10463 results about "3D printing" patented technology

Methods, devices and systems for efficient 3D printing that address conventional inefficiencies while utilizing a single compact device are set forth. Some embodiments utilize a circular-shaped build area revolving symmetrically around a single center point utilizing a continuous helical printing process. In one embodiment a liquid photopolymer for solidification is deposited on a build platform to form the physical object The Build platform is continuously rotated and simultaneously raised in a gradual programmed manner. Focused from below the platform produces a single continuous “layer” of material deposited and bonded in a helical fashion.

The invention provides a ceramic slurry preparation and 3D (three dimensional) printing light curing molding method. 25-85vol% of ceramic powder and 15-75vol% of an optical resin premix solution are mainly involved, and the method includes: A), preparation of the optical resin premix : namely stirring a low polymer, a reactive diluent, a photoinitiator, a dispersing agent, a photosensitizer and a sensitizer according to a certain proportion under intermediate speed for 0.5-3 hours to enable the components to be mixed evenly; B), placing the premix solution and the ceramic powder in a ball mill according to certain volume for ball-milling for 5-15 hours to prepare the ceramic slurry high in solid content and low in viscosity; subjecting the ceramic slurry to curing molding layer by layer gradually on a 3D light curing molding machine to obtain a ceramic green body prior to aftertreatment of drying, degreasing, sintering and the like to obtain ceramic part. The method is high in preparation molding precision and free of molds to prepare complex structure parts, the ceramic product can reach more than 92% in density, 320-1750MPa in flexural strength and 1800-4500MPa in compression strength.

A modular 3D printer system can include a base subsystem and multiple exchangeable components. The base subsystem can have a 3D motion module, a printhead module and a platform module. The multiple exchangeable components can include printheads having different configurations and functionalities, which can be exchangeably installed in the printhead module. The multiple exchangeable components can include platform supports having different configurations and functionalities, which can be exchangeably installed in the platform module.

The disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for preventing oxidation or contamination during a circuit printing operation. The circuit printing operation can be directed to OLED-type printing. In an exemplary embodiment, the printing process is conducted at a load-locked printer housing having one or more of chambers. Each chamber is partitioned from the other chambers by physical gates or fluidic curtains. A controller coordinates transportation of a substrate through the system and purges the system by timely opening appropriate gates. The controller may also control the printing operation by energizing the print-head at a time when the substrate is positioned substantially thereunder.

A method and apparatus is disclosed for additive manufacturing and three-dimensional printing, and specifically for extruding tubular objects. A print head extrudes a curable material into a tubular object, while simultaneously curing the tubular object and utilizing the interior of the cured portion of the tubular object for stabilizing and propelling the print head.

A 3D Printing Rapid Prototyping process using Al/Mg particles coated with a metal (i.e. copper, nickel, zinc, or tin) that (1) prevents oxidation of the Al/Mg particles, and (2) either alone, or when alloyed with the aluminum or magnesium core metal, melts below the liquidus temperature of the core.

The present invention provides a system and a method for real time monitoring and identifying defects occurring in a three dimensional object build via an additive manufacturing process. Further, the present invention provides in-situ correction of such defects by a plurality of functional tool heads possessing freedom of motion in arbitrary planes and approach, where the functional tool heads are automatically and independently controlled based on a feedback analysis from the printing process, implementing analyzing techniques. Furthermore, the present invention provides a mechanism for analyzing defected data collected from detection devices and correcting tool path instructions and object model in-situ during construction of a 3D object. A build report is also generated that displays, in 3D space, the structural geometry and inherent properties of a final build object along with the features of corrected and uncorrected defects. Advantageously, the build report helps in improving 3D printing process for subsequent objects.

A 3-D printer system moves a printed tool over a print surface with a mechanism controlling a rotational angle of an arm holding the print tool and a revolutionary angle of axis of rotation of the printable area to eliminate the disadvantages of conventionally used linear motion mechanisms

Disclosed are interfacially modified particulate and polymer composite material for use in injection molding processes, such as metal injection molding and additive process such as 3D printing. The composite material is uniquely adapted for powder metallurgy processes. Improved products are provided under process conditions through surface modified powders that are produced by extrusion, injection molding, additive processes such as 3D printing, Press and Sinter, or rapid prototyping.

An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional (3D) object includes a 3D printing head, for fabricating a first portion of the 3D object by forming a plurality of successive layers of a first material. The apparatus also includes a delivery head for fabricating a second portion of the 3D object by dispensing onto the first portion of the 3D object a plurality of layers of a continuous-fiber reinforced second material. Further, the delivery head includes comprising a roller for pressing the continuous-fiber rein-forced second material into place during the dispensing thereof. A controller controls the 3D printing head and the delivery head to cooperatively form the 3D object, based on a dataset corresponding to a 3D object model.

The present invention is directed to a 3DP(TM) material system ad method, and an article made therefrom. The method of the present invention includes building cross-sectional portions of a three-dimensional article, and assembling the individual cross-sectional areas in a layer-wise fashion to form a final article. The individual cross-sectional areas are built by using an ink-jet printhead to deliver an aqueous fluid to a particulate material that includes plaster.

A materials system and methods are provided to enable the formation of articles by three dimensional printing. The materials system includes particulate mixtures having a whitening agent and a solid particulate additive comprising an acid, the latter adapted for modifying a cure rate of an infiltrant. The materials system also includes aqueous fluids including optical brightening agents.

The present invention is directed generally to fabrics, and more specifically to fabrics and belts employed in industrial processes.

A three-dimensional printer, system and method is provided for individually creating three-dimensional structural elements (individually termed fundamental structures) which are sequentially positioned into formation of a shaped object.

A papermaking belt including zones of material laid down successively using a 3D printing process. The zones include at least a pocket zone configured to form three dimensional structures in a paper web by applying vacuum to pull the paper web against the pocket zone. In at least one exemplary embodiment, the zone also include at least one vacuum breaking zone configured to limit an amount of paper fibers pulled through the pocket zone by the applied vacuum.

The present invention relates to a method for producing three-dimensional components, using a three-dimensional printing method, an auxiliary structure being additionally formed beyond an extension of the one or more components during the construction of components. The invention also relates to an auxiliary structure for components produced by means of three-dimensional printing methods, the auxiliary structure being constructed along with the component and extending beyond a dimension of the one or more components.

A process and device for 3D printing parts incorporating long-fiber reinforcements in an advanced composite material is disclosed. A nozzle for a 3D printing device receives a polymer material and a reinforcing fiber through separate inlets. A passage from the reinforcing fiber inlet cleaves the passage containing the polymer material, creating an interstitial cavity into which the reinforcing fiber is introduced. The polymer material closes back on itself and encapsulates the reinforcing fiber, then drags the fiber along with the flow and exits nozzle to be deposited on a work surface or part being manufactured.

Errors caused by shrinkage during 3D printing may be minimized. A shape that most closely corresponds to the shape of a layer to be printed may be selected from a library of shapes. Each shape in the library may have shrinkage information associated with it that includes, for each of multiple points that define a perimeter of the library shape, a radial distance to the point from an origin of a coordinate system, an angle the radial distance makes with respect to an axis of the coordinate system, and information indicative of an anticipated amount by which the point will deviate from its specified location when the shape is printed due to shrinkage. Compensation for anticipated shrinkage may be calculated based on the shrinkage information that is associated with the selected shape from the library. The information indicative of the shape of the layer to be printed may be modified to minimize errors cause by shrinkage based on the calculated compensation.

The invention discloses a thermoplastic elastomer composition for preparing a flexible printing material for three-dimensional printing rapid prototyping. The thermoplastic elastomer composition comprises the following components in percent by weight: 16.8-90.0% of thermoplastic elastomer, 1.0-49.8% of polyolefin, 0-44.0% of softening agent, 0.1-1.3% of lubricating agent and 0.2-0.3% of antioxidant. The hardness of the thermoplastic elastomer is Shore hardness of 50-90A, and the prepared flexible printing material is low in hardness, has outstanding flexibility and toughness and excellent handfeel and is particularly applied to the fields of special industrial design and consumer applications such as the manufacturing of toys, jewelries and fingerprints.

A printer system and method for printing media during a wagering game is disclosed. The system comprises a print device configured to receive blank media and print the blank media responsive to a request during the wagering game. A map corresponding to at least a suit and a value of at least one playing card of one or more decks of playing cards may be created and stored after receiving the request. Printed media configured as playing cards or coupons may be stored or distributed after printing with the print device during play of the wagering game. The playing cards may also be printed with authorization data. The system may further comprise a discard rack to receive and monitor playing cards discarded during play of the wagering game. Playing cards that are in the discard rack may be destroyed if they are authorized and retained if they are unauthorized.

The invention provides a continuous long-fiber reinforced-type composite material 3D printer and a printing method thereof. The 3D printer and the printing method are characterized in that the combination of the 3D printing technology and the composite material fiber placement technology achieves the 3D printing of a resin-based continuous long-fiber reinforced-type composite material, and the process does not need a die that is customized in advance and a pre-treated fiber pre-soaking belt, so that the cost is greatly decreased; meanwhile, the 3D printing method enables well and convenient control of the directions of the reinforced fibers in a manufactured part, and moreover, a composite material part with the customized mechanical property can be obtained easily, and the composite material part with a complex structure can be quickly manufactured; and compared with the original composite material fiber placement process, the printing method has the advantages that the application scope is wide, and the production efficiency is high.

The present invention relates to 3D printer inputs including filaments comprising separated layers or sections. These inputs particularly including filaments may be prepared by coextrusion, microlayer coextrusion or multicomponent/fractal coextrusion. These inputs and specifically filaments enable layering or combining different materials simultaneously through one or more nozzles during the so-called 3D printing process. These techniques facilitate smaller layer sizes (milli, micro, and nano) different layer configurations as well as the potential to incorporate materials that would otherwise not be usable in standard 3D printer methods.

The invention discloses a three-dimensional printer with a replaceable nozzle. The three-dimensional printer comprises a three-dimensional adjusting mechanism, and the printing nozzle which performs three-dimensional printing under the adjustment of the three-dimensional adjusting mechanism, wherein the printing nozzle comprises a nozzle bottom plate, a nozzle thermal preservation sleeve which is fixed on the nozzle bottom plate and is provided with a printing through hole and a positioning notch, a material tube which is radially clamped on the nozzle bottom plate, and a linear stepping motor; the material tube is axially clamped in the positioning notch through a material tube pressing plate which is in sliding fit with the nozzle bottom plate; a piston presser used for pushing a piston in a first material tube is fixed at the output end of a lead screw of the motor. When materials in the material tube are used up or the materials are needed to be replaced, the printing nozzle is controlled to automatically replace the material tube, and a three-dimensional object consisting of multiple materials can be printed. The piston is driven to be extruded by adopting the linear stepping motor, thrust is high and can be accurately controlled, and the blockage of the nozzle is avoided. According to the printer, liquid foods and multiple liquid materials such as gel and ceramic powder can be printed.

A computer implemented method and an object development system (ODS) for developing a three-dimensional (3D) object are provided. The ODS receives a 3D image in one or more image formats from one or more sources. The ODS determines object development requirements and a display type of the received 3D image. The ODS creates a support structure based on the object development requirements and the display type. The support structure includes one or more branching elements movably attached to each other and/or a support element for facilitating movement in the 3D object. The ODS fits the received 3D image on the support structure and constructs a multi-layered volumetric 3D image therefrom. The ODS segments the multi-layered volumetric 3D image into multiple 3D printable units. The ODS transmits the 3D printable units to one or more 3D printing devices for printing each 3D printable unit for assembling and developing the 3D object.

The invention belongs to the technical field of functional materials, and particularly relates to a micro-nano coating material with low surface energy and a preparation method thereof. The preparation method comprises the following steps of mixing composite microspheres with micro sodium structure and hydrophobic nature, matrix resin with contact angle more than 90 degrees with coating film, solvent, powder, and additive, and adopting a co-mixing method, an in-situ emulsion polymerizing method, an in-situ solution polymerizing method, an in-situ concentration and polymerizing method, an in-situ addition and polymerizing method and the like, so as to prepare the coating material with micro-nano structure; performing spraying, brushing, roll coating, photo-etching, 3D (three-dimensional) printing, mechanical processing and the like, drying and curing at the temperature of 0 to 1000 DEG C, and coating the coating material with micro-nano structure onto different matrix surfaces, so as to obtain the micro-nano coating material with low surface energy and groove structure. The micro-nano coating material has the advantages that the preparation technology is simple, the coating hardness is high, the water-resistant property is good, the adhesion force to different matrix surfaces is strong, and the micro-nano coating material can be used for self-cleaning, resistance-reducing, denoising, anti-icing and other functional materials.

The invention provides a high-toughness photosensitive resin for 3D printing and a preparation method thereof. The photosensitive resin comprises a photosensitive resin (maleable photosensitive resin and rigid photosensitive resin), an active diluent, a light initiator and an additive. The method first synthesizes the toughness photosensitive resin (maleable polyurethane acrylate and epoxy modified polyurethane), and then the maleable photosensitive resin is mixed with the rigid photosensitive resin, active diluent, light initiator and additive. The maleable photosensitive resin is prepared from a polymer soft segment, which is a mixture of one or more selected from of polypropyleneoxide glycol ether, PTMG, hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene, hydroxyl-terminated styrene butadiene rubber, hydroxyl-terminated butadiene acrylonitrile rubber and hydroxyl-terminated polysiloxane, and a polymer hard segment of toluene diisocyanate or isophorone diisocyanate, through hydroxyethyl acrylate or epoxypropanol termination. The photosensitive resin is applicable to DLP or SLA type 3D printers for modification of the existing 3D printing photosensitive resin, has excellent bending strength, and can directly print out elastic models.

The present invention relates to a multi-stage method for producing one or multiple molded bodies, the method comprising the following steps: a) constructing one or multiple molded bodies in layers by repeatedly applying particulate material by the 3D printing method; b. a presolidification step for achieving a presolidification of the molded body; c. an unpacking step, wherein the unsolidified particulate material is separated from the presolidified molded body; d. a final solidification step, in which the molded body receives its final strength due to the action of thermal energy. The invention also relates to a device which may be used for this method.

The invention discloses a method for preparation of a columnar jointed rock mass similar material sample by a 3D printing technology. The method includes: preparing powdered 3D printing raw materials: powder, columnar jointed column powder, joint needed powder and cementing bonding powder; loading the powdered materials into a 3D printer; establishing a columnar jointed sample three-dimensional model, and inputting the model into the 3D printer to conduct 3D printing; and carrying out after-treatment on the sample at the end of printing. The method provided by the invention applies the 3D printing technology into rock mechanical test for the first time, uses a similar material to simulate the basic characteristics of a columnar jointed rock mass in actual engineering, and has the advantages of simple preparation process, higher production efficiency than artificial sample preparation, and high yield, etc.

The invention relates to a magnetorheological-material-based 3D (Three-Dimensional) printing type rapid prototyping method and device. According to the principle of magnetorheological effect, a magnetorheological material is used as a 3D printing raw material; and a 3D solid model is constructed by spraying the magnetorheological material on a workbench with a magnetic field, rapidly solidifying and prototyping the sprayed magnetorheological material, and then depositing the treated material layer by layer. A computer is provided with three control circuits; one circuit is used for controlling the flow of a driving pump, namely the flow at a spray head; another circuit is used for controlling the 3D motion of the spray head through a servo mechanism; and the rest circuit is used for controlling colour mixing and allocating of a colourized ink box. The magnetorheological material is solidified and prototyped by utilizing the magnetic field generated by an electromagnet. According to the magnetorheological effect of the magnetorheological material, a temperature control module in the traditional melting, spraying and rapid prototyping type 3D printing method is replaced by the magnetic field; in addition, the device disclosed by the invention is also different from a high-pressure electric field required by an electrorheological fluid effect, has the advantages of being simple in structure, low in energy consumption and cost, capable of realizing the microminiaturization and the like, and can be applicable to the fields of process design, art and entertainment, prosthesis model and the like.

Mixture for use in a three-dimensional printer to make molds suitable for producing ferrous coatings. The mixture includes cement, sand and accelerator. Grain sizes of the cement, sand and accelerator are selected to assure that the three-dimensional printer generates coherent layers.