Method for building three-dimensional models in extrusion-based digital manufacturing systems using ribbon filaments

• US 8,221,669 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Batchelder, J. Samuel, Swanson, William J., Crump, S. Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B
• Application Number:
  US12/612,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20110076496A1
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 264/308
• US Class Current: 264/308
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/002 combined with surface shaping
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0021 combined with joining, lining or laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0022 combined with cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/06 Rod-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/18 the components being layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/21 the layers being joined at their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/832 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/914 cooling drums
• 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 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• 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: B29K 2101/12 Thermoplastic materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/00 Use of inorganic materials not provided for in groups B29K2503/00 - B29K2507/00, as filler
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/02 Ceramics
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/04 Carbides; Nitrides
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2509/10 Mica
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2007/007 Narrow strips, e.g. ribbons, tapes, bands belts B29L2029/00; tapes as carrier of sound or information B29L2017/008
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2038/045 : Slitting
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/02 : 2 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/03 : 3 layers
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2250/24 : All layers being polymeric
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/10 : Inorganic particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/101 : Glass
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/102 : Oxide or hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/104 : Oxysalt, e.g. carbonate, sulfate, phosphate or nitrate particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/107 : Ceramic
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 2264/108 : Carbon, e.g. graphite particles
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 37/153 : at least one layer is extruded and immediately laminated while in semi-molten state
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/0004 : Cutting, tearing or severing, e.g. bursting; Cutter details cutting in general B26D; laminating combined with punching or perforating B32B38/04; removing all or part of the layers B32B38/10; cutting in combination with laying up and registration B32B38/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 38/185 : combined with the cutting of one or more layers
• 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 50/02 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 : Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/423 : by fibrillation of films or filaments
• CPC Class Codes: D01D 5/426 : by cutting films
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2913 : Rod, strand, filament or fiber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 : Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2973 : Particular cross section

Abstract

A consumable material for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising a length and a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length that is axially asymmetric. The cross-sectional profile is configured to provide a response time with a non-cylindrical liquefier of the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system that is faster than a response time achievable with a cylindrical filament in a cylindrical liquefier for a same thermally limited, maximum volumetric flow rate.

Claims

1. A method for building a three-dimensional model in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:

feeding a ribbon filament of a consumable material to a ribbon liquefier retained by the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the ribbon filament having a length and a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length that is axially asymmetric;

melting the ribbon filament in the ribbon liquefier to provide a melted consumable material;

extruding the melted consumable material from the ribbon liquefier;

depositing the extruded consumable material in a layer-by-layer manner to form at least a portion of the three-dimensional model;

changing a drive pressure for feeding of the ribbon filament to the ribbon liquefier, which exhibits a response time for extruding the melted consumable material that is at least 50% faster than a response time achievable with a cylindrical filament in a cylindrical liquefier for a same thermally limited, maximum volumetric flow rate;

while extruding the melted consumable material, moving the ribbon liquefier at a rate that is based in part on the exhibited response time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the response time for extruding the melted consumable material from the ribbon liquefier is at least about two times faster than the response time of the cylindrical filament in the cylindrical liquefier.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the response time for extruding the melted consumable material from the ribbon liquefier is at least about three times faster than the response time of the cylindrical filament in the cylindrical liquefier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional profiles of the ribbon filament and the ribbon liquefier each comprise a rectangular geometry.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the cross-sectional profile of the ribbon filament has a cross-sectional aspect ratio of width to thickness ranging from about 2.5:

1 to about 20;

1.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the width of the cross-sectional profile of the ribbon filament ranges from about 1.0 millimeter to about 10.2 millimeters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ribbon liquefier comprises a channel with an arcuate cross-sectional profile.

8. A method for building a three-dimensional model in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system retaining an extrusion head, the method comprising:

feeding a ribbon filament of a consumable material to a ribbon liquefier of the extrusion head, the ribbon filament having a length and a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length, wherein the ribbon liquefier has an entrance cross-sectional area A_e and a hydraulic diameter D_h with the ribbon filament, and wherein D_h<

0.95√

{square root over (A_e)};

melting the ribbon filament in the ribbon liquefier to provide a melted consumable material;

extruding the melted consumable material from the ribbon liquefier;

depositing the extruded consumable material in a layer-by-layer manner to form at least a portion of the three-dimensional model;

changing a drive pressure for feeding of the ribbon filament to the ribbon liquefier, which exhibits a response time for extruding the melted consumable material that is at least 50% faster than a response time achievable with a cylindrical filament in a cylindrical liquefier for a same thermally limited, maximum volumetric flow rate; and

while extruding the melted consumable material, moving the extrusion head at a rate that is based in part on the exhibited response time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein D_h<

0.90√

{square root over (A_e)}.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein D_h>

0.40√

{square root over (A_e)}.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the ribbon filament comprises a base portion having a first surface and a second surface, and a layer disposed on the first surface of the base portion, and wherein the base portion and the first surface are derived from different materials.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the width of the cross-sectional profile ranges from about 1.0 millimeter to about 10.2 millimeters.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the response time for extruding the melted consumable material from the ribbon liquefier is at least about two times faster than the response time of the cylindrical filament in the cylindrical liquefier.

14. A method for building a three-dimensional model in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the method comprising:

providing a ribbon filament to the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the ribbon filament having a rectangular cross-sectional profile with a cross-sectional aspect ratio of width to thickness ranging from about 2.5;

1 to about 20;

1, wherein the ribbon filament comprises a thermoplastic material;

feeding the ribbon filament to a ribbon liquefier retained by the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the ribbon liquefier having an entrance cross-sectional area A_e and a hydraulic diameter D_k with the ribbon filament, and wherein D_h<

0.95√

{square root over (A_e)};

melting the ribbon filament in the ribbon liquefier to provide a melted consumable material that includes the thermoplastic material;

extruding the melted consumable material from the ribbon liquefier;

depositing the extruded consumable material in a layer-by-layer manner to form at least a portion of the three-dimensional model;

changing a drive pressure for feeding of the ribbon filament to the ribbon liquefier, which exhibits a response time for extruding the melted consumable material that is at least 50% fast than a response time achievable with a cylindrical filament in a cylindrical liquefier for a same thermally limited, maximum volumetric flow rate; and

while extruding the melted consumable material, moving the ribbon liquefier at a rate that is based in part on the exhibited response time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein D_h<

0.90√

{square root over (A_e)}.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein D_h>

0.40√

{square root over (A_e)}.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the width of the rectangular cross-sectional profile ranges from about 1.0 millimeter to about 10.2 millimeters.

18. Them method of claim 14, wherein the thickness of the rectangular cross-sectional profile ranges from about 0.08 millimeters to about 1.5 millimeters.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the response time for extruding the melted consumable material from the ribbon liquefier is at least about two times faster than the response time of the cylindrical filament in the cylindrical liquefier.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the response time for extruding the melted consumable material from the ribbon liquefier is at least about three times faster than the response time of the cylindrical filament in the cylindrical liquefier.