IIPRD - Exemplary Tech & Patent Scouting - 3D Printing Techniques

Exemplary Technology and Patent Scouting Report - 3D Printing Techniques

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Table of Contents

Introduction to 3D Printing >>>

Conventional Techniques of 3D Printing >>>

History of 3D Printing >>>

Applications of 3D Printing >>>

Technology and Patent Scouting - 3D Printing Techniques

Continuous Liquid Interphase Production (CLIP) >>>

Mask-Image-Projection-Based Lithography (MIP-SL) >>>

Lithography Based Ceramic Manufacturing (LCM) >>>

Contour Crafting (CC) >>>

Selective Inhibition Sintering (SIS) >>>

Introduction to 3D Printing• Generally two types of manufacturing methods are used:

– Subtractive :Creates a product by removing extra material from preformed block by cutting or drilling

– Additive: Creates a product through successive addition of materials to the object

• Few disadvantages associated with subtractive method - limited design capabilities and generation of waste.

• 3D Printing - a form of Additive Manufacturing Technology - builds solid 3D objects using a 3D digital model by layer-by-layer deposition of input substrate materials.

• Three-dimensional designs are created using specific software applications like AutoCAD, etc.

• Softwares like SolidWorks®, Autodesk®, Inventor® or Pro/ENGINEER® slice the 3D model into layers (0.01mm thick or less in most cases) and define the tool path. This information is communicated to the 3D printer.

• 3D printers work like inkjet printers. Instead of ink, 3D printers deposit the desired substrate material in successive layers to create a tangible product from a digital file.

• Charles Hull (3D Systems) developed the first 3D printer in 1984 and named the technique as Stereo lithography.

• Products manufactured additively can now be used from pre-production (i.e. rapid prototyping) to full-scale production (i.e. rapid manufacturing), in addition to tooling applications and post-production customization.

<<< Back to Table of Contents

• Stereolithography (SLA): Process using a vat (resin tank) of liquid UV-curable photopolymer resin and a UV laser to build parts, one layer at a time. Liquid photopolymer hardens when in contact with the UV light. By changing the position of UV laser beam, specific shape of the object can be prepared.

• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS): High power laser to fuse small particles of metal, ceramic, plastic (such as nylon) or glass powders by heating the powder either to just below its boiling point (sintering) or above its boiling point (melting) into a solid mass having a desired shape.

Conventional Techniques of 3D Printing

SLA SLS

• Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM): Thermoplastic material (in the molten state) is extruded from a temperature-controlled print head to produce objects with high degree of accuracy. This method is used for modeling, prototyping, and production applications.

• Ink-Jet 3D Printing: It creates the layer by spreading a layer of powder and inkjet printing binder and by repetition of process, final object is created. This method is commonly used 3D printing technology.

FDM

2008

1984

1999

1992

The first SLA machine is produced by 3D Systems

.

2011

Charles Hull invents StereoLithography (SLA) to create 3D model

•3D synthetic scaffold coated engineered organs•Polyjet Technology for 3D printing

History of 3D- Printing

2005RepRap: Open-source collabora-tion for 3D printing

•Major breakthrough for prosthetics as 3D-printed prosthetic leg used in patient•Free webstie for 3D image file shared by Makerbot

•World’s first 3D printed robotic aircraft•World’s first 3D printed car

Automobile Electronics

Aviation Architecture

Medical/Dental

3D Printing

Printing jigs, fixtures, gauges, patterns, molds, and dies

Electronics

Detailed architectural models in an array ofmaterials

Architecture

Printing Prosthetic parts, organs, medical models, synthetic skin

Medical/Dental

Printing Automotive prototypes, car parts and accessories

Automobile

Printing Aircraft parts like wings and engines, rocket engine parts

Aviation

Applications of 3D Printing


ASPECTS OF TECHNOLOGY AND PATENT SCOUTING - 3D PRINTING TECHNIQUES

Introduction to CLIP Innovator Company – Snapshot

Overview Research and Development Exemplary 3D Printed Products Geographical Presence Clientele

Patents conferring protection to the technology

CONTINUOUS LIQUID INTERFACE PRODUCTION (CLIP)

INTRODUCTION TO CLIP• Contrary to existing 3D-printing methodologies, CLIP hardens a layer polymer

just above the bottom of a liquid resin pool and continuously lifts the forming object out of the resin.

• In CLIP, curing occurs at the bottom of the resin pool, where oxygen is not present, this makes curing much faster and effective.

• CLIP makes it possible to produce parts with excellent mechanical properties, resolution, and surface finish (similar to injection molding).

• CLIP process is compatible with producing parts from soft elastic materials, ceramics , and even biological materials.

• In a comparative study, CLIP was shown to be much faster than the conventional 3D printing techniques.

• CLIP proceeds via projecting a continuous sequence of UV images through an oxygen-permeable, UV-transparent window below a liquid resin bath.

• The platform starts from the bottom of the resin pool, and moves up, lifting the product up from the liquid.

• Conventional 3D printers print layer by layer and require pause in between layers, CLIP does not print layer by layer thus CLIP works faster than other technologies. Thus, CLIP prints 25~100 times faster than average 3D printing.

• Once a part is printed with CLIP, secondary curing in a forced circulation oven causes the materials to adapt and strengthen.

INNOVATOR COMPANY- SNAPSHOTOVERVIEW

• CLIP was developed by US based Carbon3D Inc (Previously known as Eipi Systems, Inc).

• Carbon3D was founded in 2013 and is based in California with an additional office in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

• Carbon3D, Inc. provides additive manufacturing and 3D printing services.

• The company's patent pending technology, Continuous Liquid Interphase Production (CLIP) was introduced at TED and Science Magazine in 2015.

• Recently company launched the M1, its first commercial 3D printer based on CLIP technology and engineering-grade materials to deliver on the promise of 3D printing.

• Carbon3D raised $100 million from Google Ventures and others, this results in increase in valuation to $1 billion.1

http://carbon3d.com/

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-20/printer-startup-carbon3d-said-to-gain-1-billion-valuation

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/20/with-100m-in-funding-carbon3d-will-make-3d-manufacturing-a-reality/

Source: http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/i12/Chemistry-Key-3-D-Printers.html

http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/20/with-100m-in-funding-carbon3d-will-make-3d-manufacturing-a-reality/

http://techcrunch.com/2015/08/20/with-100m-in-funding-carbon3d-will-make-3d-manufacturing-a-reality/

http://cen.acs.org/articles/93/i12/Chemistry-Key-3-D-Printers.html

EXEMPLARY 3D PRINTED PRODUCTS

GEOGRAPHICAL PRESENCE

CLIENTELE

PATENTS CONFERRING PROTECTION TO THE TECHNOLOGY

Granted

Pending

Title Priority Date Application Date

INPADOC Family Members

Continuous Liquid Interphase Printing

12-Feb-2013 12-Dec-2014 US9211678B2 | CA2898098A1 | CA2898103A1 | CA2898106A1 | CN105122135A | CN105122136A | CN105452958A | EP2956821A2 | EP2956822A2 | EP2956823A2 | JP2016509962A | JP2016509963A | JP2016509964A | KR2015117273A | KR2015117274A | KR2015117275A | TW201447478A | US20140361463A1 | US20150072293A1 | US20150097315A1 | US20150097316A1 | US20150102532A1 | US20160059484A1 | US20160059486A1 | US20160059487A1 | US9205601B2 | US9216546B2 | WO2014126830A2 | WO2014126830A3 | WO2014126834A2 | WO2014126834A3 | WO2014126837A2 | WO2014126837A3


http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/9211678

http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/9211678

Introduction to LCM Innovator Company – Snapshot


Patent conferring protection to the technology

LITHOGRAPHY-BASED CERAMIC MANUFACTURING (LCM)

INTRODUCTION TO LCM

• LCM is layer by layer additive method of manufacturing used mainly for the ceramic based products.

• LCM uses photosensitive resin in which ceramic particles are homogeneously dispersed.

• It offers the ceramics industry and research organisations a new production technology that enables the production of highly complex parts without any limitations.

• The photopolymer acts as binder between the ceramic particles and makes the precise shaping of the part possible.

• Curing of a photosensitive resin which contains homogeneously dispersed ceramic particles results in formation of the primary article. This primary article undergoes the secondary treatment to remove polymer and gain mechanical strength.

• Once the design is prepared and optimized for 3D printing, the master models or green parts are manufactured using CeraFab 7500 machine.

• LCM uses special slurry, in the slurry Al2O3 powders are homogeneously dispersed in a formulation containing reactive monomers photo-initiator, and a solvent.

• Photoinitiator reacts (under an external light source) with the monomer and forms the desired matrix. The ceramic particles bind together in matrix. Layer-by-Layer fabrication of matrix results in the formation of green body.

• This green body is removed from the building platform and cleaned with solvent to remove non-polymerized slurry from the cavities of the part.

CeraFab 7500 Schematic image of LCM

• In green body the ceramic particles are separated by polymer results in the lower density and mechanical properties than compact alumina.

• Green body under goes the post processing to gain final properties.

• These post-processing includes, debinding, (thermal decomposition of the binder) and the subsequent sintering into a compact ceramic part. This procedure eventually results in parts consisting of 100% ceramic material which exhibit mechanical properties equal to conventionally fabricated parts.

Effect of Post-Processing on ceramic particle arrangement

Green Body Final Object

• LCM is patent technology invented by the Technical University of Vienna and currently further developed by Lithoz GmbH.

• Lithoz GmbH, a spin-off of the Vienna University of Technology, specializes in the development and production of ceramic materials and additive manufacturing systems (3D printing).

• To establishing the LCM-Technology in China, a cooperation agreement between Tsinghua University, Department for Material Sciences and Engineering in Bejing and Lithoz was signed.

• Lithoz in 2015 presented its new LCM-Technology and the CeraFab 7500 at the EuroMold for the first time and was awarded with the Euromold-award in silver.

• The leading producer of plastic and metal 3D printers, EOS, has invested in Lithoz.

INNOVATOR COMPANY – SNAPSHOTOVERVIEW

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT• Together with the Vienna University of Technology and the Medical University

of Vienna, Lithoz is currently participating in the development of a new ceramic heart-pump.

• Lithoz presented latest 3D printer, CeraFab 8500 at Ceramitec 2015.

• Lithoz offers cost savings through simultaneous manufacturing of individual parts or small scale series without the need for expensive tools.

Source: http://www.lithoz.com/en/news/press/company-news/

http://www.lithoz.com/en/news/press/company-news/


• Materials– LithaLox HP 500 : Aluminiumoxide (Al2O3) based – LithaCon 3Y 610: Zirconia (ZrO2) base

– LithaBone TCP 200: Tricalciumphosphate (Ca3(PO4)2)

CLIENTELE

PATENT CONFERRING PROTECTION TO THE TECHNOLOGY

2005 •US7815835B2 (US7815835B2 | AT414602T | AT502110A1 | AT502110B1 | CN101213070A | CN101213070B | DE502006002137D1 | EP1907192A1 | EP1907192B1 | ES2317543T3 | JP04861413B2 | JP2008544879A | US20090224438A1 | WO2007002965A1 | WO2007002965B1)

2010 •US20140183799A1 (US20140183799A1 | EP2404590A1 | JP05841753B2 | JP2012017327A | US20120010066A1)

2011 •US9079357B2 (US9079357B2 | EP2505341A1 | EP2505341B1 | ES2424738T3 | JP2012206513A | US20120248657A1)

•US20120308837A1 (US20120308837A1 | EP2529694A1 | JP2012250022A)

2012•US20150258732A1 (US20150258732A1 | CN104619478A | EP2890548A1 | JP2015531707A |

WO2014033027A1)•EP2855119B1 (EP2855119B1 | CN104334335A | EP2671706A1 | EP2855119A1 | ES2568013T3 | IL235668D0 |

JP2015522450A | US20150131074A1 | WO2013182547A1)


Introduction to SIS Innovator Company – Snapshot



SELECTIVE INHIBITION SINTERING (SIS)

INTRODUCTION TO SIS• An additive manufacturing (AM) technology in which parts are built layer-by-

layer from a powder base material.

• The core idea of the SIS process is the prevention of selected areas of powder layers from sintering.

• A contrary approach to the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) process in which selected areas of powder are sintered by a fine laser beam.

• SIS takes advantage of bulk sintering in the body of the part, while inhibiting sintering at the part boundaries.

• Advantages of SIS include: No contamination

Multi-color parts

Accuracy

Speed

Low cost

SIS

• SIS-Ceramics - a layer based SFF approach used for 3D printing ceramics.

• During the printing process of SIS-Ceramics, a solid powder S is used to define the boundaries of the part by being deposited into the paved building material.

• The complete printing of powder S is de facto a coating of the part which is also loose powder before sintering.

• During the sintering process, the powder S keeps loose due to its higher sintering temperature while the building material turns into a solid piece.

• The solid powder S serves as the sacrificial mold to separate the part from the surrounding when sintering is complete.

• The coating is broken by simply brushing away the powder S and the final part is obtained.

• SIS-MetalsStep 1: A thin layer of metal powder is spread over the build tank.Step 2: Inhibitor is deposited along the layer profile with a small-orifice nozzle or inkjet print head.

Steps 1,2 are repeated until the entire part has been completed.

Step 3: The part is bulk sintered in a conventional sintering oven under appropriate atmosphere.Step 4: The inhibited regions are removed, revealing the desired part and its negative.

• SIS-PlasticsA. It starts by laying a thin layer of powder slightly above the previous layer,

by sweeping a roller over both a powder supply tank and the build tank.

B. Then, the areas of the powder bed selected for sintering inhibition are wetted by a printer.

C. A radiation-minimizing frame is positioned to prevent areas of the powder layer which lie outside the part envelope from sintering.

D. The entire layer is then sintered with a blast of thermal radiation from an infrared heater.In the end, a solid polymeric block remains that is totally sintered except for those areas wetted by the inhibitor liquid.– As implemented on the alpha machine, the heater is a coiled nichrome

wire that is mounted on a carriage. This allows the heating element to be passed over the surface of the powder bed. Steps A-D are repeated until the part is completed.

E. The final part can be easily extracted from the surrounding material.

• SIS originated in Center for Rapid Automated Fabrication Technologies (CRAFT) at the University of Southern California.

• CRAFT focuses on automated manufacturing from a variety of materials including polymers, metals and alloys, ceramics and composites such as concrete at various sizes ranging from micro- to macro- scales.

• CRAFT is partners with materials, equipment, construction, architecture, real estate, software and manufacturing industries.

• CRAFT has various specialized laboratories that house research prototypes, support equipment, and commercial 3D Printing machines.

• Application areas for CRAFT technologies are diversified and include fields such as biomedical, automotive, space industry, and building construction industry.


• Core Team of CRAFT includes:


CLIENTELE

Title Priority Date

Application Date


Selective inhibition of bonding of

power particles for

layered fabrication of

3-D objects

1999-10-26 2000-10-26 US6589471B1 | AU200143015A |

WO2001038061A1

Exemplary Family Graph (Includes only US members)



Introduction to MIP-SL Innovator Company – Snapshot



MASK-IMAGE-PROJECTION-BASED STEREOLITHOGRAPHY (MIP-SL)

INTRODUCTION TO MIP-SL

• The AM process, Stereolithography Apparatus (SLA), offers high quality surface finish, dimensional accuracy, and a variety of material options by using a laser and liquid photocurable resin. However, speed limitations in this process exist.

• To address such limitations, research on the mask-image-projection-based Stereolithography (MIP-SL) process is pursued.

• Compared to the laser-based SLA, the MIP-SL process can be much faster due to its capability to simultaneously form the shape of a whole layer.

• Building functional microstructures, especially digital material fabrication, require the development of a general MIP-SL process similar to the polyjet process that can fabricate all combinations of multiple resins.

• Instead of the laser used in SLA, a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) is used in the MIP-SL process to dynamically define mask images to be projected on a resin surface area.

• A DMD is a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) device that enables one to simultaneously control ~1 million small mirrors to turn on or off a pixel each at over 5 KHz.

• In the MIP-SL process:

1. The three-dimensional (3D) CAD model of an object is sliced by a set of horizontal planes.

2. Each thin slice is then converted into a two-dimensional (2D) mask image.3. The planned mask image is then sent to the DMD.4. Accordingly the image is projected onto a resin surface such that liquid

photocurable resin can be selectively cured to form the layer of the object.

• By repeating the process, 3D objects can be formed on a layer-by-layer basis.

• MIP-SL originated in Center for Rapid Automated Fabrication Technologies (CRAFT) at the University of Southern California.






CLIENTELE

Title Priority Date

Application Date


Digital mask-image-projection-based additive manufacturing that applies shearing force to detach each added layer

2012-04-27 2013-04-29 US9120270B2 | US20130295212A1


Exemplary Family Graph (Includes only US members)


Introduction to CC Innovator Company – Snapshot



CONTOUR CRAFTING (CC)

INTRODUCTION TO CC

• A layered fabrication technology developed by Dr. Behrokh Khoshnevis of the University of Southern California.

• Has great potential for automating the construction of whole structures as well as sub-components.

• Using this process, a single house or a colony of houses, each with possibly a different design, may be automatically constructed in a single run, embedded in each house all the conduits for electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning.

• CC will most probably be one of the very few feasible approaches for building structures on other planets, such as the Moon and Mars, which are being targeted for human colonization before the end of the new century not limited to applications in emergency, low-income, and commercial housing.

• CC- a hybrid method that combines an extrusion process for forming the object surfaces and a filling process (pouring or injection) to build the object core.

• In CC, computer control is used to take advantage of the superior surface forming capability of troweling to create smooth and accurate, planar and free-form surfaces.

• The layering approach enables the creation of various surface shapes using fewer different troweling tools than in traditional plaster handwork and sculpting.

• As the material is extruded, the traversal of the trowels creates smooth outer and top surfaces on the layer. The side trowel can be deflected to create non-orthogonal surfaces.

• The extrusion process builds only the outside edges (rims) of each layer of the object.

• After complete extrusion of each closed section of a given layer, if needed filler material such as concrete can be poured to fill the area defined by the extruded rims.

• CC originated in Center for Rapid Automated Fabrication Technologies (CRAFT) at the University of Southern California.






• Core Team of CRAFT includes:


CLIENTELE


Title Priority Date

Application Date

INPADOC Family Members(US, EP and WO)

Contour crafting extrusion nozzles

21-Jan-2005 21-Apr-2010

EP1587995B1 | EP1711328B1 | EP1945436B8 | EP1948933B1 | EP2079656B1 | EP2087239B1 | EP2324971B1 | EP2623782B1 | EP2610417A1 | US8518308B2 | US20130059025A1 | US9206601B2 | US20160083956A1 | US7153454B2 | US7641461B2 | US7837378B2 | US7452196B2 | US7814937B2 | US7874825B2 | US7841851B2 | US7841849B2 | US7850388B2 | US20080017663A1 | US7574925B2 | US8029710B2 | US20090043424A1 | US8568121B2 | US8944799B2 | US7878789B2 | US8992679B2 | US8801415B2 | US8029258B2 | US8308470B2 | WO2004065707A3 | WO2005070657A1 | WO2007050968A3 | WO2007050972A3 | WO2007056353A9 | WO2007053789A3 | WO2008011159A3 | WO2008055255A3 | WO2008058077A3 | WO2009055580A3 | WO2009070580A1


IIPRD - Exemplary Tech & Patent Scouting - 3D Printing Techniques

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