# US 12,179,417 B2 · Manufacturing systems and methods for three-dimensional printing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,179,417 B2 - Document ID: US12179417B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/602,915 - Filed: 2024-03-12 - Published: 2024-08-01 - Granted: 2024-12-31 - Earliest claimed: 2020-06-05 - Assignees: DC Precision Ceramics, LLC - Applicants: DC Precision Ceramics, LLC - Inventors: David Crenshaw - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179417B2 ## CPC - B29C 48/02: Small extruding apparatus, e.g. handheld, toy or laboratory extruders - B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] - B22F 10/18: by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF] - B22F 10/25: Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] - B22F 10/40: Structures for supporting workpieces or articles during manufacture and removed afterwards - B22F 10/50: Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up - B22F 12/10: Auxiliary heating means - B22F 12/226: {for rotary motion} - B22F 12/53: Nozzles - B22F 12/55: Two or more means for feeding material - B22F 12/86: Serial processing with multiple devices grouped - B29C 48/05: Filamentary, e.g. strands - B29C 48/07: Flat, e.g. panels - B29C 48/2566: {Die parts} - B29C 48/91: Heating, e.g. for cross linking - B29C 48/92: Measuring, controlling or regulating - 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) - B29C 64/194: during lay-up - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B29C 64/227: Driving means - B29C 64/295: Heating elements - B29C 64/336: of two or more materials - B29C 64/40: Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 70/10: Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials - C04B 35/00: Shaped ceramic products characterised by their composition {(porous ceramic products C04B38/00; ceramic articles characterised by particular shape, see the relevant classes, e.g. linings for casting ladles, tundishes, cups or the like B22D41/02; ceramic substrates for microelectronic semi-conductors H10W70/692)}; Ceramics compositions ({shaping of ceramics B28B;} containing free metal bonded to carbides, diamond, oxides, borides, nitrides, silicides, e.g. cermets, or other metal compounds, e.g. oxynitrides or sulfides other than as macroscopic reinforcing agents C22C); Processing powders of inorganic compounds preparatory to the manufacturing of ceramic products {(infiltration of sintered ceramic preforms with molten metal C04B41/51; chemical preparation of powders of inorganic compounds C01)} - B29C 48/30: Extrusion nozzles or dies (extrusion characterised by the shape or cross-section of the extruded article B29C48/03) - B29C 2948/92209: Temperature - B29C 2948/926: Flow or feed rate - B29C 2948/92704: Temperature - C04B 2235/6022: Injection moulding - C04B 2235/6026: Computer aided shaping, e.g. rapid prototyping - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - C04B: LIME, MAGNESIA; SLAG; CEMENTS; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDING MATERIALS; ARTIFICIAL STONE {(roofing granules E04D7/005)}; CERAMICS (devitrified glass-ceramics C03C10/00); REFRACTORIES; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising performing a layering cycle at least two times, wherein the layering cycle comprises: one of the first layering step or the fiber layering step, and the condensing step. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first printing step further comprises layering, via a second layering step and through a secondary extrusion unit of the manufacturing system, a second material on the fiber embedded layer, the secondary extrusion unit including a second nozzle, the first nozzle having a first diameter that is a different size relative to a second diameter of the second nozzle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising depositing, through a tertiary extrusion unit of the manufacturing system, a support material to add support to the predetermined shape of the printed component. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber layering step further comprises feeding the fiber through a spool feeder system toward a nozzle of the fiber embedding extrusion unit, downstream from an auger of the fiber embedding extrusion unit, and simultaneously with depositing the parent material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: 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. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first printing step and the machining step are performed via a hybrid computer numerical control (CNC)/three-dimensional (3D) printing system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising printing, via a second printing step and after the machining step, a supplemental material through a secondary extrusion unit, the secondary extrusion unit including a second nozzle, the first nozzle having a first diameter that is greater than a second diameter of the second nozzle. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the second printing step further comprises filling voids in the parent material with the supplemental material. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first layering step further comprises heating, by the primary extrusion unit, the parent material simultaneously with depositing of the parent material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the heating the parent material including blowing, by the hot air blower of the primary extrusion unit, hot air simultaneously with the depositing of the parent material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the first layering step and the fiber layering step a plurality of times prior to the machining step. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the condensing step further comprises damping the condensing device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the fiber layering step further comprises feeding the fiber into a housing of the primary extrusion unit to intersect with the parent material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising unwinding a spool of a spool feeder system to feed the fiber into the housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the parent material comprises one of a ceramic injection molding (CIM) powder, a metal injection molding (MIM) feedstock, or a polymer based material. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the condensing device comprises a material forming apparatus disposed at least partially within the tip of the condensing device and protruding at least partially outward through an aperture of the tip. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the condensing step is independently relative to the first printing step. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the condensing step is performed subsequently relative to the first printing step. ### Claim 20 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.