A machine for washing and removing substrate material for parts produced by a 3D printer. The machine includes a housing having a working chamber and a disposal chamber. The machine has at least one inlet in fluid communication with the working chamber. The disposal chamber is disposed adjacent to the working chamber. A dividing wall is disposed between the working chamber and the disposal chamber. A pump conveys a working fluid to the at least one inlet in the working chamber. The disposal chamber and the working chamber are disposed in fluid communication via a passageway such that working fluid passes from the working chamber to the disposal chamber. The machine may also include an ultrasonic generator for generating ultrasonic vibrations within the working chamber and a heater for warming the working fluid.

An apparatus and method for treating a plastic molded article. The apparatus includes a treatment chamber that can be closed and temperature-controlled. A vapor generating unit generates vapor of a treatment liquid. A fluid connection between the treatment chamber and the vapor generating unit feeds vapor to the treatment chamber and returns condensate back to the treatment chamber. A pressure equalizing device transfers waste air at atmospheric pressure and equalizes pressure with the atmospheric pressure during treatment. The pressure equalizing device retains vapor and prevents vapor from escaping into the atmosphere. A vapor phase is generated by heating a treatment liquid to its boiling point. The treatment liquid includes a solvent that dissolves or solubilizes the plastic. The article is exposed to the vapor phase for a predetermined time and removed from the vapor phase. Residual treatment liquid present on the article is removed.

Provided is a method of making a polymeric material with a spatially controlled distribution of one or more additives including the steps of blending the one or more additives with a polymeric material, consolidating the polymeric material, heating at least a portion of at least one surface of the consolidated additive-blended polymeric material, and cooling the heated consolidated additive-blended polymeric material, thereby forming a polymeric material with a spatially controlled distribution of additive.

A method is provided for treating a surface of a molded part, produced in a 3D printing method, with a surface treatment means, wherein holding means are arranged on the molded part which enable a treatment of the surface in a treatment chamber, without the surface making contact with the walls of the treatment chamber. A corresponding method for producing a molded part in a 3D printing method is also provided, as well as the corresponding dataset for controlling a 3D printer, and a computer program product which determines a number of holding means on the basis of the geometry data of the molded part.

A method of producing a brush for the cleaning of electronic components. In this method, a plastic core is prepared and submerged into a solvent to melt the outer surface of the core. While the outer surface of the plastic core is still partially melted, it is rolled through a trough of powdered polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) such that granules of PVA melt into and subsequently become embedded at the outer surface. As the solvent evaporates, the outer surface of the core re-hardens and the granules of PVA become firmly entrapped at the outer surface. The PVA covered shaft is placed in a mold, which is then filled with a PVA solution. As the solution cures, it forms a strong bond with the PVA granules that are embedded at the surface of the plastic core. Thereafter, the mold components are disassembled, leaving behind the finished cored brush.

The present disclosure provides a method of making an orthodontic article. The method includes (a) providing a photopolymerizable composition; (b) selectively curing the photopolymerizable composition using actinic radiation to form an article in the shape of an orthodontic article including a number of layers of at least one photopolymerized polymer; and (c) moving the article and thereby generating a mass inertial force in the uncured photopolymerizable composition. The article has a first surface, and no more than 75% of the first surface has a slope magnitude greater than 2.5 degrees. Orthodontic articles are also provided, including an orthodontic article that is prepared according to the method. Orthodontic articles having low extractable component content are further provided. The mass inertial force tends to form a coating layer of uncured photopolymerizable composition on the article, and curing the coating layer can form a surface having low slope magnitude. The low slope magnitude may be correlated to a low haze of the surface of the article.

Infiltrated three-dimensional articles are provided. An article includes a first polymeric material having an exterior surface and an interior volume; and a second polymeric material that is a thermoplastic polymer or a reaction product of a polymerizable composition disposed in at least a portion of the interior volume of the first polymeric material to a depth from the exterior surface. Methods of making the articles are provided. A method includes curing a photopolymerizable composition containing at least one reactive component and at least one photoinitiator to form an additive manufactured three-dimensional structure of a first polymeric material having an exterior surface and an interior volume. The method further includes contacting at least a portion the three-dimensional structure with a fluid to form an infiltrated structure; and curing or drying the fluid of the infiltrated structure to form an infiltrated three-dimensional article.

The disclosure provides a process for treatment of an article (1) made of a polymer composition; comprising the steps of providing an article (1) with a surface, the article being made of a polymer composition comprising one or more polyolefins; providing one or more texturing solvents (3, 5, 7, 9) selected from one or more vegetable oils, one or more terpenes, one or more alkanes and any combination thereof; wherein the one or more texturing solvents (3, 5, 7, 9) are further selected to have a boiling point which is above the crystallisation temperature Tc of the one or more polyolefins and to be devoid of a halogenated atom and/or an aromatic group; contacting the surface of the article (1) with the one or more texturing solvents (3, 5, 7, 9); and recovering an article with a textured surface with water contact angle following ISO 19403-6:2017 that is increased by comparison to the initial water contact angle.

A device and method for smoothing a surface of an article formed at least partially from plastic, in particular a component of a motor vehicle, is provided. The method includes arranging the article in a vacuum-tight chamber, reducing the pressure in the chamber to a partial vacuum of not more than 50 kPa, in particular not more than 34 kPa, and admitting acetone into the chamber. Some of the acetone is vaporized and the vapor is precipitated on the surface of the article. In one form, the precipitated vapor acts on the article for at least 1 minute. The method further includes opening the chamber, so that at least the ambient pressure prevails in the chamber and removing the article from the chamber.

A support structure removal system comprising a vessel and a second component. The vessel comprises a vessel body, a porous floor configured to retain a three-dimensional part, and an impeller rotatably mounted below the porous floor. The second component comprises a surface configured to operably receive the vessel, and a rotation-inducing assembly located below the surface, where the rotation-inducing assembly is configured to rotate the impeller with magnetic fields when the vessel is received on the surface of the second component to agitate and direct flows of an aqueous fluid through the porous floor.