20170299973A1 (en) | 2017-10-19 |
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