METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING UTILIZING A JETTED-PARTICLE BINDER FLUID

摘要

Methods and systems (20) are disclosed for making articles by three-dimensional printing. The methods include three-dimensionally printing articles by selectively jet-depositing a particle-bearing binder fluid (14) upon successive layers (4) of a build material powder (10) such that the particles (16) deposited with the binder fluid (14) increase the apparent density of the as- printed article. The particulate matter (16) of the binder fluid (12) is smaller than the mean particle size of the build material powder (10). Preferably, this jet-deposited particulate matter (16) has a mean particle size that is larger than about 1 to and smaller than or equal to 50 microns. The jet-deposited matter (16) acts to fill in the interparticle interstices of the build material powder (10) thereby simultaneously increasing the density of the printed article and improving its surface roughness and contour resolution, which in turn, improves the surface finish of the final article. The systems (20) include binder fluid handling systems (26) which are adapted to jet a binder fluid (14) containing such particulate matter (16).