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US 12,420,474 B2Granted
Additive manufacturing system with tunable material properties
AssigneeLehigh University
InventorJohn P. Coulter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein are additive manufacturing systems and methods for printing 3D objects.
Claims11
An additive manufacturing system for printing a 3D object, comprising:
- a feeder configured to accept and feed an object material through the additive manufacturing system, the object material being a material of the 3D object to be printed;
- a heater or heaters in communication with the feeder, the heaters being configured to receive the object material from the feeder for controlled heating of the object material as the object material passes through the additive manufacturing system;
- a nozzle configured to receive the object material from the heaters and through which the object material is extruded for depositing the object material onto a build stage;
- a shear rate tuning mechanism being configured for controlling a shear rate imposed on the object material in one or more direction as the object material passes through the additive manufacturing system;
- a control for operating the shear rate tuning mechanism configured to control the shear rate imposed on the object material in order to impact a localized evolution and final state of one or both of molecular orientation or crystallization throughout the printed 3D object,
- wherein the shear rate tuning mechanism includes a channel configured to be adjusted by movable segments, wherein the adjustable channel is in communication with the nozzle, the adjustable channel defines a gap through which the object material flows, and the control selects the size of the gap in order to tune the shear rate imposed on the object material as it passes through the channel.
3 more elements
An additive manufacturing system for printing a 3D object, comprising:
- a feeder configured to accept and feed an object material through the additive manufacturing system, the object material being a material of the 3D object to be printed and comprising fibers;
- a heater or heaters in communication with the feeder, the heaters being configured to receive the object material from the feeder for controlled heating of the object material as the object material passes through the additive manufacturing system;
- a nozzle configured to receive the object material from the heaters and through which the object material is extruded for depositing the object material onto a build stage;
- a means for imposing shear on the object material, the means being configured to tune a shear rate imposed on the object material in one or more directions as the object material passes through the additive manufacturing system;
- wherein the means for imposing shear on the object material includes a channel configured to be adjusted by movable segments, wherein the adjustable channel is in communication with the nozzle, the adjustable channel defines a gap through which the object material flows;
- a means for controlling a temperature of the object material for tuning a crystallinity of the object material, wherein the means for controlling the temperature of the object material for tuning a crystallinity of the object material comprises a temperature bed associated with the build stage and one or more blowers for heating or cooling the object material extruded from the nozzle on the build stage;
- and
- a control means for operating the means for imposing shear on the object material and the means for controlling a temperature of the system in order to align the fibers in the object material and to impact a localized evolution and final state of one or both of molecular orientation or crystallization throughout the printed 3D object.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.