Filament spool auto-change in a modeling machine

• US 7,172,715 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Hopkins, Paul E., Swanson, William J., Popa, Mihnea A., Turley, Patrick W., Brose, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Davis; Robert B.
• Application Number:
  US10/858,122
• Publication Number:
  US 20040217517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 264/39, 264/40.1, 264/308
• US Class Current: 264/39
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2071/022 Annealing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2791/005 Using a particular environment, e.g. sterile fluids other than air
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 31/04 Feeding of the material to be moulded, e.g. into a mould cavity B29C39/08 takes precedence; using a material distribution system to two or more fixed injection moulds B29C45/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/36 Feeding the material on to the mould, core or other substrate
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/52 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 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 71/02 Thermal after-treatment B29C71/0063 and B29C71/0072 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• 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 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/0016 Plasticisers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/02 Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49019 Machine 3-D slices, to build 3-D model, stratified object manufacturing SOM
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

A filament cassette and a filament loading assembly supply modeling filament to a liquifier in a three-dimensional deposition modeling machine. Two or more cassettes containing spooled filament are inserted into the machine. A strand of filament from a first one of the cassettes is fed to the liquifier for extrusion. Without operator intervention, the filament strand from the first cassette is withdrawn from the liquifier, and a filament strand from a second one of the cassettes is fed to the liquifier. The switching of filament feed sources is triggered by an event, such as an identification that the filament from the first cassette has reached a predetermined minimum length. In this manner, a used primary filament cassette is automatically replaced with a standby filament cassette, so that the machine need not experience downtime waiting for an operator to change the cassettes.

Claims

1. A method for loading filament into a three-dimensional modeling machine of the type having a liquifier which receives modeling material in the form of a filament strand and extrudes the filament in molten form, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting into the modeling machine primary and secondary cassettes containing spooled filament;

feeding filament from the primary cassette into the liquifier; and

switching the feed from the primary cassette to the secondary cassette, without operator intervention, while modeling is in progress.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of switching comprises:

automatically withdrawing from the liquifier a filament strand supplied by the primary cassette; and

automatically feeding to the liquifier a filament strand supplied by the secondary cassette.

3. A method for loading filament into an extrusion apparatus of the type having a liquifier to which a strand of filament is advanced under the control of a controller, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting into the apparatus a plurality of cassettes containing spooled filament;

automatically advancing a strand of a first filament from a first one of the cassettes to the liquifier for extrusion;

automatically withdrawing the first filament strand from the liquifier in response to a trigger event; and

automatically advancing a strand of a second filament from a second one of the cassettes to the liquifier after withdrawl of the first filament strand.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the trigger event is an identification that the first filament has reached a predetermined minimum length.

5. The method of claim 4, and further comprising the step of:

identifying that the filament remaining in the first one of the cassettes has reached the predetermined minimum length.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the trigger event is a command initiated by a user and received by the controller.

7. A method for loading filament into an extrusion apparatus of the type which receives a strand of filament and extrudes the filament in molten form, the method comprising the steps of:

inserting into the apparatus a plurality of filament spools;

feeding a strand of a first filament from a first one of the spools to the liquifier for extrusion;

automatically withdrawing the strand of the first filament from the liquifier in response to a trigger event; and

automatically feeding a strand of a second filament from a second one of the spools to the liquifier after withdrawl of the first filament strand.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the trigger event is an identification that the first filament has reached a predetermined minimum length.

9. The method of claim 8, and further comprising the step of:

identifying that the first filament has reached the predetermined minimum length.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the trigger event is a command initiated by a user.