AUTOMATED 3D BUILD PROCESSES

• US 20120059504A1
• Filed: 11/09/2011
• Published: 03/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC (Ultimaker BV)
• Inventors: Pax, Charles, Smith, Zach, Mayer, Adam, Pettis, Nathaniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,287,794 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/119
• 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 64/176 Sequentially
• 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 40/10 Pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing

Abstract

A conveyor or other transport mechanism is provided to support multiple, sequential builds from a three-dimensional fabrication machine. The conveyor may be heated/cooled, coated, or otherwise treated to assist in adhesion during a build, as well as removal of objects after a build. Each fabricated object may be automatically removed from the conveyor as the conveyor moves in order to restore a buildable surface for fabrication of additional objects.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a build platform having a surface that is substantially planar and a conveyor formed of a sheet of material that moves in a path passing through a working volume proximal to the surface of the build platform;

fabricating an object on the conveyor in the working volume, wherein fabricating the object includes creating the object from a number of layers of a build material, each one of the number of layers having a two-dimensional shape corresponding to a cross-section of the object; and

moving the conveyor to remove the object from the working volume.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising heating the build platform prior to fabricating the object.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein heating includes heating to a minimum of about one hundred degrees Celsius.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein heating includes heating to a temperature that increases an adhesive force between the sheet of material and the object.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein heating includes actively heating by applying current to one or more resistive elements within the build platform.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising cooling the build platform after fabricating the object.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein cooling includes cooling to a maximum of about forty degrees Celsius.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein cooling includes cooling to a temperature that reduces a bonding force between the sheet of material and the object.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein cooling includes passively cooling the build platform over time.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein cooling includes actively cooling the build platform.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein moving the conveyor includes moving the conveyor in a continuous path about the build platform.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein moving the conveyor includes scrolling the conveyor through the working volume.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising scrolling the conveyor from a first spool to a second spool.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding a detachable surface to the conveyor to receive the object.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising resurfacing the conveyor with an additional detachable surface after the detachable surface and the object are removed.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

removably attaching a rigid build surface to the conveyor;

moving the rigid build surface into the working volume; and

fabricating the object on the rigid build surface.

17. A method comprising:

providing a rigid build platform having a surface that is substantially planar, the rigid build platform passing through a working volume of a three-dimensional printer;

heating a working area of the surface of the rigid build platform within the working volume;

fabricating a object on the working area, wherein fabricating the object includes creating the object from a number of layers of a material, each one of the number of layers having a two-dimensional shape corresponding to a cross-section of the object;

cooling the working area;

moving the working area out of the working volume.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

moving a second working area of the surface into the working volume;

heating the second working area; and

fabricating a second object on the second working area.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising physically separating the object from the working area.

20. A computer program product for controlling fabrication of an object on a build platform having a surface that is substantially planar and a conveyor formed of a sheet of material that moves in a path passing through a working volume proximal to the surface of the build platform, the computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:

heating the build platform;

fabricating an object on the conveyor in the working volume, wherein fabricating the object includes creating the object from a number of layers of a build material, each one of the number of layers having a two-dimensional shape corresponding to a cross-section of the object;

cooling the build platform; and

moving the conveyor to remove the object from the working volume.