Layer manufacturing using electrostatic imaging and lamination
US6376148B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 17, 2001 |
| Grant date | Apr 23, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 17, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY02P10/25
- WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A solid freeform fabrication method and related apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object from successive layers of a primary body-building powder material and a binder powder in accordance with a computer-aided design of the object, the method including: (a) providing a work surface; (b) feeding a first layer of the primary body-building powder material to the work surface; (c) operating an electrophotographic powder deposition device to create a binder powder image in accordance with this design; (d) transferring this binder powder image to the first layer of body-building powder; (e) applying energy sources to fuse the binder powder, forming a binder fluid to permeate through the first layer of body-building powder for bonding and consolidating the powder particles to form a first cross-section of the object; (f) feeding a second layer of the primary body-building powder onto the first layer and repeating the operating, transferring, and applying steps to form a second cross-section of the object; (g) repeating the feeding, operating, transferring, and applying steps to build successive layers in a layer-wise fashion in accordance with the design for forming the multi…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.