ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM WITH EXTENDED PRINTING VOLUME, AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF

• US 20140048980A1
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Published: 02/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Crump, S. Scott, Mannella, Dominic F., Swanson, William J., Johnson, Kevin C., Schloesser, Ronald G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,168,697 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/401
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92076 Position, e.g. linear or angular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92409 Die; Nozzle zone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92571 Position, e.g. linear or angular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92904 Die; Nozzle zone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/03 characterised by the shape of the extruded material at extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/15 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. extrusion moulding around inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/21 the layers being joined at their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/266 Means for allowing relative movements between the apparatus parts, e.g. for twisting the extruded article or for moving the die along a surface to be coated
• 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: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/25 Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/295 Heating elements
• 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

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system for printing three-dimensional parts, the system comprising a heatable chamber with a port, a print foundation, a print head configured to print a three-dimensional part onto the print foundation in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis, and a drive mechanism configured to index the print foundation along the printing axis such that, while the print head prints the three-dimensional part, the print foundation and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part pass through the port and out of the heated chamber.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing system for printing three-dimensional parts, the system comprising:

a chamber having chamber walls, wherein at least one of the chamber walls has a port extending therethrough;

a heating mechanism configured to heat the chamber to one or more temperatures;

a print foundation;

a print head configured to print a three-dimensional part onto the print foundation in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis; and

a drive mechanism configured to index the print foundation along the printing axis such that, while the print head prints the three-dimensional part, the print foundation and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part pass through the port and out of the heated chamber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the port defines a plane that is substantially perpendicular to the print axis, and wherein the print foundation comprises a receiving surface that is substantially parallel to the plane of the port.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the print head is oriented such that the printing axis is a horizontal axis, and wherein the receiving surface extends vertically.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the print foundation comprises a platen, and wherein the drive mechanism comprises a platen gantry that extends through the port, with a first end disposed within the chamber and a second end disposed outside of the chamber.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the platen gantry comprises at least one guide rail extending through the port along the printing axis, the at least one guide rail being configured to restrict movement of the platen to directions substantially along the printing axis.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the print foundation comprises a starter piece, and wherein the drive mechanism engages the starter piece along only a side surface of the starter piece.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the chamber is a first chamber, and wherein the system further comprises:

a second chamber adjacent to the first chamber, wherein the port of the chamber walls of the first chamber open to the second chamber, and wherein the second chamber includes second chamber walls having a second port extending therethrough; and

a second heating mechanism configured to heat the second chamber to one or more temperatures that are lower than the one or more temperatures of the heated first chamber.

8. A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

heating a chamber of the additive manufacturing system to one or more temperatures, wherein the chamber is open at a port;

printing a three-dimensional part onto a print foundation of the additive manufacturing system in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis; and

indexing the print foundation along the printing axis such that the print foundation and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part pass through the port and out of the heated chamber.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the printing axis is a horizontal axis.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the print foundation comprises a platen, and wherein indexing the print foundation comprises indexing the platen with a platen gantry that extends through the port.

11. The method of claim 8, and further comprising printing a support structure onto the print foundation in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis, wherein printing the three-dimensional part onto the print foundation comprises printing the three-dimensional part onto the support structure in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the print foundation comprises a starter piece engaged with a drive mechanism, and wherein the indexing the print foundation comprises indexing the starter piece with the engaged drive mechanism.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the printing axis is a vertical axis, and wherein the port extends through a bottom wall of the chamber.

15. A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

providing a chamber of the additive manufacturing system, wherein the chamber is open at a port;

printing a first three-dimensional part and a first scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis onto a print foundation of the additive manufacturing system;

indexing the print foundation along the printing axis towards the port while printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold;

after printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold, printing a receiving surface of the first scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis;

printing a second three-dimensional part and a second scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis onto the receiving surface of the first scaffold;

indexing the print foundation along the printing axis towards the port while printing the second three-dimensional part and the second scaffold.

16. The method of claim 15, and further comprising printing a support structure onto the print foundation in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis, wherein printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold onto the print foundation comprises printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold onto the support structure in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the print foundation comprises a platen, and wherein indexing the print foundation comprises indexing the platen with a platen gantry that extends through the port.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the print foundation comprises a starter piece engaged with a drive mechanism, and wherein the indexing the print foundation along the printing axis towards the port while printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold comprises indexing the starter piece with the engaged drive mechanism.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the printing axis is a horizontal printing axis, wherein the port extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the horizontal printing axis, and wherein the print foundation comprises a receiving surface that is substantially parallel to the plane of the lateral port.

20. The method of claim 15, and further comprising printing a support structure onto the receiving surface of the first scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis, wherein printing the second three-dimensional part onto the receiving surface comprises printing the fisecondrst three-dimensional part onto the support structure in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis.