Flexible Materials for 3D Printing

3D printing method to create structures with directional fibers in situ during printing. The method involves using a multi-phase ink with a continuous phase and discrete phase. During extrusion, the discrete phase fibers form within the continuous phase due to shear forces. This allows creating structures with oriented fibers inside without preloading short fibers. The orientation can be controlled by the ink composition and printing parameters. The method enables manufacturing of directional microfilament/through-hole hydrogel structures, composite hydrogel oriented structures, and oriented hydrogel scaffolds.

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3D printing method to create deformable 3D objects with reduced deformation forces during printing. The method involves printing deformable filaments on a deformable substrate using a 3D printer. The filament volume flow rate is controlled to reduce the deformation force applied to the substrate. This allows forming intricate, void-free 3D articles with reduced deformation compared to conventional printing methods. The deformable substrate and filaments enable higher complexity structures with reduced deformation. The reduced deformation forces prevent tilting and warping during printing. The controlled flow rate avoids deformation while still providing void-free layers.

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A porous structural body made of flexible resin or rubber configured to increase friction between split bone parts when compressed to deform. The body has a skeleton throughout with split bone parts that rub against each other when compressed. This increases friction compared to continuous bones. The split bone parts are non-parallel, inclined, or surrounded to enhance rubbing. The friction adjustment allows tuning dynamic characteristics like cushioning response.

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3D printing silicone elastomer articles with complex shapes using water-based supports that can be easily removed and recycled. The method involves 3D printing a silicone elastomer with a cross-linkable composition and support with a nano clay and water composition. The clay-water support is compatible with the silicone printing material and allows for printing complex shapes. The support can be dissolved and reused after printing.

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Body-mounted components like orthoses have improved flexibility and resistance to breakage when bent. The components are made by 3D printing using a resin material that has high elongation at break when stretched. This elongation property allows the 3D-printed parts to bend and stretch without breaking.

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3D printed structures made from liquid crystal elastomers that can change shape in response to environmental stimuli. The structures are printed using stereolithography and have segments in different orientations to enable 3D-to-3D shape change. To achieve this, magnetic fields control liquid crystal alignment during printing.

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3D printing of elastomeric rubber seals using a 3D printer with two print heads. The first head extrudes the rubber material, which is heated and mixed in an extruder like a screw to cure it partially. The extruder is also heated. The second head prints a support structure of a more rigid material around the rubber layers to prevent sagging. The rubber layers are printed on a heated bed.

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Flexible, expandable impeller for blood pumps that can be compressed for percutaneous insertion into a blood vessel and then expanded to generate a sufficient flow rate to sustain human life. The expandable impeller has blades that can fold radially towards the hub for storage in a small diameter tube. When deployed in a blood vessel, the blades can expand to a larger diameter and rotate to pump blood. The expandable impeller allows a compact insertion size while still attaining a full flow rate after deployment.

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An inflatable structure that retains shape accuracy and resilience when inflated. It has a flexible shell that collapses when uninflated and expands when inflated. Inside the shell are fibers that connect to the shell at various locations. When the shell is inflated, the fibers tension and constrain it to maintain a desired shape. This prevents deformations of the inflated structure. The fibers are non-tensioned when the shell is uninflated.

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The additive manufacturing method for customizing 3D printed footwear using selective powder deposition, curing, and shaping. The process involves spraying a liquid to coat select areas of a sheet, applying powder only to uncoated areas, and removing excess powder via suction. The sheets are stacked, compressed, heated, and cured. Uncured powder is removed, leaving a flexible, flat sheet that can be molded into a 3D shoe upper. The method allows different material properties in different areas of the product.

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Smart rings are wearables that have improved fit, charging, customization, and interactivity over conventional rings. The smart ring has a flexible body with removable parts that can be customized to fit the user's finger. Magnetic break-away portions secure the parts together, allowing the ring to be adjusted for a better fit. The ring can also have sensors, batteries, and other components to provide functionality like biometric tracking. The ring can be additively manufactured using 3D printing and scanning to create user-specific designs.

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A laser manufacturing method for making flexible sensors that can conformally attach to curved 3D surfaces. The method involves coating a laser-sensitive material directly onto the curved surface and then using a 3D dynamic focus laser system to pattern and cure the material into the desired flexible sensor structure. This allows the sensor to be manufactured directly on the curved surface instead of using transfer printing or splitting 2D patterns. The laser conformal manufacturing achieves precise sensor attachment to the curved surface.

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A method for 3D printing complex shapes with overhangs and apertures that allows simpler and more efficient printing compared to existing methods. The method involves printing a 3D structure in a first plane, cooling it, heating one surface, deforming it in a second plane, cooling the deformed structure, and printing is complete. The deformation step lets you print complex shapes with overhangs and apertures without support structures by bending the printed material in a different plane.

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Additive manufacturing method for printing soft materials like silicones that deform after extrusion. The method involves using a support material surrounding the extrusion nozzle and depositing the soft material within it. The support material prevents warping and helps the soft material retain shape. The printing process also optimizes parameters like printing speed and flow setting to match the deformable ink properties. The support bath is dissolved after printing to release the object. The slicing software is modified to account for the unique filament morphology and deformability of soft materials in embedded printing.

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3D printing method to improve the accuracy, strength, and surface quality of 3D printed objects. The method involves creating an initial 3D printed structure using a print material, then processing it using an abrasive device to define an interior space. Next, a filling material with a liquid or paste monomer is introduced into the interior and polymerized. This avoids layer separation and weak interfaces by fully encapsulating the object in a solid polymer. The initial 3D printing step defines the shape, while the abrasive processing and filling steps refine it.

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A method for 4D printing ceramic objects that allows the printed objects to deform and change shape over time. The method involves extruding an ink containing ceramic precursor particles and forming an elastic structure. This structure is then stretched under tension. More ink is extruded and deposited to form a second elastic structure attached to the first one. When the tension is released, the combined elastic structures transform into a deformable rubbery object. Later, heating converts the rubber into a ceramic object with the same shape as the deformed elastomer. The deformation step allows complex shapes to be formed from the ceramic precursor ink.

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Elastic polymer structure with controlled porosity and roughness for applications like vehicle seats. The structure is made by 3D printing using selective laser sintering (SLS) with thermoplastic powder, then post-processing at specific pressure and temperature to reduce porosity below 0.16 and surface roughness below 400 nm. This prevents moisture penetration and deformation while improving texture compared to unprocessed 3D printed parts.

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3D printing thermosetting materials like urethane resins to create objects with overhangs without support structures. The printing process involves depositing layers of thermoset material with offset bead placement. This allows the thermoset to cure and form a scaffold before the next layer is printed. By adjusting parameters like print speed, flow rate, and residence time, the thermoset can be controlled to prevent sagging and collapse. The offset bead placement provides stability for overhangs without requiring support structures.

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Freeform 3D printing of polymeric materials using a liquid build material, solvent, and nebulized coagulation agent. The method involves dispensing the liquid build material into air, spraying a coagulation agent nearby to partially coagulate it, then repeating for subsequent layers. The partial coagulation allows building without supports. The printed part is further coagulated post-printing to fully solidify. The solvent evaporates during printing. This allows 3D printing of soft, non-melting polymers at room temp without thermal residual stress.

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A method for 3D printing highly porous structures using melt suspension additive manufacturing. The method involves suspending the material in a liquid during printing instead of extruding it. This allows printing of structures with internal voids and cantilevered overhangs without support structures. The process involves: 1) mixing the print material with an oil, 2) feeding the suspension through a nozzle, 3) depositing the suspension layer by layer, and 4) curing the printed structure to solidify it. The oil allows the suspended material to maintain shape without gravity collapse. The cured structure has internal voids and can be easily removed from the oil.

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