SYSTEM FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

• US 20200130270A1
• Filed: 09/26/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continuous Composites Inc.
• Original Assignee: Continuous Composites Inc.
• Inventors: MORRIS, RACHAEL KATHLEEN, Stockett, Ryan C.
• Granted Patent: US 11,511,480 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/20 Direct sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/22 Driving means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/53 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B29B 15/127 by spraying
• 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 64/295 Heating elements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/314 Preparation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/38 Automated lay-up, e.g. using robots, laying filaments according to predetermined patterns application heads for tyres B29D30/28
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/382 Automated fiber placement [AFP]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 70/384 Fiber placement heads, e.g. component parts, details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2101/10 Thermosetting resins
• 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 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A system is disclosed for additive manufacturing of a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include an outlet configured to discharge a continuous reinforcement at least partially coated in a matrix. The outlet may be moveable relative to the support. The print head may also include at least one actuator configured to cause movement of the outlet relative to the support.

Claims

1. A system for additive manufacturing, comprising:

a support; and

a print head connected to and moveable by the support, the print head including;

an outlet configured to discharge a continuous reinforcement at least partially coated in a matrix, wherein the outlet is moveable relative to the support; and

at least one actuator configured to cause movement of the outlet relative to the support.

2. The system of claim 1, further including a matrix reservoir in which the continuous reinforcement is at least partially coated in the matrix at a location upstream of the outlet, wherein:

the matrix reservoir moves with the support; and

the outlet is moveable by the at least one actuator relative to the matrix reservoir.

3. The system of claim 2, further including a flexible conduit connecting the outlet to the matrix reservoir.

4. The system of claim 1, further including:

a sensor mounted to the print head and configured to generate a signal indicative of a characteristic of a surface onto which the at least partially coated continuous reinforcement is to be discharged; and

a controller in communication with the print head, the support, and the sensor, and configured to;

make a comparison of an expected surface characteristic and the characteristic of the surface; and

selectively coordinate operation of the support and the at least one actuator based on the comparison.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the characteristic is a distance from the outlet to the surface.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to selectively adjust at least one of a print head speed, a print head trajectory, and a number of passes of the print head over the characteristic of the surface based on the comparison.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to:

selectively adjust operation of at least the support when the comparison indicates a discrepancy between the expected surface characteristic and the characteristic of the surface that is greater than a threshold discrepancy; and

selectively adjust operation of only the at least one actuator when the comparison indicates a discrepancy between the expected surface characteristic and the characteristic of the surface that is less than the threshold discrepancy.

8. The system of claim 1, further including:

a sensor mounted to the print head and configured to generate a signal indicative of a characteristic of a surface onto which the at least partially coated continuous reinforcement is to be discharged; and

a controller in communication with the print head and the support and configured to control movement of the support based on a predefined tool path,

wherein the at least one actuator is configured to cause movement of the outlet independent of operation of the support via closed-loop feedback of the signal from the sensor.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the characteristic is a distance from the outlet to the surface.

10. The system of claim 1, further including a cure enhancer connected to move with the outlet and configured to expose the at least partially coated continuous reinforcement to a cure energy.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the cure enhancer is at least one of a light source and a heat source.

12. The system of claim 11, further including:

a sensor mounted to the print head and configured to generate a signal indicative of a characteristic of a surface onto which the at least partially coated continuous reinforcement is to be discharged; and

a controller configured to selectively adjust operation of the cure enhancer based on the signal.

13. The system of claim 1, further including a sensor mounted to the print head to move with the outlet and configured to generate a signal indicative of a characteristic of a surface onto which the at least partially coated continuous reinforcement is to be discharged.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the characteristic is a distance from the outlet to the surface.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the outlet is a nozzle.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the support is configured to move the print head in at least one of an X-direction, a Y-direction, and a Z-direction; and

the at least one actuator is configured to move the outlet in at least the Z-direction.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one actuator is configured to move the outlet in only the Z-direction.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the support is one of a gantry, a robot arm, or a gantry/arm hybrid.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one actuator includes at least one of a solenoid, a motor, a leadscrew, a piston, a belt, a pulley, a slide, a cog, and a rail.

20. A system for additive manufacturing, comprising:

a support, including at least one of a robot arm, a gantry, or a gantry/arm hybrid;

a print head connected to and moveable by the support in at least one of an X-direction, a Y-direction, and a Z-direction, the print head including;

a matrix reservoir configured to at least partially wet a continuous reinforcement with a matrix;

an outlet configured to discharge the continuous reinforcement at least partially wetted with the matrix, wherein the outlet is moveable relative to the support; and

at least one actuator configured to cause movement of the outlet relative to the support in the Z-direction;

a sensor mounted to the print head and configured to generate a signal indicative of a distance from the outlet to a surface onto which the continuous reinforcement at least partially coated with the matrix is to be discharged; and

a controller in communication with the support and the sensor, and configured to;

make a comparison of an expected distance and the distance from the outlet to the surface; and

selectively activate the support to move the print head based on the comparison,

wherein the at least one actuator is configured to cause movement of the outlet independent of operation of the support via closed-loop feedback of the signal from the sensor.