IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,269,781
Granted Patent B2
US 12,269,781 · App. 18/193,028 · Granted Apr 8, 2025

Large area sintering test platform and associated method of use

Inventors: Christopher Joseph Gardiner (Tampa, FL); Justin Nussbaum (Tampa, FL); Nathan Crane (Tampa, FL)
Assignee: University of South Florida
C04B35/64B22F10/28B22F10/368B22F12/13B22F12/44B28B1/001B29C64/153B29C64/264B29C64/295B29C64/393B33Y10/00B33Y30/00B33Y50/00B22F12/90
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,269,781
App. No.
18/193,028
Filed
Mar 30, 2023
Granted
Apr 8, 2025
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1732
USPC
419/PCA.001
Abstract

A large area sintering platform, system, and methodology. The system includes a convection oven with a projection window disposed within a top surface of the oven. A platform is disposed within the oven below the window at a spaced distance away from the window. A powder is positioned on top of the platform, with a thermocouple positioned within the powder on the platform. A high intensity projector moves in sync with the platform, and uses low intensities and long exposure times to project an image through the window onto the powder and sinter the powder to fabricate the desired model layer by layer.

Claims (9)

1. A system for sintering a powder comprising:

a projector having a predetermined image area to heat up and sinter a predetermined cross section of a powder layer;

a thermal camera configured to measure a temperature of a finite region of the predetermined cross section and transfer the measured temperature to a control algorithm, wherein the control algorithm is configured to send a modified signal to obtain a predetermined temperature based on the measured temperature;

a powder bed having a synchronized motion with respect to the predetermined image area.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a powder reservoir for depositing additional powder layers onto the platform.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the system further comprises a rotating drum combined with the powder reservoir for depositing additional powder layers onto the platform.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the rotating drum comprises one or more grooves.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the reservoir is combined with a synchronized movement of the platform to control deposition of additional powder layers onto the platform.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the projector includes an optical power provided by one of an ultra-high-pressure mercury vapor lamp, a metal halide lamp, a high intensity discharge lamp, a high-pressure sodium lamp, a low-pressure sodium lamp, a light emitting diode or a laser.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Feb 19, 2025
From: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
To: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 070253/0838 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2023
From: GARDINER, CHRISTOPHER JOSEPH; NUSSBAUM, JUSTIN; CRANE, NATHAN
To: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
Reel/Frame 064127/0612 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 16637448
Provisional Application 62541861 · Aug 7, 2017
Related Publication 20230250028A1 · Aug 10, 2023
References Cited (31)
US 5354527A · Frechette et al. · 1994 [cited by applicant]
US 20030052105A1 · Nagano et al. · 2003 [cited by applicant]
US 20080314878A1 · Cai et al. · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20130341838A1 · Snecma · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140314613A1 · Hopkinson et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20160279872A1 · Paternoster · 2016 [cited by applicant]
Akande, S. O., Dalgarno, K. W., Munguia, J. & Pallari, J. 2016. Assessment of tests for use in process and quality control systems for selective laser sintering of polyamide powders. Journal of Materials Processing Tech… [cited by applicant]
Barlow, Relating Operating Parameters between SLS Machines which have Different Scanner Geometries and Laser Spot Sizes. Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium, 1992 Austin, Texas, 9 pages. [cited by applicant]
Beal, V. E., Paggi, R. A., Salmoria, G. V. & Lago, A. 2009. Statistical evaluation of laser energy density effect on mechanical properties of polyamide parts manufactured by selective laser sintering. Journal of applied… [cited by applicant]
Bellehumeur, C. T., Bisaria, M. K. & Vlachopoulos, J. 1996. An experimental study and model assessment of polymer sintering. Polymer Engineering & Science, 36, 2198-2207. [cited by applicant]
Drummer, D., Drexler, M. & Wudy, K. 2015. Derivation of heating rate dependent exposure strategies for the selective laser melting of thermoplastic polymers. AIP Conference Proceedings, 1664, 160006. [cited by applicant]
Goodridge, R. D., Tuck, C. J. & Hague, R. J. M. 2012. Laser sintering of polyamides and other polymers. Progress in Materials Science, 57, 229-267. [cited by applicant]
Greco, A. & Maffezzoli, A. 2003. Polymer melting and polymer powder sintering by thermal analysis. Journal of Thermal Analysis & Calorimetry, 72, 1167-1174. [cited by applicant]
Haworth, B., Hopkinson, N., Hitt, D. & Zhong, X. 2013. Shear viscosity measurements on Polyamide-12 polymers for laser sintering. Rapid Prototyping Journal, 19, 28. [cited by applicant]
Hopkinson, et al., “Quantifying the degree of particle melt in Selective Laser Sintering®.” CIRP annals 58.1 (2009): 197-200. [cited by applicant]
Hosseinnezhad, et al., “The unique effect of chain entanglements and particle morphology on the sintering of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene.” Journal of Elastomers & Plastics 49.7 (2017): 609-629. [cited by applicant]
Launhardt, M., Wörz, A., Loderer, A., Laumer, T., Drummer, D., Hausotte, T. & Schmidt, M. 2016. Detecting surface roughness on SLS parts with various measuring techniques. Polymer Testing, 53, 217-226. [cited by applicant]
Negi, et al., Influence of Process Parameters on Mechanical Properties of Parts Fabricated by Selective Laser Sintering. Presented at 4th International Conference & Exhibition on Additive Manufacturing Technologies—AM 2… [cited by applicant]
Peyre, P., Rouchausse, Y., Defauchy, D. & Régnier, G. 2015. Experimental and numerical analysis of the selective laser sintering (SLS) of PA12 and PEKK semi-crystalline polymers. Journal of Materials Processing Tech., 2… [cited by applicant]
Pilipović, A., Valentan, B. & Šercer, M. 2016. Influence of SLS processing parameters according to the new mathematical model on flexural properties. Rapid Prototyping Journal, 22, 258. [cited by applicant]
Rüsenberg, R. W., F. Knoop, H.-J. Schmid, M. Gessler, H. Pfisterer. Controlling the Quality of Laser Sintered Parts Along the Process Chain. Solid Free Form Symposium 2012 Austin, Texas. [cited by applicant]
Schmid et al. “Thermal and molecular properties of polymer powders for Selective Laser Sintering (SLS),” Aip Conference Proceedings, vol. 1779, 2016. [cited by applicant]
Schultz, J. P. 2003. Modeling Heat Transfer and Densification during Laser Sintering of Viscoelastic Polymers. Doctor of Philosophy, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. [cited by applicant]
Setti, G. et al., 2014. Surface methods for monitoring the densification of parts in the selective laser sintering process. Rapid Prototyping Journal, 20, 157-163. [cited by applicant]
Starr, T. L., Gornet, T. J. & Usher, J. S. 2011. The effect of process conditions on mechanical properties of laser-sintered nylon. Rapid Prototyping Journal, 17, 418-423. [cited by applicant]
Tiwari, S. K., Pande, S., Agrawal, S. & Bobade, S. M. 2015. Selection of selective laser sintering materials for different applications. Rapid Prototyping Journal, 21, 630. [cited by applicant]
Vasquez, M., Haworth, B. & Hopkinson, N. 2011. Optimum sintering region for laser sintered nylon-12. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, 225, 2240-2248. [cited by applicant]
Wortberg, et al., “Prediction of PA12 melt viscosity in Laser Sintering by a Time and Temperature dependent rheological model,” RTejournal,2012. [cited by applicant]
Nussbaum, J. et al. “Evaluation of processing variables in large area polymer sintering of single layer components” Solid Freeform Fabrication 2016: Proceedings of the 26th Annual International Solid Freeform Fabricatio… [cited by applicant]
International Preliminary Report on Patentability issued for Application No. PCT/US2018/040624 dated Feb. 20, 2020. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion in PCT/US18/40624. Mailed Sep. 18, 2018. 11 pages. [cited by applicant]
Cited By (1)
US 12,679,024