Patent ID: 11868124
Assignee: JABIL INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  B  H  Y | IPC B  G  H

Claim 0:
1. An apparatus for forming print material particles for additive manufacturing (AM) printing, comprising:
a melt chamber comprising a polymer melt;
a vertical extruder that fluidically receives the polymer melt;
an atomizer that atomizes the polymer melt from the vertical extruder and that distributes the atomized polymer melt;
a fall chamber comprising a plurality of zones into which the atomized polymer melt is distributed, the plurality of zones comprising:
a plurality of heating zones comprising at least one heating zone including a heat emitter capable of providing a temperature of 250 degrees C. to the atomized polymer melt in the fall chamber; and
a plurality of cooling zones comprising at least one cooling zone corresponding to a cooling element;

one or more gas inlets suitable, in conjunction with at least both (i) the heat emitter and (ii) the cooling element, to control a flow of the distribution of the atomized polymer melt in the fall chamber; and
a collector to receive the print material particles formed of the atomized polymer melt after falling through the plurality of zones.