Patent ID: 11860618
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;
an atomizer that atomizes the polymer melt and distributes the atomized polymer melt;
a fall chamber that provides a series of vertically distinct zones into which the atomized polymer melt is distributed, the series of vertically distinct zones each correspondent to a series of elements that each provide heat or cooling selectively varied along a vertical axis of the fall chamber, including at least one zone having a hold temperature of 170-250 degrees Celsius to build crystallinity of the atomized polymer melt, and which provide a flow of, to thereby provide a varied series of controlled modification horizons including a sphericity horizon to, the atomized polymer melt along the vertical axis as the atomized polymer melt falls along the vertical axis
a controller configured to provide the vertically distinct zones and configured to control the atomized polymer melt to provide a requisite time, temperature and flow of the atomized polymer melt to provide particular characteristics, each correspondent to the modification horizons, to the print material particles in each of the controlled modification horizons;
and
a first collector to receive the print material particles having the particular characteristics, including a sphericity dictated by the sphericity horizon, and being formed from the atomized polymer melt after falling through the series of vertically distinct zones.