ELECTROSTATIC 3-D PRINTER CONTROLLING LAYER TOPOGRAPHY USING AEROSOL APPLICATOR

• Main Authors: NOWAK WILLIAM J, LIU CHU-HENG, JORGE A ALVAREZ, MCCONVILLE PAUL J, CLARK ROBERT A, MICHAEL F ZONA
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: 14.12.2017
• 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 methods for improving the overall accuracy and uniformity of a 3-D printed part and for reducing or eliminating dimensional inaccuracies prior to additional levels being added.SOLUTION: A 3-D printer includes build and support material development stations that electrostatically transfer a layer of build material 104 and support material 105 to an ITB. In a method, the ITB transfers a layer of build and support materials to a platen 118 each time the platen contacts one of the ITB. A sensor is positioned to generate a topographic measurement of the layer on the platen, and an aerosol applicator is positioned to propel build and support materials onto the layer on the platen. The aerosol applicator controls the build and support materials being propelled, based on the topographic measurement from the sensor through a feedback loop, by adjusting the amount and location of the build material and the support material propelled onto the layer so as to control the flatness of surface topology of the layers in the freestanding stack on the platen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7B 【課題】３Ｄ印刷部分の全体的な精度及び均一性を改善し、さらなるレベルが添加される前に寸法の不正確さを低減又は除去する方法の提供。【解決手段】ＩＴＢに造形材料１０４及び支持材料１０５の層を静電的に転写するように配置された造形及び支持材料現像ステーションを含む３Ｄプリンタ。ＩＴＢが、プラテン１１８がＩＴＢの１つに接触するたび、プラテンに造形及び支持材料の層を転写する。センサは、プラテン上の層のトポグラフィ測定値を生成するように配置され、エアロゾルアプリケータは、プラテン上の層上に造形及び支持材料を推進するように配置される。エアロゾルアプリケータは、層上に推進される造形材料及び支持材料の量及び位置を調整することで、プラテン上の独立した積層内の層の表面トポロジーの平坦性を制御するように、フィードバックループを介したセンサからのトポグラフィ測定値に基づいて、推進される造形及び支持材料を制御する方法。【選択図】図７Ｂ