Apparatus and method for fabricating multi-polymer composite structures

• Main Authors: Gibson, George A, Buchar, Wayne A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 22.08.2023
• 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; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; POWDER METALLURGY; SEPARATION; 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

An additive manufacturing (AM) system manufactures composite structures having different materials in an integrated manner during a single processing process. For example, a first composite image is created on a substrate and then that image is stabilized by heat, pressure of chemical fusion not to the point of complete solid formation but enough to give the first composite image enough stability so that it is not disturbed by subsequent processing. A second image is then created on parts of the substrate not covered by the first composite image, a second powder is applied, and excess second powder that is not part of the second image is removed. The substrate may be cut into sheets that are stacked in register for consolidation and subsequent matrix removal resulting in a multi-polymer 3D object.