Systems and methods for additive manufacturing using thermally cross-linkable materials

1 . An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part comprising:

a printing system including at least one print head for printing a plurality of layers of a three-dimensional part using a layer-based, additive manufacturing technique;

a movable support system with three axis motion on which the three-dimensional part is printed;

a transport system that moves the printing system relative to the movable support system;

at least one thermally cross-linkable material introduced to and dispensed from the at least one print head, having at least one thermally cross-linkable polymeric material and an amount of at least one electromagnetic energy susceptor material, wherein the at least one cross-linkable polymeric material is a thermoset material;

an electromagnetic energy generator configured to apply electromagnetic energy to the at least one thermally cross-linkable material to heat the at least one electromagnetic energy susceptor material to cause predetermined cross-linking of the at least one cross-linkable polymeric material, wherein the electromagnetic energy generator is provided adjacent to the at least one print head and applies electromagnetic energy by a plurality of applicators to each layer of the plurality of layers dispensed from the printer head immediately after the layer is dispensed;

wherein the electromagnetic energy generator is configured to apply electromagnetic energy simultaneously from the plurality of applicators to provide uniform curing across a width of each dispensed layer;

wherein dispersion of the at least one energy susceptor is used to control heating of the at least one thermally cross-linkable material; and

wherein the electromagnetic energy generator supplies a lower level of electromagnetic energy to each successive layer of the plurality of layers.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the movable support system causes relative movement between the dispensed thermally cross-linkable material and the electromagnetic energy produced by the electromagnetic energy generator in at least one scanning direction.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic energy susceptor is an amount of nanoparticles.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic energy susceptor material is an amount of carbon nanotubes.

5 . The system of claim 1 wherein the amount of the at least one electromagnetic energy susceptor material is in the range of 0.001 wt. % to 50 wt. %.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic energy generator moves along a scanning gantry to irradiate the at least one thermally cross-linkable material just after being dispensed from the at least one print head.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermally cross-linkable material is substantially uniformly heated by the amount of at least one electromagnetic energy susceptor material.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein an amount of time the at least one electromagnetic energy susceptor is exposed to the electromagnetic energy may be controlled by movement of the dispensed at least one thermally cross-linkable material relative to the electromagnetic energy generator and/or controlling generation of the electromagnetic energy from the electromagnetic energy generator.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor, wherein the temperature sensor comprises a forward-looking infrared camera.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electromagnetic energy susceptor material comprises molybdenum.