Covering All Technology and Application Areas of Additive Fabrication Including:
RAPID PROTOTYPING 3D PRINTING RAPID TOOLING RAPID MANUFACTURING

Technology

From Update 59 - 6/9/09 to 9/8/09:

The University of Texas has been granted a patent for multi-material stereolithography. The machine configuration uses a straightforward arrangement of multiple vats and various means of moving a part amongst them. A related patent application from the same group combining other technologies with stereolithography was also published this quarter.
If the technology described in a patent issued to Lockheed Martin Corp. is ever reduced to practice, it may be well be the Holy Grail of additive fabrication. A hologram is projected into a liquid, gaseous or other medium which it solidifies in three dimensions. Holographic movies could be used to create very complicated objects. See Fig. 1.
Stratasys Inc. has applied for three patents on the use of embedded inserts such as RFID tags for part tracking. One of the applications shows a method of combining robotic insertion of the tags with the fused deposition modeling process.
United Technologies Corp. has applied for a patent on what it terms a solid state additive manufacturing system. The method uses a rotating material feed rod held against a substrate to produce frictional heat to melt the material. The process is very much like friction stir welding and is said to overcome problems with melt pool-based technologies especially the ability to deposit fine grain materials. See Fig. 2.

From Update 58 - 3/10/09 to 6/9/09:

The University of Montreal (Canada) is the likely assignee for a patent application from Louis Laberge-Lebel et al. A process that can make free-standing structures is described which uses photopolymer extruded from a guided nozzle. The material is immediately cured by light after emerging from the nozzle. See Fig. 1.
Envisiontec GmbH (Germany) has applied for patents on aspects of its photopolymer-based technology which used deformable mirror devices (DMDs) for exposure. One describes a method of continuously-variable exposure that permits parts to be literally grown. The method is currently used in the company's Xcede™ system.

From Update 57 - 12/9/08 to 3/10/09:

Huntsman Advanced Materials GmbH (Switzerland) has applied for a patent on the technology used in its recently-unveiled Araldite Digitalis rapid manufacturing system. The machine uses a MEMS-based shutter device to cure layers of photopolymer at higher speeds than laser-based vector scanning systems. According to the application, two different wavelengths of exposure light are used: A flash cure at one wavelength is used to hold solidified elements in place, and a second wavelength is used for a longer-exposure final cure. See Fig. 1.
If an inkjet printer system capable of depositing entire buildings appeared in an animated cartoon it might well come out looking like the technology described in a patent application by inventors Paul Bosscher and Robert Williams. A temporary, four-quadrant cable-stay system is erected from which a large bucket containing materials to be deposited is robotically-guided in three dimensions over a cleared section of ground. The system described in this patent application may allow use of existing materials handled in a relatively simple way. See Fig. 2.
Siemens Corp. describes a method of handling the vast data transmission requirements that are associated with the decentralized manufacturing of hearing aids in its patent application. Instead of passing STL files around, the inventors propose sending a more concise point cloud and reference file from which the STL file can be locally generated. While the invention is clearly intended for hearing aids, the problem addressed would be similar for other products and fields which may potentially use distributed manufacturing.

From Update 56 - 9/10/08 to 12/9/08:

Hewlett Packard has received a patent for a method of building stabilizing support structures in powder-based additive fabrication systems such as laser sintering or three dimensional printing. Free-standing structures are built within the powder bed to prevent it from shifting and are said to result in improved accuracy. See Fig. 1.
A process described in a patent application could offer competition for EFAB, micro-stereolithography and other micro- and meso-scale additive technologies. Masks made by photolithography or machining are stacked to form a primary mold. Secondary molds are fabricated from it resulting in volume production of small high-aspect ratio parts. Mikro, Inc. has dubbed the technology Tomo Lithographic Molding (TOMO™).
Technische Universitat Berlin and Voxeljet Technology GmbH (both of Germany) share assignee privileges for a patent application concerning the use of three dimensional printing to fabricate parts which may have, for example, both flexible and rigid sections.

From Update 55 - 6/10/08 to 9/10/08:

Sony Corp. (Japan) has had two patent applications published for improvements to stereolithography. The method combines both laser-based vector scanning with raster-scanned spatial light modulators (SLMs) and is said to enable faster fabrication of large high-resolution parts.
Stratasys describes a method of improving the surface quality of FDM-fabricated parts in its just-published patent application. Parts are suspended in a solvent vapor much like the fashion in which a typical degreasing machine operates. A bead-blasting operation is used to bring the parts to their final finish.
3D Systems has applied for several patents on many aspects of its VFlash™ technology. Particular emphasis is placed on removing uncured materials from the coating web, cleaning brush systems for the web, the cartridge technology, build pads and supports. See Fig. 1.

From Update 54 - 3/4/08 to 6/10/08:

FCubic AB's (Sweden) patent describes a method similar to three-dimensional printing (3DP), but which is claimed to have the throughput of selective inhibition sintering (SIS). The company recently started providing services to produce small high-resolution metal parts in volumes up to 10,000 or so. See Fig. 1.
Envisiontec GmbH (Germany) is the likely assignee for a patent application describing a continuous generative process for producing a three-dimensional object. The technology is that which is being used in the company's recently-introduced, photopolymer-based Xede™ system. Exposure is by means of a projected DMD image and is done continuously rather than in discrete layers. The system actually "grows" a part. See Fig. 2.

From Update 53 - 12/4/07 to 3/4/08:

Applying additive techniques to the repair of large items such as ship hulls and aircraft is the subject of a patent application by Honeywell International, Inc. The patent is largely directed towards the company’s ion fusion formation method, but this isn’t too dissimilar in architecture from a number of other processes to which it might also be applicable. See Fig. 1.
Georgia Tech Research Corporation has applied for a patent on a method of fabricating nanoscale to microscale structures. A template structure consisting of a natural or synthetic object in one material, is subject to a chemical reaction to convert it into a similarly-shaped object in another material. The starting template might be a natural product such as a diatom, or a synthetic product made by an additive technique such as three dimensional printing. The process is reminiscent of the creation of fossils. See Fig. 2.

From Update 52 - 9/4/07 to 12/4/07:

TNO (Netherlands) has been granted a patent for a method of continuous inkjetting of viscous fluids. High pressure is used to produce discrete uniform droplets of such materials as thermoplastics in the melted state. See Fig. 1.
Hewlett Packard has received a patent for a variation on three dimensional printing which uses translating powder bins as opposed to moving deposition means and stationary bins. It's said to allow the use of components that are currently used in 2D printers and therefore less expensive. See Fig. 2.

From Update 51 - 6/6/07 to 9/4/07:

Eoplex Technologies, Inc. is the assignee for a follow-on patent concerning the company's high volume print-forming system (HVPF). Screen printing is used to fabricate layers of many structures in parallel. Applications foreseen are electromechanical devices, and other small, intricate devices which could compete with micro-stereolithography, EFAB and other such processes. See Fig. 1.
Inventor Bruce Waters is aiming toward additive architectural applications, and has adapted some of the methodology of three dimensional printing (3DP) to the problem. Roving deposition robots deposit layers of ferrocement where walls and architectural features are required and sand in other areas as a support material. Once all the layers are complete and the cement is hardened, the sand can be removed to reveal the building.
Combining EDM (electro-discharge machining) and laser powder forming processes such as direct metal deposition is the subject of a patent application by Jyoti Mazumder et al. The idea is to both additively fabricate a part and precisely finish it in the same setup. The system is said to be potentially capable of sub-micron resolution. See Fig. 2.

From Update 50 - 3/6/07 to 6/6/07:

Hewlett Packard has received a patent on a method of improving the finishes of parts made with inkjet technologies. By controlling the pulse frequency in a drop-on-demand system, drops can be made to fuse together in transit resulting in a continuous stream. See Fig. 1.
A method of electrochemical manufacturing which is analogous to inkjet fabrication has been revealed. Multiple discrete electrolyte jets are used to selectively deposit or etch metals or other materials which are appropriate for electrodeposition. The technology is said to be an improvement on the EFAB process by doing away with the need for masks. The authors also discuss several operating regimens and the fabrication of graded materials.

From Update 49 - 12/5/06 to 3/6/07:

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has received a patent for additive fabrication technology that might be appropriate for making replacement parts in space. The system uses material in wire form which it fuses in layers by an electron beam in a vacuum chamber. See Fig. 1.
A patent application from Lockheed Martin Corp. describes a method of improving the strength of FDM parts by extruding both a thermoplastic base object material and a thermoset plastic matrix around it to provide complementary properties. See Fig. 2.

From Update 48 - 9/5/06 to 12/5/06:

General Motors Corp. has received a patent for a method of 3D printing of aluminum and magnesium parts. Aluminum and/or magnesium particles are coated with a metal that prevents oxidation and forms an alloy with the main build material.
The University of Texas has applied for a patent on a method of using direct writing inkjet technology to incorporate electronic circuitry within additively fabricated parts. The function may be integrated directly within a stereolithography system.
The next-generation of 3D Systems' photopolymer-based technology has been disclosed this quarter in several patents. One describes the use of an endless transparent belt to provide thin layers of photopolymer at the top of a build stack. Area-wise exposure is done through the belt using a deformable mirror device (DMD) or similar optical method. See Fig. 1.