US5204055A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Three-dimensional printing techniques
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
•
Filing: 1989-12-08
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Granted: 1993-04-20
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Expires: 2009-12-08
Abstract
Abstract A process for making a component by depositing a first layer of a fluent porous material, such as a powder, in a confined region and then depositing a binder material to selected regions of the layer of powder material to produce a layer of bonded powder material at the selected regions. Such steps are repeated a selected number of times to produce successive layers of selected regions of bonded powder material so as to form the desired component. The unbonded powder material is then removed. In some cases the component may be further processed as, for example, by heating it to further strengthen the bonding thereof.
Inventors
- 👤 Emanuel M. Sachs
- 👤 John S. Haggerty
- 👤 Michael J. Cima
- 👤 Paul A. Williams
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 06:37
CPC Classifications
B; B22; B22F; B22F3/00; B22F3/004; B05; B05C; B05C19/00; B05C19/04; B22F10/00; B22F10/10; B22F10/14; B22F10/50; B28; B28B; B28B1/00; B28B1/001; B29; B29C; B29C41/00; B29C41/006; B29C41/02; B29C41/12; B29C41/34; B29C41/36; B29C64/00; B29C64/10; B29C64/106; B29C64/112; B29C64/165; B29C67/00; B29C67/02; B29C67/04; B29C67/24; B29C67/242; B29C67/243; B30; B30B; B30B15/00; B30B15/30; B30B15/302; B33; B33Y; B33Y10/00; B33Y40/00; B33Y40/20; B33Y50/00; B33Y50/02; B33Y70/00; B41; B41J; B41J2/00; B41J2/005; B41J2/01; B41J2/07; B41J2/075; B41J2/08; B41J2/085; B41J2/09; H; H05; H05K; H05K3/00; H05K3/10; H05K3/102; B22F10/20; B22F10/22; B22F10/30; B22F10/36; B22F10/366; B22F12/00; B22F12/22; B22F12/224; B22F12/50; B22F12/53; B22F12/55; B22F2998/00; G; G05; G05B; G05B2219/00; G05B2219/30; G05B2219/49; G05B2219/49013; H05K2203/00; H05K2203/01; H05K2203/0104; H05K2203/013; H05K2203/05; H05K2203/0502; H05K2203/0522; Y; Y02; Y02P; Y02P10/00; Y02P10/25; Y10; Y10T; Y10T428/00; Y10T428/12; Y10T428/12014; Y10T428/12021
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 44
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
A process for making a component comprising the steps of (1) depositing a layer of a powder material in a confined region; (2) applying a further material to one or more selected regions of said layer of powder material which will cause said layer of powder material to become bonded at said one or more selected regions; (3) repeating steps (1) and (2) a selected number of times to produce a selected number of successive layers, said further material causing said successive layers to become bonded to each other; (4) removing unbonded powder material which is not at said one or more selected regions to provide the component.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
A process for making a component comprising the steps of (1) depositing a layer of a powder material in a confined region; (2) applying a further material to one or more selected regions of said layer of powder material which will cause said layer of powder material to become bonded at said one or more selected regions; (3) repeating steps (1) and (2) a selected number of times to produce a selected number of successive layers, said further material causing said successive layers to become bonded to each other; (4) removing unbonded powder material which is not at said one or more selected regions to provide the component.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said powder material includes two different types of powder material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said powder material is a ceramic, metallic, or plastic material and said further material is an inorganic material, an organic material, or a metallic material.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 wherein said powder material is a ceramic and said further material is a colloidal suspension of ceramic particles.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
114 words
A process for making a component comprising the steps of (1) depositing in a confined region a layer of a fluent porous material having interconnected porosity; (2) applying to one or more selected regions of said layer of fluent porous material a further material which will cause said layer of fluent porous material to become bonded at said one or more selected regions; (3) repeating steps (1) and (2) a selected number of times to produce a selected number of successive layers, said further material causing said successive layers to become bonded to each other; (4) removing fluent porous material which is not at said one or more selected regions to provide the component.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
114 words
A process for making a component comprising the steps of (1) depositing in a confined region a layer of a fluent porous material having interconnected porosity; (2) applying to one or more selected regions of said layer of fluent porous material a further material which will cause said layer of fluent porous material to become bonded at said one or more selected regions; (3) repeating steps (1) and (2) a selected number of times to produce a selected number of successive layers, said further material causing said successive layers to become bonded to each other; (4) removing fluent porous material which is not at said one or more selected regions to provide the component.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
33 words
A process in accordance with claim 5 wherein said porous material is a ceramic, metallic, or plastic material and said further material is an inorganic material, an organic material, or a metallic material.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process in accordance with claim 6 wherein said porous material is a ceramic and said further material is a colloidal suspension of ceramic particles.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process in accordance with claim 5 wherein the porosity of said component is determined in accordance with the packing density of said porous material.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process in accordance with claims 1 or 5 wherein said further material is applied as one or more jet streams thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process in accordance with claim 9 and further including the step of further processing said bonded material to improve the properties of said component.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process in accordance with claims 1 or 5 and further including the step of further processing said bonded material to improve the properties of said component.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
38 words
A process in accordance with claim 11 wherein said further processing step includes the step of heating said selected number of successive layers of bonded material to further strengthen the bonding of said successive layers of bonded material.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 or 5 wherein said material is deposited in a dry state.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process in accordance with claim 13 and further including the step of vibrating said dry material to settle said material as said layers thereof are deposited.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process in accordance with claim 14 wherein said vibrating step is performed by mechanical vibration of said deposited material, by applying accoustic energy to said deposited material, or by applying a piezoelectric scraper device to said deposited material.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 or 5 wherein said material is deposited in a liquid vehicle.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process in accordance with claim 16 and further including the step of at least partially drying the material before applying said further material.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
39 words
A process in accordance with claim 17 wherein said at least partial drying step is performed by applying infra-red or hot air heat to said deposited layer of material or by applying microwaves to said deposited layer of material.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claims 1 or 5 wherein said further material is applied as a liquid.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein said liquid is an aqueous solution or a colloidal suspension.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 19 wherein said liquid comprises binder particles entrained in a carrier liquid.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
37 words
A process in accordance with claims 1 or 5 wherein said further material comprises at least two different further materials, said two different further materials being applied to at least two different selected regions of said material.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
A process in accordance with claims 1 or 5 wherein said further material is applied as a single jet stream.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process in accordance with claim 23 where each of said one or more jet streams is applied as a plurality of separate droplets thereof.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process in accordance with claims 1 or 5 wherein said further material is applied as a plurality of jet streams.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
27 words
A process in accordance with claim 25 wherein each of said one or more jet streams of further material is applied as a continuous jet stream thereof.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
25 words
A process in accordance with claim 25 wherein each of said one or more jet streams is applied as a plurality of separate droplets thereof.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process in accordance with claim 27 wherein said separate droplets are applied using continuous jet printing or drop-on-demand jet printing.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process in accordance with claim 25 wherein said plurality of jet streams are applied in one or more arrays thereof.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
22 words
A process in accordance with claim 25 wherein said plurality of jet streams are applied in one or more linear arrays thereof.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 or 5 wherein said further material is at least partially hardened after being applied.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claim 31 wherein said further material is hardened by applying heat energy thereto.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process in accordance with claim 32 wherein said heat energy is applied as infra-red or microwave heat energy.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
16 words
A process in accordance with claim 31 wherein said further material is hardened by chemical reaction.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
53 words
A process in accordance with claim 34 wherein said further material is at least partially hardened by chemical reaction after each layer of further material is applied, said powdered material being deposited in a wet state, and said chemical reaction occurring between said further material and the liquid in said wet powdered material.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
56 words
A process in accordance with claim 34 wherein said further material is at least partially hardened by chemical reaction after each layer of further material is applied, and further including the step of supplying a gaseous material to said further material, said further material chemically reacting with said gaseous material to form a partially hardened material.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
18 words
A process in accordance with claims 1 or 5 wherein said material which is removed is removed ultrasonically.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
19 words
A process in accordance with claims 1 or 5 wherein said further material is applied in a dry state.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
54 words
A process in accordance with claim 1 or 5 for making a mold having re-entrant regions and one or more passageways for the admission of molding material into said mold wherein said further material is not applied to said re-entrant regions and unbonded powder material is removed from said re-entrant regions via said passageways.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
21 words
A process in accordance with claim 39 when said powder material is a ceramic powder material for forming a ceramic mold.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
51 words
A process in accordance with claim 39 wherein said mold comprises a main body region and one or more core regions, one type of further material being applied to form said main body region and a different type of further material being applied to form said one or more core regions.
Claim 44
Dependent Claim
15 words
A process in accordance with claims 1 or 5 wherein said component is a mold.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1996-04-19 | 1996-10-19 | 1997-04-20 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2000-04-19 | 2000-10-19 | 2001-04-20 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2004-04-19 | 2004-10-19 | 2005-04-20 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |