Isotropic Structure Creation in 3D Printing

Method and device for 3D printing objects with gradient properties and multiple materials in a single layer. The method involves selectively sintering/melting specific areas within a layer of powder to create objects with gradients and multiple materials. The device has multiple powder feeding containers, re-coater systems, and a moving surface cleaning system to enable multiple powder types in a layer. This allows the selective sintering of different powder areas within a layer to create objects with gradients and multiple materials in a single layer.

Source

High-throughput additive manufacturing of sintered parts with low anisotropy using dense feedstocks and selective patterning. The method involves 3D printing dense feedstocks with low porosity using a process like EHTAL (extremely high throughput additive manufacturing). To selectively form 3D parts from the dense feedstocks, a sintering ink is deposited on boundaries or negative spaces of a pattern. This inhibits sintering in those areas. When the parts are stacked and sintered, the unsintered regions remain unbound, defining the 3D part shape. This allows selective sintering of dense feedstocks without support materials.

Source

A method for 3D printing items using semi-crystalline polymers like polyethylene that prevents warping and adhesion failures during printing. The method involves selectively cooling and heating the build plate and printed layers to optimize crystallization and melting. This allows the semi-crystalline polymers to adhere to the plate during printing and then solidify for strength. The steps include: 1) depositing the polymer on the plate at a high temperature to melt it and adhere it. 2) cooling the deposited layers below their crystallization temperature. 3) raising the plate temperature to below the polymer's melting point. 4) continuing printing with the higher plate temperature and lower layer temperature to prevent warping and adhesion failures. 5) removing the printed item at room temperature. This sequence enables the semi-crystall

Source

A 3D printing technique that allows anisotropic reinforcement of printed parts for improved properties. The technique involves generating toolpaths for a 3D printer that deposits both isotropic and anisotropic materials. The anisotropic material is a reinforced fiber composite. The toolpaths are planned to orient the fiber direction for maximum strength in the desired directions. This enables customized anisotropic reinforcement of the printed part.

Source

3D printing hollow spheres from amorphous materials to create engineered structures by forming and printing semispherical hollow bodies that deform upon impact. A method involves dropping amorphous hollow spheres onto a base plate to deform into ellipsoids. By controlling the temperature and viscosity at impact, targeted deformation can be achieved. This allows the forming of customized hollow bodies that can be 3D printed into complex structures.

Source

Additive manufacturing of large-scale 3D printed objects with improved mechanical properties in the stacking direction to address the issue of delamination between layers in large-scale additive manufacturing. The technique involves inserting reinforcement elements into the printed object during the build process. These reinforcement elements, like threaded rods, are inserted through the z-direction of the part and apply a compressive load to the layers. They distribute contact stresses and impose compressive stress in the layer direction to reinforce the printed part in multiple directions and tailor it to the specific geometry of the part. This provides reinforcement out of the z-direction that is needed for large-scale printed objects with complex geometry.

Source

Three-dimensional printing of parts with customizable properties by using co-reactive compositions containing reactive compounds that cure together below 50°C. The compositions are extruded layer by layer to create the part. By independently varying the components and mixing ratios, regions of the part can have different properties. The low temperature curing allows complex shapes to be printed without excessive heat.

Source

Additively manufacturing shaped bodies like anatomic models with regions having different mechanical properties by site-selectively depositing thermoplastic and non-thermoplastic materials layer by layer. The method involves using a 3D printer with two print heads, one for thermoplastic material and one for non-thermoplastic material. The heads are moved independently to selectively deposit the materials in different regions to create shapes with varying mechanical properties. The non-thermoplastic material could be biocompatible materials like hydrogels or silicone rubbers to mimic soft tissues.

Source

A method to manufacture ceramic structures with slanted functional parts using 3D printing. The method involves printing a structure with different compositions that have matching shrinkage rates during sintering. This prevents cracking and separation between the compositions during sintering. The compositions are mixed in a gradient to create a slanted functional section between the compositions. This gradual composition change prevents abrupt property changes at the interface. The slanted functional section allows controlled property transition and relieves stress during sintering. The compositions are adjusted to match shrinkage ratios.

Source

3D printing objects with improved visual and mechanical properties by optimizing powder spreading parameters on a per object basis. The method involves adjusting the speed of spreading the powder layers during 3D printing to create layers with different densities within the same object. This allows balancing visual quality and mechanical strength by tailoring the powder spreading parameters to each layer rather than using uniform settings for the entire object.

Source

A method for 3D printing parts with customized mechanical properties in specific regions or layers. The method involves using a ductility tailoring agent that contains a soluble solid that can be mixed into the print material. The tailoring agent is selectively deposited in targeted areas along with the print material. The tailoring agent spreads and absorbs radiation during printing, melting the surrounding material to fuse it together. The tailoring agent allows customizing the ductility of the printed part by selectively adding ductility-enhancing solids in certain regions or layers.

Source

3D printing method that allows modifying the properties inside a printed object. It involves selectively solidifying layers of powder to build the object, then after treating a portion of the solidified material in subsequent layers. This allows changing properties like conductivity, color, alignment of fibers, etc. inside the printed object. The after treatment can involve removing material, applying a different substance, or exposing to a field.

Source

3D printing of crystalline polymers with improved material properties and reduced printer wear compared to traditional methods. The process involves melting crystalline polymer in the print head, depositing layers, cooling rapidly to form amorphous regions, heat treating, and repeating. This avoids complete crystallization during printing, reduces stress accumulation, prevents deformation, and enables precise 3D printing of crystalline polymers without needing high temperatures. The cooled amorphous layers are bonded at lower temperatures than fully crystalline polymers. The cooled parts are then heat treated to relieve stress and prevent deformation.

Source

3D printing method for creating isotropic, high-strength 3D printed objects by using a printable composition with two thermoplastic polymers where one polymer has higher viscosity than the other under printing conditions. The higher viscosity polymer provides interlayer adhesion while the lower viscosity polymer enables easy extrusion. This combination results in objects with improved mechanical properties compared to using a single polymer with high viscosity. The higher viscosity polymer acts as a binder between layers while the lower viscosity polymer allows extrusion.

Source

A method to create functionally graded materials (FGMs) using additive manufacturing with continuous material distribution instead of discrete inclusions. The method involves using repeating unit cells defined by continuous functions to determine the volume fraction of each component material throughout the gradient. This allows both component materials to exist as continuous structures, improving the strength of the material interface compared to discontinuous inclusions. The continuous function defines the material distribution in each unit cell, which is repeated to create the overall FGM part.

Source

Additive manufacturing method for 3D printing objects with customizable properties by using two different printable compositions that cure to materials with different properties. The method involves printing layers using a mixture of the two compositions in varying ratios. This allows creating objects with varying properties in different areas. The compositions should have distinct properties when cured. They can contain epoxies, acrylates, urethanes, silanes, or radiation/moisture curable polymers. The compositions can be extruded through a 3D printer head to form layers. The printed materials are cured to form the final object.

Source

A method for fabricating high performance 3D integrated composite structures using additive manufacturing that addresses the challenges of conventional 3D printing techniques to produce high-performance composites with good mechanical properties. The method involves alternately depositing layers of continuous fiber filaments and chopped fiber filaments with polymer. This provides a balanced fiber volume and polymer content in the layers to improve adhesion between adjacent layers and avoid dryness issues that can lead to defects and reduced strength. The alternating layers of continuous and chopped fibers also help align the fibers in different directions to better match the stress directions in the final part.

Source

The 4D printing method uses thermal anisotropy and thermal transformation to create objects that change shape over time. The method involves 3D printing with a thermoplastic material in a specific pattern to impose anisotropy. This involves printing layers transverse and longitudinal to the part. Then, heating the 3D printed part causes thermal transformation in a specific direction. By controlling the heating time, the part transforms into the desired final shape.

Source

Additive manufacturing of 3D objects with graded material composition to achieve specific properties in the finished part. The technique involves spraying multiple materials with varying chemical compositions onto a build platform to create compositionally graded structures. The graded regions can have different properties like hardness, wear resistance, thermal control, electrical conductance, etc. compared to the base material. The graded transitions between materials allow forming objects with desired characteristics like increased surface hardness, scratch resistance, thermal control, etc. that can't be achieved with traditional 3D printing.

Source

Additively manufactured lattice structures with gradient density for optimized mechanical properties and reduced stress concentrations. The lattice structures are made of connectible unit cells with materials and voids. The materials occupy a portion of the cell volume, and the voids fill the rest. The unit cells form a lattice with smooth transitions between adjacent cells. The material thickness varies based on the location within the structure. This gradient density provides optimized properties by having lower-density areas in stress-free regions and higher-density areas in load-bearing regions. It allows tailoring the density distribution for applications like orthopedics where stresses vary. The gradients can be created using additive manufacturing techniques like 3D printing.

Source