Additive manufacturing system with extended printing volume, and methods of use thereof
First Claim
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1. An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part, the system comprising:
- a build environment having a first length;
a gantry located within the build environment;
a print head attached to the gantry, wherein the gantry is configured to move the print head in a plane substantially parallel to a print plane, wherein a part material is extruded in the print plane to print the three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner, wherein the print plane is non-horizontal;
a receiving surface configured to receive the printed part material from the print head to build the three-dimensional part in the layer-by-layer manner to a selected part length where the part length is greater than the first length of the build environment; and
a drive mechanism configured to index at least a portion of the receiving surface substantially parallel to a printing axis such that the receiving surface and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part move out of the build environment as the three-dimensional part is being built in the layer-by layer manner.
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Abstract
An additive manufacturing system for printing three-dimensional parts, the system comprising a heatable region, a receiving surface, a print head configured to print a three-dimensional part onto the receiving surface in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis, and a drive mechanism configured to index the receiving surface along the printing axis such that the receiving surface and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part out of the heated region.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part, the system comprising:
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a build environment having a first length; a gantry located within the build environment; a print head attached to the gantry, wherein the gantry is configured to move the print head in a plane substantially parallel to a print plane, wherein a part material is extruded in the print plane to print the three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner, wherein the print plane is non-horizontal; a receiving surface configured to receive the printed part material from the print head to build the three-dimensional part in the layer-by-layer manner to a selected part length where the part length is greater than the first length of the build environment; and a drive mechanism configured to index at least a portion of the receiving surface substantially parallel to a printing axis such that the receiving surface and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part move out of the build environment as the three-dimensional part is being built in the layer-by layer manner. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of print a three-dimensional part in a layer by layer manner, the method comprising:
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providing a build environment having a first length; providing a gantry located within the build environment and carrying a print head configured to extrude molten material in a series of roads to form each layer of the three-dimensional part; heating the material to a molten state; extruding the molten material in the series of roads to form one or more layers of the three-dimensional part by causing the gantry to move the print head in the series of roads proximate the substantially non-horizontal print plane wherein the plurality of layers is supported by a receiving surface; indexing the receiving surface substantially a thickness of a layer of the three-dimensional part; and repeating the extruding step and the indexing step until the three-dimensional part is printed wherein a length of the three-dimensional part is greater than the first length of the build environment. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part, the system comprising:
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a build environment having a first length; a gantry located within the build environment; a print head attached to the gantry, wherein the gantry is configured to move the print head in a plane substantially parallel to a print plane, wherein a part material is extruded in the print plane to print the three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner, wherein the print plane is non-horizontal; a closed looped belt configured to receive the printed part material from the print head to build the three-dimensional part in the layer-by-layer manner to a selected part length where the part length is greater than the first length of the build environment; and a drive roller configured to index at least an upper portion of the closed looped belt substantially parallel to a printing axis such that the upper portion and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part move out of the build environment as the three-dimensional part is being built in the layer-by layer manner. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification