DROSS EXTRACTION SYSTEM AND METHODS THEREOF

• Main Authors: Herrmann, JR., Douglas K, Sheflin, Joseph C, Praharaj, Seemit, Vankouwenberg, David Alan, LeFevre, Jason M, Hoover, Linn C, Liu, Chu-Heng
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.01.2023
• 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; CASTING; CASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; TRANSPORTING

A dross extraction system for a printer is disclosed, which includes an ejector defining an inner cavity associated therewith, the inner cavity retaining a liquid printing material. The dross extraction system also includes a first inlet coupled to the inner cavity of the ejector, a probe external to the ejector, which is selectably positionable to contact the liquid printing material to attract dross thereto, thereby extracting dross from the liquid printing material when the probe is withdrawn from the liquid printing material. A method of extracting dross from a metal jetting printer is also disclosed, which includes pausing an operation of the metal jetting printer, advancing a probe into a melt pool within a nozzle pump reservoir in the metal jetting printer, extracting dross from the metal printing material and onto the probe, retracting the probe from the nozzle pump reservoir, and resuming the operation of the metal jetting printer.