Devices and methods for facilitating multi-chemistry additive manufacturing

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing systems may include a build platform and a print head adjacent to the build platform. The print head may be configured to deposit a plurality of different liquid formulations over the build platform. Methods of making 3D printing systems may include positioning a print head adjacent to a build platform, with a first fluid supply and a second fluid supply coupled to the print head, facilitating deposition of a plurality of different liquid formulations from the print head over the build platform. Methods of additive manufacturing may include providing a first liquid formulation and a second liquid formulation to a print head of a 3D printing system, and selectively disposing the first liquid formulation and the second liquid formulation in a single pass to form layers of a 3D object. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also included.

Description

Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application DEVICES AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING MULTI-CHEMISTRY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] The present Application for Patent claims priority to Provisional Application No. 63 / 615,686 entitled “DEVICES AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING MULTI-CHEMISTRY ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING” filed December 28, 2023, and to Provisional Application No. 63 / 615,495 entitled “INTEGRATED WAX AND CERAMIC SINGLE-PASS PRINTER” filed December 28, 2023, both of which are assigned to the assignee hereof and are both hereby expressly incorporated by reference herein. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The technology discussed below relates generally to three-dimensional printing, and more specifically to methods and devices for facilitating multi-chemistry additive manufacturing in three-dimensional printing. BACKGROUND

[0003] Three-dimensional (3D) printing, which may also be referred to as additive manufacturing, has become common in modern manufacturing processes. One example of a 3D printer is a 3D binder jet printer that can be used for making ceramic, metal, or sand-based parts. Typical 3D binder jet printers employ layering techniques to form successive thin cross-sections of a desired article. The individual cross-sections are formed by bonding together adjacent grains of a granular material on a generally planar surface of a bed of the granular material. Each layer is bonded to a previously formed layer to form the desired 3D article at the same time as the grains of each layer are bonded together. Such 3D printers can create parts directly from computer- generated design data and can produce parts having complex geometries. Moreover, 3D printing can be quicker and less expensive than machining of prototype parts or production of cast or molded parts by conventional "hard" or "soft" tooling techniques, that can take from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity of the desired article.

[0004] Improvements to one or more aspects of such 3D binder jet printers may be beneficial.Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application BRIEF SUMMARY OF SOME EXAMPLES

[0005] The following summarizes some aspects of the present disclosure to provide a basic understanding of the discussed technology. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated features of the disclosure, and is intended neither to identify key or critical elements of all aspects of the disclosure nor to delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of one or more aspects of the disclosure in summary form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.

[0006] Various examples and implementations of the present disclosure facilitate additive manufacturing utilizing more than one liquid formulations.

[0007] One or more aspects of the present disclosure include 3D printing systems. In one or more examples, a 3D printing system may include a build platform and a print head moveably positionable adjacent to the build platform. The print head may be configured to deposit a plurality of different liquid formulations over the build platform to form a 3D object.

[0008] Additional aspects of the present disclosure include methods of making 3D printing systems. In one or more implementations, such methods may include providing a build platform. A print head may be positioned adjacent to the build platform. A first fluid supply and a second fluid supply may each be coupled to the print head. The print head may be configured to dispose a plurality of different liquid formulations provided from the first fluid supply and the second fluid supply over the build platform to form a 3D object.

[0009] Yet additional aspects of the present disclosure include methods of additive manufacturing. According to one or more implementations, such methods may include providing a first liquid formulation to a print head of a 3D printing system. A second liquid formulation may also be provided to the print head of the 3D printing system. The print head may be controlled to move across a build platform while selectively disposing the first liquid formulation and the second liquid formulation in a single pass to form layers of a 3D object.

[0010] Other aspects, features, and embodiments associated with the present disclosure will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing the following description in conjunction with the accompanying figures.Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application DRAWINGS

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of an additive manufacturing 3D printing system according to at least one example.

[0012] FIG. 2 is a conceptual figure of at least one example of a 3D article formed utilizing a 3D printing system of the present disclosure.

[0013] FIG. 3 is a conceptual figure of at least one example of a 3D article formed utilizing a 3D printing system of the present disclosure.

[0014] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating at least one example of a method of making a 3D printing system.

[0015] FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating at least one example of a method of additive manufacturing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0016] The description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations and is not intended to represent the only configurations in which the concepts and features described herein may be practiced. The following description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well known circuits, structures, techniques and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid obscuring the described concepts and features.

[0017] The illustrations presented herein are, in some instances, not actual views of any particular 3D printing system, print head, or printed article, but are merely idealized representations which are employed to describe the present disclosure. Additionally, elements common between figures may retain the same numerical designation.

[0018] Various embodiments of the present disclosure include 3D printing systems. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a 3D printing system 100. Generally speaking, the 3D printing system 100 shown in FIG. 1 may be used to form an article 102. The article 102 may be a three-dimensional composition including a plurality of materials, as will be described in more detail herein. The 3D printing system 100 generally includes a build platform 104 and a print head 106.Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application

[0019] The print head 106 can be movable across the build platform 104 and / or can be stationary. In some embodiments, the print head 106 includes one or more orifices through which a liquid formulation can be delivered from the print head 106 to each layer of the article 102 along the build platform 104. According to aspects of the present disclosure, the print head 106 may be arranged to expel a plurality of different liquid formulations from the one or more orifices of the print head 106. As such, a first liquid formulation supply 105 and a second liquid formulation supply 107 may each be coupled with the print head 106 to provide a respective liquid formulation to the print head 106. Some examples of liquid formulations may include binder compositions, ceramic materials, and / or other refractory materials. By way of example and not limitation, binder compositions may include waxes, resins, solvents, and / or carrier fluids loaded with particles of one or more materials. By way of example and not limitation, a liquid formulation in the form of a ceramic material may include ceramic particles loaded in a curable binder. The print head 106 may include many heads in line that scan back and forth over the area of the build platform 104, or the print head 106 may be a series of print bars to enable single pass production. The carrier fluids for a slurry and binder may be solvents, reactive resins, waxes, or some combination thereof.

[0020] In general, the print head 106 may be controlled to deliver the two or more liquid formulations to the build platform 104 in predetermined two-dimensional patterns, with each pattern corresponding to a respective layer of the three-dimensional article 102. In at least some embodiments, two or more supplies of different liquid formulations may be coupled with the print head 106 such that each respective liquid formulation may be provided to the print head 106 simultaneously. In at least some embodiments, one or more orifices may be employed to deposit a first liquid formulation, while one or more different orifices may be employed to deposit a second different liquid formulation for a two-dimensional pattern for a single layer. In other embodiments, one or more orifices may be configured to selectively deposit each of the different liquid formulations by selectively depositing a first liquid formulation for a portion of a two- dimensional pattern for a respective layer and a second liquid formulation for another portion of the two-dimensional pattern for the same respective layer.

[0021] In this manner, the delivery of the respective liquid formulations associated with each layer may be a printing operation in which the various liquid formulation materials in each respective layer of the three-dimensional composition is selectively joined along the predetermined two-dimensional layers. Accordingly, the multiple liquid formulations can be applied to each layerAttorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application at the same time, or during a single pass of the print head 106. Although, it should be understood that some embodiments may be configured to apply the multiple liquid formulations to each layer in more than one pass of the print head 106 for each layer, such as if the print head 106 uses the same orifice to apply two different liquid formulations.

[0022] According to various implementations, the 3D printing system 100 may be configured to deposit liquid formulations directly onto the build platform 104 without the use of a powder bed. In other implementation, the 3D printing system 100 may be configured to utilize a build platform 104 implemented as a powder bed to deposit liquid formulations on layers of granular material.

[0023] In embodiments of the 3D printing system 100 configured to deposit liquid formulations directly onto the build platform 104 without the use of a powder bed, a liquid formulation including a binder composition such as liquid wax or other investment materials may be provided by a wax (or resin) fluid supply to one or more orifices of the print head 106. Concurrently, a different liquid formulation comprised of ceramic or other refractory materials may be provided by a ceramic fluid supply to one or more orifices of the print head 106. In one or more examples, the print head 106 may be equipped with inkjet nozzles for depositing both the binder composition and the ceramic material. As noted previously, the different liquid formulations may be simultaneously deposited by the print head 106 according to the predetermined two-dimensional patterns for each respective layer of the three-dimensional article 102, or the different liquid formulations may be deposited at different times by the print head 106 for each respective layer of the three-dimensional article 102.

[0024] In embodiments of the 3D printing system 100 utilizing a powder bed, the 3D printing system 100 may be configured to form the article 102 from a granular material 108. In such embodiments, the article 102 may be a three-dimensional composition, formed with a plurality of binder compositions and a granular material.

[0025] In such embodiments, the 3D printing system 100 utilizing a granular material 108 may include a powder deposition mechanism 109. The powder deposition mechanism 109 may include a spreader 110 and a supply 112 of granular material, with the build platform 104 configured as a powder bed. The powder deposition mechanism 109 may be operated to deposit a layer of granular material by depositing granular material 108 onto the build platform 104.

[0026] The spreader 110 may be movable to deposit the layer of granular material onto the build platform 104. In some embodiments, the spreader 110 may move independent of the print headAttorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application 106, while other embodiments may employ a spreader 110 coupled with the print head 106 such that the spreader 110 and print head 106 move together.

[0027] The print head 106 may be controlled to deliver liquid such as two or more liquid formulations (e.g., two or more binder compositions), to the powder bed in predetermined two- dimensional patterns, with each pattern corresponding to a respective layer of the three- dimensional article 102. In this manner, the delivery of the respective liquid formulations (e.g., binder compositions) associated with each layer may be a printing operation in which the various materials in each respective layer of the three-dimensional composition is selectively joined along the predetermined two-dimensional layers. After each layer of the three-dimensional composition is formed, the platform 114 may be moved down and a new layer of granular material 108 deposited, binder compositions again applied to the new granular material 104, etc. until the object has been formed.

[0028] The 3D printing system 100 may further include a controller 118 in electrical communication with one or more other system components. For instance, the controller 118 may be in electrical communication with the print head 106, the build platform 104, supplies of various liquid formulations, the supply 112 of granular material, and / or the spreader 110, according to the various embodiments.

[0029] A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium 120 may be in communication with the controller 118 and have stored thereon a three-dimensional model 122 and instructions for carrying out any one or more of the methods described herein. Alternatively, the non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium 120 may comprise previously prepared instructions. Such instructions, when executed by the controller 118, may operate one or more components of the 3D printing system 100 to fabricate one or more three-dimensional compositions. For example, one or more processors of the controller 118 can execute instructions to move the print head 106 across the surface of the build platform 104 and deposit a liquid formulation (e.g., binder composition, ceramic material) at specific locations. One or more processors of the controller 118 also may control the material deposition mechanism 109 to deposit granular material onto the build platform 104 in applicable embodiments.

[0030] According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the 3D printing system 100 may operate with or without an energy such as IR laser or IR to heat and destabilize the slurry layers. Destabilizing the metal facing surfaces and building up the density by printing additionalAttorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application fine particles may help with castability and surface finish without increasing the total bulk of the part.

[0031] As described above, it will be appreciated that the illustrative 3D printing systems 100 are provided as some examples of a suitable 3D printing systems 100 and are not intended to be limiting with respect to the techniques described herein. For example, the media bed can be a dry particulate, a slurry of particles in a solvent, a slurry on a reel to reel tape casting system, or the art could be practiced without a media bed at all (i.e. modifying the composition of a material jetting 3D printing process). Other variations and modifications will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0032] According to aspects of the present disclosure, the 3D printing system 100 may be employed in an additive manufacturing process, such as investment casting. Investment casting is a metal manufacturing method used to make a broad spectrum of metal parts for industrial uses, ranging from jewelry and dental applications to turbine blades and other parts. The process steps in traditional investment casting include utilizing a pattern, typically made of wax, that is dipped into a ceramic slurry to build a refractory shell. The shell is then fired at high temperatures to remove the pattern, creating a negative mold which is an exact duplicate of the pattern. Once any residue, such as ash, is cleaned out of the ceramic shell, molten metal is poured into the mold. Upon freezing of the metal, the ceramic mold is removed to reveal the casting.

[0033] For castings with more complicated internal geometry, such as an internally cooled jet engine turbine blade, the negative space on the inside of a wax pattern cannot be reliably filled with ceramic slurry during a conventional low-pressure dipping process, so a ceramic core may be conventionally manufactured in advance, typically in an injection molding tool. The ceramic core must then be inserted into the wax pattern prior to the shelling process, and the shell and core can be fired together. Liquid metal is poured into the cavity of the shell, and the ceramic shell is mechanically removed, with the core typically removed by a chemical leaching process.

[0034] Both the wax pattern and ceramic cores have historically been created using metal injection molding tooling. These metal molds add several weeks and significant cost, depending on the complexity and size of the components. In some cases, these tooling costs can exceed several hundreds of thousands of dollars and half a year or more in delay.Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application

[0035] Wax patterns and ceramic cores can also be constructed using any conventional additive manufacturing processes. These 3D printed patterns can be shelled and burned out in the traditional refractory process with slight procedural modifications.

[0036] Traditional investment casting shells are produced by dipping the pattern in a series of ceramic slurries, with a drying step between each dip in the process. The initial layer is made using a very fine, low viscosity slurry, with particles typically less than 325 mesh. This face coat determines the surface quality of the metal casting. Depending on the alloy being poured, various mixes of alumina, silica, zircon, or other refractory materials may be used. In the case of equiaxed steel castings, as an example, other additives maybe be used in the face coat. Modifiers in the face coat may be used for specific effects, such as for equiaxed castings, cobalt aluminate is used in the face coat to initiate metal grain growth. Other modifiers exist for other purposes.

[0037] Once the face coat has solidified, the pattern is then dipped in a series of slurries each containing ceramic particles with increasing particle sizes. There may be several backing coats, each with a drying step. The larger grain refractories allow a stronger shell to be built but leave sufficient porosity for gases to be evacuated during the pouring process.

[0038] As noted above, and according to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, the 3D printing system 100 is configured to utilize two or more liquid formulations (e.g., binder compositions, ceramic materials) delivered by the print head 106 to the build platform 104. By way of example and not limitation, a liquid formulation in the form of a binder composition may include a space-filling sacrificial resin or wax. Such an example of a binder composition may be employed to create internal supports or to modify porosity of the final part, such as by dendritic connected porosity instead of randomly connected porosity.

[0039] In another example, a binder composition may include a carrier fluid, such as a solvent, wax, or reactive resin, which may be loaded with particles of the same material as the granular material 104 in the build platform 104. In such examples, the particles of granular material 104 can be utilized to modify the density, permeability, shrinkage, etc. of the article 102 during firing.

[0040] In another example, a binder composition may include a carrier fluid loaded with particles of a different material from the granular material 104 in the build platform 104. For instance, in investment casting, cobalt aluminate is frequently used as a face coat and applied to a surface of a wax pattern prior to building up a silica shell. The cobalt aluminate layer forms a refractory layer which can aid in managing high temperature chemical reactions between moltenAttorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application metal and a ceramic shell. Additive manufacturing allows the production of integrated shell-cores where there is no physical access for controlled application of such coatings. However, the critical inner surfaces can be printed with a colloid of cobalt aluminate during the building process, ensuring a controlled amount of the refractory modifier is applied where needed.

[0041] Other examples of liquid formulations may also be employed based on the specific application. Using a 3D printing system 100 with a print head 106 configured to employ multiple liquid formulations on one additive manufacturing assembly, it is possible to deposit multiple species of materials and / or modifiers on each layer of the part.

[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a 3D article 200 formed utilizing a 3D printing system 100 of the present disclosure. In this example, the 3D article 200 is formed utilizing 3D printing system 100 configured without the use of a granular material or powder bed. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the print head 106 may move across the build platform 104 while selectively depositing a binder composition and a ceramic material on a single layer to form the pre-designed 3D article 200 on or within the build platform 104. The resulting 3D article 200 may include a deposited ceramic material 202 and a deposited binder composition material 204 (e.g., a wax material), which as shown may comprise various interleaved layers.

[0043] The binder composition material 204 serves to create a pattern of the part that will be produced using the overall investment casting process. The binder composition material 204 may provide a surface to build the ceramic shell upon and may support the ceramic core material during printing. In the case of a shell core mold or a delicate core structure, the ceramic material 202 may serve to produce a core that excludes metal from regions that are hollow in the final cast part. The ceramic material 202 may be deposited selectively to produce a lattice structure or other structure with hollow regions within the core to allow it to be more easily crushed or dissolved later.

[0044] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of another 3D article 300 formed utilizing a 3D printing system 100 of the present disclosure. In this example, the 3D article 300 may be formed utilizing a 3D printing system 100 configured with the use of a granular material or powder bed. As depicted, the article 300 may include a shell 302 and a core 304 formed by the 3D printing system 100. The shell 302 and / or the core 304 may be formed to include at least two different binder compositions. That is, the shell 302 and / or core 304 may be formed of a granular material, a first binder composition, and at least a second binder composition.Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application

[0045] By way of example and not limitation, the shell 302 may be formed to include a higher alumina content, such as for improved thermal conductivity. By way of additional example, a network of interconnected dendritic pores 306 may be printed into a portion of the shell 302 utilizing two different binder compositions, where such pores 306 may simulate the increasingly open porosity of a traditional investment casting shell. By way of yet additional example, the shell 302 may be formed with two different binder compositions so that one or more surfaces, such as the internal surfaces 308, include a layer of more expensive and / or functional materials such as cobalt aluminate or yttria. That is, a majority of the shell 302 and / or core 304 may be formed with a first binder composition comprising a relatively less expensive material, while surfaces 308 may be formed of a more expensive and / or functional material. Simultaneously, the internal integral core structure 304 may be formed to have a higher silica content for improved leachability. An open lattice or dendritic core structure could also be built into the core 304 utilizing two or more different binder compositions to reduce gas defects and hot tearing as the metal freezes by designing crushability into the core 304.

[0046] Additional aspects of the present disclosure include methods of making an additive manufacturing 3D printing system, such as the 3D printing system 100. FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating at least one example of a method of making a 3D printing system. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 4, a build platform 104 may be provided at 402. At 404, a print head 106 may be positioned adjacent to the build platform 104. As noted herein, the print head 106 can be configured such that the print head 106 is positionable over the build platform 104. In some examples, the print head 106 can be configured with a plurality of heads adapted to scan back and forth over the build platform 104. In some examples, the print head 106 can include a series of print bars facilitating the deposition of the different liquid formulations in a single pass for each print layer.

[0047] At 406, a first fluid supply and a second fluid supply may be coupled to the print head 106 to dispose respective liquid formulations to the print head. Accordingly, the first fluid supply and second fluid supply can facilitate the deposition of a plurality of liquid formulations by the print head 106 to form a 3D object.

[0048] In some examples, the method of making a 3D printing system may further include positioning a powder deposition mechanism 109 adjacent to the build platform 104. As noted herein, the powder deposition mechanism 109 may include a spreader 110 and a supply 112 of granular material. Additionally, some examples may include electrically coupling a controllerAttorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application with at least one of the build platform 104, the first fluid supply, the second fluid supply, or the print head 106.

[0049] Additional aspects of the present disclosure include methods of additive manufacturing. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating at least one example of a method of additive manufacturing. Referring to FIGS.1, 2, 3, and 5, a 3D article may be formed by providing a first liquid formulation from the first liquid formulation supply 105 to the print head 106 of a 3D printing system 100, at 502. For example, a first liquid formulation may be provided as a binder composition to the print head 106, such as from a first fluid supply coupled with the print head 106.

[0050] At 504, a second liquid formulation may be provided from the second liquid formulation supply 107 to the print head 106, where the second liquid formulation is different from the first liquid formulation. For example, the second liquid formulation may be provided as either a different binder composition or a ceramic material to the print head 106, such as from a second fluid supply coupled with the print head 106.

[0051] At 506, the print head 106 may be controlled to move across a build platform 104 while selectively disposing the first liquid formulation and the second liquid formulation in a single pass to form layers of a 3D object. In some examples, this may include controlling the print head 106 to move across the build platform 104 while selectively disposing the first liquid formulation and the second liquid formulation onto a layer of granular material 108. In some examples, the print head 106 may be controlled to produce an article including a granular material, a first binder composition, and a second binder composition. In other examples, the print head 106 may be controlled to produce an article including a binder composition and a ceramic material.

[0052] While the above discussed aspects, arrangements, and embodiments are discussed with specific details and particularity, one or more of the components, steps, features and / or functions illustrated in FIGS.1, 2, 3, 4, and / or 5 may be rearranged and / or combined into a single component, step, feature or function or embodied in several components, steps, or functions. Additional elements, components, steps, and / or functions may also be added or not utilized without departing from the present disclosure. The apparatus, devices and / or components illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, and / or 3 may be configured to perform or employ one or more of the methods, features, parameters, and / or steps described in FIGS. 4 and / or 5 . The novel algorithms described herein may also be efficiently implemented in software and / or embedded in hardware.Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application

[0053] While features of the present disclosure may have been discussed relative to certain embodiments and figures, all embodiments of the present disclosure can include one or more of the advantageous features discussed herein. In other words, while one or more embodiments may have been discussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of such features may also be used in accordance with any of the various embodiments discussed herein. In similar fashion, while exemplary embodiments may have been discussed herein as device, system, or method embodiments, it should be understood that such exemplary embodiments can be implemented in various devices, systems, and methods.

[0054] Also, it is noted that at least some implementations have been described as a process that is depicted as a flowchart, a flow diagram, a structure diagram, or a block diagram. Although a flowchart may describe the operations as a sequential process, many of the operations can be performed in parallel or concurrently. In addition, the order of the operations may be re-arranged. A process is terminated when its operations are completed. A process may correspond to a method, a function, a procedure, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. When a process corresponds to a function, its termination corresponds to a return of the function to the calling function or the main function. The various methods described herein may be partially or fully implemented by programming (e.g., instructions and / or data) that may be stored in a processor-readable storage medium, and executed by one or more processors, machines and / or devices.

[0055] Those of skill in the art would further appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented as hardware, software, firmware, middleware, microcode, or any combination thereof. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon the particular application and design constraints imposed on the overall system.

[0056] The various features associate with the examples described herein and shown in the accompanying drawings can be implemented in different examples and implementations without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, although certain specific constructions and arrangements have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, such embodiments are merely illustrative and not restrictive of the scope of the disclosure, since various other additions and modifications to, and deletions from, the described embodiments willAttorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the scope of the disclosure is only determined by the literal language, and legal equivalents, of the claims which follow.

Claims

Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional (3D) printing system, comprising: a build platform; and a print head moveably positionable adjacent to the build platform, wherein the print head is configured to deposit a plurality of different liquid formulations over the build platform to form a 3D object.

2. The 3D printing system of claim 1, wherein the print head is coupled to a first fluid supply providing a first liquid formulation, and to a second fluid supply providing a second liquid formulation.

3. The 3D printing system of claim 2, wherein: the first liquid formulation comprises a binder composition; and the second liquid formulation comprises either a different binder composition or a ceramic material.

4. The 3D printing system of claim 3, wherein the ceramic material comprises ceramic particles loaded in a binder.

5. The 3D printing system of claim 1, wherein the print head includes a plurality of heads configured to scan back and forth over the build platform.

6. The 3D printing system of claim 1, wherein the print head includes a series of print bars facilitating the deposition of the different liquid formulations in a single pass for each print layer.

7. The 3D printing system of claim 1, further comprising a powder deposition mechanism including: a spreader configured to dispose a layer of granular material on the build platform; and a supply of the granular material.Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application 8. The 3D printing system of claim 1, further comprising: a controller in electrical communication with at least one of the build platform or the print head.

9. A method of making a three-dimensional (3D) printing system: providing a build platform; positioning a print head adjacent to the build platform; coupling a first fluid supply and a second fluid supply to the print head; wherein the print head is configured to dispose a plurality of different liquid formulations provided from the first fluid supply and the second fluid supply over the build platform to form a 3D object.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first fluid supply and the second fluid supply are configured to receive different liquid formulations selected from a group of liquid formulations comprising a binder composition and a ceramic material.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the print head comprises a plurality of heads configured to scan back and forth over the build platform.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the print head comprises a series of print bars facilitating the deposition of the different liquid formulations in a single pass for each print layer.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising positioning a powder deposition mechanism adjacent to the build platform, the powder deposition mechanism comprising: a spreader configured to dispose a layer of granular material on the build platform; and a supply of the granular material.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising: electrically coupling a controller with at least one of the build platform, the first fluid supply, the second fluid supply, or the print head.Attorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application 15. A method of additive manufacturing, comprising: providing a first liquid formulation to a print head of a 3D printing system; providing a second liquid formulation to the print head of the 3D printing system, wherein the second liquid formulation is different from the first liquid formulation; controlling the print head to move across a build platform while selectively disposing the first liquid formulation and the second liquid formulation in a single pass to form layers of a 3D object.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: disposing a layer of granular material onto the build platform, wherein controlling the print head to move across the build platform while selectively disposing the first liquid formulation and the second liquid formulation in a single pass to form layers of a 3D object comprises controlling the print head to move across the build platform while selectively disposing the first liquid formulation and the second liquid formulation onto the layer of granular material.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein: providing the first liquid formulation to the print head of the 3D printing system comprises providing a binder composition to the print head of the 3D printing system; and providing the second liquid formulation to the print head of the 3D printing system comprises providing either a different binder composition or a ceramic material to the print head of the 3D printing system.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the ceramic material comprises ceramic particles loaded in a binder.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the print head is controlled to produce an article comprising: a granular material; a first binder composition; andAttorney Docket No. BEEHI-1005PCT Provisional Patent Application a second binder composition, wherein the second binder composition is different from the first binder composition.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the print head is controlled to produce an article comprising: a binder composition; and a ceramic material.

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