3D Printing Build Material Composition for Stiffness Without Weight Gain

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing 3D printing technologies face challenges in achieving desirable stiffness in printed objects without significantly increasing weight, and some fillers used in the build material can cause printer reliability issues.

Innovation Solution

A build material composition comprising polyamide particles and biodegradable polyester filler particles, with a specific weight percentage range, that enhances stiffness while maintaining low weight and avoiding reliability issues, and includes additives like flow aids, antioxidants, and antistatic agents to improve processing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If traditional fillers are used to increase stiffness, then stiffness is improved, but weight increases significantly and printer reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovestiffnessVSAvoidweight

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the chemical composition parameters by using biodegradable polyester particles (5-30 wt%) combined with polyamide particles (70-95 wt%). This specific compositional parameter range achieves the desired stiffness-to-weight ratio while avoiding the reliability issues associated with traditional fillers, resolving the contradiction between stiffness improvement and weight control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs a composite material system combining polyamide particles with biodegradable polyester filler particles. This composite approach provides enhanced stiffness compared to pure polyamide, while the biodegradable polyester offers a favorable strength-to-weight ratio that traditional fillers cannot match, thus improving stiffness without significant weight penalty.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Strength

If traditional fillers are used to increase stiffness, then stiffness is improved, but printer reliability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovestiffnessVSAvoidprinter reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses biodegradable polyester particles that are designed to be consumed or transformed during the printing process. These particles serve their structural purpose and then can be degraded, avoiding the accumulation and reliability issues that persist with traditional non-biodegradable fillers in the printing system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

By changing the chemical nature of the filler to biodegradable polyester with specific particle size and composition parameters (5-30 wt%), the material becomes more compatible with the printing process, reducing clogging, feeding issues, and other reliability problems associated with traditional fillers while maintaining stiffness enhancement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Strength

If filler particles are added to build material, then stiffness is improved, but processing difficulty increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovestiffnessVSAvoidprocessing

Core Design Contradiction:

StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by adding flow aids, antioxidants, and antistatic agents specifically to counteract the processing difficulties introduced by filler particles. These additives are incorporated in targeted amounts to improve flowability and processing characteristics only in the regions where filler particles create problems, without compromising the overall stiffness enhancement.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The composition achieves increased stiffness with minimal weight gain and improves printer reliability, making it suitable for applications like food packaging and biomedical uses.

Implementation Method 1

exposing the build material layer to electromagnetic radiation to coalesce the build material composition in the at least the portion, thereby forming a layer of a 3D object

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic radiation absorption and thermal energy conversion: Absorption (EM radiation)

Implementation Method 2

exposing the build material layer to electromagnetic radiation to coalesce the build material composition

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal heating and melting: Heating

Implementation Method 3

coalesce the build material composition

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhase change from solid to molten state: Melting

Data Source

PatentUS12472687B2Three-dimensional printing

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 PERIDOT PRINT LLC

AI summary

An example of a three-dimensional (3D) build material composition includes from about 70 wt % to about 95 wt % of polyamide particles, based upon a total weight of the build material composition; and from about 5 wt % to about 30 wt % of biodegradable polyester filler particles, based upon the total weight of the build material composition. The biodegradable polyester filler particles are present in the build material composition without any additional filler particles.