Manufacturing systems and methods for three-dimensional printing
AssigneeDC Precision Ceramics, LLC
InventorDavid Crenshaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three-dimensional (3D) printing system may comprise a frame; and an additive component(s) configured to couple to the frame. The additive component(s) may comprise a first extrusion unit, a second extrusion unit, and/or a third extrusion unit. The 3D printing system may be a portion of a hybrid computer numerical control (CNC) machining/3D printing system and configured to manufacture a 3D component autonomously from start to finish. The additive component(s) may comprise a heating system including a hot-air blower.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional (3D) component, the method comprising:
- printing, via a first printing step, a printed component, the first printing step comprising:
- layering, via a first layering step and through a primary extrusion unit of a manufacturing system, a first layer of a parent material in a predetermined shape, the primary extrusion unit including a first nozzle, wherein the first layering step further comprises heating, by a hot air blower disposed radially outward from a nozzle of the primary extrusion unit, the parent material simultaneously with depositing of the parent material, and
- depositing, via a fiber layering step and through a fiber embedding extrusion unit, a fiber embedded layer by depositing a second layer of the parent material simultaneously with a fiber;
- condensing, via a condensing step and through a condensing device of the manufacturing system, the parent material, the condensing step being performed at least once and either between the first layering step and the fiber layering step or after the fiber layering step, wherein the condensing step further comprises heating, by routing heated air through a tip of the condensing device, the parent material, and wherein the condensing step is performed between the first layering step and the fiber layering step, and the condensing step is performed after the fiber layering step, and
- machining, via a machining step and through a subtractive device, the printed component to form the three-dimensional (3D) component, wherein the primary extrusion unit, the fiber embedding extrusion unit, and the condensing device are each separate and distinct devices.
A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional (3D) component, the method comprising:
- printing, via a first printing step, a printed component, the first printing step comprising:
- layering, via a first layering step and through a primary extrusion unit of a manufacturing system, a first layer of a parent material in a predetermined shape, the primary extrusion unit including a first nozzle, wherein the first layering step further comprises heating, by a hot air blower disposed radially outward from a nozzle of the primary extrusion unit, the parent material simultaneously with depositing of the parent material, and
- depositing, via a fiber layering step and through a fiber embedding extrusion unit, a fiber embedded layer by depositing a second layer of the parent material simultaneously with a fiber;
- condensing, via a condensing step and through a condensing device of the manufacturing system, the parent material, the condensing step being performed at least once and either between the first layering step and the fiber layering step or after the fiber layering step, wherein the condensing step further comprises heating, by routing heated air through a tip of the condensing device, the parent material;
- machining, via a machining step and through a subtractive device, the printed component to form the three-dimensional (3D) component, wherein the primary extrusion unit, the fiber embedding extrusion unit, and the condensing device are each separate and distinct devices;
- swapping, via a first swapping step, the condensing device with the subtractive device prior to performing the machining step;
- swapping, via a second swapping step, the subtractive device with the condensing device after performing the machining step, wherein:
- the first swapping step further comprises:
- releasing the condensing device from a computer numerical control (CNC) machine and securing the subtractive device to the CNC machine while the primary extrusion unit and the fiber embedding extrusion unit each remain attached to the CNC machine, wherein the condensing device is released from a spindle taper, and the subtractive device is secured to the spindle taper, and
- the second swapping step further comprises:
- releasing the subtractive device from the CNC machine and securing the condensing device to the CNC machine while the primary extrusion unit and the fiber embedding extrusion unit each remain attached to the CNC machine, wherein the subtractive device is released from the spindle taper, and the condensing device is secured to the spindle taper.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.