APPARATUS, SYSTEM AND METHOD OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING USING ULTRA-FINE JETTED MATERIAL
An apparatus, system and method for additive manufacturing. The apparatus, system and method may include a solution dispenser comprising a carrier having embedded therein particles having a size of about 1-5 microns; a jet suitable to disperse the solution from the dispenser; and a tunable heat filter suitable to burn off the carrier, and make molten the particles, as the solution passes therethrough; wherein an additive manufacturing print build receives the molten particles.
1 . An apparatus for anti-cake material jetting for a print build, the apparatus comprising:
a controller comprising: at least one processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations;
a solution dispenser having a solution, wherein the solute of the solution comprises photosensitive polymers, wherein the photosensitive polymers have a size of about 1-5 microns;
a jet;
a tunable heat filter; and
an ultraviolet actuator to provide UV light, wherein the UV light is directed to the print build;
wherein the operations comprise:
dispersing, by the jet, the solution from the solution dispenser; and
adjusting the tunable heat filter to a temperature to (i) burn off, at least in-part, the solvent of the solution and (ii) make molten the photosensitive polymers, as the solution passes through the heat filter.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the polymers have a size about 1-2 microns.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the polymers comprise polypropylene.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the solvent of the solution comprises water.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat filter provides infrared heat, wherein adjusting the temperature of the tunable heat filter includes altering a frequency of the infrared heat.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat filter comprises multiple zones.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one zone of the multiple zones comprises infrared heat.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tunable heat filter comprises a physical filter block, wherein the print build receives the molten particles.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprising:
second dispersing, by the jet, the solution from the solution dispenser; and
second energizing the ultraviolet actuator to cure the photosensitive polymers on the print build.