US 10,406,750 B2 · Fiber-reinforced 3D printing

Abstract

A 3D printing system configured to embed and orient reinforcing fibers in a printable matrix material in at least three directions, wherein at least one of the directions is non-parallel with a plane defined by two other of the directions. The 3D printing system may be configured to deposit a layer of printable non-metallic material along a printing path on a contoured printing surface to form a 3D printed article. The system can carry out a method of 3D printing a fiber-reinforced article that includes the steps of: depositing a plurality of layers of printable matrix material one over another to define a three-dimensional shape of the article; and embedding a reinforcing fiber in the printable matrix material during the step of depositing, with the reinforcing fiber extending into more than one of the plurality of material layers.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A 3D printing system, comprising:

a print head comprising a nozzle from which a printable material comprising a polymer exits the print head for deposition on a printing surface;
and
a heating element configured to heat the printable material to a transition temperature of the polymer such that the printable material adheres to the printing surface,
wherein the heating element is separate from and located away from the nozzle so that the transition temperature is not reached until after the printable material has emerged from and moved away from the nozzle.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fiber-reinforced 3D printing

Life of this patent

Fiber-reinforced 3D printing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20