ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS AND METHODS INCLUDING ROTATING BINDER JET PRINT HEAD

• Main Authors: CILIA, Juan Pablo, DAVIS, John P, IVERSON, Jared Micheal, GRAHAM, Michael E, CARTER, William T, TUCKER, Michael R, NIETERS, Edward J
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 02.02.2022
• 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; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS, SLAG, OR MIXTURESCONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE; WORKING METALLIC POWDER; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

Methods and systems for fabricating a component by consolidating a particulate include a build platform (104, 210, 316, 606, 704) configured to receive a particulate (218), a particulate dispenser (250) configured to deposit the particulate on the build platform, and at least one print head (102, 202, 302) including at least one jet (108). The at least one print head is configured to dispense a binder through the at least one jet onto the particulate to consolidate at least a portion of the particulate and form a component (518). The methods and systems also include at least one actuator assembly (128, 130) configured to rotate at least one of the at least one print head and the build platform about a rotation axis (124, 216) extending through the build platform and move at least one of the at least one print head and the build platform in a build direction perpendicular to the build platform as part of a helical build process for the component.