Compact rotary platen 3D printer

• US 8,905,742 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synerdyne Corporation
• Original Assignee: Synerdyne Corporation
• Inventors: Knighton, Mark S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole, Joseph S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sultana, Nahida
• Application Number:
  US12/884,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20120072001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 264/308, 264/401, 264/40.7, 264/317, 264/310, 425/375, 425/140, 425/150, 425/173, 425/470, 700/98, 700/118, 700/204
• US Class Current: 425/162
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/03 characterised by the shape of the extruded material at extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/266 Means for allowing relative movements between the apparatus parts, e.g. for twisting the extruded article or for moving the die along a surface to be coated
• 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 64/188 involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing

Abstract

A three-dimensional printer to fabricate three dimensional objects using a rotary build surface platen. This architecture achieves high space efficiency, and rigidity for precision. The apparatus size can be very small relative to the objects it can build. The 3D printer can also actively shape the side profile of a layer for greater fidelity with the ideal input geometry. The profile can be shaped through subtraction of material, or by constraining the material while it is deposited.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus comprising:

a structure defining a work area;

an interface in the structure to receive digital data defining a geometry for a three -dimensional object to be fabricated;

a fabrication mechanism to form a portion of the object by addition of material, substantially consistent with the digital data for a corresponding portion of the geometry;

a rotary table mounted within the work area such that the rotary table is substantially fixed in at least one of an X or a Y axis relative to the housing, the rotary table to hold the object during fabrication; and

an axis to traverse from a perimeter of a build area on the rotary table to at least a center of rotation to allow access to alter the shape of the object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one external cross dimension of the housing is no more than 1.5 times the diameter of the rotary table.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a subtractive head wherein the subtractive head includes a drive to position the head relative to the object with at least one of a rotary platen axis, a head swing arm axis, and a head incidence angle axis.

2. A three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus comprising:

a housing enclosing a work area;

an interface in the housing to receive digital data defining a geometry for a three -dimensional object to be fabricated;

a fabrication mechanism to form a portion of the object by addition of material in layers, substantially consistent with the digital data for a corresponding portion of the geometry;

wherein the side surface of a single layer is actively shaped substantially following the corresponding portion of the geometry.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

an extrusion nozzle as part of the fabrication apparatus; and

one of air jets or water jets adjacent to the extrusion nozzle to shape the side walls of a layer extruded by the nozzle.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

a subtractive head to remove material from the side walls of a layer formed to change the side profile of the layer.

5. The apparatus of claim 2 further comprising:

one of a wiper or a roller to change the profile of a layer while the layer remains in a semi solid state.