US 12,377,611 B2
Additive manufacturing in gel-supported environment
Skylar Je Tibbits, Boston, MA (US); Christophe Guberan, La Praz (CH); Jared S. Laucks, Cambridge, MA (US); Schendy Guiders Kernizan, Cambridge, MA (US); Kathleen S. Hajash, Somerville, MA (US); Bjorn Sparrman, Somerville, MA (US); and Paul Noll, Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Assigned to MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, Cambridge, MA (US); and STEELCASE INCORPORATED, Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Filed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US); and Steelcase Incorporated, Grand Rapids, MI (US)
Filed on Feb. 25, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/185,439.
Application 17/185,439 is a division of application No. 15/945,704, filed on Apr. 4, 2018, granted, now 10,953,605.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/481,358, filed on Apr. 4, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2021/0178702 A1, Jun. 17, 2021
Int. Cl. B29C 64/40 (2017.01); B29C 64/106 (2017.01); B29C 64/118 (2017.01); B29K 83/00 (2006.01); B29K 105/04 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 70/00 (2020.01)
CPC B29C 64/40 (2017.08) [B29C 64/106 (2017.08); B29C 64/118 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 70/00 (2014.12); B29K 2083/00 (2013.01); B29K 2105/04 (2013.01); B29K 2995/007 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for making a three-dimensional object, the system comprising:
a first multi-axis machine;
an arm affixed to the machine and controlled by a controller of the first multi-axis machine;
at least one chamber containing solidifying material therein;
at least one mixing tip that mixes material within the at least one chamber;
a container of carbomer gel located on a second multi-axis machine, having a second controller for controlling the second multi-axis machine, where the second multi-axis machine moves in three axes that are separate and distinct from axes of movement of the first multi-axis machine to which the mixing tip is affixed, and where the second multi-axis machine moves the container of gel in three axes;
at least one nozzle connected to the mixing tip and connected to the arm, where the at least one nozzle deposits mixed material within the carbomer gel; and
a pneumatic control system that controls a flow of the mixed material from the nozzle in accordance with defined functionality of the pneumatic control system programmed with a design of the three-dimensional object and how to render the three-dimensional object using the second multi-axis machine and the first multi-axis machine, including the nozzle and the container, where the flow includes parameters that increase or decrease pressure within the chamber,
wherein the controller of the first multi-axis machine is configured to move the arm of the first multi-axis machine, causing the arm to move the nozzle through the carbomer gel since the nozzle is connected to the mixing tip, which is in turn connected to the arm, wherein movement of the arm changes position of the nozzle within the carbomer gel while depositing the solidifying material which becomes part of the three-dimensional object, through the at least one nozzle, whereby the carbomer gel supports the solidifying material, which is suspended within the carbomer gel, wherein the carbomer gel does not scar and wherein the carbomer gel is a water-based gel, and
wherein the controller of the first multi-axis machine is configured to automatically change a volume of material extruded per distance traveled when the first multi-axis machine changes a speed of changing position of the nozzle, illustrating that the volume of material extruded and the speed of changing position of the nozzle are interrelated process variables; and
a machine configured to send a structure to be fabricated to the robotic arm, and
wherein an output of the machine is a machine code configured to directly link to the system for making a three-dimensional object.