Markforged, Inc.

Benjamin Hodsdon Gallup

Michelle Ling Chao

Gregory Thomas Mark

Rick Bryan Woodruff

Keith Durand

Maxim Seleznev

Christopher Hoffman

According to one aspect, embodiments herein provide a furnace for debinding and sintering additively manufactured parts comprising a unitarily formed retort having at least one open side, a heater for heating a sintering volume within the retort to a debinding temperature and to a sintering temperature, an end cap sealing the at least one open side, a forming gas line penetrating the end cap for supplying forming gas at a flowrate, and a heat exchanger within the retort, outside the sintering volume, and adjacent a heated wall of the retort, the heat exchanger having an inlet connected to the forming gas line and an outlet to the sintering volume, wherein the heat exchanger includes a heat exchange tube length sufficient to heat the forming gas to within 20 degrees Celsius of the sintering temperature before the forming gas exits the outlet.

Sintering furnace

Apparatus and methods for debinding articles. The apparatus and methods may transform binder from furnace exhaust before the exhaust is discharged to the atmosphere. The apparatus may include a furnace retort and a reactor. The furnace retort may be configured to: exclude ambient air; and receive a carrier gas. The reactor may be configured to: receive from the retort (a) the carrier gas and (b) material removed in the retort from the article; and combust, at a temperature no greater than 750° C., the material. The material may be decomposed binder. The material may be hydrocarbon from binder that is pyrolyzed in the retort. The carrier gas may include gas that is nonflammable gas.

Catalytic thermal debind furnaces with feedback control

Systems, apparatus and methods of additively manufacturing objects are disclosed. Specifically, provided herein are methods of heating objects having a particle-based support at least partially surrounding the object during portions of stages of the heating. Additionally, systems, apparatus, and methods for removing the particle-based support during heating, such that the object can continue heating to form a final part. Systems, apparatus, and methods for distributing the particle-based support to shore the objects through heating are disclosed. Systems, apparatus, and methods for removing the particle-based support are also disclosed herein.

Growing community of inventors

Watertown, MA, United States of America

Benjamin Hodsdon Gallup