Patent ID: 11878442
Assignee: LOCKHEED MARTIN CORPORATION
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  C  Y | IPC B

Claim 6:
7. A three-dimensional (3D) printer comprising:
a workbox;
a print bed disposed within the workbox and comprising an inert material;
a first printhead configured to bulk deposit a first powder within the workbox;
a second printhead configured to pattern-deposit a second powder within the workbox; and
a control unit configured to control the 3D printing of an object, the control unit comprising a processor and one or more memory units, the one or more memory units storing a plurality of instructions, the plurality of instructions comprising:
a first instruction for the first printhead to deposit a first layer of the first powder on the print bed, the first powder having a first melting temperature;
a second instruction for the second printhead to deposit a second layer of the second powder on the print bed, the second powder being a different powder from the first powder; and
a third instruction to repeat the first and second instructions until layers of the first and second powder form an uncompressed greenware within the workbox, wherein the uncompressed greenware is surrounded by an excess of the first powder, the shape of the excess being defined by the walls of the workbox,

wherein:
the uncompressed greenware is configured to be compressed by a hydraulic press in the workbox to form a compressed greenware that is surrounded by an excess of compressed first powder;
the compressed greenware is configured to be heated in a kiln to form the object surrounded by the excess of compressed first powder, the object having a second melting temperature that is higher than the first melting temperature of the first powder; and
the object surrounded by the excess of the compressed first powder is configured to be heated in the kiln to at least the first melting temperature of the first powder but is less than the second melting temperature of the object to remove the excess first powder from the object.