摘要：
Additive manufacturing systems and associated methods and build materials are described. The additive manufacturing systems herein include extrusion printheads, microheater printheads, and curable build materials. The extrusion printheads produce relatively low- resolution layers of uncured build material, and the microheater printheads cure portions of these low-resolution layers to produce high-resolution layers of cured build material.
技术功效语段：
The technical efficacy of the patent text is that it describes an additive manufacturing system that incorporates extrusion printheads, microheater printheads, and curable build materials. This system allows for the production of desired objects with high-resolution features, while also having high strength, toughness, and heat deflection.
权利要求：
CLAIMS:
1. A system for additive manufacturing comprising at least one microheater array, at least one extrusion nozzle, and a curable build material, wherein the microheater array comprises at least 20 heating elements.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the curable build material is a type of clay.
3. The system of any one of claims 1-2, wherein the curable build material comprises particles of clay within a binder, and wherein the binder has a melting temperature below the temperature needed for sintering or curing of the clay particles.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the curable build material comprises particles of a higher melting temperature polymer present within a polymer of a lower melting temperature.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the melting temperatures of the two polymers are separated by at least 20 degrees Celsius.
6. The system of claim 4-5, wherein the glass transition temperatures of the two polymers are separated by at least 20 degrees Celsius.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the curable build material comprises metallic particles within a binder, and wherein the binder has a lower melting temperature than the metallic particles.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the curable build material comprises at least one of polymer and at least one wax.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the curable build material comprises particles of an inorganic material within a binder, and wherein the binder has a lower melting temperature than the curing or sintering temperature of the inorganic material.
10. The system of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the microheater array is a linear array.
11. The system of any one of claims 1 -9, wherein the microheater array is a 2-dimensional array.
12. The system of any one of claims 1-9, wherein the microheater array is circularly-shaped.
13. The system of any one of claims 1 -9, wherein the microheater array is square-shaped rectangularly-shaped.
14. The system of any one of claims 1-13, wherein one microheater array and one extrusion nozzle are present.
15. The system of any one of claims 11-14, wherein the microheater array elements surround the extrusion nozzle.
16. The system of any one of claims 1-15, wherein a build plate moves along 0 axes and at least one printhead moves along 3 axes.
17. The system of any one of claims 1-15, wherein a build plate moves along 1 axis and at least one printhead moves along 2 axes.
18. The system of any one of claims 1-15, wherein a protective sheet is present between the build material and the microheater array.
19. The system of any one of claims 1 -18, wherein, as the microheater array cures build material, a vertical offset is present between the heating element surface of the microheater array and the build material.
20. The system of claim 19, wherein the vertical offset is fdled with at least one of air, argon, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, an inert gas, a nonflammable gas, and a plasma.
21. The system of any one of claims 1-20, wherein a blade, a doctor blade, a protrusion, or a tool is present to make level extruded build material that has not yet been cured by the thermal printhead.
22. A system for additive manufacturing comprising at least one thermal array, having a plurality of heating elements, and at least one extrusion nozzle.
23. A system for additive manufacturing comprising at least one microheater array and a curable build material, wherein the microheater array comprises at least 20 heating elements.
24. A method of producing a three-dimensional object comprising:
(a) selectively extruding build material through an extrusion nozzle; and
(b) selectively curing build material by heating caused by a heating array.
25. A material for use within an additive manufacturing system comprising a material wherein:
(a) the material is capable of being extruded through an extrusion nozzle at an extrusion temperature; and
(b) the material is capable of being cured through the action of a heating array, and wherein curing takes place at a curing temperature that is higher than the extrusion temperature.
26. The material of claim 25, wherein the material further comprises particles or filaments of a curable build material are present within a surrounding binder material. 27. The material of claim 25, wherein the material further comprises particles or filaments of a polymeric material are present within a binder.