Methods and apparatus for processing and dispensing material during additive manufacturing
First Claim
1. An additive manufacturing method for delivering a flowable material from a nozzle of a programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine, the nozzle being configured to translate along a first axis, a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes, the method comprising:
- actuating an extruder to form a flowable material;
delivering the flowable material to a pump;
sensing a pressure of the flowable material; and
adjusting a speed of the extruder and a speed of the pump based on an increase or decrease in a rate of translation of the nozzle along one or more of the first, second, and third axes to deposit a bead of material having stable dimensions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An additive manufacturing method for delivering a flowable material from a nozzle of a programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine, the nozzle being configured to translate along a first axis, a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes. In one embodiment, the method includes actuating an extruder to form a flowable material, delivering the flowable material to a pump, sensing a pressure of the flowable material, and adjusting at least one of a speed of the extruder and a speed of the pump based on at least one of the sensed pressure and a rate of translation of the nozzle along one or more of the first, second, and third axes.
20 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An additive manufacturing method for delivering a flowable material from a nozzle of a programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine, the nozzle being configured to translate along a first axis, a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes, the method comprising:
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actuating an extruder to form a flowable material; delivering the flowable material to a pump; sensing a pressure of the flowable material; and adjusting a speed of the extruder and a speed of the pump based on an increase or decrease in a rate of translation of the nozzle along one or more of the first, second, and third axes to deposit a bead of material having stable dimensions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An additive manufacturing method comprising:
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actuating an extruder of an additive manufacturing machine to extrude a flowable material to a gear pump, wherein actuating the extruder includes rotating an extruder screw of the extruder at a first speed; actuating the gear pump to convey the flowable material to an applicator head, wherein actuating the gear pump includes rotating one or more gears of the gear pump at a second speed; delivering the material from the applicator head onto a surface; moving the applicator head along at least one of a plurality of axes at a first velocity; and modifying the first speed and the second speed, by a controller, based on an increase or a decrease in the first velocity to deposit a bead of material having stable dimensions. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. An additive manufacturing method comprising:
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operating an extruder of an additive manufacturing machine at a first speed to extrude a flowable material to a gear pump; operating the gear pump at a second speed to convey the flowable material to a nozzle; depositing the flowable material through the nozzle onto a surface; moving the nozzle along at least one of a plurality of axes; adjusting the second speed based on an increase or decrease in a rate of the movement of the nozzle; and adjusting the first speed based on the adjusted second speed to deposit a bead of material having stable dimensions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification