Additive manufacturing method for building three-dimensional objects with core-shell arrangements

• US 9,738,031 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Mikulak, James K., Deckard, Carl R., Zinniel, Robert L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B
• Application Number:
  US13/855,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20130224423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,602 Days
• Field of Search: 26417215, 264255, 264308
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/0021 combined with joining, lining or laminating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/07 Flat, e.g. panels
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/154 Coating solid articles, i.e. non-hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/16 Articles comprising two or more components, e.g. co-extruded layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/21 the layers being joined at their surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• 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 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 3/26 characterised by a particular shape of the outline of the cross-section of a continuous layer; characterised by a layer with cavities or internal voids foam layer B32B5/18; layer of synthetic resin characterised by fillers that create voids or cavities B32B27/205; characterised by an apertured layer
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 8/04 from synthetic polymers
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 8/12 with at least one polyamide as constituent
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/23 Sheet including cover or casing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24612 Composite web or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2929 Bicomponent, conjugate, composite or collateral fibers or filaments [i.e., coextruded sheath-core or side-by-side type]

Abstract

A consumable filament for use in an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system, where the consumable filament comprises a core portion of a first thermoplastic material, and a shell portion of a second thermoplastic material that is compositionally different from the first thermoplastic material, where the consumable filament is configured to be melted and extruded to form roads of a plurality of solidified layers of a three-dimensional object, and where the roads at least partially retain cross-sectional profiles corresponding to the core portion and the shell portion of the consumable filament.

Claims

1. A method for building a three-dimensional object with an additive manufacturing system having an extrusion head, the method comprising:

extruding a flowable consumable material from an extrusion tip of the extrusion head, wherein the flowable consumable material comprises a core material and a shell material that is compositionally different from the core material, and wherein the shell material at least partially encases the core material to provide an interface between the core material and the shell material;

depositing the flowable consumable material as extruded roads that define a layer of the three-dimensional object; and

solidifying the extruded roads, wherein the solidified roads have core regions of the core material and shell regions of the shell material, wherein the core regions and the shell regions substantially retain cross-sectional profiles corresponding to the interface between the core material and the shell material of the flowable consumable material and wherein the core material and the shell material at least partially interdiffuse at the interface between the core material and the shell material.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the core material comprises a thermoplastic polymer, and wherein the method further comprises melting the thermoplastic polymer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the shell material comprises a colorant.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the shell material further comprises a second thermoplastic polymer.

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

feeding a filament of the consumable material to the extrusion head; and

melting the filament to provide the flowable consumable material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the core material comprises a first semi-crystalline polymeric material having a first peak crystallization temperature, and wherein the shell material comprises a second semi-crystalline polymeric material having a second peak crystallization temperature that is different than the first peak crystallization temperature.

7. A method for building a three-dimensional object with an additive manufacturing system having an extrusion head, the method comprising:

extruding a flowable consumable material from an extrusion tip of the extrusion head, wherein the flowable consumable material comprises a thermoplastic core material and a shell material that is a different color from that of the thermoplastic core material, and wherein the shell material at least partially encases the thermoplastic core material to provide an interface between the thermoplastic core material and the shell material;

depositing the flowable consumable material as extruded roads that define layers of the three-dimensional object; and

solidifying the extruded roads, wherein the solidified roads have core regions of the thermoplastic core material and shell regions of the shell material such that exterior surfaces of the solidified roads have the color of the shell material and wherein the thermoplastic core material and the shell material at least partially interdiffuse at the interface between the thermoplastic core material and the shell material.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the shell material comprises a colorant.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the shell material further comprises a thermoplastic polymer.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the thermoplastic core material comprises an amorphous thermoplastic polymer.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the thermoplastic core material comprises a semi-crystalline polymer.