High-precision modeling filament
First Claim
1. A feedstock of modeling material for use in a three-dimensional modeling machine that has a liquifier having an inner diameter of dL, the feedstock comprising:
- a filament having a length of greater than 20 feet, having an average diameter, and having a standard deviation of the diameter of less than or equal to 0.0004 inches.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed is a modeling filament for use as feedstock in a fused deposition modeling liquifier, and a method for manufacturing the filament. The diameter and standard deviation of the filament are controlled to meet various tolerance requirements of jam resistance, slip resistance, model strength, liquifier overflow prevention and hysteresis-free transient response. Standard deviation of the filament diameter is matched to a filament target diameter. The resulting filament is used to form high-quality models.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A feedstock of modeling material for use in a three-dimensional modeling machine that has a liquifier having an inner diameter of dL, the feedstock comprising:
a filament having a length of greater than 20 feet, having an average diameter, and having a standard deviation of the diameter of less than or equal to 0.0004 inches. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A feedstock of modeling material for use in a three-dimensional modeling machine that has a liquifier having an inner diameter of dL, comprising:
a thermoplastic filament having a length of greater than 20 feet, having an average diameter dF, and having a standard deviation of the diameter according to the relationship σ
F≦
0.007·
<
dF>
inches.- View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A feedstock of modeling material for use in a three-dimensional modeling machine that includes a liquifier having an inner diameter dL, and which deposits modeling material in roads having a width W and a height L, the modeling material comprising:
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filament having a length of greater than 20 feet, having an average diameter <
dF>
according to the relationship 0.84 dL<
<
dF>
<
dL−
6σ
F, and having a standard deviation σ
F of;
where SS is maximum allowable seam gap and Δ
Sg is expected average movement of a meniscus within the liquifier. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of forming a three-dimensional object in a fused deposition modeling machine which includes a liquifier having an inner diameter dL and which receives a feedstock of solid modeling material and deposits melted material in roads of width W and height L, the method comprising the steps of:
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using as the modeling material feedstock a filament having an average diameter <
dF>
according to the relationship 0.84 dL <
<
dF>
<
d1−
6σ
F, and a standard deviation σ
F of;
where SS is maximum allowable seam gap and Δ
Sg is expected average movement of a meniscus within the liquifier. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of forming a three dimensional object in a fused deposition modeling machine which includes a liquifier having an inner diameter dL and which receives a feedstock of solid modeling material and deposits melted material in roads of width W and height L, the method comprising the steps of:
using as the modeling feedstock a filament having a length greater than 20 feet, having an average diameter of between 0.069-0.074 inches, and having a standard deviation of the diameter of less than or equal to 0.0004 inches. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
Specification