US 12,486,589 B2
Additive manufacturing of parts comprising electrophoretic and electrolytic deposits
Michael Matthews, San Diego, CA (US); David Pain, San Diego, CA (US); Sean Stone, San Diego, CA (US); Kareemullah Shaik, San Diego, CA (US); Charles Nicholas Pateros, Carlsbad, CA (US); and Shiv Shailendar, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Fabric8Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by Fabric8Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 27, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/342,310.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/436,504, filed on Dec. 31, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0218545 A1, Jul. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. H05K 3/00 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01); C25D 1/00 (2006.01); C25D 1/10 (2006.01); C25D 1/14 (2006.01); C25D 1/20 (2006.01); H05K 1/11 (2006.01); H05K 3/40 (2006.01)
CPC C25D 1/003 (2013.01) [B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); C25D 1/10 (2013.01); C25D 1/14 (2013.01); C25D 1/20 (2013.01); H05K 1/11 (2013.01); H05K 3/4007 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for additive manufacturing of a part comprising an electrolytic deposit and an electrophoretic deposit, the method comprising:
providing an additive manufacturing system comprising deposition control circuits, an electrode array comprising individually-addressable electrodes each electrically coupled to one of the deposition control circuits, and a deposition electrode;
providing an electrolyte solution between the electrode array and the deposition electrode, wherein the electrolyte solution comprises cations;
applying a first voltage between a first set of the individually-addressable electrodes and the deposition electrode thereby driving the cations to the deposition electrode and reducing the cations into the electrolytic deposit of the part on the deposition electrode;
replacing the electrolyte solution with an electrophoretic suspension between the electrode array and the deposition electrode, wherein the electrophoretic suspension comprises solid charged structures; and
applying a second voltage between a second set of the individually-addressable electrodes and the deposition electrode thereby driving the solid charged structures to the deposition electrode and depositing the solid charged structures as the electrophoretic deposit of the part on the deposition electrode.