Reinforced fused-deposition modeling

• US 10,011,073 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2016
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Arevo Inc.
• Inventors: Bheda, Hemant
• Primary Examiner(s): WOLLSCHLAGER, JEFFREY MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US15/375,832
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087768A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/10 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/307 Handling of material to be used in additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/321 Feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/336 of two or more materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/06 containing reinforcements, fillers or inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing an object includes an extrusion head having an extrusion needle for extruding thermoplastic material associated with one or more fiber strands. The apparatus may further include a turn-table, a more robotic arm for moving the extrusion head and needle, thermoplastic filament and fiber strand spools and thermoplastic filament and fiber strands. A controller is provided for directing the robotic arm, extrusion head and the turn-table. Further, a method for manufacturing an object includes generating a design for the object that substantially satisfies desired structural properties of the object and generating a sequence for extruding one or more beads of thermoplastic material to manufacture the object according to the design, in which the one or more beads of thermoplastic material are associated with one or more fiber strands. The one or more beads of thermoplastic material and the associated one or more fiber strands are then extruded according to the sequence.

Claims

1. A method for forming a three-dimensional object, comprising:

(a) providing an extrusion head comprising a chamber that is in fluid communication with a nozzle comprising a first end and a second end separate from said first end, wherein said first end is adjacent to said chamber;

(b) while moving said extrusion head along a direction relative to a platform, directing a first fiber from a first spool to said chamber and a second fiber from a second spool to said chamber, wherein said first fiber comprises a thermoplastic material;

(c) upon directing said first fiber and said second fiber to said chamber, using (i) a heater to heat both said first fiber and said second fiber in said chamber to generate a melt comprising said thermoplastic material, which melt is directed from said chamber towards said second end, and (ii) a cutter to cut said second fiber subsequent to said chamber;

(d) using said melt and said second fiber from (c) to generate a substantially spherical bead at said second end of said nozzle, which substantially spherical bead is deposited from said second end of said nozzle towards said platform; and

(e) moving said extrusion head along said direction relative to said platform to deposit a subsequent bead by repeating (c) and (d), thereby generating a layer comprising substantially spherical beads in accordance with a computer design of said three-dimensional object, which layer comprising said substantially spherical beads adjacent to said platform is reinforced by said second fiber, thereby forming at least a portion of said three-dimensional object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said substantially spherical beads include strands of said second fiber that have a maximum length that is less than twice a minimum dimension of said substantially spherical beads.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said substantially spherical beads include strands formed of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of glass, carbon, aramid, cotton, and wool.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said thermoplastic material is part of a thermoplastic filament.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said thermoplastic filament comprises a tow of fiber strands, a yarn of fiber strands, a braid of fiber strands, or a bundle of fiber strands.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said substantially spherical beads include strands from said second fiber, which strands do not include said thermoplastic material.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said substantially spherical beads include strands from said second fiber, which strands include said thermoplastic material.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said substantially spherical beads include strands of different length, different material, or different modulus.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein (c) comprises combining fiber strands from said second fiber with said thermoplastic material.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer design comprises a model of said three-dimensional object and structural properties of said three-dimensional object.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said second fiber is at least partially within said substantially spherical beads.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said second fiber comprises carbon.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein (d) comprises using a multi-axis robotic arm supporting said extrusion head to sequentially deposit said substantially spherical beads.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said multi-axis robotic arm positions said extrusion head to deposit said substantially spherical beads at a given location over said platform.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said multi-axis robotic arm is a six-axis or seven-axis robotic arm.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said cutter cuts said second fiber at said first end or said second end of said nozzle.

17. A system for forming a three-dimensional object, comprising:

a first spool comprising a first fiber, wherein said first fiber comprises a thermoplastic material;

a second spool comprising a second fiber;

an extrusion head comprising a chamber that is in fluid communication with a nozzle comprising a first end and a second end separate from said first end, wherein said first end is adjacent to said chamber;

a heater configured to subject both said first fiber and said second fiber in said chamber to heating;

a cutter for cutting said second fiber to generate cut fibers associated with substantially spherical beads comprising said thermoplastic material;

a platform adjacent to which said three-dimensional object is formed; and

a controller operatively coupled to said heater, wherein said controller;

(i) directs said first fiber from said first spool to said chamber and said second fiber from said second spool to said chamber while said extrusion head is moving along a direction relative to a platform,

(ii) upon directing said first fiber and said second fiber to said chamber, directs (a) said heater to heat both said first fiber and said second fiber in said chamber to generate a melt comprising said thermoplastic material, which melt is directed from said chamber towards said second end, and (b) said cutter to cut said second fiber subsequent to said chamber to generate a substantially spherical bead at said second end of said nozzle, which substantially spherical bead is deposited from said second end of said nozzle towards said platform,

(iii) directs said extrusion head along said direction relative to said platform to deposit a subsequent bead by repeating (ii), thereby generating a layer comprising said substantially spherical beads in accordance with a computer design of said three-dimensional object, which layer comprising said substantially spherical beads adjacent to said platform is reinforced by said second fiber, thereby forming at least a portion of said three-dimensional object.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein said computer design comprises a model of said three-dimensional object and structural properties of said three-dimensional object.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein said platform comprises a drive mechanism for moving said platform.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein said controller controls a rate at which said first fiber and said second fiber are directed to said chamber.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein said second fiber comprises carbon.

22. The system of claim 17, further comprising a multi-axis robotic arm supporting said extrusion head to sequentially deposit said substantially spherical beads.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said multi-axis robotic arm is configured to position said extrusion head to deposit said substantially spherical beads at a given location within a build volume at any approach angle.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said multi-axis robotic arm is a six-axis or seven-axis robotic arm.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein said multi-axis robotic arm is capable of depositing a bead of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material in a helix.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein said cutter is at said first end or said second end of said nozzle.