CPC B22F 10/14 (2021.01) [B22F 1/10 (2022.01); B22F 10/66 (2021.01); B22F 12/50 (2021.01); B22F 12/86 (2021.01); B29C 64/147 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); B33Y 70/10 (2020.01); B29C 64/165 (2017.08); B41J 2/01 (2013.01)] | 22 Claims |
1. A method for selectively patterning a dense sinterable additive manufactured feedstock structure into a 3D part with a 3D printing system, the method comprising:
a) forwarding a web sheet having a layer of dense feedstock in a process direction with a transfer subsystem of a printing system, the feedstock being a dense sinterable material and binder composite with porosity below 20% volume, the web sheet sectioned into dense feedstock 3D slices having slice boundary sections therebetween, the slices having an imaging area thereon;
b) selectively depositing a sintering ink according to a 3D pattern onto the imaging area of one of the dense feedstock 3D slices, the sintering ink infiltrating into the dense feedstock 3D slices to form patterned dense feedstock slices in accordance with the 3D pattern;
c) stacking the patterned dense feedstock slices over a previously formed patterned dense feedstock slice to form a build monolith having a plurality of patterned dense feedstock slices;
d) removing at least some of the binder composite from the build monolith; and
e) sintering the build monolith into the 3D part shaped based on the 3D pattern.
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