US-12617158-B2 - System and method for generating molten metal droplets for additive manufacturing

US12617158B2US 12617158 B2US12617158 B2US 12617158B2US-12617158-B2

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system for additive manufacturing. The system includes a frame, a CNC bed configured with the frame. A metal dispensing mechanism configured to eject metal droplets on the CNC bed. The metal dispensing mechanism is configured to controllably move with respect to the CNC bed for manufacturing the object. The metal dispensing mechanism includes a first nozzle, functionally configured with the CNC bed, for controllably dispensing the metal droplets on the CNC bed, and the nozzle is fluidically configured with a reservoir having the metal. A piston configured with the reservoir, and the piston is configured to push the molten metal from the reservoir such the molten metal is released from the reservoir towards the first nozzle. The piston is made of thermally insulating material, and a transducer configured with the piston to facilitate mechanical jerking of the piston for facilitating the pushing of the molten metal from the reservoir.

Inventors

Hemang Kumar Jayant
Manish Arora

Assignees

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20220625
Priority Date: 20210626

Claims (7)

1 . A system for additive manufacturing, the system comprising: a frame; a computer numerical control (CNC) bed, configured with the frame, for supporting an object to be manufactured thereon; a metal dispensing mechanism configured to eject metal droplets on the CNC bed, and the metal dispensing mechanism is configured to controllably move with respect to the CNC bed for manufacturing the object, the metal dispensing mechanism comprises; a first nozzle, functionally configured with the CNC bed, for controllably dispensing the metal droplets on the CNC bed, and the nozzle is fluidically configured with a reservoir having the metal, a piston configured with the reservoir made of aluminum, and the piston is configured to push the molten metal from the reservoir such the molten metal is released from the reservoir towards the first nozzle, wherein the piston is made of borosilicate glass, and a transducer configured with the piston to enable the piston for ejecting the molten metal from the reservoir; and a polymer extruder configured to extrude polymer through a second nozzle functionally configured with the CNC bed, on the CNC bed for manufacturing the object, and the polymer extruder is configured to move with respect to the CNC bed and the metal dispensing mechanism.
2 . The system for additive manufacturing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the thermally insulating material comprises borosilicate glass.
3 . The system for additive manufacturing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the reservoir is made of aluminium, and the reservoir is configured with a metal spool for receiving the metal.
4 . The system for additive manufacturing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the system comprises an induction heater configured around the reservoir to melt the metal inside the reservoir.
5 . The system for additive manufacturing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the polymer extruder is configured with a polymer spool for receiving the polymer.
6 . The system for additive manufacturing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein system comprises a control unit, having a controller, operatively conjured with the CNC bed, the metal dispensing mechanism, and the polymer extruder, the control unit is configured to control relative motion between the bed, metal dispensing mechanism, and the polymer extruder, wherein the control unit is configured to control a sequence of operation of the CNC bed, the metal dispensing mechanism, and the polymer extruder.
7 . The system for additive manufacturing as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the object is configured to be manufactured by sequential extrusion of the polymer from the polymer extruder, and dispensing molten metal from the metal dispensing mechanism.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to the field of additive manufacturing. More particularly the present disclosure relates to a system for generating molten metal droplets for additive manufacturing. BACKGROUND Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. In field of additive manufacturing, droplet-on-demand is one of the methods to generate small size molten metal droplet to print metal in multi-dimensional. Droplet-on-Demand (DoD) can be achieved using multiple techniques. Among all these DoD techniques, one of the ways to generate molten metal droplets is by using an actuator to push the molten metal using a metal piston. Using DoD, the actuator transfers the motion to piston which is kept inside the molten metal. The piston pushed the molten metal to eject the metal from nozzle. In this process as the metal is in the molten state at high temperature the metal piston transfers the heat from molten metal pool to the actuator or transducer and damages it due to overheating. Also, to protect the transducer from getting damaged a high-temperature compliant transducer or a dedicated cooling system for the transducer. This increases the overall cost of the additive manufacturing system. Also, metal printers and polymer printers are commercially available as two separate machines due to their printing processes. Metals are printed at high temperatures as compared to polymer extrusion temperature. This temperature difference does not allow the printing of metal and polymer together. As an alternative to combined metal and metal printing, conductive inkprinters are available commercially to print conductive ink with a polymer. These printers print the conductive on the insulating surface to interconnect the electronic components to make a working electronic circuit. This technique is limited to print low-power electronic circuits in 2D due to its technology and the high electrical resistance of conductive inks. This limitation can be resolved by using direct metal for printing the electronic circuits in 3D and higher-dimensions. There is, therefore, a need of an improved system for additive manufacturing that is free from the above discussed problems. OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least one embodiment herein satisfy are as listed herein below. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system for additive manufacturing, which requires less maintenance cost, as the transducer is protected from getting damaged from heat of the molten metal. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system for additive manufacturing, which can enable printing of the metal without needing a high-temperature compliant transducer or a dedicated cooling system for the transducer. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system for additive manufacturing, which uses heat insulated piston and reduces heat loss in the induction system. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system for additive manufacturing, which uses heat insulated piston and reduces heat loss in the induction system. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system for additive manufacturing, in which prevention of heating of the transducer can enable use of many other transducers which are suitable for low temperature usage for generating molten metal droplets. It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a system for additive manufacturing that is capable of combined metal and polymer additive manufacturing system for printing electronic circuits in multi-dimensional along with its insulating body, and metal with polymer part in multi-dimensional such as 2D, 3D etc. SUMMARY The present disclosure relates to the field of additive manufacturing. More particularly the present disclosure relates to a system for generating molten metal droplets for additive manufacturing. An aspect of the present disclosure pertains to a system for additive manufacturing. The system includes a frame, a computer numerical control (CNC) bed configured with the frame, for supporting an object to be manufactured thereon. The CNC bed is configured to move in multi-dimensional axis. A metal dispensing mechanism configured to ejectmetal droplets on the CNC bed. The metal dispensing mechanism is configured to controllably move with respect to the CNC bed for manufacturing the object. The metal dispensing mechanism includes a first nozzle, functionally configured with the CNC bed, for controllably dispensing the metal droplets on the CNC bed, and the nozzle is fluidically configured with a reservoir having the metal. A piston configured with the reservoir, and the piston is configured to push th