Systems and methods of solid freeform fabrication with translating powder bins

1. A solid freeform fabrication (SFF) system comprising:

a powder supply bin;

a build bin adjacent the powder supply bin;

a printhead disposed above the build bin that deposits a binder onto the powder in the build bin in a preselected pattern;

a roller disposed adjacent the printhead, the roller configured to distribute and compress the powder at a top surface of the removable powder supply bin and the build bin to a desired thickness; and

wherein the powder supply bin and the build bin are attached to a stage that translates the powder supply bin and the build bin in a y-axis relative to the printhead.

2. The SFF system of claim 1 , wherein the stage comprises a mechanical drive.

3. The SFF system of claim 1 , wherein the stage comprises a mechanical drive that is selected from the group consisting of: a servo motor, a linear motor, a stepper motor, a synchronous motor, a D.C. motor, and a fluid motor.

4. The SFF system of claim 1 , wherein the print head translates in an x-axis relative to the bins.

5. The SFF system of claim 1 , wherein the print head translates in an x-axis relative to the bins via a belt drive.

6. The SFF system of claim 1 , wherein each of the powder supply bin and the build bin comprises:

side walls made of a material chosen from one of the group consisting of: acetals, acrylics, terpolymers, alkyds, melamines, phenolic resins, polyarylates, polycarbonates, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyphenylene sulfide, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, styrene acrylonitrile, polyphenylsulfone, polyethersulfones, polyetherketones, unsaturated polyesters, polytetrafluoroethylene, liquid crystalline polymer, polyurethanes, urea-formaldehyde molding compounds, a metal, a metal alloy, and combinations thereof; and

a piston bottom configured to be acted on by a linear motion actuator of the SFF system.

7. The SFF system of claim 1 , wherein each of the powder supply bin and the build bin comprises a bag compartment constructed of a flexible polymeric material.

8. The SFF system of claim 1 , wherein each of the powder supply bin and the build bin comprises a bag compartment, the bag compartment being constructed of a polymeric film of one of the group consisting of: polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, polyethylene copolymers, polyethylene naphthalate, polyamide, polyester, polyarylates, polybutylene terepthalate, polypropylene, polyurethane, cellulosics, and polysaccharides.

9. The SFF system of claim 1 ,

wherein at least one of the build bin or the powder supply bin comprises a memory that communicates information about the powder to a controller for the solid freeform fabrication system, and

wherein the system comprises a sensor that is configured to receive information from the memory on the powder supply bin.

10. A solid freeform fabrication (SFF) system comprising:

a stationary powder supply bin;

a build bin adjacent the powder supply bin, wherein the build bin comprises a moveable surface in the z-direction, on which an object is fabricated;

a roller disposed above the powder supply bin and the build bin, the roller being incorporated into a movable stage and configured to distribute and compress the powder at a top surface of the stationary powder supply bin and the build bin to a desired thickness; and

a print head disposed above the build bin that deposits a binder onto the powder in the build bin in a preselected pattern;

wherein the build bin is configured to translate in a y-axis relative to the print head.

11. The SFF system of claim 10 , wherein the stage comprises a mechanical drive.

12. The SFF system of claim 10 , wherein the stage comprises a mechanical drive that is selected from the group consisting of: a servo motor, a linear motor, a stepper motor, a synchronous motor, a D.C. motor, and a fluid motor.

13. The SFF system of claim 10 , wherein the print head translates in an x-axis relative to the bins.

14. The SFF system of claim 10 , wherein the print head translates in an x-axis relative to the bins via a belt drive.

15. The SEE system of claim 10 , wherein the build bin further comprises a memory that communicates information about the powder to a controller for the solid freeform fabrication system, wherein the information is one of the group consisting of: powder volume, powder type, bin manufacturer, allowable binder types for the powder, recommended spread-roller rotation speed, supply bin z-step size, expiration date of the powder, drop volume needed for a given layer thickness, and setting time.

16. The SEE system of claim 10 , wherein the movable stage incorporating the roller translates independently of the build bin.

17. The SFF system of claim 10 , wherein the movable stage incorporating the roller is static.

18. A solid freeform fabrication system comprising:

means for dispensing powder from a powder supply bin onto a layer on a build platform;

means for building an object by layers in the build bin, wherein each layer is formed by ejecting a binder with an inkjet print head onto the layer of powder in the build bin;

means for translating the build platform in a downward z-direction as the object is built;

means for translating the build platform a y-direction relative to the print head; and

means for translating the print head in an x-direction relative to the build platform.

19. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:

means for containing the powder in the powder bin;

means for pushing the powder upward in the supply bin; and

means for allowing the powder to build in layers in the build bin.

20. The system of claim 18 , further comprising:

means for communicating information about the powder to a means for controlling the system; and

means for receiving information from the sensor on the powder supply bin.