Formlabs has been granted a patent for a method of casting objects from a mold using a porous shell made of thermoset polymer. The method involves filling the mold with a metal or ceramic slurry, exposing it to low pressure to create a gas flow, and forming a porous object by removing solid particles from the shell. GlobalData’s report on Formlabs gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Formlabs, Additive manufacturing monitoring sensors was a key innovation area identified from patents. Formlabs's grant share as of September 2023 was 43%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Method of forming a porous object through additive fabrication
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11745392B2) describes a method for forming a porous object using additive fabrication. The method involves creating a hollow shell made of a rigid material, which includes a thermoset polymer and solid particles embedded within it. The solid particles can be removed from the object to create a network of pores within the shell.
In one embodiment of the method, the solid particles used are NaHCO3 particles. These particles can be reacted with an acidic liquid to remove them from the object, resulting in the formation of pores. Alternatively, if the solid particles are water-soluble salt particles, they can be dissolved in water to achieve the same effect.
Another approach to removing the solid particles involves applying heat to the object. By doing so, the particles can be eliminated, leaving behind pores in the hollow shell.
The process of forming the object itself involves applying radiation to a mixture containing a liquid photopolymer. This radiation cures the liquid photopolymer, transforming it into the thermoset polymer that makes up the rigid material of the hollow shell.
The patent also specifies the desired size range for the pores. The mean size of the pores should fall between 20 µm and 100 µm, with a more specific range of 40 µm to 60 µm.
This patented method offers a way to create porous objects using additive fabrication techniques. The ability to control the size and distribution of the pores can be advantageous in various applications, such as filtration systems, biomedical devices, and lightweight structural components. The use of different types of solid particles and removal methods provides flexibility in tailoring the properties of the porous objects to specific needs.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
