ADJUSTABLE PLATFORM ASSEMBLY FOR DIGITAL MANUFACTURING SYSTEM

• US 20100100222A1
• Filed: 10/21/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Comb, James W., Skubic, Robert L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,153,183 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/110
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/232 for motion along the axis orthogonal to the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

A platform assembly for use in a digital manufacturing system, where the platform assembly comprises a deformable platform having a surface configured to operably receive a deposited material from a deposition head, and at least one mechanism configured to adjust at least a portion of the first surface to compensate for at least one vertical deviation from at least one horizontal axis that the deposition head is directed to move in.

Claims

1. A platform assembly for use in a digital manufacturing system having a deposition head that is directed to move substantially along at least one horizontal axis, the platform assembly comprising:

a deformable platform having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface being configured to operably receive a deposited material from the deposition head; and

at least one mechanism operably secured to the second surface of the deformable platform, and configured to adjust at least a portion of the first surface to compensate for at least one vertical deviation from the at least one horizontal axis that the deposition head is directed to move in.

2. The platform assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one horizontal axis comprises a horizontal plane.

3. The platform assembly of claim 1, and further comprising a base component directed to move substantially along a vertical axis, wherein the at least one mechanism is supported by the base component.

4. The platform assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one mechanism comprises:

a threaded screw having a first threaded portion and a second threaded portion;

a first component operably secured to the base component and threadedly engaged with the first threaded portion of the threaded screw; and

a second component operably secured to the deformable platform and threadedly engaged with the second threaded portion of the threaded screw.

5. The platform assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one mechanism comprises a plurality of adjustable supports.

6. The platform assembly of claim 1, wherein the deformable platform comprises a vacuum platen, and wherein the platform assembly further comprises a flexible polymeric film configured to be positioned over at least a portion of the vacuum platen.

7. The platform assembly of claim 6, wherein the portion of the vacuum platen that the flexible polymeric film is configured to positioned over constitutes less than an entire surface area of the vacuum platen.

8. A digital manufacturing system comprising:

a deposition head configured to deposit at least one modeling material;

a controller configured to direct motion of the deposition head substantially along at least one horizontal axis, wherein an actual motion profile of the deposition head comprises at least one vertical deviation from the at least one horizontal axis; and

a platform assembly configured to operably receive the at least one deposited modeling material, the platform assembly comprising a surface being adjustable to compensate for the at least one vertical deviation from the at least one horizontal axis.

9. The digital manufacturing system of claim 8, wherein the at least one horizontal axis comprises a horizontal plane.

10. The digital manufacturing system of claim 8, wherein the platform assembly further comprises:

a deformable platform having the adjustable surface;

a base component directed to move substantially a long a vertical axis; and

at least one mechanism operably secured to the deformable platform and supported by the base component, and configured to adjust at least a portion of the adjustable surface.

11. The digital manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one mechanism comprises:

a threaded screw having a first threaded portion and a second threaded portion;

a first component operably secured to the base component and threadedly engaged with the first threaded portion of the threaded screw; and

a second component operably secured to the deformable platform and threadedly engaged with the second threaded portion of the threaded screw.

12. The digital manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the at least one mechanism comprises a plurality of adjustable supports.

13. The digital manufacturing system of claim 8, wherein the deposition head is selected from the group consisting of an extrusion head, a jetting head, and combinations thereof.

14. A method of operating a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:

determining an offset distance between a component of a deposition head of the digital manufacturing system and a surface of a platform assembly of the digital manufacturing system; and

adjusting at least a portion of the surface of the platform assembly to compensate for at least one vertical deviation from the determined offset distance over an operational range of motion of the deposition head.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determined offset distance defines at least one substantially horizontal axis of motion that the deposition head is directed to move along.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the at least one substantially horizontal axis comprises a substantially horizontal plane.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the portion of the surface of the platform assembly to compensate for the at least one vertical deviation from the determined offset distance comprises adjusting a plurality of portions of the surface of platform assembly to compensate for a plurality of vertical deviations from the determined offset distance.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the portion of the surface of the platform assembly comprises adjusting an adjustable support disposed between a base component of the platform assembly and a deformable platform of the platform assembly, where the deformable platform comprises the surface.

19. The method of claim 15, and further comprising identifying the at least one vertical deviation from the determined offset distance.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the component of the deposition head comprises a deposition tip of the deposition head.