US 11,904,388 B2
Metal drop ejecting three-dimensional (3D) object printer having an increased material deposition rate
Denis Cormier, Pittsford, NY (US); Santokh S. Badesha, Pittsford, NY (US); and Varun Sambhy, Pittsford, NY (US)
Assigned to Additive Technologies LLC, Palm City, FL (US)
Filed by ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGIES LLC, Palm City, FL (US)
Filed on Jan. 4, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/140,954.
Prior Publication US 2022/0212265 A1, Jul. 7, 2022
Int. Cl. B22F 12/53 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B05B 1/14 (2006.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01)
CPC B22F 12/53 (2021.01) [B05B 1/14 (2013.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A 3D object printer comprising:
an ejector head having a single nozzle, the ejector head being configured to eject material through the single nozzle;
an orifice plate having a plurality of orifices that are fluidly connected to the single nozzle of the ejector head so material ejected from the single nozzle is emitted as drops from the plurality of orifices simultaneously, the plurality of orifices are arranged in rows and columns that are orthogonal to one another in the orifice plate and at least two orifices in the plurality of orifices are oriented at an angle not parallel to a normal between the platform and the orifice plate, a first group of orifices in the plurality of orifices are arranged in a first column that is positioned between a second group of orifices arranged in a second column and a third group of orifices arranged in a third column, the orifices in the first group of orifices being oriented at an angle that is parallel to the normal between the platform and the orifice plate and the orifices in the second group of orifices being oriented at a first angle that is not parallel to the normal between the platform and the orifice plate and the third group of orifices being oriented at a second angle that is not parallel to the normal between the platform and the orifice plate;
a platform positioned opposite the orifice plate;
at least one actuator operatively connected to at least one of the platform and the ejector head, the at least one actuator being configured to move the platform and the ejector head relative to one another; and
a controller operatively connected to the ejector head and the at least one actuator, the controller being configured to:
generate machine ready instructions that operate the at least one actuator and the ejector head to achieve a target drop spacing;
operate the at least one actuator to move the ejector head and platform relative to one another;
operate the ejector head to eject material through the nozzle and the plurality of orifices so drops ejected from at least two orifices achieve the target drop spacing on the platform or a surface of an object being formed on the platform at the target drop spacing;
identify a stand-off distance between the orifice plate and the surface of the object on the platform or the platform; and
generate a portion of the machine ready instructions to operate the at least one actuator to separate the orifice plate from the platform or the surface of the object on the platform at the stand-off distance.