Additive manufacturing system with extended printing volume, and methods of use thereof
First Claim
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1. A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
- providing a build environment of the additive manufacturing system, wherein the build environment has a first length in a direction of a printing axis;
extruding a three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis onto a movable print foundation of the additive manufacturing system; and
indexing the print foundation along the printing axis allowing each subsequent layer of the three-dimensional part to be printed and wherein successive indexing and printing results in at least a portion of the three-dimensional part having a second length greater than the first length of the build environment.
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Abstract
An additive manufacturing system for printing three-dimensional parts, the system comprising a heatable chamber with a port, a print foundation, a print head configured to print a three-dimensional part onto the print foundation in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis, and a drive mechanism configured to index the print foundation along the printing axis such that, while the print head prints the three-dimensional part, the print foundation and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part pass through the port and out of the heated chamber.
82 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
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providing a build environment of the additive manufacturing system, wherein the build environment has a first length in a direction of a printing axis; extruding a three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis onto a movable print foundation of the additive manufacturing system; and indexing the print foundation along the printing axis allowing each subsequent layer of the three-dimensional part to be printed and wherein successive indexing and printing results in at least a portion of the three-dimensional part having a second length greater than the first length of the build environment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
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providing a build environment with a first length in a direction of a printing axis where a print foundation of the additive manufacturing system is movable within the build environment and wherein the three-dimensional part is printed in a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the printing axis of the additive manufacturing system; extruding the three-dimensional part onto the print foundation of the additive manufacturing system in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis; and indexing the print foundation along the printing axis such that the print foundation and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part passes outside of the build environment while printing successive layers of the three-dimensional part as a length of the three-dimensional part exceeds the first length of the build environment. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
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providing a build environment of the additive manufacturing system, wherein the build environment has a first length extending in a direction of a printing axis; printing a first three-dimensional part and a first scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis onto a print foundation of the additive manufacturing system; indexing the print foundation along the printing axis a distance greater than the first length of the build environment while printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold towards a length greater than the first length of the build environment; after printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold, printing a receiving surface of the first scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis; printing a second three-dimensional part and a second scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis onto the receiving surface of the first scaffold; and indexing the print foundation along the printing axis a distance greater than the first length of the build environment while printing the second three-dimensional part and the second scaffold towards a length greater than the first length of the build environment. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification