HYBRID ELECTROSTATIC 3-D PRINTER USING LASER FUSING

• Main Authors: WINTERS, James A, MCCONVILLE, Paul J, LEFEVRE, Jason M, LIU, Chu-heng, RUIZ, Erwin
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 13.10.2021
• 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; CASTING; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROGRAPHY; ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY; HOLOGRAPHY; MAGNETOGRAPHY; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHYSICS; POWDER METALLURGY; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING METALLIC POWDER; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A 3-D printer includes a development station 114 positioned to electrostatically transfer layers of material to an intermediate transfer surface 110, and a transfer station 130 adjacent the intermediate transfer surface 110. The transfer station 130 is positioned to receive the layers as the intermediate transfer surface 110 moves past the transfer station 130. Also, a platen 118 is included that moves relative to the intermediate transfer surface 110. The intermediate transfer surface 110 transfers a layer 102 of the material to the platen 118 each time the platen 118 contacts one of the layers on the intermediate transfer surface 110 at the transfer station 130 to successively form a freestanding stack 106 of the layers on the platen 118. A fusing station 142 is positioned to apply light to each layer, after each layer is transferred from the transfer station 130 to the platen 118. The fusing station 142 selectively applies the light to sinter a portion of the material within the layer 102.