Apparatus and method for removing powder using a flexible scraper blade and adjustable side nozzles

Abstract

An improved apparatus and method for removing powder from a web in a 3D printing device is provided. In a powder removal apparatus, a flexible blade is adapted to contact and move across a first portion of the web located between adjacent portions of the web to scrape powder from the first portion without removing powder deposited on the adjacent portions, and a pair of edge and center vacuum nozzles are also adapted to move with the flexible blade to remove powder from both edges of the first portion and from a central region of the first portion.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to improved apparatus and methods for removing powder from a substrate in an additive manufacturing (AM) system. [Background technology]

[0002] Specifically, current binder jet 3D printing requires substantially complete removal of unwanted powder that has accumulated in areas on the substrate that are not required for the device being printed on the substrate, e.g., areas of the substrate to be cut between adjacent printed layers formed on the substrate. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In one embodiment, an apparatus for removing powder from a substrate having powder deposited thereon is provided, the apparatus including a blade configured to contact and move across a first portion of the substrate located between adjacent portions of the substrate to scrape powder from the first portion without scraping powder deposited on the adjacent portions, a pair of edge vacuum nozzles, and a central vacuum nozzle located between the pair of edge vacuum nozzles, each edge vacuum nozzle and central vacuum nozzle configured to move with the blade to remove powder from both edges of the first portion and from a central region of the first portion after the powder has been scraped by the blade without removing powder deposited on the adjacent portions.

[0004] In another embodiment, an apparatus for removing powder from a web having powder deposited thereon is provided, the apparatus including a flexible blade configured to contact a first portion of the web located between a second portion of the web on one side of the first portion and a third portion of the web on the second side of the first portion opposite the second portion and move across the first portion to remove powder deposited on the first portion without removing powder deposited on the second and third portions, and a flexible blade configured to contact a first edge of the flexible blade while the flexible blade moves across the first portion and remove powder deposited on the first portion without removing powder deposited on the second and third portions. a pair of edge vacuum nozzles configured to move with the flexible blade across the first portion, including a first edge vacuum nozzle located adjacent the boundary and a second edge vacuum nozzle located adjacent a second edge of the flexible blade opposite the first edge of the flexible blade while the flexible blade moves across the first portion, the first and second edge vacuum nozzles each configured to aspirate powder scraped by the flexible blade in the first portion.

[0005] In another embodiment, a method of removing powder from a substrate having powder deposited thereon is provided comprising: moving a blade into contact with a first portion of the substrate located between adjacent portions of the substrate to scrape the powder from the first portion without scraping powder deposited on the adjacent portions; and using a pair of edge vacuum nozzles and a central vacuum nozzle located between the pair of edge vacuum nozzles to remove powder from both edges of the first portion and from a central region of the first portion after the powder has been scraped by the blade without removing powder deposited on the adjacent portions.

[0006] The drawings illustrate one or more embodiments in accordance with the present teachings, by way of example only, and not by way of limitation. In the drawings, like reference numbers refer to the same or similar elements. It should also be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1]FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a powder removal apparatus positioned above a substrate in a 3D printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of the powder removal apparatus after removing a section of powder on a substrate (web) according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 illustrates a powder removal apparatus positioned above a substrate on which powder is deposited, according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a powder removal device attached to an actuation arm according to aspects of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram of a circled portion of the powder removal device of FIG. 4 showing the range of motion of the powder removal device, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a control system configuration for controlling the operation of edge and center nozzles, according to an aspect of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer system on which aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth by way of example to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed subject matter. However, upon reading this disclosure, it may become apparent to one skilled in the art that one or more of the disclosed aspects may be practiced without such details. Furthermore, the description of various exemplary embodiments according to the present disclosure may include references to or to one or more known techniques or operations, and such references may be at a relatively high level to avoid obscuring various concepts, aspects, and features thereof with details that are not specific to the present disclosure and are not necessary to fully understand the present disclosure.

[0009] As described in related provisional application Ser. No. 63 / 299,867 (Docket No. 091520-027PRO), filed Jan. 14, 2022 by the applicant, entitled “Printing Method and Apparatus for Additive Manufacturing, Including In-situ Powder Regeneration,” a platform for additive manufacturing (AM) has been developed that is a modular base machine that builds each layer separately. Each individual layer passes through several stations, each station having a unique function. One of these stations involves powder removal at an early stage of the process, prior to lubrication / wetting and compaction of the powder, as well as prior to segmentation of the substrate on which the powder layer is formed. Accordingly, disclosed herein are methods and apparatus that are particularly adapted to the new platform described in the above-referenced related application. Specifically, in the platform described in this related application, due to the nature of the platform, portions of the powder layer can be removed to facilitate segmentation of the substrate on which the remaining portions of the powder layer are formed, according to the overall operation described in the above-referenced related application.

[0010] With reference to Figure 1, a powder removal head 10 is shown. As described below with reference to Figure 2, the powder removal head 10 is configured to pass over a substrate 12, e.g., a web, on which a powder 14 has been deposited, to remove a portion of the powder 14 from the web 12. This may be useful in situations where it is desirable to clean a portion of the web 12 by removing the powder 14 from that portion of the web, for example, between adjacent portions of the web where the powder 14 remains for further processing by a 3D printer to form a printed layer. The following description is provided for convenience with respect to a substrate 12 that is a web, although it should be noted that other substrate configurations may be used as desired.

[0011] Figure 2 shows a practical application of the present disclosure in which powder removal head 10 moves across a first portion 16 of web 12 to remove powder 14 from a strip between a second portion 18 of the web on one side of the first portion 16 and a third portion 20 of the web on the opposite side of the first portion 16. As can be seen from Figure 2, powder remains on the second and third portions of the web for further processing in the 3D printer, but the powder is completely removed from the first strip portion of the web by elements of the powder removal head described below with respect to the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Referring again to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the powder removal head 10 includes a blade 22 sandwiched between an upper plate 24 and a lower plate 26. The blade 22 may be flexible, as shown in FIG. 1, or in an alternative embodiment, may be non-flexible. In embodiments in which a non-flexible blade is used, the blade 22 may be hinged at the end opposite the portion that contacts the web 12 to provide movement to accommodate blade movement, if desired, to move vertically to accommodate surface irregularities as it moves across the surface of the substrate 12 (e.g., web). The following description relates to the use of a flexible blade 22, but it should be understood that the description also applies to a non-flexible blade.

[0013] Powder removal head 10 also includes a pair of edge vacuum nozzles 30 and 32 positioned adjacent opposing edges of flexible blade 22, and a center vacuum nozzle 34 positioned between the pair of edge vacuum nozzles 30 and 32 and adjacent the bottom of flexible blade 22. As seen in FIG. 1, a small end, hereafter referred to as tip 36, of flexible blade 22 extends beyond the bottom ends of the upper and lower plates. This tip 36 of flexible blade 22 is the only portion of flexible blade 22 that contacts web 12 upon which powder 14 is deposited. The amount that tip 36 of flexible blade 22 extends beyond upper and lower plates 24 and 26 can vary based on the particular powder 14 being deposited, for example depending on powder size.

[0014] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the flexible blade 22 can be made of a soft "squeegee" style material sandwiched between two plates (e.g., top plate 24 and bottom plate 26 shown in FIG. 1), although other relatively soft flexible materials can be used. Because the tip 36 of the squeegee style flexible blade 22 is the only material that touches the web 12, the material used for the flexible blade 22 should be selected as a material that prevents damage to the web 12 as the tip 36 of the flexible blade 22 scrapes against the web 12 to remove the powder 14 from the web at the desired first portion 16 (see FIG. 2). The material selected for use as the flexible blade 22 may also depend on the particular chemical nature of the powder 14, and it is desirable to select a blade material to which the powder does not adhere or react. Typically, the web 12 can be formed of a Mylar material, although other materials can be used. The two plates 24 and 26 provide rigidity to the squeegee material (or other soft material) so that it does not collapse as it moves forward to scrape along the web 12. The upper and lower plates 24 and 26 may be formed, for example, of a metal or a hard plastic material. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the upper and lower plates 24 and 26 are substantially rigid, or at least substantially less flexible than the flexible blade 22. The two plates 24 and 26 may also be configured to facilitate replacing the flexible blade 22 as needed.

[0015] 1, two edge vacuum nozzles (or tubes) 30 and 32 control edge vacuum suction of powder along the edge of the first portion of web 12 from which powder 14 is being stripped (see, e.g., FIG. 2). In other words, edge vacuum nozzles 30 and 32 suck powder 14 at the interface between first portion 16 of web and adjacent second portion 18 and third portion 20 of web 12, where powder 14 is scraped off by tip 36 of flexible blade 22 as it passes over first portion 16 of web. Center vacuum nozzle 34 removes all of the remaining powder 14 on first portion 16 of web 12 that was loosened and scraped off by extended tip 36 of flexible blade 22 as it passes over first portion 16 of web 12. FIG. 2 illustrates the removal of powder 14 in one pass of powder removal head 10 across first portion 16 of web 14. As shown in FIG. 2, powder 14 is completely removed from web 12 (e.g., Mylar) in just one pass, but powder 14 remains in adjacent second and third portions 18 and 20 of web 12, and the powder 14 in these regions can then be processed in a 3D printer.

[0016] In operation, as the flexible blade 22 passes over the surface of the substrate 12, the powder 14 is pushed towards the center nozzle 34 as well as the edge nozzles 30 and 32, and due to the flowability of the powder 14, the displaced powder may tend to "pile up" at the edges (see FIG. 3). The edge nozzles 30 and 32 are positioned and oriented to capture some, if not substantially all, of the displaced powder 14. The edge nozzles 30 and 32 may be moved / oriented individually and independently, and the vacuum pressure may be modified for these edge nozzles 30 and 32 to be different from the vacuum pressure of the center vacuum nozzle 34. In other words, the vacuum provided by the edge vacuum nozzles 30 and 32 may be greater or less than the vacuum applied by the center vacuum nozzle 34, depending on the requirements to adequately vacuum the powder 14 in both the center and edge regions of the first portion 16 of the web 12. To this end, as shown in FIG. 1, each of the edge vacuum nozzles 30 and 32 has its own separate vacuum tube to which it is connected. The center vacuum nozzle 34 is also connected to its own vacuum tube. Thus, each of the edge vacuum nozzles 30 and 32 and the center vacuum nozzle 34 can be controlled independently of one another to have the optimum vacuum for the particular powder 14 being used.

[0017] Each of the nozzles 30, 32, and 34 may be configured to operate independently of the others. For example, each nozzle 30, 32, and 34 may include an assembly for independently varying the size of the diameter of the aperture or opening of the respective nozzle, thereby adjusting the flow through the nozzle to allow independent control of the pick-up speed of each of the nozzles. In one embodiment, the diameter variation may be adjustable in predetermined increments, with a predetermined nozzle diameter value based on a powder characteristic or parameter, such as, for example, particle size, particle density, or particle weight. In another embodiment, the nozzle diameter may be dynamically adjustable, allowing conditions to be met at the nozzle opening or aperture to provide the required pick-up speed. The pick-up speed is the flow rate required to pick up the powder particles, including the "excess" powder that accumulates at the edge as the flexible blade pushes the powder, and also takes into account the speed at which the nozzle moves across the substrate.

[0018] In order to pick up substantially all of the "excess" powder 14, referring to FIG. 3, the pick-up speed takes into account one or more of the width of the excess powder at the edge (W1, W2), the height of the powder at the edge (H1, H2), and the properties or parameters of the powder 14 itself, such as the thickness of the powder 14. The central vacuum nozzle 34 may comprise one opening or aperture, or may comprise a number of individual nozzles that together form the central vacuum nozzle 34. One or more sensors (S1, S2, S3) located on or near the nozzles 30, 32, and 34, respectively, may be used to determine the height of the excess powder 14 or the width of the excess powder 14. As described below with respect to FIG. 6, this information or data may be fed back to the control system 600 to facilitate independent adjustment of one or more of: (1) the size of the diameter of one or more nozzles, (2) the vertical distance of the nozzle from the substrate, and (3) the angle of the nozzle orientation relative to the substrate (α1, α2). The combination of different nozzles 30, 32 and 34 with flexible blade 22 allows for a clear boundary between powder on adjacent second and third portions 18 and 20 of web 12 while providing a "clean" strip on first portion 16 of the web, as shown in FIG. 2.

[0019] With reference to Figures 4 and 5, the powder removal head 10 is attached to an actuator arm 38 that allows the powder removal head 10 to slide back and forth across the web (substrate) 12. This action of removing the powder 14 from the first portion 16 of the web 12 can be done in a single pass in a matter of seconds. In one configuration, the movement of the actuator arm 38 can be associated with the operation of a vacuum source (not shown), thereby facilitating that the vacuuming action is performed only when the actuator arm 38 is moving (and moving in a particular direction), potentially for a predetermined time after its movement has ended. The linear powder removal shown for the first portion 16 in Figure 2 makes it easier to cut the web at a particular area between two adjacent areas. This can be useful, for example, to separate devices that are formed on adjacent areas such as the second and third portions shown in Figure 2. It will be apparent that the powder removal may be performed in a geometry other than a straight line, with the actuator arm 38 guiding the movement of the powder removal head 10 as needed. Another advantage of the present disclosure is that it allows this powder removal without any vibration being transmitted to the web surface.

[0020] 4 and 5, another advantage of the present disclosure is that it allows for movement of powder removal head 10 in various directions, such as X, Y, and Z, as well as angular rotation (e.g., tilting powder removal head 10 up and down or left and right). Note that powder 14 removed from the center of first portion 16 (see FIG. 2) by center vacuum nozzle 34 and from the edges of first portion 16 by edge vacuum nozzles 30 and 32 may be drawn through separate vacuum tubes to which each nozzle 30, 32, and 34 is connected and deposited into one or more containers.

[0021] According to another aspect of the invention, the powder removal head 10 can be lowered (in the Y direction) onto the surface of the substrate 12, operated to remove powder 14 from a defined powder area, and lifted off the surface (in the opposite Y direction).

[0022] In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, powder removal head 10 includes only one edge vacuum nozzle, with or without a center vacuum nozzle. In this configuration, the single edge vacuum nozzle aspirates powder 14 along a single boundary of the powder field, producing a web of clean area adjacent the edge of the powder field.

[0023] Additionally, it is noted that in order to obtain a substantially straight line across the surface of substrate 12 (e.g., a web) that is substantially perpendicular to the edge of the substrate, in one embodiment, the motion of the substrate can be stopped to allow powder removal head 10 to move across substrate 12 and then resumed after passing powder removal head 10. In an alternative embodiment, based on the speed of the moving substrate 12, the approach angle and movement speed of powder removal head 10 can be adjusted such that the powder 14 removed is a strip that is substantially perpendicular to the side of the web as the substrate traverses substrate 12 from one side to the other while it is moving.

[0024] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of a control system 600 for controlling the operation of the edge nozzles 30 and 32 and the center nozzle 34, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Specifically, as described above with respect to FIG. 3, the control system 600 includes sensors S1, S2, and S3, a computer system 610 (see, e.g., FIG. 7), a first side nozzle controller 620 for controlling the operation of the first side nozzle 30, a second side nozzle controller 622 for controlling the operation of the second side nozzle 32, and a center nozzle controller 624 for controlling the operation of the center nozzle 34. The sensors S1 and S2 each sense powder parameters such as the height and width of the pile or mound of powder at the edge of the chipped portion, as well as one or more of (1) the size of the diameter of one or more of the nozzles, (2) the vertical distance of the nozzle from the substrate, and (3) the orientation angle of the nozzle with respect to the substrate (α1, α2). The sensor S3 senses this same information regarding the center nozzle 34 and any powder below it. The sensed information is transmitted to computer system 610 (see, e.g., FIG. 7 ), and based on the processing performed by computer system 610, computer system 610 provides control signals to controllers 620, 622, and 624 to control the operation of nozzles 30, 32, and 34, respectively. Although not shown in FIG. 6 , control system 600 can also control actuators 38 to control the operation of powder removal head 10.

[0025] Figure 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer system 610 shown in Figure 6, in which aspects of the disclosure may be implemented. The computer system 610 may include a bus 702 or other communication mechanism for communicating information, and a processor 704 coupled to the bus 702 for processing information. The computer system 700 may also include a main memory 706, such as a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus 702 for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor 704. The main memory 706 may also be used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions to be executed by the processor 704.

[0026] Computer system 610 may further include a read only memory (ROM) 708 or other static storage device coupled to bus 702 for storing static information and instructions for processor 704. A storage device 710, such as a flash memory or other non-volatile memory, may be coupled to bus 702 for storing information and instructions.

[0027] The computer system 610 may be coupled via bus 702 to a display 712, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), for displaying information. One or more user input devices, such as exemplary user input device 714, may be coupled to bus 702 and configured to receive various user inputs, such as user command selections, and communicate these to the processor 704 or main memory 706. The user input device 714 may include physical structures, or virtual implementations, or both, that provide user input modes or options, and cursor control 716, for example, for controlling a cursor, that is visible to a user through the display 712 or through other techniques; such modes or operations may include, for example, a virtual mouse, trackball, or cursor direction keys.

[0028] The computer system 610 may include resources of each of the processors 704 executing their respective program instructions in an overlapping or interleaved manner. Instructions may be read into the main memory 706 from another machine-readable medium, such as the storage device 710. In some examples, hard-wired circuitry may be used in place of or in combination with software instructions. The term "machine-readable medium" as used herein refers to any medium involved in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific manner. Such media may take forms including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as the storage device 710. Transmission media may include optical paths, or electrical or acoustic signal propagation paths, and may include acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio and infrared data communications, capable of carrying instructions detectable by a physical mechanism for input to a machine.

[0029] The computer system 610 also includes a communication interface 718 coupled to the bus 702 for a two-way data communication coupling to a network link 720 that is connected to a local network 722. The network link 720 may provide data communication through one or more networks to other data devices. For example, the network link 720 may provide a connection through the local network 722 to a host computer 724 or to data equipment operated by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 726 to access a server 730 through the Internet 728 to, for example, obtain application program code.

[0030] It should be noted that while the above description has been presented primarily with respect to removing powder in a 3D printing environment, the apparatus and methods of the present disclosure are not limited to only powder removal for 3D printers; they may be used in any situation where it is desirable to remove powder from a portion of a substrate while leaving powder on an adjacent portion of the substrate, with a clear boundary between the portion where the powder is removed and the portion where the powder remains.

[0031] Further features, characteristics and advantages of the present invention are described by subsections below.

[0032] Item 1: An apparatus for removing powder from a substrate having powder deposited thereon is provided, the apparatus including a blade configured to contact and move across a first portion of the substrate located between adjacent portions of the substrate to scrape powder from the first portion without scraping powder deposited on the adjacent portions, a pair of edge vacuum nozzles, and a central vacuum nozzle located between the pair of edge vacuum nozzles, each edge vacuum nozzle and central vacuum nozzle configured to move with the blade to remove powder from both edges of the first portion and from a central region of the first portion without removing powder deposited on the adjacent portions after the powder has been scraped by the blade.

[0033] Item 2: An apparatus for removing powder from a web having powder deposited thereon, comprising: a flexible blade configured to contact a first portion of the web located between a second portion of the web on one side of the first portion and a third portion of the web on the second side of the first portion opposite the second portion and move across the first portion to remove powder deposited on the first portion without removing powder deposited on the second and third portions; and a flexible blade configured to be positioned adjacent a first edge of the flexible blade and adjacent a boundary between the first and second portions of the web while the flexible blade moves across the first portion. An apparatus is provided that includes a pair of edge vacuum nozzles configured to move with the flexible blade across the first portion, including a first edge vacuum nozzle and a second edge vacuum nozzle located adjacent a second edge of the flexible blade opposite the first edge of the flexible blade while the flexible blade moves across the first portion and adjacent a boundary of the first and third portions of the web, the first and second edge vacuum nozzles each configured to aspirate powder scraped by the flexible blade in the first portion.

[0034] Item 3: The device of item 2, further comprising a central vacuum nozzle disposed adjacent to the flexible blade and configured to move with the flexible blade across the first portion, the central vacuum nozzle being disposed between the first edge vacuum nozzle and the second edge vacuum nozzle and configured to aspirate powder scraped by the flexible blade in the first portion between boundaries of the first portion and the second and third portions.

[0035] Item 4: The device according to item 2 or 3, further comprising a pair of plates disposed on either side of the flexible blade, the pair of plates being configured to sandwich the flexible blade therebetween.

[0036] Item 5: The device according to any one of Items 2 to 4, wherein each of the pair of plates is made of a material less flexible than the flexible blade.

[0037] Item 6: The apparatus of any one of items 2 to 5, wherein the flexible blade is positioned between the pair of plates including a tip portion of the flexible blade that extends beyond lower edges of the pair of plates such that only the extending tip portion of the flexible blade contacts the first portion of the web.

[0038] Item 7: The device of any one of items 2-6, wherein the flexible blade is constructed from a squeegee style material.

[0039] Item 8: The apparatus of any one of claims 2-7, wherein the flexible blade, the pair of edge vacuum nozzles, the center vacuum nozzle, and the pair of plates comprise a powder removal head, the powder removal head coupled to an actuator arm configured to move the powder removal head across a first portion of the web.

[0040] Item 9: The apparatus of item 8, wherein the powder removal head is coupled to an actuator arm to enable the powder removal head to move in X and Y directions and rotate angularly relative to the web.

[0041] Item 10: The apparatus of items 8 or 9, wherein the powder removal head is coupled to an actuator arm such that the powder removal head can move in the Z direction.

[0042] Item 11: The apparatus of item 1, wherein the substrate is comprised of a flexible web.

[0043] Item 12: The device according to items 1 or 11, wherein the blade is flexible.

[0044] Item 13: The device according to items 1 or 11, wherein the blade is inflexible.

[0045] Item 14: The apparatus of any one of items 1, 11-13, wherein the blade is hinged at an end opposite the end that contacts the substrate, allowing movement on the blade vertically above the surface of the substrate as the blade moves across the surface of the substrate.

[0046] Item 15: The apparatus of any one of items 1 to 14, wherein each edge vacuum nozzle is configured to operate independently.

[0047] Item 16: The apparatus of any one of items 1 to 15, wherein each of the edge vacuum nozzles comprises an opening of variable diameter.

[0048] Item 17: The apparatus according to any one of Items 1, 11 to 16, wherein the orientation angle of each of the edge vacuum nozzles is configured to be independently adjustable with respect to the substrate.

[0049] Item 18: The apparatus of any one of items 1-17, further including a control system and one or more sensors associated with the edge vacuum nozzles, wherein data from the one or more sensors provides information to the control system, thereby facilitating dynamic adjustment of one or more of: (1) a diameter size of one or more of the nozzles, (2) a vertical distance of the nozzles from the substrate, and (3) an angle of orientation of at least one of the edge nozzles.

[0050] Item 19: The apparatus of item 18, wherein the data from the one or more sensors includes one or more of a width of the powder at at least one of the edges of the powder, a height of the powder at at least one of the edges, and a parameter of the powder.

[0051] Item 20: A method of removing powder from a substrate having powder deposits thereon, comprising contacting and moving a blade across a first portion of the substrate located between adjacent portions of the substrate to scrape the powder from the first portion without scraping powder deposited on the adjacent portions, and using a pair of edge vacuum nozzles and a central vacuum nozzle located between the pair of edge vacuum nozzles to remove powder from both edges of the first portion and from a central region of the first portion after the powder has been scraped by the blade without removing powder deposited on the adjacent portions.

[0052] Item 21: The method of item 20, wherein the blade, the pair of edge vacuum nozzles, and the center vacuum nozzle comprise a powder removal head, and the method further includes moving the powder removal head over a first portion of the substrate via the actuator arm.

[0053] Item 22: The method of item 20, wherein the blade is hinged at an end opposite the end that contacts the substrate, and the method further comprises moving the blade vertically above the surface of the substrate as the blade moves across the surface of the substrate.

[0054] Item 23: The method of item 20, further comprising operating the center vacuum nozzle and each edge vacuum nozzle independently of one another.

[0055] Item 24: The method of item 20, further comprising sensing data from the center vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzle via sensors associated with the center vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzle, the data from the sensors providing information to a control system to provide dynamic adjustment of one or more of: (1) a diameter size of one or more of the center vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzle, (2) a vertical distance of the one or more of the center vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzle from the substrate, and (3) an angle of orientation of at least one of the center vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzle relative to the substrate.

[0056] Item 25: The method of item 24, wherein the data from the one or more sensors includes one or more of a width of the powder at at least one of the edges of the powder, a height of the powder at at least one of the edges, and a parameter of the powder.

[0057] Although various embodiments have been described, the description is intended to be illustrative rather than limiting, and it is understood that many more embodiments are possible that are within the scope of the embodiments. Although many possible combinations of features are shown in the accompanying drawings and discussed in this detailed description, many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Any feature of any embodiment may be used in combination with or in place of any other feature or element in any other embodiment, unless specifically limited thereto. Thus, it will be understood that any of the features shown and / or discussed in this disclosure may be implemented together in any suitable combination.

[0058] While the above has described what is believed to be the best mode and / or other examples, it will be understood that various modifications can be made therein and that the subject matter disclosed herein can be embodied in a variety of forms and examples and that the teachings can be applied to numerous applications, only a few of which are described herein.

[0059] Unless otherwise indicated, all measurements, values, ratings, positions, dimensions, sizes, and other specifications set forth herein are approximate and not exact, and are intended to have a reasonable range consistent with the functions to which they relate and that which is customary in the art to which they pertain.

[0060] It will be understood that the terms and expressions used herein have the ordinary meanings given to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective fields of study and research, unless a specific meaning is otherwise set forth herein. Relative terms such as first and second may be used merely to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that includes a list of elements may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus, rather than including only those elements. An element preceded by "a" or "an" does not, without further constraints, preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for removing powder from a substrate having powder deposited thereon, comprising: a blade configured to contact an eleventh portion of the substrate located between adjacent portions of the substrate and move across the first portion to scrape powder from the first portion without scraping powder deposited on the adjacent portions; a pair of edge vacuum nozzles and a central vacuum nozzle disposed between the pair of edge vacuum nozzles; the edge vacuum nozzles and the center vacuum nozzle are configured to move with the blade to remove the powder from both edges of the first portion and from a central region of the first portion after the powder has been scraped by the blade without removing powder deposited on the adjacent portions.

2. 1. An apparatus for removing powder from a powder-laden web, comprising: a flexible blade configured to contact a first portion of the web between a second portion of the web on one side of the first portion and a third portion of the web on a second side of the first portion opposite the second portion and move across the first portion to remove powder deposited on the first portion without removing powder deposited on the second and third portions; a pair of edge vacuum nozzles configured to move with the flexible blade across the first portion; The edge vacuum nozzle comprises: a first edge vacuum nozzle positioned adjacent a first edge of the flexible blade and adjacent a boundary between the first and second portions of the web while the flexible blade moves across the first portion; a second edge vacuum nozzle positioned adjacent a second edge of the flexible blade opposite the first edge of the flexible blade while the flexible blade moves across the first portion and adjacent a boundary between the first and third portions of the web; the first and second edge vacuum nozzles being configured to respectively aspirate powder scraped by the flexible blade in the first portion.

3. a central vacuum nozzle disposed adjacent to the flexible blade and configured to move with the flexible blade across the first portion; 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the central vacuum nozzle is disposed between the first edge vacuum nozzle and the second edge vacuum nozzle and configured to aspirate powder scraped by the flexible blade in the first portion between a boundary of the first portion with the second portion and a boundary of the third portion.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , comprising a pair of plates disposed on either side of the flexible blade, the pair of plates configured to sandwich the flexible blade therebetween.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein each of the pair of plates is constructed from a material that is less flexible than the flexible blade.

6. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flexible blade is positioned between the pair of plates with a tip portion of the flexible blade extending beyond lower edges of the pair of plates, and wherein only the extended tip portion of the flexible blade contacts the first portion of the web.

7. The device of claim 2 , wherein the flexible blade is constructed from a squeeze style material.

8. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the flexible blade, the pair of edge vacuum nozzles, the center vacuum nozzle, and the pair of plates comprise a powder removal head coupled to an actuator arm configured to move the powder removal head across the first portion of the web.

9. 10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the powder removal head is coupled to the actuator arm to enable the powder removal head to move in X and Y directions and rotate angularly relative to the web.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the powder removal head is coupled to the actuator arm such that the powder removal head can move in a Z direction.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a flexible web.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the blade is flexible.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the blade is inflexible.

14. 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the blade is hinged at an end opposite the end that contacts the substrate, allowing for movement of the blade vertically above the surface of the substrate as the blade moves across the surface of the substrate.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein each edge vacuum nozzle is configured to operate independently.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein each of the edge vacuum nozzles comprises a variable diameter opening.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, wherein the angle of orientation of each of the edge vacuum nozzles is configured to be independently adjustable relative to the substrate or web.

18. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a control system and one or more sensors associated with the edge vacuum nozzles, wherein data from the one or more sensors provides information to the control system to facilitate dynamic adjustment of one or more of: (1) a diameter size of one or more of the nozzles, (2) a vertical distance of the nozzles from the substrate, and (3) an angle of orientation of at least one of the edge nozzles relative to the substrate or web.

19. 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the data from the one or more sensors includes one or more of a powder width at at least one of the edges of the powder, a powder height at at least one of the edges, and a parameter of the powder.

20. 1. A method for removing powder from a substrate having powder deposited thereon, comprising: moving a blade across a first portion of the substrate between adjacent portions of the substrate to contact and scrape powder from the first portion without scraping powder deposited on the adjacent portions; and using a pair of edge vacuum nozzles and a central vacuum nozzle located between the pair of edge vacuum nozzles to remove powder from both edges of the first portion and a central region of the first portion without removing powder deposited on the adjacent portions after the powder has been scraped by the blade.

21. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the blade, the pair of edge vacuum nozzles, and the center vacuum nozzle comprise a powder removal head, the method further comprising moving the powder removal head across the first portion of the substrate via an actuator arm.

22. 22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the blade is hinged at an end opposite the end that contacts the substrate, the method further comprising moving the blade vertically above a surface of the substrate as the blade moves across the surface of the substrate.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising operating the center vacuum nozzle and each edge vacuum nozzle independently of one another.

24. sensing data from the center vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzle via sensors associated with the center vacuum nozzle and the edge vacuum nozzle; 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the data from the sensors provides information to a control system to provide dynamic adjustment of one or more of: (1) a diameter size of one or more of the center vacuum nozzles and the edge vacuum nozzles; (2) a vertical distance of the one or more of the center vacuum nozzles and the edge vacuum nozzles from the substrate; and (3) an angle of orientation of at least one of the center vacuum nozzles and the edge vacuum nozzles relative to the substrate.

25. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the data from the one or more sensors includes one or more of a powder width at at least one of the edges of the powder, a powder height at at least one of the edges, and a parameter of the powder.

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