Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Z Corporation

3dbotics, Inc.

3d Systems, Inc.

Axiomatics Corporation

James F Bredt

Emanuel Michael Sachs

Timothy C Anderson

David B Russell

Sarah Louise Clark

Satbir Khanuja

Michael John Cima

David Brancazio

Derek X Williams

Michael I Cima

Tailin Fan

Alain Curodeau

Matthew J DiCologero

Katie R Passino

Michael J Vogel

Walter J Bornhorst

Michael J Tarkanian

Ali El-Siblani

Nam Pyo Suh

Alexandr Shkolnik

Mahati Chintapalli

Francis Abbott Waldman

Walter Henry Zengerle, Iii

Thomas Davidson

Eugene Giller

Robert Anthony Phillips

Benjamin Daniel Sweet-Block

Steven P Michaels

Amir Alam

Kate Van Rees

Nanette Clark

Mary Flynn

Emmanuel M Sachs

Jean Sprauer

Alan Lauder

Sang-Joon J Lee

Harald Tuerck

Kenneth R Strausbaugh

Richard Li-chao Yu

Marina I Hatsopoulos

Martin Seymour

Michael Thomas Woods Lis

Evert F Uy

Grieta Gilchrist

Peter Charles Conway

Walter Henry Zengerle

Sang-J-On John Lee

Stephen P Michaels

Katie Renee Passino

Walter Henry Iii Zengerle

Matthew J Dicologero

Benjamin Barrington

Matthew Dicologero

Greita Gilchrist

Williams Derek X

Michael Tarkenian

Timothy Anderson

Methods and apparatuses for making three-dimensional objects from a bindable powder are shown and described. A dynamically erected and/or expanded retaining barrier is provided which is erected and/or expanded during an object building operation to retain dispensed powder.

Method and apparatus for making three-dimensional objects using a dynamically adjustable retaining barrier

A printing apparatus including a manifold shaped as a rectangular parallelepiped having three pairs of parallel faces and including (i) a body thereof defining a plurality of fluidic channels, (ii) a bottom portion thereof defining a slot configured to accommodate insertion of a printing element; and (iii) at least one face defining a plurality of fluidic connections in fluidic communication with the fluidic channels. A method for manufacturing a printing apparatus includes the steps of a) manufacturing a manifold by manufacturing a parallelepiped and defining a slot therein configured to hold a printing element; b) machining features into the manifold for mechanical mounting, electronic connection, and fluid connection; and (c) assembling the manifold with the printing element and a gasket to form the printing apparatus.

Modular printing apparatus for 3D printing

A material system and method for bonding refractory powders in a three dimensional printer. A first particulate component including a refractory material is mixed with a first reactive component to form a particulate mixture. A flat layer of the particulate mixture is dispensed onto a build surface. A liquid binder, which may include a furan monomer and a surfactant, is dispensed by an ink-jet printhead onto the particulate mixture. The particulate mixture may contain a furan-soluble polymer that imposes a capillary attraction for the liquid binder, keeping it situated in the immediate vicinity of where the binder is dispensed. Additionally it provides a sufficient catalytic power to co-polymerize with the furan monomer and form a solid structure. This enables a 3D printer to build strong, accurate parts with high packing density, and to reuse the feed material many times in the printer.

Material system and method for fabricating refractory material-based 3D printed objects

A powder for three-dimensional printing including a mixture of soluble adhesive; cement filler including magnesium oxide, and acid additive; and nonreactive ceramic filler. A kit includes a substantially nonaqueous liquid jetting fluid, and a solid powder mixture including soluble adhesive, magnesium oxide, an acid additive, and a nonreactive ceramic filler. A nonaqueous liquid jetting fluid includes up to 50 wt % cosolvents, and an acidic additive. A method for forming a three dimensional article includes providing a layer of a powder mixture including a soluble adhesive, magnesium oxide, an acid additive, and a nonreactive ceramic filler; and applying a substantially nonaqueous liquid jetting fluid including less than 50% water by weight to the powder mixture layer. A solid article formed by three-dimensional printing includes a solidified combination of a powder mixture including soluble adhesive, magnesium oxide, acid additive, and nonreactive ceramic filler; and a substantially nonaqueous liquid jetting fluid.

Binder, adhesive and active filler system for three-dimensional printing of ceramics

Apparatus and methods for fabricating a solid article by three-dimensional printing. A bed of loose solid powder is formed, a fluid dispenser moved parallel to the bed, and a liquid dispensed from the fluid dispenser onto at least a portion of a surface of the powder to form a first printed layer having a first pattern printed thereon. The fluid dispenser includes a printhead inclined at an angle selected from a range of 2 to 20 degrees from vertical with respect to the bed. An apparatus includes a stage, a spreading mechanism to spread layers of loose powder on the stage, and a fluid dispenser disposed above the stage and configured to dispense droplets of fluid that travel in free flight to the stage, the fluid dispenser including a printhead tilted at an angle from 2 to 20 degrees relative to a line perpendicular to the stage surface.

Three dimensional printing method and apparatus using an inclined fluid jet

Semiconductor photovoltaic cells have surfaces that are textured for processing and photovoltaic reasons. The absorbing regions may have parallel grooves that reduce loss of solar energy that would otherwise be lost by reflection. One form of texturing has parallel grooves and ridges. The cell also includes regions of metallization for collecting the generated electrical carriers and conducting them away, which may be channels. The topography is considered during production, using a process that takes advantage of the topography to govern what locations upon will receive a specific processing, and which locations will not receive such a processing. Liquids are treated directly into zones of the cell. They migrate throughout a zone and act upon the locations contacted. They do not migrate to other zones, due to impediments to fluid flow that are features of the surface texture, such as edges, walls and ridges. Blocking liquid may also be deposited and migrate within a zone, to block or mask a subsequent activity, such as etching.

Methods of providing liquid material to selected regions of semiconductor material with textured surfaces

Semiconductor photovoltaic cells have surfaces that are textured for processing and photovoltaic reasons. The absorbing regions may have grooves that reduce loss of solar energy that would otherwise be lost by reflection. One form of texturing has grooves and ridges. The cell also includes metallizations for collecting generated electrical carriers and conducting them away, which may be channels. The topography is considered during production, using a process that takes advantage of the topography to govern what locations will receive a specific processing, and which locations will not. Liquids are treated directly into zones. They migrate throughout a zone and act upon the locations contacted. They do not migrate to other zones, due to impediments to flow, such as edges, walls and ridges. Liquid may also be deposited and migrate within a zone, to block or mask a subsequent activity, such as etching.

Enhanced methods for fabricating solar cells with textured surfaces

Solar cells with textured surfaces

Mixture for use in a three-dimensional printer to make molds suitable for producing ferrous coatings. The mixture includes cement, sand and accelerator. Grain sizes of the cement, sand and accelerator are selected to assure that the three-dimensional printer generates coherent layers.

Cement-based materials system for producing ferrous castings using a three-dimensional printer

A materials system and methods are provided to enable the formation of articles by three dimensional printing. The materials system includes particulate mixtures having a whitening agent and a solid particulate additive comprising an acid, the latter adapted for modifying a cure rate of an infiltrant. The materials system also includes aqueous fluids including optical brightening agents.

Three-dimensional printing material system with improved color, article performance, and ease of use

The present invention is directed to three-dimensional printing material systems and method, and an article made therefrom. The method of the present invention includes building cross-sectional portions of a three-dimensional article, and assembling the individual cross-sectional areas in a layer-wise fashion to form a final article. The individual cross-sectional areas are built by using an ink-jet printhead to deliver a fluid to a particulate material that includes particulate material.

Material systems and methods of three-dimensional printing

A materials system and method is provided to enable the formation of articles by three-dimensional printing. The materials system includes thermoplastic particulate filler material that allows the accurate definition of articles that are strong without being brittle.

Thermoplastic powder material system for appearance models from 3D printing systems

A three-dimensional printing materials system and method can produce both appearance models and small numbers of functional parts in an office environment. The method can include building cross-sectional portions of a three-dimensional article, and assembling the individual cross-sectional areas in a layer-wise fashion to form a final article. The individual cross-sectional areas can be built by using an ink-jet printhead to deliver an aqueous solvent or binder to an adhesive particulate mixture, causing the particles of the mixture to adhere together, and to previous cross-sectional areas. The binder can include at least one of nonaqueous organic monomeric compound, anionically ionizable polymer, cationic polymer, polymer, waterborne colloid, or inorganic solute.

Methods and compositions for three-dimensional printing of solid objects

The present invention is directed to a 3DP&#x2122; material composition and method of use. The composition of the present invention includes an adhesive material, a fibrous component and a filler. Alternatively, the composition may include a particulate material having a mean particle size between about 10 microns and about 300 microns, a soluble adhesive material. The compositions may also include an accelerator and an additional adhesive.

Three dimensional printing material system and method

The present invention is directed to a three-dimensional printing system and method, and an article made therefrom. The method of the present invention includes building cross-sectional portions of a three dimensional article, and assembling the individual cross-sectional areas in a layer-wise fashion to form a final article. The individual cross-sectional areas are built using an ink-jet printhead to deliver an aqueous fluid to a particle material that includes a first particulate material, a second particulate material, and a third particulate material, wherein the first and second particulate materials react in the presence of the fluid in a period of time, and the third particulate material reacts in the presence of the fluid to form a solid in a longer period of time.

Growing community of inventors

Watertown, MA, United States of America

James F Bredt