ELECTROSTATIC 3-D PRINTER COMPRISING A MECHANICAL PLANER

• Main Authors: NOWAK, William J, ALVAREZ, Jorge A, ZONA, Michael F, MCCONVILLE, Paul J, LIU, Chu-heng, CLARK, Robert A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 11.09.2019
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A three-dimensional (3-D) printer includes build and support material development stations (114, 116) positioned to transfer layers of build and support materials (102, 104) to an intermediate transfer surface (110). The intermediate transfer surface (110) transfers a layer of the build and support materials (102, 104) to a platen (118) each time the platen (118) contacts the intermediate transfer surface (110). A sensor (140) detects the thickness of the layer on the platen (118), and a mechanical planer (144) is positioned to contact and level the layer on the platen (118) as the platen (118) moves past the mechanical planer (144). Additionally, a feedback loop (142) is electrically connected to the sensor (140) and the mechanical planer (144). The mechanical planer (144) adjusts the amount of the build material and the support material (102, 104) removed from the layer based on the thickness of the layer on the platen (118), as determined by the sensor (140).