Covestro Deutschland Ag

Stratasys, Inc.

Covestro Intellectual Property Gmbh & Co. Kg

Parker-hannifin Corporation

Nicolas Degiorgio

Dirk Achten

Thomas Büsgen

Roland Wagner

Peter Reichert

Thomas Buesgen

Jonas Kuenzel

Levent Akbas

Dirk Dijkstra

Wolfgang Arndt

Martin Melchiors

Joerg Tillack

Harald Kraus

Jörg Büchner

Joerg Buechner

Fabian Schuster

Rolf Wehrmann

Eckhard Wenz

Helmut Werner Heuer

Bettina Mettmann

Thomas Michaelis

Michael Kessler

Christoph Tomczyk

Jörg Tillack

Ting Liu

Jürgen Hättig

Maximilian Wolf

Stephan Nowak

Karin Clauberg

Jonas Künzel

Jari Birth

Torsten Feller

Thomas Busgen

Maria Elisabeth Beenen-Fuchs

Ralf Rott

Maria Elisabeth Beenen-fuchs

Holger Schmeer

Rolf Albach

Thomas BÜSGEN

The present invention relates to a fibre-reinforced 3D-printed elastic product (1, 3, 4, 7, 10, 12), wherein the product comprises a weight proportion of ≥50% of a polymer having a mean molecular weight of ≥5000 g/mol, measured by means of GPC, and a weight proportion of ≥0.5% and ≤20% of one or more fibres having an aspect ratio of ≥100 and a length of ≥3 cm and ≤1000 cm, the product being produced at least in part by means of an FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) method, and the product having a tensile modulus of ≥1.5 GPa in the region of the fibre reinforcement and in the direction of the fibre symmetry axis. The product also has a tensile modulus, measured according to DIN EN ISO 527-1, of ≤1.2 GPa in the region of the fibre reinforcement and perpendicular to the fibre symmetry axis, and has a yield strength of >5%, measured according to DIN EN ISO 527-1, perpendicular to the fibre symmetry axis.

3D-printed elastic products reinforced by means of continuous fibres and having asymmetrical elastic properties

The invention relates to a method for applying a material containing a meltable polymer comprising the step of applying a filament of the at least partially molten material from a discharge opening of a discharge element onto a substrate. The meltable polymer has the following properties: —a melting point (DSC, differential scanning calorimetry; second heating with a heating rate of 5° C./min) in a range from ≥40° C. to ≤120° C.; —a glass transition temperature (DMA, dynamic mechanical analysis in accordance with DIN EN ISO 6721-1:2011) in a range from ≥−70° C. to ≤30° C.; —a storage modulus G' (parallel plate oscillation viscometer in accordance with ISO 6721-10:2015 at a frequency of 1/s) at 20° C. above the melting point of ≥1·10Pa; —a storage modulus G′ (parallel plate oscillation viscometer in accordance with ISO 6721-10:2015 at a frequency of 1/s) at 10° C. below the melting point with prior heating to a temperature of 20° C. above the melting point and subsequent cooling with a cooling rate of 1° C./min of ≤1·10Pa; wherein the filament has an application temperature of ≥100° C. above the melting point of the meltable polymer for ≤5 minutes during the application process and wherein the meltable polymer further has the property that the storage modulus G′ (parallel plate oscillation viscometer in accordance with ISO 6721-10:2015 at a frequency of 1/s) of the meltable polymer at the highest application temperature reached during the application process is smaller by a factor of ≥10 than the storage modulus G′ (parallel plate oscillation viscometer in accordance with ISO 6721-10:2015 at a frequency of 1/s) at a temperature of 20° C. above the melting point of the meltable polymer.

Method for applying a material containing a meltable polymer, more particularly a hot-melt adhesive, above the decomposition temperature thereof

The present invention relates to a method for functionalizing a workpiece surface, comprising the following steps: a) providing a workpiece; b) providing a film; c) functionalizing at least one film side by the location-selective application of a functionalization composition comprising a polymer material onto part of the film side in one or more layers by means of a 3D printing process; d) creating an integrally bonded or interlocking connection between the workpiece surface and the film functionalized in step c) by bringing the film into contact with at least part of the workpiece surface, wherein the integrally bonded or interlocking connection to the workpiece surface is achieved with a functionalized film side. The invention further relates to workpieces having a surface functionalized according to the invention.

Film areas functionalized by means of 3D printing for finishing workpiece surfaces

It is a feature of a porous body () comprising a three-dimensional network of node points () joined to one another by struts (), and a void volume () present between the struts (), that the struts () have an average length of ≥200 to ≤50 mm, the struts () have an average thickness of ≥100 μm to ≤5 mm, and that the porous body has a compression hardness (40% compression, DIN EN ISO 3386-1: 2010-09) in at least one spatial direction of ≥10 to ≤100 kPa. The porous body according to the invention combines the advantages of a conventional mattress or cushion with ventilatability which results from its porous structure and is not achievable in conventional foams. The invention further relates to a method of producing such a porous body () and to an apparatus comprising said body () for supporting and/or bearing a person.

Porous body, additive manufacturing method for the body and apparatus for supporting and/or bearing a person

A deformable body, wherein the body is constructed from a multiplicity of layers of a polymer construction material and in which a construction direction is defined perpendicular to the layers. The body preferably comprises layers with a multiplicity of curve pairs () which are formed by the construction material and which run in the same direction as one another, the curve pairs comprise in each case two periodic curves () running oppositely with respect to one another, and the curve pairs comprise portions of maximum spacing to one another () and portions of minimum spacing to one another (). In one part of the layers, in adjacent curve pairs (), at least one portion of maximum spacing () of one curve is connected to a portion of maximum spacing () of an adjacent curve, in a further part of the layers, in adjacent curve pairs (), at least one portion of maximum spacing () of one curve is not connected to a portion of maximum spacing () of an adjacent curve, in a further part of the layers, in adjacent curve pairs (), at least a part of the portions of minimum spacing () are connected to one another, and in a further part of the layers, in adjacent curve pairs (), at least a part of the portions of minimum spacing () are not connected to one another. The invention also relates to a method for producing the body and to a device for supporting and/or bearing a person having the body according to the invention. The boy may be used inter alia as a mattress or as a vehicle seat.

Deformable body and method for the production thereof

A method for producing an object from a filamentary building material in an additive fused deposition modelling process, comprising the steps of: providing the building material; transporting the building material into a printhead at a feed rate for the building material, wherein the building material is transported between a driven drive wheel and a second wheel; melting the building material by means of a heating device in the printhead; discharging the molten building material to a discharge location, corresponding to a selected cross section of the object to be produced, at a discharge rate through an orifice of the printhead, with relative movement of the printhead in relation to the discharge location at a predetermined speed to movement along a predetermined path, wherein the path has at each location a curvature that can assume a positive value, zero or a negative value; wherein a control unit controls at least the drive of the drive wheel, the heating device in the printhead and the movement of the printhead in dependence on the curvature of the printing path. Likewise disclosed is a control unit for use in an installation for carrying out an additive fused deposition modelling process with a filamentary building material.

3-D printing process with path-dependent control of the printing path

The invention relates to a method for producing an object, comprising the step of producing the object from a construction material by means of an additive manufacturing process, wherein the construction material comprises a plurality of thermoplastic polyurethane materials. The materials differ by at least one mechanical property such as the shore hardness or the elongation at break. The invention also relates to an object obtained according to said method.

Additive manufacturing process using several thermoplastic polyurethanes

A process for manufacturing an article comprises the steps of: I) applying a filament of an at least partially fused construction material to a support so as to obtain a layer of the construction material which corresponds to a first selected cross-section of the article; II) applying a filament of the at least partially fused construction material to a previously applied layer of the construction material so as to obtain a further layer of the construction material which corresponds to a further selected cross-section of the article and which is bonded to the previously applied layer; and III) repeating step II) until the article is formed. At least steps II) and III) are carried out in a chamber and the construction material comprises a fusible polymer. The fusible polymer has a fusion range (DSC, differential scanning calorimetry; 2nd heating at a heating rate of 5 K/min.) of &#x2265;20&#xb0; C. to &#x2264;100&#xb0; C. The fusible polymer further has a complex viscosity |&#x3b7;*| (determined by viscosity measurement in the melt using a plate-plate oscillating viscometer according to ISO 6721-10 at 100&#xb0; C. and a shear rate of l/s) of &#x2265;10 Pas to &#x2264;1000000 Pas. Finally, the temperature inside the chamber is &#x2264;50&#xb0; C. The invention also relates to an article manufactured by the process according to the invention, to an article having a substrate and to an article bonded to the substrate, the article being in the form of an adhesive joint or varnish region, and to the use of a particular polyurethane in fused deposition modeling-based additive manufacturing processes.

Fused deposition modeling-based additive manufacturing process at low temperatures

A method for producing an object with layers of different materials in an additive manufacturing process comprises the following steps: &#x2022;I) providing a construction material heated at least in part to a temperature above its glass transition temperature on a substrate, so that a layer of the construction material is obtained which corresponds to a first selected cross section of the object; &#x2022;II) providing a construction material heated at least in part to a temperature above its glass transition temperature on a previously provided layer of the construction material, so that another layer of the construction material is obtained which corresponds to another selected cross section of the object and which is connected to the previously provided layer; &#x2022;III) repeating step II) until the object is formed. In the individual steps II) in the method, the construction material is selected each time from a first construction material and a second construction material different from the first, the first construction material being a polycarbonate, polyester, polyester carbonate, polyimide, polylactic acid, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polymethyl(meth)acrylate or mixtures of at least two thereof. Step II) is carried out at least once with the first construction material and step II) is carried out at least once with the second construction material. The invention further relates to an object that is obtainable using the method described above.

Layered manufacturing process for an object with different layer material and object with different layer material

A method of applying a material comprising a fusible polymer comprises the step of: The fusible polymer has the following properties: wherein the filament, during the application process, has an application temperature of &#x2265;100&#xb0; C. above the melting point of the fusible polymer for &#x2264;20 minutes. There are still free NCO groups in the material including the fusible polymer.

Method for applying a material containing a meltable polymer with free NCO groups

The invention relates to a method for the mechanical testing of a structure () formed as one part, comprising the following steps: a) identifying a sub-element () in the structure () formed as one part for generating a test element (') that is intended to undergo mechanical testing, wherein the sub-element () only represents a portion of the structure () formed as one part, b) determining the spatial-geometrical structure of the sub-element (), c) generating the test element (&#x2032;) on the basis of the spatial-geometrical structure of the sub-element () and at least in part or in full by way of a 3D printing process, d) carrying out at least one mechanical test on the test element (&#x2032;) generated. A further subject matter of the present invention is a method for modifying the structural design data of the structure () formed as one part, in which the data of the mechanical testing that is obtained from the aforementioned method is used for a modification of the structural design data of the structure ().

Method for the mechanical testing of a structure formed as one part on the basis of test pieces generated by a 3D printing process

A method of applying a material comprising a fusible polymer comprises the step of: The fusible polymer has the following properties: There are furthermore blocked NCO groups present in the material comprising the fusible polymer.

Method for applying a material containing a meltable polymer with blocked NCO groups

The invention relates to a print head () for an additive fused deposition modelling method having a thermoplastic construction material, comprising:&#x2014;at least one inlet () for receiving a construction material () into the print head;&#x2014;at least one melt region, for melting the construction material (), which is arranged downstream of the inlet () and is fluidically connected, at least temporarily, to the inlet (); and&#x2014;at least one first outlet () that is fluidically connected, at least temporarily, to the melt region (), for discharging melted construction material () out of the melt region () at a first discharge rate; wherein&#x2014;the print head () also comprises at least one second outlet () that is fluidically connected, at least temporarily, to the melt region () for discharging melted or non-melted construction material () out of the melt region () at a second discharge rate; and&#x2014;the first discharge rate can be influenced by a first discharge rate influencing device () for the melted construction material ().

Print head, method and system for 3D printing having variable discharge rate

A process for manufacturing an article comprises the steps of: applying a layer that consists of particles to a target area; allowing, in a chamber, energy to act on a selected portion of the layer, according to a cross-section of the article, so that the particles in the selected portion are bonded, and repeating the steps of applying and allowing energy to act for a plurality of layers so that the bonded portions of the adjacent layers are bonded to form the article, at least part of the particles comprising a fusible polymer. The fusible polymer has a fusion range (DSC, differential scanning calorimetry; 2nd heating at a heating rate of 5 K/min.) of &#x2265;20&#xb0; C. to &#x2264;100&#xb0; C. The fusible polymer further has a complex viscosity \&#x3b7;*\ (determined by viscosity measurement in the melt using a plate-plate oscillating viscometer according to ISO 6721-10 at 100&#xb0; C. and a shear rate of 1/s) of &#x2265;10 Pas to &#x2264;1000000 Pas. Finally, the temperature inside the chamber is &#x2264;50&#xb0; C. The invention also relates to an article manufactured by the process according to the invention, to an article having a substrate and to an article bonded to the substrate, the article being in the form of an adhesive joint or varnish region, and to the use of a particular polyurethane in powder-based additive manufacturing processes.

Powder-based additive manufacturing process at low temperatures

The invention relates to a method for producing a three-dimensional object, the outer surface of which has at least one surface section that is generated in that, by means of an additive production method (layer-building forming method), initially a surface section is produced on a flat base plate () in two-dimensional form, comprising the following steps: I) applying at least one curable polymer or curable reaction resin with a respective elastic modulus according to DIN 53504 (effective: 18 Apr. 2015) in the cured state, of &#x3c;250 MPa in fluid form, as material webs onto a flat base plate () by means of a layer-building forming method in order to produce a first layer (); II) applying a second layer () onto the first layer () by means of the same or another layer-building forming method, like in step I); III) optionally applying between 1 and 48 additional layers according to step II), wherein each new layer is applied onto the respective previous layer; IV) curing the layers; V) releasing the cured surface section from the flat base plate (); VI) forming the cured surface section into a three-dimensional object; and VII) securing the three-dimensional object.

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Krefeld, Germany

Nicolas Degiorgio