US 11,752,554 B2
Methods and systems for printing graded materials by roller-based deposition of multiple powders
Jerome Unidad, San Francisco, CA (US); and Kathryn F. Murphy, Redwood City, CA (US)
Assigned to Xerox Corporation, Norwalk, CT (US)
Filed by Palo Alto Research Center Incorporated, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 24, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/133,712.
Prior Publication US 2022/0203447 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. B22F 10/10 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B29C 64/141 (2017.01); B29C 64/40 (2017.01); B29C 64/165 (2017.01); B29C 64/218 (2017.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 10/40 (2021.01); B22F 12/63 (2021.01); B28B 1/00 (2006.01); B28B 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC B22F 10/10 (2021.01) [B22F 10/40 (2021.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 12/63 (2021.01); B28B 1/001 (2013.01); B28B 17/0081 (2013.01); B29C 64/141 (2017.08); B29C 64/165 (2017.08); B29C 64/218 (2017.08); B29C 64/393 (2017.08); B29C 64/40 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method to fabricate a multi-material 3D object, comprising:
treating selected regions of a roller surface to induce affinity of a plurality of powder types to specific pixels on the roller surface, the treating including depositing a first fluid onto the roller surface and depositing a second fluid different than the first fluid onto the roller surface, each of the first and second fluids being an affinity type inducing affinity of a respective one of the plurality of powder types, the plurality of powder types including first material powder particles and second material powder particles;
running the roller surface after the treating across one or more powder beds housing the plurality of powder types to cause the first material powder particles to transfer only to the treated selected regions of the roller surface having one of the first fluid and the second fluid thereon, and to cause the second material powder particles to transfer only to the treated selected regions of the roller surface having the other one of the first fluid and the second fluid thereon, thereby causing the plurality of powder types to adhere to the selected regions of the roller surface;
wherein the first material powder particles and the second material powder particles each have an affinity specific to the treated selected regions of the roller surface having the respective one of the first fluid and the second fluid thereon;
fabricating the multi-material 3D object in a layer-by-layer basis by simultaneously depositing the first material powder particles and the second material powder particles from the roller surface onto a substrate.