RIBBON LIQUEFIER FOR USE IN EXTRUSION-BASED DIGITAL MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

• US 20110074065A1
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Crump, S. Scott, Batchelder, J. Samuel, Swanson, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,439,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/308
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/46 Heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/07 Flat, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/2888 in band or in strip form, e.g. rubber strips
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2025/00 Use of polymers of vinyl-aromatic compounds or derivatives thereof as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2077/00 Use of PA, i.e. polyamides, e.g. polyesteramides or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2079/085 Thermoplastic polyimides, e.g. polyesterimides, PEI, i.e. polyetherimides, or polyamideimides; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2081/06 PSU, i.e. polysulfones; PES, i.e. polyethersulfones or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0032 Pigments, colouring agents or opacifiyng agents
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0044 Stabilisers, e.g. against oxydation, light or heat
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0067 Melt
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/16 Fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 : Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 : Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing

Abstract

A ribbon liquefier comprising an outer liquefier portion configured to receive thermal energy from a heat transfer component, and a channel at least partially defined by the outer liquefier portion, where the channel has dimensions that are configured to receive the ribbon filament, and where the ribbon liquefier is configured to melt the ribbon filament received in the channel to at least an extrudable state with the received thermal energy to provide a melt flow. The dimensions of the channel are further configured to conform the melt flow from an axially-asymmetric flow to a substantially axially-symmetric flow in an extrusion tip connected to the ribbon liquefier.

Claims

1. A ribbon liquefier for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system having a drive mechanism and a heat transfer component, the ribbon liquefier comprising:

an outer liquefier portion configured to receive thermal energy from the heat transfer component; and

a channel at least partially defined by the outer liquefier portion, the channel having dimensions that are configured to receive a ribbon filament, wherein the ribbon liquefier is configured to melt the ribbon filament received in the channel to at least an extrudable state with the received thermal energy to provide a melt flow, and wherein the dimensions of the slot are further configured to conform the melt flow from an axially-asymmetric flow to a substantially axially-symmetric flow in an extrusion tip connected to the ribbon liquefier.

2. The ribbon liquefier of claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the channel define an arcuate cross-section.

3. The ribbon liquefier of claim 1, wherein the dimensions of the channel define a cross section having a width and a thickness, wherein an aspect ratio of the width to the thickness is about 2:

1 or greater.

4. The ribbon liquefier of claim 3, wherein aspect ratio of the width to the thickness ranges from 2.5:

1 to about 20;

1.

5. The ribbon liquefier of claim 1, wherein the outer liquefier portion comprises a port that is configured to provide access for the drive mechanism to engage with the ribbon filament received in the channel.

6. The ribbon liquefier of claim 1, and further comprising a core portion disposed within the outer liquefier portion and also partially defining the channel, the core portion being configured to provide backing support to the ribbon filament when the drive mechanism is engaged with the ribbon filament.

7. The ribbon liquefier of claim 6, and further comprising a shim component disposed between the outer liquefier portion and the core portion, the shim component defining a gap that further defines the channel.

8. A ribbon liquefier for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system having a drive mechanism and a heat transfer component, the ribbon liquefier comprising:

an outer tube having an exterior surface and an interior surface, wherein the exterior surface of the outer tube is configured to engage with the heat transfer component;

a core portion disposed within the outer tube and having an exterior surface; and

a shim component disposed between the outer tube and the core portion, the shim component having a gap that extends along a longitudinal length of the shim component, wherein the gap defines a channel between the interior surface of the outer tube and the exterior surface of the core portion, the channel having dimensions that are configured to receive a ribbon filament, and wherein the exterior surface of the core portion is configured to provide backing support to the ribbon filament when the drive mechanism is engaged with the ribbon filament.

9. The ribbon liquefier of claim 8, wherein the dimensions of the channel define an arcuate cross-section.

10. The ribbon liquefier of claim 9, wherein the arcuate cross-section has an arcuate width that extends at an angle from a radially-concentric point, wherein the angle ranges from about 30 degrees to about 180 degrees.

11. The ribbon liquefier of claim 10, wherein the angle ranges from about 45 degrees to about 130 degrees.

12. The ribbon liquefier of claim 8, wherein the outer tube comprises a port that is configured to provide access for the drive mechanism to engage with the ribbon filament received in the channel.

13. The ribbon liquefier of claim 12, wherein the port is substantially aligned with the channel.

14. The ribbon liquefier of claim 8, wherein the core portion comprises a core tube.

15. A method for building a three-dimensional model in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:

driving a ribbon filament through a channel of a ribbon liquefier, the ribbon liquefier further comprising an outer liquefier portion that at least partially defines the channel;

melting the ribbon filament in the channel to at least an extrudable state to provide a melt flow, wherein the dimensions of the channel conform the melt flow to an axially-asymmetric flow; and

extruding the melt flow from an extrusion tip of the ribbon liquefier, wherein the melt flow has a substantially axially-symmetric flow in the extrusion tip.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dimensions of the channel define an arcuate cross-section.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the dimensions of the channel define a cross section having a width and a thickness, wherein an aspect ratio of the width to the thickness is about 2:

1 or greater.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein aspect ratio of the width to the thickness ranges from 2.5:

1 to about 20;

1.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the outer liquefier portion comprises a port, and wherein the method further comprises engaging a drive mechanism with the ribbon filament received within the channel at the port.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein melting the ribbon filament in the channel comprises diffusing thermal energy into the ribbon filament, wherein at least about 65% of the thermal energy is diffused only in one dimension.