Automated additive manufacturing system for printing three-dimensional parts, printing farm thereof, and method of use thereof

• US 9,216,544 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Swanson, William J., Mannella, Dominic F., LaBossiere, Joseph E., Hansen, Michael W., Upadhyaya, Saurav, Schloesser, Ronald G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jiang, Lisha
• Application Number:
  US13/791,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20140178588A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,019 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/364 Conditioning of environment
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system comprising a platen assembly configured to restrain and release a film or substrate, a head gantry configured to retain a print head for printing a three-dimensional part on the restrained film or substrate. The additive manufacturing system may also include a removal assembly configured to draw the film having the printed three-dimensional part from the platen assembly and to cut the drawn film.

Claims

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

securing a segment of a film to a platen assembly of the additive manufacturing system;

printing an information-containing part on the secured segment of the film, wherein the information-containing part comprises encoded information relating to the three-dimensional part;

printing the three-dimensional part on the secured segment of the film;

releasing the secured segment of the film having the printed information-containing part and the printed three-dimensional part thereon from the platen assembly;

removing the released segment of the film having the printed information-containing part and the printed three-dimensional part from the additive manufacturing system, wherein said removing comprises;

drawing the released segment of the film having the printed information-containing part and the printed three-dimensional part thereon from the platen assembly to a removal assembly; and

separating the drawn segment of the film having the printed information-containing part and the printed three-dimensional part thereon from a subsequent segment of the film.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

optionally printing a support structure for the three-dimensional part on the secured segment of the film, wherein printing the information-containing part on the secured segment of the film comprises;

printing the information-containing part using the same printing technique and printing material as used for printing the three-dimensional part and/or the support structure for the three-dimensional part.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein printing the information-containing part on the secured segment of the film comprises printing the information-containing part by melt extrusion.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein printing the information-containing part on the secured segment of the film comprises printing the information-containing part as a single-layer road.

5. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

encoding information with a computer system using an encoding scheme;

generating, with the computer system, tool path data for the information-containing part based on the encoded information; and

transmitting, with the computer system, the generated tool path data for the information-containing part to the additive manufacturing system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein drawing the released segment of the film comprises:

engaging the film with a drive roller;

operating a first motor to generate rotational power; and

rotating the drive roller based on the generated rotational power from the first motor.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein separating the drawn segment of the film comprises:

operating a second motor to generate rotational power; and

moving a blade unit across the film based on the generated rotational power from the second motor.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein securing the segment of the film against the platen assembly comprises:

biasing a retention bracket of the platen assembly against a surface of the platen assembly, wherein the segment of the film is pressed between the retention bracket and a portion of the surface.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein securing the segment of the film against the platen assembly further comprises:

drawing a vacuum across the surface to restrain the segment of the film against said surface.

10. A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

securing a substrate to a platen assembly of the additive manufacturing system, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of holes;

printing one or more layers of a support structure on the secured substrate, wherein portions of the one or printed layers penetrate into at least a portion of the holes in a sprue-like manner to form mushroom heads that lock the support structure to the secured substrate;

printing the three-dimensional part on the one or more printed layers of the support structure;

releasing the substrate having the printed three-dimensional part thereon from the platen assembly; and

removing the printed three-dimensional part and at least a portion of the one or more printed layers of the support structure from the substrate.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate comprises a multi-layer substrate having interior porous regions, and wherein the mushroom heads are formed in the interior porous regions.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate has a first surface and a second opposing surface, and wherein the plurality of holes extend through the first surface and the second opposing surface.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein securing the substrate to the platen assembly comprises locking the substrate to the platen assembly with a plurality of hook features and hook slots.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the platen assembly comprises the hook slots, and the substrate comprises the hook features.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the substrate is derived from one or more polymeric materials, one or more paper-based materials, or combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein removing the printed three-dimensional part and at least the portion of the one or more printed layers of the support structure comprises cutting the formed mushroom heads.

17. The method of claim 10, the method further comprising:

printing an information-containing part on the secured substrate, wherein the information-containing part comprises encoded information relating to the three-dimensional part.

18. The method of claim 17, the method further comprising:

encoding information with a computer system using an encoding scheme;

generating, with the computer system, tool path data for the information-containing part based on the encoded information; and

transmitting, with the computer system, the generated tool path data for the information-containing part to the additive manufacturing system.