ENCODED CONSUMABLE MATERIALS AND SENSOR ASSEMBLIES FOR USE IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS

• US 20110233804A1
• Filed: 03/30/2011
• Published: 09/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Batchelder, J. Samuel, Bosveld, Michael D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,658,250 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/40.4
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 11/14 characterised by structure or composition
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2949/0715 the preform having one end closed
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 49/071 Preforms or parisons characterised by their configuration, e.g. geometry, dimensions or physical properties
• 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 64/20 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• 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: B65H 2515/20 Volume; Volume flow
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 49/322 Enclosing boxes with supporting means for the package or reel during unwinding
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 61/005 for measuring speed of running yarns
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 63/00 Warning or safety devices, e.g. automatic fault detectors, stop-motions safety devices in general F16P; indicating devices in general G08B ; Quality control of the package
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 63/06 responsive to presence of irregularities in running material, e.g. for severing the material at irregularities ; Control of the correct working of the yarn cleaner
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/182 Identification means
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4788 Diffraction for sizing particles G01N15/0205
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24802 Discontinuous or differential coating, impregnation or bond [e.g., artwork, printing, retouched photograph, etc.]

Abstract

A consumable material and sensor assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising an exterior surface having encoded markings that are configured to be read by the sensor assembly, where the consumable material is configured to be consumed in the additive manufacturing system to build at least a portion of a three-dimensional model.

Claims

1. A marked consumable material for use in an additive manufacturing system, the marked consumable material comprising:

an exterior surface; and

encoded markings at the exterior surface, wherein at least a portion of the encoded markings denote volume increments along the marked consumable material, wherein the encoded markings are configured to be read by at least one optical sensor configured to be operated by the additive manufacturing system, and wherein the marked consumable material is configured to be consumed in the additive manufacturing system to build at least a portion of a three-dimensional model.

2. The marked consumable material of claim 1, wherein the marked consumable material comprises a substantially cylindrical geometry having an average diameter ranging from about 0.8 millimeters to about 2.5 millimeters.

3. The marked consumable material of claim 1, wherein the marked consumable material has a cross section with a width and thickness, wherein the width of the cross section ranges from about 1.0 millimeter to about 10.2 millimeters, and wherein the thickness of the cross section ranges from about 0.08 millimeters to about 1.5 millimeters.

4. The marked consumable material of claim 1, wherein the encoded markings comprise sub-marks further denoting a binary encoding scheme.

5. The marked consumable material of claim 4, wherein the encoded markings exhibit indices of refraction that are different from an average index of refraction of the exterior surface of the marked consumable material.

6. The marked consumable material of claim 1, wherein the encoded markings comprise an ultraviolet-activated material.

7. The marked consumable material of claim 1, wherein the encoded markings further comprise one or more types of encoded information selected from the group consisting of local consumable material cross-sections, consumable material extrusion parameters, amount of the marked consumable material remaining, measurements of local consumable material fingerprint characteristics, material types, material compositions, material colors, manufacturing information for the marked consumable material, product codes, material origin information, software and firmware updates for the direct digital manufacturing system, media-based information, and combinations thereof.

8. The marked consumable material of claim 1, wherein each denoted volume increment of the volume increments is substantially the same.

9. An additive manufacturing system comprising:

a bay configured to receive a supply of a marked consumable material, the marked consumable material comprising an exterior surface and encoded markings at the exterior surface, the encoded markings extending along at least a portion of a longitudinal length of the marked filament at locations that denote volume increments of the marked consumable material along the longitudinal length;

a deposition head configured to receive and dispense the marked consumable material to build a three-dimensional model using a layer-based, additive technique on a platform;

a sensor configured to detect the encoded markings of the marked consumable material as the marked consumable material is fed to the deposition head; and

a controller in signal communication with the deposition head and the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to adjust a dispensing rate of the marked consumable material onto the platform in response to the detected encoded markings by the sensor.

10. The additive manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein the bay is configured to receive the supply of the marked consumable material wound on a spool.

11. The additive manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the sensor is retained in the additive manufacturing system and is separate from the spool.

12. The additive manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein the sensor comprises an optical sensor.

13. The additive manufacturing system of claim 9, and further comprising a liner disposed within the container housing, wherein the spool and the optical sensor assembly are disposed within the liner.

14. The additive manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein the marked consumable material comprises a substantially cylindrical geometry having an average diameter ranging from about 0.8 millimeters to about 2.5 millimeters.

15. A method for building a three-dimensional model with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

loading a spool to the additive manufacturing system, the spool having a marked consumable material comprising an exterior surface having encoded markings, wherein at least a portion of the encoded markings denote volume increments of the marked consumable material along a longitudinal length of the marked consumable material;

feeding the marked consumable material to a deposition head of the additive manufacturing system;

reading information from the encoded markings of the fed marked consumable material with an optical sensor assembly;

transmitting the read information to a controller of the additive manufacturing system; and

adjusting at least one property of the additive manufacturing system based on the transmitted information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the optical sensor assembly is located in the additive manufacturing system and is separate from the spool.

17. The method of claim 15, and further comprising:

melting the marked consumable material to at least an extrudable state in the deposition head; and

depositing the melted material from the deposition head to form the three-dimensional model in a layer-by-layer manner.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the at least one property of the additive manufacturing system comprises directing operation of the deposition head based at least in part on the transmitted information.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the encoded markings comprise an ultraviolet-activated material.

20. The method of claim 19, and further comprising maintaining a moisture barrier within the spooled container with a liner, wherein the optical sensor assembly is retained within the liner.