Rapid nozzle cooling for additive manufacturing

• US 10,173,409 B2
• Filed: 12/01/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SHPP Global Technologies BV
• Original Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Roviaro, John, Hocker, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gupta, Yogendra N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leyson, Joseph S
• Application Number:
  US15/531,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20170266887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 Days
• 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 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/30 Auxiliary operations or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/321 Feeding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/364 Conditioning of environment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• 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

Systems, devices, and methods according to the present disclosure are configured for use in additive manufacturing. Systems for additive manufacturing can include stand-alone manufacturing units, a series of units on an assembly line, or a high-capacity system with workflow automation features including a conveyor for transporting parts to or from a build area, or a robotic arm for transporting parts or adjusting a system component. An additive manufacturing system (100) can include a flow regulator (130) to change a temperature of a thermoplastic material at or in a tip (150) of a material extrusion nozzle cartridge (171), such as to enable or inhibit flow of the thermoplastic material from the tip. The flow regulator can be configured to provide a specified gas or liquid at a specified temperature, velocity, or volume.

Claims

1. A material flow regulator apparatus for regulating a material flow from a nozzle cartridge, the nozzle cartridge configured to selectively deposit a thermoplastic material when used in an additive manufacturing system, the apparatus comprising:

a gas source manifold including a first gas outlet positioned in or adjacent to a build area of the additive manufacturing system, the first gas outlet configured to selectively release a coolant gas, the selectively-released coolant gas having a temperature that is less than a flow threshold temperature of the thermoplastic material; and

a positioning device configured to position an extrusion tip region of the nozzle cartridge adjacent to the first gas outlet such that the selectively-released coolant gas from the first gas outlet contacts an un-deposited portion of the thermoplastic material that is present at the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge, and wherein the first gas outlet is stationary relative to a movable extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selectively-released coolant gas from the first gas outlet has a temperature that is at least 30°

C. less than the flow threshold temperature of the thermoplastic material in the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge when the gas contacts the portion of the extrusion tip region of the nozzle cartridge.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the selectively-released coolant gas from the first gas outlet includes at least one of carbon dioxide, argon, nitrogen, a fluoroalkane gas, or pressurized ambient air.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first gas outlet is further configured to release a heating gas having a temperature that is greater than a flow threshold temperature of a thermoplastic material in an extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the selectively-released heating gas from the first gas outlet has a temperature that is at least 30°

C. greater than the flow threshold temperature of the thermoplastic material in the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge when the heating gas contacts the portion of the extrusion tip region of the nozzle cartridge.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second gas outlet positioned in or adjacent to the build area of the additive manufacturing system, wherein the second gas outlet is selectively controlled by a processor circuit to release the same or different coolant gas from the first gas outlet.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of an extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge, and wherein the gas outlet is configured to release the coolant gas or inhibit the release of the coolant gas based on the temperature of the extrusion tip sensed by the temperature sensor.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the temperature sensor is configured to sense the temperature of the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge when the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge is positioned at the gas outlet.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a proximity trigger circuit configured to initiate release of the coolant gas from the gas outlet when an extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge is within a specified first distance from the gas outlet, and further configured to inhibit release of the coolant gas from the gas outlet when the distance between the extrusion tip and the gas outlet is greater than a specified second distance from the gas outlet.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a thermoplastic material drive assembly configured to receive a filament thermoplastic material and to drive the filament thermoplastic material through a liquefier assembly and toward the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge; and

a trigger circuit configured to initiate release of the coolant gas from the gas outlet when the thermoplastic material drive assembly stops driving the filament thermoplastic material through the liquefier assembly.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the positioning device includes a robotic arm configured to move an extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge between a build area of the additive manufacturing system and an area of the additive manufacturing system that includes the gas outlet.

14. A method of operating the material flow regulator apparatus of claim 1, the method comprising:

selectively releasing the coolant gas from the first gas outlet; and

positioning the extrusion tip region of the nozzle cartridge adjacent to the first gas outlet such that the selectively-released coolant gas from the first gas outlet contacts the un-deposited portion of the thermoplastic material that is present at the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising sensing a temperature of the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising releasing the coolant gas or inhibiting the release of the coolant gas based on the temperature of the extrusion tip sensed by the temperature sensor.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising sensing the temperature of the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge when the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge is positioned at the gas outlet.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising initiating release of the coolant gas from the gas outlet when the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge is within a specified first distance from the gas outlet.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising inhibiting release of the coolant gas from the gas outlet when the distance between the extrusion tip and the gas outlet is greater than a specified second distance from the gas outlet.

11. A material flow regulator apparatus for regulating a material flow from a nozzle cartridge, the nozzle cartridge configured to selectively deposit a thermoplastic material when used in an additive manufacturing system, the apparatus comprising:

a gas source manifold including a first gas outlet positioned in or adjacent to a build area of the additive manufacturing system, the first gas outlet configured to selectively release a coolant gas, the selectively-released coolant gas having a temperature that is less than a flow threshold temperature of the thermoplastic material;

a positioning device configured to position an extrusion tip region of the nozzle cartridge adjacent to the first gas outlet such that the selectively-released coolant gas from the first gas outlet contacts an un-deposited portion of the thermoplastic material that is present at the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge; and

a timer circuit configured to measure a duration of release of the coolant gas from the gas outlet, and to inhibit the release of the coolant gas when the release duration exceeds a specified duration.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selectively-released coolant gas from the first gas outlet has a temperature that is at least 30°

C. less than the flow threshold temperature of the thermoplastic material in the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge when the gas contacts the portion of the extrusion tip region of the nozzle cartridge.

13. A material flow regulator apparatus for regulating a material flow from a nozzle cartridge, the nozzle cartridge configured to selectively deposit a thermoplastic material when used in an additive manufacturing system, the apparatus comprising:

a gas source manifold including a first gas outlet positioned in or adjacent to a build area of the additive manufacturing system, the first gas outlet configured to selectively release a coolant gas, the selectively-released coolant gas having a temperature that is less than a flow threshold temperature of the thermoplastic material; and

a positioning device configured to position an extrusion tip region of the nozzle cartridge adjacent to the first gas outlet such that the selectively-released coolant gas from the first gas outlet contacts an un-deposited portion of the thermoplastic material that is present at the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge wherein the extrusion tip of the nozzle cartridge is stationary relative to a movable first gas outlet.