Patent ID: 6405095
Filing Date: 2002-06-11
Classification: B22F,B29C,B33Y,G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
Solid freeform fabrication apparatus for making a three-dimensional object, comprising:(a) a work surface; (b) a material deposition sub-system, disposed above and in working proximity to said work surface, comprising: a liquid droplet deposition device comprising (1) a multiplicity of flow channels with each channel being supplied with a solidifiable liquid composition, (2) at least one nozzle having, on one end, a fluid passage in flow communication with one of said multiple channels and, on another end, a discharge orifice of a predetermined size, and (3) actuator means located in control relation to said channels for activating ejection of droplets through said discharge orifice; a focused heat source disposed in working proximity to said work surface and operative to produce a heat-affected zone on said work surface; a powder-dispensing device, disposed in close proximity to said liquid droplet deposition device, comprising (1) at least a flow channel being supplied with solid powder particles, (2) at least one nozzle having, on one end, a flow passage in flow communication with said flow channel and, on another end, a discharge orifice of a predetermined size, and (3) valve means located in control relation with said flow channel and operative to inject solid powder particles to said heat-affected zone for forming a weld pool of molten material; (c) motion devices coupled to said work surface and said material deposition sub-system for moving said deposition sub-system and said work surface relative to one another in a plane defined by first and second directions and in a third direction orthogonal to said plane to form said liquid droplets and weld pool material, collectively referred to as deposition materials, into a three-dimensional shape.