SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REMOVING SUPPORT STRUCTURE FROM THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTED OBJECT USING MICROWAVE ENERGY

• Main Authors: ERWIN RUIZ, DAVID K AHL, HAYS ANDREW W, RON E DUFORT, HOOVER LINN C, PATRICK J HOWE
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 25.05.2017
• 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; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; 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

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object that facilitates the removal of a support material from an object.SOLUTION: A method includes: moving an object to a position opposite to a microwave radiator 516; and operating the microwave radiator to change the phase of a support material from solid to liquid. A controller 580 monitors either the expiration of a predetermined time period or a temperature of the object to determine when operation of the microwave radiator is terminated. The microwave radiation does not damage the object because the support material has a dielectric loss factor that is greater than the dielectric loss factor of the object.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2A 【課題】物体からの支持材料の除去を容易とする３次元物体を製造する方法を提供する。【解決手段】マイクロ波放射器５１６に対向する位置まで物体を移動させることと、固体から液体へと支持材料を相変化させるようにマイクロ波放射器を動作させることとを含む。コントローラ５８０は、マイクロ波放射器の動作が終了するときを判定するために所定期間の期限又は物体の温度のいずれかを監視する。支持材料は、物体の誘電損率よりも大きい誘電損率を有することから、マイクロ波放射器は物体を損傷しない。【選択図】図２Ａ