Techniques for 3D Printing High-Strength and Durable Objects

A 3D printer to make objects layer by layer from a radiation hardenable material. The printer has a vessel for the material, a platform to form layers, and a guide to align the platform. The platform can switch between fixed and movable orientations. The guide aligns it parallel to the vessel walls in the movable mode. In fixed mode, it forms object layers. This ensures even layer thickness and prevents failed prints. The guide can be removed to switch to the vessel.

Temperature control system for additive manufacturing to improve properties of printed parts. It involves fusing material with an energy source and then forging it. A detector measures an internal effect parameter at the forging location. A control module calculates the temperature at that location based on the parameter. If the temperature is outside a desired range, it adjusts the energy source and forging device to bring it into range.

Denture base design and manufacturing to improve the strength of 3D printed dentures by reinforcing the connection between artificial teeth and denture base. The denture base has a number of interconnected concave sockets for the artificial teeth. The sockets are connected by partitions with grooves that allow the adhesive to flow and bond the teeth sockets together. This continuous adhesive reinforcement provides strength to the denture compared to individual tooth sockets.

Extrusion-based 3D printing of low-melting point metals like aluminum, magnesium, and zinc alloys creates a thixotropic fluid using proper alloy composition. Thixotropic metals have high viscosity and yield stress at low strain rates but are thin when sheared. This allows stable filament extrusion and sag resistance during printing. An extrusion system was developed with parameters optimized for printing thixotropic metals

Ultrasonic additive manufacturing system for joining and repairing metal structures using a contoured sonotrode that rotates and translates to reduce defects when welding metal foils. The contoured welding surface profile prevents cracks and weak spots in the welds when joining or repairing metal parts. The contour eliminates interfaces normal to the weld direction, reducing defects compared to flat weld surfaces. The system involves positioning metal structures adjacent to each other, creating a contoured channel along the interface, and filling it with metal foils using the rotating and translating sonotrode for welding. This reduces cracking and weak points compared to conventional ultrasonic welding.

A method for 3D printing cement objects that can be carbonated to harden. The method involves printing a cement-like material with added CO2 sources, such as carbonates. The printed material is then exposed to more CO2, which causes a carbonation reaction that hardens the cement. Each printed layer can be carbonated before adding the next layer. The carbonatable cement can be a powdered material like belite or pseudo-wollastonite, with aggregates and other additives. This allows 3D printing of cement structures that can be made using carbonation instead of curing.

Powder for additive manufacturing that improves dimensional accuracy and mechanical strength of additively manufactured bodies. The powder has a surface treatment film containing a hydrophobic compound derived from a coupling agent. The film helps retain powder fluidity during printing to improve filling properties, dimensional accuracy, and strength compared to untreated powders.

Additive manufacturing of ceramics and ceramic matrix composites that allows rapid, low-cost, and energy-efficient printing of complex ceramic parts with improved mechanical properties compared to existing ceramic printing techniques. The method involves printing a reactive powder integrated with a preceramic binder that pyrolyzes into ceramic upon heating. The powder is extruded and fixed in place using on-the-spot curing. Heat is then applied to initiate a self-sustaining ceramization reaction that rapidly converts the powder and binder into dense ceramic. The process enables freeform printing of ceramics with reduced porosity and increased mechanical performance compared to other ceramic printing methods.

The inkjet-dischargeable curable composition for 3D printing applications that is free of titanium oxide is highly safe, inkjet-dischargeable, and has a high strength and a high whiteness after being cured. The composition contains a radical-polymerizable monomer and a hard solid component of silica particles with specific properties like particle size and refractive index. The hard solid component improves whiteness, while the other components provide inkjet-dischargeability and curing properties.

An additively manufactured integral reinforcement member for a vehicle pillar that improves structural performance and torsional stiffness compared to conventional reinforcement methods. The reinforcement member is made by 3D printing multiple components that are then joined together to form a single unit. The additive manufacturing allows complex geometries and consolidates attachment points.

3D printing metal objects without warping or cracking by using a tacky polymer substrate. The process involves spreading a layer of metal particles over a polymer substrate with low thermal conductivity and melting the unmasked metal with pulsed light to form each layer of the object. The polymer substrate reduces lateral heat transfer during melting, preventing warping and cracking.

A turbomachine straightener vane sector that reduces stress concentrations and potential damage in the vane-to-shroud junctions. The sector has integral vanes, internal shroud, and external shroud formed as a single 3D printed piece. The shroud sections have partition walls and cutouts between to allow radial expansion and reduce stresses.

Reinforced thermoplastic powder compositions for 3D printing of objects with high mechanical properties. The compositions contain glass fibers in a specific size range along with a polyamide powder, and optionally flow agents. The glass fibers should have a length range of 50-200 µm and a maximum length below 450 µm. The reinforced 3D printed objects have superior mechanical properties like modulus, elongation, breaking stress, and heat deflection compared to injection molded counterparts.

Blended polymer resin formulations for 3D printing composite articles with improved mechanical properties and layer adhesion compared to semicrystalline polymers like PBT. The blends use an amorphous polymer like PETG or APET blended with a semicrystalline polymer like PBT. The blended resin has higher fiber content (e.g. glass fiber) than the amorphous polymer alone. The amorphous polymer slows crystallization of the semicrystalline component during printing, improving layer bonding.

Toy building elements with improved impact resistance made of polyester resins that contain reactive and non-reactive impact modifiers. The polyester is a PET or modified PET. The reactive impact modifier enhances adhesion between the polyester matrix and non-reactive impact modifier particles, optimizing impact resistance. The toy bricks are manufactured by injection molding the modified polyester resin. The modified PET resins with impact modifiers provide improved impact strength compared to standard PET for durable toy bricks.

Improving the performance of 3D printed nickel-based superalloys for aerospace and other applications, by reducing cracking that can occur during printing and heat treatment. The method involves using a two-powder mixture of high-melt superalloy powder and low-melt superalloy powder. The low-melt powder has a lower solidus temperature to reduce cracking. The high-melt powder provides high-temperature performance. The mixture ratio allows printing without hot isostatic pressing. The low-melt powder fills pores and homogenizes during heat treatment.

Artificial teeth with improved strength and reduced risk of breaking compared to natural teeth. The teeth are made using a composition including specific photocurable compounds. The composition is 100 parts by weight of a first photocurable compound, 5-20 parts of a second compound, 25-50 parts of a third compound, and 1-10 parts of a fourth compound.

A polymeric blend based support material with high Shore A hardness that enables easy removal from printed parts, without damaging them. The blend consists of two immiscible polymers, where one is the same as the modeling material. This allows 3D printing with a single extruder. The immiscible polymers separate into two phases with the harder polymer as the continuous phase. This gives the support material high hardness and strength compared to the modeling material, allowing fracture at the support-model interface when removed.

Metal objects with solid lubricating surface layers that improve mechanical properties and reduce friction compared to conventional lubrication methods like oils. The method involves projecting microparticles onto the metal surface to induce plastic flow and create a compressive stress layer. Solid lubricating powder is then projected onto the compressive layer where it adheres tightly to form the lubricating surface layer. The compressive layer provides good adhesion and densifies the metal for improved strength.

A method for 3D printing multi-layer structures with improved interlayer adhesion to prevent delamination. The method involves creating cavities that cross multiple layers during printing and then filling the cavities with a second material to form rivets perpendicular to the layers. The rivets compress the surrounding layers as they cool and contract, increasing adhesion.