Method of forming a non-cylindrical filament for use in extrusion-based digital manufacturing systems

• US 10,272,665 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2017
• Issued: 04/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Batchelder, J. Samuel, Swanson, William J., Crump, S. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B
• Application Number:
  US15/420,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20170136691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 264146, 264147, 264160, 26417312, 26417315, 26417316, 26417317, 26417713, 15624418, 15624419, 156271
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/002 combined with surface shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0021 combined with joining, lining or laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0022 combined with cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/06 Rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/18 the components being layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/21 the layers being joined at their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/832 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/914 cooling drums
• 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 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 69/001 a shaping technique combined with cutting, e.g. in parts or slices combined with rearranging and joining the cut parts for reinforced material B29C70/545; B29C49/4278, B29C51/268 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/00 Use of inorganic materials not provided for in groups B29K2503/00 - B29K2507/00, as filler
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/02 Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/04 Carbides; Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/10 Mica
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2007/007 Narrow strips, e.g. ribbons, tapes, bands belts B29L2029/00; tapes as carrier of sound or information B29L2017/008
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/045 : Slitting
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/02 : 2 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/03 : 3 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/24 : All layers being polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/10 : Inorganic particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/101 : Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/102 : Oxide or hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/104 : Oxysalt, e.g. carbonate, sulfate, phosphate or nitrate particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/107 : Ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/108 : Carbon, e.g. graphite particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/153 : at least one layer is extruded and immediately laminated while in semi-molten state
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0004 : Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/185 : combined with the cutting of one or more layers
• 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 40/00 : Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 : Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/423 : by fibrillation of films or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/426 : by cutting films
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 : Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 : Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2973 : Particular cross section

Abstract

A consumable material for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising a length and a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length that is axially asymmetric. The cross-sectional profile is configured to provide a response time with a non-cylindrical liquefier of the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system that is faster than a response time achievable with a cylindrical filament in a cylindrical liquefier for a same thermally limited, maximum volumetric flow rate.

Claims

1. A method of forming and packaging a non-cylindrical filament for use in an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system to build a three-dimensional part or a support structure in a layer-by-layer manner, the method comprising:

providing a sheet of extrudable material;

cutting the sheets of material into non-cylindrical strips configured to be melted and extruded with a liquefier; and

loading the non-cylindrical strips onto supply assemblies configured to supply the strips to the additive manufacturing system.

2. The method of claim 1 and wherein providing a sheet of extrudable material comprises extruding the sheet of material.

3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising cooling the sheet of extrudable material prior to cutting the sheets of material into the non-cylindrical strips.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-cylindrical strips have a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration along a length thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing a sheet of extrudable material comprises a first layer and a second layer secured to the first layer wherein the first layer and the second layer are of different materials.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein providing a sheet of extrudable material comprises securing a third layer to the first layer wherein the first layer separates the second layer and the third layer, wherein the first layer and the third layer are different materials.

7. The method of claim 5 and wherein the first layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

8. The method of claim 5 and wherein the first layer and the second layer are co-extruded.

9. The method of claim 5 and wherein the first and second layer are thermally bonded together.

10. The method of claim 5 and wherein the second layer is bonded to the first layer with a knife coating process or a roller coating process.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein cutting the sheets of material into non-cylindrical strips comprises cutting the sheets into substantially rectangular strips having and width and a thickness, and wherein an aspect ratio of the width to the thickness ranges from about 2:

1 to about 20;

1.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein cutting the sheets of material into non-cylindrical strips comprises cutting the sheets into substantially rectangular strips having and width and a thickness, and wherein an aspect ratio of the width to the thickness ranges from about 2:

1 to about 20;

1.

11. A method of forming and packaging a non-cylindrical filament for use in an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system to build a three-dimensional part or a support structure in a layer-by-layer manner, the method comprising:

providing a sheet of extrudable material wherein the sheet comprises a first layer and a second layer secured to the first layer, wherein the first layer and the second layer are different materials;

cutting the sheets of material into non-cylindrical strips configured to be melted and extruded with a liquefier; and

loading the non-cylindrical strips onto supply assemblies configured to supply the strips to the additive manufacturing system.

12. The method of claim 11 and wherein providing a sheet of extrudable material comprises co-extruding the first and second layers of the different materials.

13. The method of claim 11 and further comprising cooling the sheet of extrudable material prior to cutting the sheets of material into the non-cylindrical strips.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the non-cylindrical strips have a substantially rectangular cross-sectional configuration along a length thereof.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein providing a sheet of extrudable material comprises securing a third layer to the first layer wherein the first layer separates the second layer and the third layer, wherein the first layer and the third layer are different materials.

16. The method of claim 11 and wherein the first layer comprises a thermoplastic material.

17. The method of claim 11 and wherein the first and second layer are thermally bonded together.

18. The method of claim 11 and wherein the second layer is bonded to the first layer with a knife coating process or a roller coating process.