Method for fabricating an object

• US 10,343,320 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2014
• Issued: 07/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Laing O'Rourke Australia Pty Limited (Suffolk Partners Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Laing O'Rourke Australia Pty Limited (Suffolk Partners Corporation)
• Inventors: Gardiner, James Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Edmund H
• Application Number:
  US15/033,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20160263806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,713 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/18 the components being layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• 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: B32B 13/02 with fibres or particles being present as additives in the layer
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/02 Synthetic macromolecular fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/065 Lignocellulosic fibres, e.g. jute, sisal, hemp, flax, bamboo
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/101 Glass fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/103 Metal fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2262/106 Carbon fibres, e.g. graphite fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/08 of synthetic resin
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 27/20 using fillers, pigments, thixotroping agents
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/14 characterised by a face layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/18 characterised by an internal layer formed of separate pieces of material which are juxtaposed side-by-side B32B5/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/14 characterised by the properties of the layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 7/03 with respect to the orientation of features direction of fibres or filaments B32B5/12
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing

Abstract

A method for fabricating an object with a computer-controlled apparatus according to computer instructions derived from a computer model of the object. The method involves fabricating a plurality of beads of material, whereby at least a portion of two beads abut and are arranged at an angle between 1-179° to each other. The two beads may be fabricated on respective notional planes which intersect each other. Alternatively, the two beads may be fabricated to form respective non-planar layers. Further alternatively, the two beads may be fabricated as three-dimensional beads. Also, the two beads may be curved and form respective planar layers.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating an object with a computer-controlled additive manufacturing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

moving the apparatus and fabricating a plurality of first beads to form a first non-planar layer, each first bead having a longitudinal axis and at least some of the first beads at least partially extending longitudinally adjacently to each other; and

moving the apparatus and fabricating a plurality of second beads to form a second non-planar layer at least partially enclosing the first non-planar layer, each second bead having a longitudinal axis and at least some of the second beads at least partially extending longitudinally adjacently to each other,

wherein the at least some of the second beads abut the at least some of the first beads, and the longitudinal axes of the at least some of the second beads are arranged transverse to the longitudinal axes of the at least some of the first beads.

2. The method for fabricating an object according to claim 1, wherein the step of fabricating the first beads further comprises fabricating the first beads to form a core of the object, and the step of fabricating the second beads further comprises fabricating the second beads to form a shell of the object at least partially enclosing the core.

3. The method for fabricating an object according to claim 1, wherein the step of fabricating the at least some of the second beads further comprises the longitudinal axes of the at least some of the second beads being arranged substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axes of the at least some of the first beads.

4. The method for fabricating an object according to claim 3, wherein the step of fabricating the at least some of the second beads further comprises the longitudinal axes of the at least some of the second beads being arranged in a different plane to the longitudinal axes of the at least some of the first beads.

5. The method for fabricating an object according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus is arranged relative to a surface, and at least one of fabricating the first beads and fabricating the second beads further comprises fabricating at least a portion of the respective bead along a notional path extending away from the surface.

6. The method for fabricating an object according to claim 1, wherein at least one of fabricating the first beads and fabricating the second beads further comprises fabricating the respective beads to be at least partially unsupported.

7. The method for fabricating an object according to claim 1, wherein at least one of fabricating the first beads and fabricating the second beads further comprises fabricating the respective beads to form at least a portion of the respective layer having double curvature.

8. The method for fabricating an object according to claim 1, wherein at least one of fabricating the first beads and fabricating the second beads further comprises fabricating the respective beads to form at least a portion of the respective layer having faceted surfaces.