THREE DIMENSIONAL PRINTING

• US 20140291886A1
• Filed: 03/21/2014
• Published: 10/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MarkForged, Inc
• Original Assignee: MarkForged, Inc
• Inventors: Mark, Gregory Thomas, Gozdz, Antoni S.
• Application Number:
  US14/222,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20140291886A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/163
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 15/14 of filaments or wires
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 9/06 in the form of filamentary material, e.g. combined with extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 9/14 fibre-reinforced
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92076 Position, e.g. linear or angular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92571 Position, e.g. linear or angular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92904 Die; Nozzle zone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/154 Coating solid articles, i.e. non-hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/2528 Drive or actuation means for non-plasticising purposes, e.g. dosing unit
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• 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 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• 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: B29C 70/384 Fiber placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/08 of continuous length, e.g. cords, rovings, mats, fabrics, strands or yarns
• 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 70/10 : Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials

Abstract

Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an extrusion nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to extruding the filament from the extrusion nozzle.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a part, the method comprising:

feeding a void free core reinforced filament into an extrusion nozzle, wherein the core reinforced filament comprises a core and a matrix material surrounding the core;

heating the core reinforced filament to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core; and

extruding the core reinforced filament to form the part.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the matrix material comprises a thermoplastic resin.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein extruding the core reinforced filament further comprises extruding the core reinforced filament under compression.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein extruding the core reinforced filament further comprises extruding the core reinforced filament over an unsupported area.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising forming a solid shell with the core reinforced filament.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising extruding the core reinforced filament in a first direction in a first portion of a part and in a second direction in a second portion of the part.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising cutting the core reinforced filament at or upstream from an outlet of the nozzle.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising cutting the core reinforced filament between the outlet of the nozzle and a feeding mechanism.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the core comprises at least one of an electrically conductive, optically conductive, and fluidly conductive component.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising forming a part with at least one of an integrated electrical component, optical component, or fluidic component.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the core is a multifilament core.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the core is a solid core.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein extruding the core reinforced filament further comprises extruding the core reinforced filament through a rounded outlet of the extrusion nozzle.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the core is a continuous core.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the core is a semi-continuous core.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising pulling the filament out of the nozzle when a dragging force applied to the filament is greater than a force threshold of an associated feeding mechanism.

17-93. -93. (canceled)

94. A method for manufacturing a part, the method comprising:

feeding a filament into a heated extrusion nozzle;

extruding the filament from a nozzle outlet; and

applying a compressive force to the extruded filament with the nozzle.

95. The method of claim 94, further comprising heating the extruded filament with the nozzle as the nozzle applies a compressive force.

96. The method of claim 94, wherein feeding the filament into the heated extrusion nozzle further comprises feeding a core reinforced filament into the heated extrusion nozzle.

97. The method of claim 96, wherein the reinforced filament is substantially solid when fed into the extrusion nozzle.

98. The method of claim 94, wherein a rounded lip of the nozzle applies a compressive force to the extruded filament.

99-104. -104. (canceled)