NON-CYLINDRICAL FILAMENTS FOR USE IN EXTRUSION-BASED DIGITAL MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

• US 20110076496A1
• 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 8,221,669 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/373
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/002 combined with surface shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0021 combined with joining, lining or laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0022 combined with cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/06 Rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/18 the components being layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/21 the layers being joined at their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/832 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/914 cooling drums
• 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 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 69/001 a shaping technique combined with cutting, e.g. in parts or slices combined with rearranging and joining the cut parts for reinforced material B29C70/545; B29C49/4278, B29C51/268 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/00 Use of inorganic materials not provided for in groups B29K2503/00 - B29K2507/00, as filler
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/02 Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/04 Carbides; Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/10 Mica
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2007/007 Narrow strips, e.g. ribbons, tapes, bands belts B29L2029/00; tapes as carrier of sound or information B29L2017/008
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/045 : Slitting
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/02 : 2 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/03 : 3 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/24 : All layers being polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/10 : Inorganic particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/101 : Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/102 : Oxide or hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/104 : Oxysalt, e.g. carbonate, sulfate, phosphate or nitrate particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/107 : Ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/108 : Carbon, e.g. graphite particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/153 : at least one layer is extruded and immediately laminated while in semi-molten state
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0004 : Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/185 : combined with the cutting of one or more layers
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/423 : by fibrillation of films or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/426 : by cutting films
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 : Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 : Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2973 : Particular cross section

Abstract

A consumable material for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising a length and a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length that is axially asymmetric. The cross-sectional profile is configured to provide a response time with a non-cylindrical liquefier of the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system that is faster than a response time achievable with a cylindrical filament in a cylindrical liquefier for a same thermally limited, maximum volumetric flow rate.

Claims

1. A consumable material for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising a length and a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length that is axially asymmetric, wherein the cross-sectional profile is configured to provide a response time with a non-cylindrical liquefier of the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system that is at least 50% faster than a response time achievable with a cylindrical filament in a cylindrical liquefier for a same thermally limited, maximum volumetric flow rate.

2. The consumable material of claim 1, wherein the response time of the consumable material in the non-cylindrical liquefier is at least about two times faster than the response time of the cylindrical filament in the cylindrical liquefier.

3. The consumable material of claim 2, wherein the response time of the consumable material in the non-cylindrical liquefier is at least about three times faster than the response time of the cylindrical filament in the cylindrical liquefier.

4. The consumable material of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional profile comprises a rectangular geometry.

5. The consumable material of claim 4, wherein the cross-sectional profile has a cross-sectional aspect ratio of width to thickness that is about 2:

1 or greater.

6. The consumable material of claim 5, wherein the cross-sectional aspect ratio ranges from about 2.5:

1 to about 20;

1.

7. The consumable material of claim 5, wherein the width of the cross-sectional profile ranges from about 1.0 millimeter to about 10.2 millimeters.

8. The consumable material of claim 1, wherein the consumable material compositionally comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic material, an amorphous metallic alloy, and combinations thereof.

9. A consumable material for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising:

a composition comprising at least one material having amorphous properties; and

a non-cylindrical geometry comprising;

a length; and

a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length, the cross-sectional profile being configured to mate with a non-cylindrical liquefier of the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system having an entrance cross-sectional area A_e and a hydraulic diameter D_h, wherein D_h<

0.95√

{square root over (A_e)}.

10. The consumable material of claim 9, wherein D_h<

0.90√

{square root over (A_e)}.

11. The consumable material of claim 9, wherein D_h>

0.40√

{square root over (A_e)}.

12. The consumable material of claim 9, wherein the cross-sectional profile comprises a rectangular geometry having a width and a thickness, the width be greater than the thickness.

13. The consumable material of claim 12, wherein the width of the cross-sectional profile ranges from about 1.0 millimeter to about 10.2 millimeters.

14. The consumable material of claim 9, wherein the at least one material is selected from the group consisting of a thermoplastic material, an amorphous metallic alloy, and combinations thereof.

15. A method for manufacturing consumable materials for use in extrusion-based digital manufacturing systems, the method comprising:

providing an extruded sheet having a sheet thickness and a composition comprising at least one thermoplastic material;

cutting the extruded sheet into a plurality of non-cylindrical filaments, wherein at least one of the plurality of non-cylindrical filaments comprises a length and a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length, wherein the cross-sectional profile is configured to mate with a non-cylindrical liquefier of the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system having an entrance cross-sectional area A_e and a hydraulic diameter D_h, wherein D_h<

0.95√

{square root over (A_e)}; and

loading at least a portion of the plurality of non-cylindrical filaments onto supply assemblies in a substantially parallel manner.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein D_h<

0.90√

{square root over (A_e)}.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the cross-sectional profile comprises a rectangular geometry having a width and a thickness, wherein the thickness of the cross-sectional profile is substantially equal to the sheet thickness.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the width of the cross-sectional profile ranges from about 1.0 millimeter to about 10.2 millimeters.

19. The method of claim 15, and further comprising forming at least one topographical surface pattern in the extruded sheet.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the extruded sheet comprises:

extruding a base portion of the extruded sheet; and

forming at least one layer on the base portion of the extruded sheet.