Uniform Binder Distribution in 3D Printers

Binder injection molding equipment and method for 3D printing multi-material parts with different properties in different areas. The equipment has a platform with moving axes and multiple nozzles that can spray different binders simultaneously. This allows printing components with multiple material systems in the same part. The binders can have different properties like strength, porosity, and thermal conductivity. By selectively jetting binders in different areas, components with targeted properties can be created.

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A jet binder printing system and method that allows separating powder deposition and fusing steps to overcome limitations of in-situ powder bed printing. The system has modules for adjustable binder, powder dispensing, compaction, primary binder, and fusing. It enables creating stable, transferable, and customizable powder layers on a carrier substrate. The adjustable binder sticks the powder in pattern, then compacted and primed layers are fused separately. This allows optimizing layer properties, avoiding contamination, and rejecting defective layers.

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A method for manufacturing 3D printed objects that reduces chipping and improves surface quality. The method involves applying different amounts of binder in the contour region versus the interior regions of the powder bed. This provides better binding strength in the critical outer layer where chipping is most likely. By applying more binder to the contour area, the outer layer bonds better and reduces the risk of powder removal or chipping during handling and transport.

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A loading system for 3D printers that reduces mounding and increases uniformity of powder layers. The system has a loading chamber positioned over the supply container. Powder is dispensed into the chamber and compacted to increase uniformity. The chamber floor is then lowered into the supply container, transferring the compacted powder. This loading process helps distribute the powder more evenly throughout the container than directly filling it.

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A high-efficiency two-way powder spreading 3D printing method that improves print quality and speed by spreading powder in layers using a reciprocating motion. The method involves laying down two layers of powder horizontally instead of just one. This allows printing on both layers in each pass. The powder spreading device moves back and forth between the layers while a scraper levels the powder. The printing nozzle then follows to deposit binder on both layers. This reduces printing time compared to traditional layer-by-layer methods. The powder spreading device has a dual-capacity powder tank and scrapers on both sides.

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Low viscosity binder for 3D printing that improves green body strength and reduces residual ash compared to existing water-based and organic solvent binders. The binder is a two-component system with one component reinforcing the powder surface and the other component bonding the powder together. The reinforcing component contains a reactive silane that forms chemical bonds with hydroxyl groups on the powder surface. This improves green body strength. The bonding component is a low viscosity epoxy adhesive that cures at medium temperatures. This reduces energy consumption and equipment costs compared to high cure temperatures. The two components are sprayed sequentially on the powder bed to create a green body with enhanced strength and reduced ash residue.

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Improving 3D printing accuracy by detecting and addressing powder layer inhomogeneities during the printing process. The method involves using a modified powder feeder to distribute the powder layer more uniformly. If inhomogeneities are detected, like lack of powder, they are identified and quantified. This allows early detection of problems that cannot be fixed later. The powder layer is then automatically removed and redistributed before solidification to prevent defects in the final printed part.

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High-throughput, high-precision 3D printing of pharmaceutical dosage units like tablets using multiple synchronized printing heads. The system uses a flow distribution module to divide a single flow of printing material into multiple flows that are dispensed by the synchronized printing heads. This allows accurate, consistent printing of multiple dosage units simultaneously while maintaining high throughput. The synchronized heads have adjustable opening amounts to ensure uniform dispensing. The system also has features like stall detection for needle positioning and a push plate to coordinate simultaneous opening/closing.

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A 3D printing system that allows precise deposition of thin layers of powder for 3D printing. The system has a powder feeder with an adjustable blade to flatten the powder as it's deposited. This prevents shear forces that can hinder thin layer formation. A counter-rotating roller compacts the powder at a separate location. Both the blade and roller heights are adjustable. The blade flattens the powder to a consistent thickness and the roller compacts it to the desired layer height. This prevents powder accumulation issues and ensures uniform thin layers. The roller rotates counter to the powder flow to prevent sliding. Vibrating the roller and substrate at a rapid frequency improves powder flowability.

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Binder jetting coaxial powder feeding nozzle for 3D printing that allows uniform powder distribution for better green body formation. The nozzle has a coaxial design with an inner binder channel and an outer powder channel. The powder feeds into the outer channel and collides with helical blades inside the nozzle. This causes the powder to rebound and spiral down, distributing evenly throughout the chamber before exiting through the powder outlet.

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Quantitative powder supply system for 3D printing with adhesive jetting that provides consistent and controlled powder feeding for better print quality. The system uses separate bins and chambers connected in sequence to feed powder from a primary bin to a moving secondary bin, then to a discharging chamber beneath the printer. This sequential powder path allows quantitative feeding without splashing or particle suspension issues. The bins have features like feed inlets, stirring, diversion, and pressing to ensure consistent powder flow.

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A three-dimensional printing system with reduced carbon content in the printed parts. It uses a specialized binder circulation setup to reduce carbon content in the printed parts. The system has separate chambers for the binder, a nozzle to eject the binder, and channels to circulate the binder. The binder contains water, a water-soluble resin, and a wetting agent. The circulation allows continuous flow of the binder and prevents carbon buildup that can occur when the binder sits in the system for long periods. This reduces the carbon content in the printed parts compared to traditional 3D printing systems where the binder sits stagnant.

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A three-dimensional printing system with improved binder circulation to enhance print quality. The system has an ejection head with individual binder chambers that feed through a nozzle. Binder exiting the chambers flows through a separate circulation loop back into the chambers. This recirculation prevents binder degradation, improves stability, and reduces water content compared to open-loop systems. The circulation loop can have flexible sections that deform under pressure to absorb fluctuations. This allows the circulation flow path to match the head geometry without rigid connections.

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Reducing voids in 3D printed parts by compressing the freshly deposited filaments immediately after deposition. The method involves using specially designed members positioned alongside the nozzle that apply compression on the just-printed layers. The members have roller balls that contact the filaments and compress them. This prevents void formation between filaments and improves adhesion. The compression can be adjusted based on material properties and print parameters.

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Calculating the optimal amount of binder to apply at each voxel location in 3D printing to prevent excessive migration and accumulation of binder in the build chamber. The method involves calculating the binder volume needed based on the voxel's surrounding proximate voxels that will also receive the binder. This prevents over-application that could lead to unwanted solidification and defects.

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Additive manufacturing system with a rotating printhead for making complex 3D parts with variable density. The system has a rotating build platform, multiple printheads with varying density binder jets, and a recoater. The platform, printheads, and recoater rotate around the parts during fabrication. This allows consolidating particles at varying densities to form components with internal structures like channels, vents, and protrusions. The rotation enables continuous fabrication and faster build times compared to fixed printheads and recoaters.

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Method for controlling a binder jet printer to reduce issues with excess solvent in printed green bodies. The method involves dispensing binder onto the powder bed in a way that adjusts the binder saturation closer vs further from the shape edges. This prevents overly wet regions causing bleeding through the next layer. The binder saturation near edges is higher than further away. The amount of binder dispensed is adjusted based on distance from edges. This can be done by deactivating nozzles over areas further from edges, reducing droplet frequency, or varying droplet size. The goal is to balance avoiding dry edges vs preventing solvent bleeding.

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3D printing method that allows printing high quality outputs with customizable powder materials. The method involves accurately calculating the amount of binder to spray on the powder bed to fill the voids and prevent defects. The calculation uses measured powder mass to determine the pore volume in the layer. This volume is then used to determine the optimal binder amount to print that layer. By precisely matching the binder to the pore volume, it prevents over- or under-saturation of the powder bed. This allows using a wider range of powder materials with varying densities. The method involves measuring the powder mass for each region, calculating the pore volume, determining the binder amount, and then printing the binder in the calculated pattern.

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Bidirectional powder spreading and printing system for a binder jet 3D printer that reduces waste time and improves efficiency compared to conventional bidirectional printing methods. The system allows simultaneous powder spreading and printing on both sides of the build plate, eliminating idle strokes and waiting between steps. The key features are: 1. Bidirectional linear motion for spreading and printing: The system uses a linear guide with bidirectional movement to allow simultaneous spreading of powder and printing on both sides of the build plate. This avoids wasted time and motion from switching directions. 2. Powder feeding and storage optimization: The powder feeding and storage components are designed to match the printing width and thickness. This prevents unnecessary waste from overfilling or underfilling the powder bed. 3. Multiple inkjet heads and cartridges: The printing part has multiple inkjet heads and cartridges arranged in parallel

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Optimizing the quality of 3D printed objects by controlling the amount of functional agents like binders, fusing agents, and detailing agents applied based on distance from the object surface. This is done using a distance function associated with the distance between a portion of the object and the surface or edge. Adjusting the agent deposition based on proximity reduces issues like lifting, curling, and fabrication artifacts while improving surface definition and stability. This is especially useful for complex shapes with overhangs or nested objects where some areas have a greater distance from the surface.

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Binder jetting 3D printing with negatively printed features to mitigate gas entrapment and defects in high-speed printing. The method involves intentionally leaving some areas with less or no binder to allow gas to escape as the binder is deposited. These negatively printed features act as vent regions for gas to escape rather than being trapped in the printed part. By controlling the size and location of these features, it allows better control of gas venting compared to traditional binder jetting. The negatively printed regions still have surrounding binder that coalesces and forms the final part. This avoids voids or defects compared to unprinted regions.

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Additive manufacturing method for 3D printing with multiple materials, including a binder and additional material, to improve part properties. The method involves separately applying the binder and additional material using a print head with multiple nozzles. This allows tailoring the material composition in sections of the printed part. The binder bonds the powder particles together to form the part shape. The additional material is applied in certain areas to influence properties like strength, hardness, or thermal conductivity in those sections. Separating the binder and additional material flows allows more precise control over part properties compared to mixing them.

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3D printing method using binder jetting that improves the mechanical strength and reduces warpage of printed objects compared to traditional binder jetting. The method involves printing using a powder bed containing two types of particles: a primary particulate material like PMMA and a secondary particulate material made by coagulating emulsion polymer particles. The coagulated emulsion particles have smaller sizes (0.5um-80um) than the primary particles (10um-500um). This mixed powder bed is then printed using a binder to form the 3D object. The coagulated emulsion particles improve the mechanical properties of the printed part by increasing density and reducing porosity. The mixed powder bed also reduces warpage compared to pure PMMA powder. The coagulated emulsion particles are made by spray drying or precipitating the emulsion polymer in the presence of the primary particles.

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Additive manufacturing (3D printing) system for precise and consistent production of pharmaceutical dosage units like tablets. The system uses a flow distribution module to divide a single flow of printing material into multiple flows. Multiple nozzles dispense the divided flows simultaneously to 3D print the dosage units. This allows accurate, consistent printing of complex shapes with multiple components. The system also has features like stall detection to find zero positions for the nozzles, and a needle valve adjustment system to precisely control the opening of the nozzles. This enables consistent dispensing of small volumes of high viscosity materials. The system can also coordinate multiple 3D printers to print batches.

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3D printing technique that improves thermal uniformity in printed objects by selectively forming heat sinks in the build material. The technique involves determining a distribution of gaps between droplets when they are delivered to the build material. These gaps act as heat sinks that absorb excess heat from the surrounding material as it melts. By strategically placing gaps, it allows more even distribution of heat through the build material and prevents hot spots. This ensures uniform melting and solidification of the material, especially for complex geometries, resulting in more consistent final printed parts.

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A method for 3D printing with binding agents that improves the reliability and precision of dispensing challenging binding agents like those with dissolved solids. The method involves preheating the binding agent to above 25°C, scanning a piezoelectric printhead to selectively dispense droplets onto powder layers, and using specific voltage waveforms to individually control each drop ejector. The waveforms include a non-ejecting pulse followed by an ejecting pulse with a positive pulse 3x higher voltage than the non-ejecting pulse and a negative pulse 3x higher voltage than the non-ejecting pulse. This unique operating condition enables reliable dispensing of binding agents that are difficult to print with conventional methods.

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Binder jetting 3D printing method using amine-containing polymers with high molecular weight and low concentration for producing objects with improved green strength. The method involves separately feeding a powder and a solution containing the amine-containing polymer dissolved in water. The polymer is present in a concentration of 2-30 wt % to form a preform with the powder using selective dispensing of droplets. The amine-containing polymer provides green strength without weeping or loss of shape. The lower polymer concentration allows higher saturation levels compared to conventional binders.

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3D printer for pharmaceutical preparations that enables on-demand customization and production of drug dosages. The printer uses a multi-axis motion system to precisely deposit drug powder layer by layer according to a programmed design. It also has a powder spreading mechanism to level the layers. The printer can also include an ink storage device to dispense liquid binders for binding the powder layers. The printer is controlled by a device that rotates the motion mechanisms based on the programmed instructions. This allows creating complex 3D drug shapes with tailored dosages by selectively depositing powder and binding material.

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Using porous polymer particles in 3D printing by binder jetting to improve mechanical properties of printed objects. The porous particles have diameters between 10-500 microns and porosities of 5-20%. They are made by suspension polymerization with blowing agents, wax particles, or crosslinkers. This allows faster, better absorption of the printed binder into the porous particles compared to solid particles, resulting in stronger printed objects with less warping. The porous particles form a scaffold in the 3D printing bed that fills with binder and cures. The interstitial particles in the scaffold are soluble by the binder and dissolve during printing.

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A method for 3D printing with consistent drop size by controlling the pressure in the material storage to compensate for variations in viscosity. The viscosity is measured at the start and used as a correction for drop size. The pressure in the storage chamber is adjusted based on the average displacement velocity of the conveying element between drops. This compensates for viscosity changes as the material is processed.

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Binder jetting-based 3D printing technique to produce parts with gradients of material properties. The technique involves controlled distribution of an active component within the layers during printing. This can be done by depositing an ink with the active component at specific locations, decomposing the binder to form the component, or chemically modifying the binder. After printing, the part is thermally processed to form a finished part with a gradient of properties in the regions corresponding to the active component distribution.

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Rapid and consistent additive manufacturing of metal objects using binder jetting. The method involves spreading the powder layer in one direction and then depositing the binder in a perpendicular direction to form alternating layers. This cross-hatching pattern allows faster layer-by-layer fabrication compared to sequential spreading and binding. The technique is enhanced by vibrating the spreading rollers at a frequency matching the powder particle size to densify the layer.

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Producing 3D printed objects with improved mechanical strength by varying the binder application based on layer thickness. The method involves measuring the thickness of each layer after forming, then adjusting the binder amount per area ejected onto the layer based on the measured thickness. This prevents under- or over-binding in thick or thin areas, respectively. The method can be automated using a 3D printer with thickness sensors and binder adjustment capabilities.

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A three-dimensional printing apparatus for metal powder binding that uses two nozzles to selectively inject components of a two-part adhesive to bond the powder. The apparatus has a print carriage with dual print heads, each with a nozzle, that can move independently in the XY plane. A rotary pusher rolls the powder into place and a UV lamp cures the adhesive. One nozzle injects one adhesive component, then the other nozzle injects the second component over the same path to mix and bond the powder. This allows using lower viscosity adhesives without satellite droplets, avoids powder surface modification, and simplifies material preparation.

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A three-dimensional modeling method using powder for 3D printing that increases the amount of binder discharged into the powder layer without lowering productivity. The method involves scanning and discharging the binder at the same position on both the outward and return routes when moving the discharge head. This allows the binder to fully penetrate the powder layer instead of missing spots when only scanning in one direction. By discharging on the return route, the binder coverage is doubled compared to just scanning outward and back.

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3D printing method that adjusts the binder amount per layer based on thickness to improve mechanical strength. The method involves measuring the layer thickness, then ejecting the binder in adjusted quantity per area for that thickness. This prevents under-binding in thin areas and over-binding in thick areas, resulting in a more robust 3D printed object.

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Three-dimensional printing method that improves density, surface finish, and resolution of printed parts compared to conventional 3D printing. The method involves selectively jetting a binder fluid with smaller particles onto successive layers of a larger particle build material. This fills in the interstices between the larger particles, increasing density, smoothing surfaces, and improving feature resolution. The jettable binder fluid can have smaller particles than the build material powder. The particles in the binder fluid can be the same or different composition as the build material. The smaller particle binder fluid is selectively deposited on each layer to improve the final printed part properties.

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