Additive manufacturing system with extended printing volume, and methods of use thereof

• US 9,168,697 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2012
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Crump, S. Scott, Mannella, Dominic F., Swanson, William J., Johnson, Kevin C., Schloesser, Ronald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): HAUTH, GALEN H
• Application Number:
  US13/587,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20140048980A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92076 Position, e.g. linear or angular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92409 Die; Nozzle zone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92571 Position, e.g. linear or angular
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92904 Die; Nozzle zone
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/03 characterised by the shape of the extruded material at extrusion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/15 incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. extrusion moulding around inserts
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/21 the layers being joined at their surfaces
• 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 64/176 Sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/25 Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/295 Heating elements
• 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

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system for printing three-dimensional parts, the system comprising a heatable chamber with a port, a print foundation, a print head configured to print a three-dimensional part onto the print foundation in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis, and a drive mechanism configured to index the print foundation along the printing axis such that, while the print head prints the three-dimensional part, the print foundation and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part pass through the port and out of the heated chamber.

Claims

1. A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

heating a chamber of the additive manufacturing system to one or more temperatures, wherein the chamber has a first length and a port providing an opening in the chamber;

printing a three-dimensional part onto a print foundation of the additive manufacturing system in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis, wherein the three-dimensional part has a second length; and

indexing the print foundation along the printing axis such that the print foundation and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part pass through the port and out of the heated chamber when the second length of the three-dimensional part is greater than the first length of the chamber.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing axis is a horizontal axis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the print foundation comprises a platen, and wherein indexing the print foundation comprises indexing the platen with a platen gantry that extends through the port.

4. The method of claim 1, and further comprising printing a support structure onto the print foundation in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis, wherein printing the three-dimensional part onto the print foundation comprises printing the three-dimensional part onto the support structure in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the print foundation comprises a starter piece engaged with a drive mechanism, and wherein the indexing the print foundation comprises indexing the starter piece with the engaged drive mechanism.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the printing axis is a vertical axis, and wherein the port extends through a bottom wall of the chamber.

7. A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

providing a chamber of the additive manufacturing system, wherein the chamber is open at a port;

printing a first three-dimensional part and a first scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis onto a print foundation of the additive manufacturing system;

indexing the print foundation along the printing axis towards the port while printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold;

after printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold, printing a receiving surface of the first scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis;

printing a second three-dimensional part and a second scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis onto the receiving surface of the first scaffold;

indexing the print foundation along the printing axis towards the port while printing the second three-dimensional part and the second scaffold.

8. The method of claim 7, and further comprising printing a support structure onto the print foundation in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis, wherein printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold onto the print foundation comprises printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold onto the support structure in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the print foundation comprises a platen, and wherein indexing the print foundation comprises indexing the platen with a platen gantry that extends through the port.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the print foundation comprises a starter piece engaged with a drive mechanism, and wherein the indexing the print foundation along the printing axis towards the port while printing the first three-dimensional part and the first scaffold comprises indexing the starter piece with the engaged drive mechanism.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the printing axis is a horizontal printing axis, wherein the port extends in a plane that is perpendicular to the horizontal printing axis, and wherein the print foundation comprises a receiving surface that is substantially parallel to the plane of the lateral port.

12. The method of claim 7, and further comprising printing a support structure onto the receiving surface of the first scaffold in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis, wherein printing the second three-dimensional part onto the receiving surface comprises printing the second three-dimensional part onto the support structure in a layer-by-layer manner along the printing axis.

13. A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

providing at least one chamber of the additive manufacturing system, wherein the at least one chamber has at least one opening in a chamber wall;

printing a three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis onto a print foundation of the additive manufacturing system; and

indexing the print foundation along the printing axis towards the at least one opening allowing each subsequent layer of the three dimensional part to be printed and wherein successive indexing and printing results in at least a portion of the three-dimensional part passing through the at least one opening and out of the at least one chamber.

14. The method of claim 13, and further comprising restricting air flow out of the at least one opening to maintain a first temperature within the at least one chamber while indexing the print foundation there through.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the at last one opening is in a bottom chamber wall and the printing axis is a vertical axis.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one opening is in a side chamber wall and the printing axis is a horizontal axis.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the at least one opening in the at least one chamber is a first opening in a first chamber and is configured to allow the print foundation to be indexed into a second chamber wherein the second chamber is adjacent to the first chamber and the second chamber has a second opening in a chamber wall to allow the print foundation to pass through the second opening and out of the second chamber.

18. The method of claim 17, and further comprising heating the first chamber to a first temperature and heating the second chamber to a second temperature different than the first temperature.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the print foundation comprises a starter piece engaged with a drive mechanism, and wherein the indexing the print foundation comprises indexing the starter piece with the engaged drive mechanism.