METHODS OF SECURING AN INITIAL LAYER DURING ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OF THERMOPLASTIC MATERIAL

• US 20170282449A1
• Filed: 04/05/2016
• Published: 10/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thermwood Corporation
• Original Assignee: Thermwood Corporation
• Inventors: SUSNJARA, Kenneth, Vaal, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,569,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/30 Auxiliary operations or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/10 Pre-treatment

Abstract

In one embodiment, an additive manufacturing method including the steps of positioning a removable surface on a worktable; applying an adhesive material to the removable surface; depositing a plurality of pellets into the adhesive material, wherein at least a portion of each pellet of the plurality of pellets remains exposed; and depositing a flowable material on at least some of the plurality of pellets.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing method, the method comprising:

positioning a removable surface on a worktable;

applying an adhesive material to the removable surface;

depositing a plurality of pellets into the adhesive material, wherein at least a portion of each pellet of the plurality of pellets remains exposed; and

depositing a flowable material on at least some of the plurality of pellets.

2. The additive manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the flowable material is a thermoplastic material.

3. The additive manufacturing method of claim 2, wherein each pellet of the plurality of pellets comprises the thermoplastic material.

4. The additive manufacturing method of claim 3, wherein the adhesive material includes polyvinyl acetate glue.

5. The additive manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the removable surface includes one of medium density fiberboard (MDF) or high grade plywood.

6. The additive manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the flowable material is heated prior to depositing the flowable material on the plurality of pellets.

7. The additive manufacturing method of claim 6, further comprising the step of:

cooling the flowable material after the flowable material is deposited on the plurality of pellets.

8. The additive manufacturing method of claim 6, wherein depositing the flowable material on the plurality of pellets causes at least one pellet of the plurality of pellets to at least partially melt.

9. The additive manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein depositing the flowable material includes depositing a plurality of flowable material rows adjacent to one another.

10. The additive manufacturing method of claim 2, wherein the flowable material includes a reinforcing material embedded therein.

11. The additive manufacturing method of claim 10, wherein the reinforcing material includes strands of fiber.

12. The additive manufacturing method of claim 9, wherein depositing the plurality of flowable material rows adjacent to one another includes fusing a row of flowable material to an adjacent previously deposited row of flowable material.

13. The additive manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein the flowable material is deposited from a nozzle of a programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine.

14. The additive manufacturing method of claim 1, wherein depositing the flowable material includes depositing the flowable material in a pattern, wherein the pattern is based on a digital representation of a component.

15. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:

a programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine configured to extrude a flowable material, wherein the programmable CNC machine includes a worktable; and

a removable surface positioned on the worktable, wherein the removable surface includes an adhesive material thereon and a plurality of pellets partially embedded in the adhesive material.

16. The additive manufacturing system of claim 15, wherein the computer numeric control (CNC) machine is configured to deposit the flowable material on the plurality of pellets in a pattern based on a digital representation.

17. The additive manufacturing system of claim 15, wherein the programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine includes a nozzle for extruding the flowable material, and wherein the nozzle is moveable along a first axis, a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes, and wherein the nozzle is configured to rotate in a plane defined by the first and second axes.

18. The additive manufacturing system of claim 17, wherein each of the flowable material and the plurality of pellets comprises a thermoplastic material.

19. The additive manufacturing system of claim 15, wherein the adhesive material includes polyvinyl acetate glue.

20. The additive manufacturing system of claim 15, wherein the removable surface includes one of medium density fiberboard (MDF) or high grade plywood.