ELECTROPHOTOGRAPHY-BASED ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM WITH RECIPROCATING OPERATION

摘要

An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part using electrophotography, the additive manufacturing system comprising a rotatable photoconductor component, first and second development stations configured to develop layers of materials on a surface of the rotatable photoconductor component while the rotatable photoconductor component rotates in opposing rotational directions, and a platen configured to operably receive the developed layers in a layer-by-layer manner to print the three-dimensional part from at least a portion of the received layers.

主权项

1. An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part using electrophotography, the additive manufacturing system comprising:
a rotatable photoconductor component having a surface, and configured to rotate in a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction that is opposite of the first rotational direction; a first development station configured to develop a layer of a first material on the surface of the rotatable photoconductor component while the rotatable photoconductor component rotates in the first rotational direction; a second development station configured to develop a layer of a second material on the surface of the rotatable photoconductor component while the rotatable photoconductor component rotates in the second rotational direction; a rotatable transfer component having a surface configured to receive the developed layers from the surface of the rotatable photoconductor component while rotating in a direction counter to the rotational direction of the rotatable photoconductor component; a platen movable along an x-axis and a z-axis and configured to receive the developed layers from the rotatable transfer component in a layer-by-layer manner to print the three-dimensional part from at least a portion of the received layers; and a controller configured to selectively rotate the rotatable photoconductor component in the first and second rotational directions, to rotate the rotatable transfer component at a synchronized rate and in counter-rotation with the rotatable photoconductor component, and to move the platen at a synchronized rate with the surface of the rotatable transfer component, and to index the platen along the z-axis between layers.