Three dimensional tomographic fabric assembly

• US 20050280184A1
• Filed: 11/21/2003
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Voith Fabrics Patent GmbH
• Original Assignee: The Voith Fabrics Patent GmbH
• Inventors: Hay, Stewart Lister, Sayers, Ian Christison
• Application Number:
  US10/535,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20050280184A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/308
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/02 characterised by the method of forming fleeces or layers, e.g. reorientation of yarns or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D04H 3/11 by fluid jet
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 1/0027 Screen-cloths
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 1/0081 with single endless strands travelling in generally parallel convolutions
• CPC Class Codes: D21F 7/083 Multi-layer felts

Abstract

A fabric made by selective deposition modeling or fused deposition modeling, where the material is fed from at least one nozzle onto a moveable belt. The nozzle is moveable translationally and the spacing between the nozzle and the belt is adjustable. Flow through the nozzle and translational movement of the nozzle is controlled such that the nozzle dispenses the material in a controlled manner to form the fabric layer by layer.

Claims

1. A method of making a fabric from a material comprising the steps of:

feeding material from at least one nozzle onto a moveable belt, wherein said nozzle is moveable for translational movement and the spacing between said nozzle and the belt is adjustable, and wherein flow through said nozzle and translational movement of said nozzle is controlled such that said nozzle dispenses the material in a controlled manner to form the fabric layer-by-layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the at least one nozzle are provided in a feed head.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of the at least one nozzle are provided in a plurality of feed heads.

4. The method claim 1, wherein the method of manufacturing the fabric comprises selective deposition modeling.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the flow of material through the nozzle is quantized.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one nozzle dispenses about 12,000 drops per second.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the material is a meltable polymeric material having a viscosity in the range from 2 to 200 Centipoise measured at 20°

C.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the material is a meltable polymeric material having a viscosity in the range from 5 to 40 Centipoise measured at 20°

C.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the material is at least one of polyamides, co-polyamides, polyesters, co-polyesters, amide esters, olefin resins, urethanes, amide urethanes and sulphones.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the material comprises a radiation curable material.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the material comprises a UV curable material.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the UV curable material is at least one of epoxy acrylates, poltester acrylates, silicone acrylates and urethane acrylates.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising feeding from at least one nozzle, a temporary support medium for providing temporary support to said material during manufacture of the fabric layer by layer.

14. he method of claim 13, further comprising the step of removing the temporary support medium.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the temporary support medium comprises a material selected from hot melt resins and waxes.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the method of manufacture of the fabric comprises fused deposition modeling.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the material is extruded from at least one of the nozzles.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the material is at least one of polyesters, polyamides, high molecular weight polyethylenes, polyphenylene sulphide, thermoplastic polyurethanes and PEEK.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein said material is fed to the nozzle as a flexible strand of solid material.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of providing a temporary support medium for providing temporary support to said material during manufacture of the fabric layer by layer.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of removing the temporary support medium.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the temporary support medium comprises at least one of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, methyl vinyl ether, polyvinyl pyrrolidone-based polymers, maleic acid-based polymers and alkali-soluble base polymers containing carboxylic acid and plasticiser.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein means are provided for feeding an array of machine direction yarns into the fabric.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the fabric is papermachine clothing.

24. A method of making a fabric by Free Form Fabrication.

26. An apparatus for making a fabric from a material layer-by-layer, the apparatus comprising:

at least one nozzle and a moveable belt, the nozzle being operable to feed material onto the moveable belt, wherein the nozzle is moveable for translational movement and the spacing between the nozzle and the belt is adjustable, and wherein flow through said nozzle and translational movement of said nozzle is controlled such that said nozzle dispenses the material in a controlled manner to form the fabric layer by layer.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein a plurality of nozzles are provided in a feed head.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus comprises a plurality of feed heads.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus manufactures the fabric by selective deposition modeling.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the flow through the at least one nozzle is quantized.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the at least one nozzle dispenses about 12,000 drops per second.

32. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the material is a meltable polymeric material having a viscosity in the range from 2 to 200 Centipoise measured at 20°

C.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the material is a meltable polymeric material having a viscosity in the range from 5 to 40 Centipoise measured at 20°

C.

34. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the material is at least one of polyamides, co-polyamides, polyesters, co-polyesters, amide esters, olefin resins, urethanes, amide urethanes and sulphones.

35. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the material comprises a radiation curable material.

36. The apparatus as claimed in claim 35, wherein the material comprises a UV curable material.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the UV curable material is at least one of epoxy acrylates, poltester acrylates, silicone acrylates and urethane acrylates apparatus manufactures the fabric by selective deposition modeling.

38. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising at least one second nozzle for distributing temporary support to said material during manufacture of the fabric layer by layer.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said apparatus comprises means for removing the temporary support material.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the temporary support medium comprises a material selected from hot melt resins or waxes.

41. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus manufactures the fabric by fused deposition modelling.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the material is extruded from the at least one nozzle.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the material is at least one of polyesters, polyamides, high molecular weight polyethylenes, polyphenylene sulphide, thermoplastic polyurethanes and PEEK.

44. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein said material is fed to the at least one nozzle as a flexible strand of solid material.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein a further support material is fed via at least one second nozzle for providing temporary support to said material during the manufacture of the fabric layer by layer.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said apparatus comprises means for removing the temporary support material.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the temporary support medium comprises at least one of poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline), polyvinyl alcohol, polyethylene oxide, methyl vinyl ether, polyvinyl pyrrolidone-based polymers, maleic acid-based polymers and alkali-soluble base polymers containing carboxylic acid and plasticiser.

48. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus comprises means for feeding an array of machine direction yarns into the fabric.