US 11,731,352 B2
Apparatus and method for fabricating multi-polymer composite structures
George A. Gibson, Fairport, NY (US); and Wayne A. Buchar, Bloomfield, NY (US)
Assigned to Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed by Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed on Mar. 29, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/370,220.
Prior Publication US 2020/0307077 A1, Oct. 1, 2020
Int. Cl. B29C 64/00 (2017.01); B29C 64/176 (2017.01); B29C 64/153 (2017.01); B29C 64/205 (2017.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B33Y 99/00 (2015.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B29C 64/25 (2017.01); B29C 64/20 (2017.01); B29C 64/10 (2017.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01); B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B33Y 50/00 (2015.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); B22F 12/82 (2021.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01); B29C 64/30 (2017.01); B29C 64/40 (2017.01); B29C 64/386 (2017.01); B22F 10/00 (2021.01); B29C 64/255 (2017.01); B29C 64/182 (2017.01); B29C 64/227 (2017.01); B29C 64/245 (2017.01); B29C 64/307 (2017.01); B33Y 70/00 (2020.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); B01D 67/00 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 64/176 (2017.08) [B22F 10/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B22F 12/82 (2021.01); B29C 64/00 (2017.08); B29C 64/10 (2017.08); B29C 64/153 (2017.08); B29C 64/182 (2017.08); B29C 64/20 (2017.08); B29C 64/205 (2017.08); B29C 64/227 (2017.08); B29C 64/245 (2017.08); B29C 64/25 (2017.08); B29C 64/255 (2017.08); B29C 64/30 (2017.08); B29C 64/307 (2017.08); B29C 64/386 (2017.08); B29C 64/393 (2017.08); B29C 64/40 (2017.08); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); B33Y 50/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B33Y 99/00 (2014.12); B01D 67/00045 (2022.08); B01D 67/00415 (2022.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); B33Y 70/00 (2014.12); G03G 2215/2054 (2013.01); G05B 2219/49023 (2013.01); G05B 2219/49246 (2013.01); Y10T 156/1722 (2015.01); Y10T 156/1798 (2015.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for fabricating multi-polymer additive manufactured composite structures, comprising:
a substrate material being forwarded through the apparatus in a process direction;
a first polymer additive manufacturing device adjacent to the substrate material, the first polymer additive manufacturing device including
an image forming device configured to selectively deposit an adhering agent in a desired first pattern onto portions of the substrate material,
a powder applicator configured to apply a first polymer powder onto the substrate material and the adhering agent, wherein the first polymer powder attaches to the substrate material via interaction with the adhering agent, and
a powder remover configured to remove any of the applied first polymer powder that does not attach to the substrate material resulting in a first polymer image on the substrate material;
a second polymer additive manufacturing device downstream the first additive manufacturing device in the process direction, the second polymer additive manufacturing device including
a second image forming device configured to selectively deposit a second adhering agent in a desired second pattern onto portions of the substrate material not covered by the first polymer image,
a second powder applicator configured to apply a second polymer powder onto the substrate material and the second adhering agent, the second polymer powder being different than the first polymer powder, wherein the second polymer powder attaches to the substrate material via interaction with the second adhering agent, and
a second powder remover configured to remove any of the applied second polymer powder that does not attach to the substrate material, resulting in a second polymer image on the substrate material at different portions of the substrate material than the first polymer image;
the substrate material being printed with the first polymer image and the second polymer image to form a multi-polymer image having the first and second polymer images at different locations thereof; and
a cutting device that cuts the substrate material into substrate sheets corresponding to a layer of a 3D object.