US 12,238,868 B2
On-demand method of making PCB pallets using additive manufacturing
Luke Rodgers, St. Petersburg, FL (US); and Erik Gjovik, St. Petersburg, FL (US)
Assigned to JABIL INC.
Filed by JABIL INC., St. Petersburg, FL (US)
Filed on Jan. 10, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/095,065.
Application 18/095,065 is a continuation of application No. 16/480,594, granted, now 11,589,487, previously published as PCT/US2018/015008, filed on Jan. 24, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/449,973, filed on Jan. 24, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0141137 A1, May 11, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B29C 64/00 (2017.01); B29C 64/10 (2017.01); B29C 64/118 (2017.01); B33Y 99/00 (2015.01); H05K 13/00 (2006.01); H05K 3/00 (2006.01); H05K 3/34 (2006.01)
CPC H05K 13/0069 (2013.01) [B29C 64/10 (2017.08); B29C 64/118 (2017.08); B33Y 99/00 (2014.12); H05K 3/0073 (2013.01); H05K 3/3452 (2013.01); H05K 3/3468 (2013.01); H05K 2203/0156 (2013.01); H05K 2203/0173 (2013.01); H05K 2203/044 (2013.01); H05K 2203/0557 (2013.01); H05K 2203/1476 (2013.01)] 11 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of making portions of a printed circuit board (PCB) pallet based on a predefined design of the PCB, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a base sheet of inorganic polymer sheet stock;
applying a coalescing agent fluid onto the base sheet of the inorganic polymer sheet stock specifically at selective locations corresponding to the predefined design of the PCB to build up the PCB pallet;
depositing a polymer powder on to the base sheet such that it adheres exclusively at the selective locations applied with the coalescing agent fluid, wherein the coalescing agent fluid is a monomer or oligomer of the polymer powder;
removing any excess amounts of the polymer powder not adhered to the coalescing agent fluid;
heating the polymer powder and the base sheet to fuse the polymer powder together and to the base sheet to thereby form a first layer of the portions of the PCB pallet; and
repeating the applying, depositing, removing, and heating steps using the first layer, and subsequently produced layers of the portions, as subsequent ones of the base sheet until the PCB pallet is provided.