# US 12,600,082 B2 · Dispensing head for continuous fiber reinforced fused filament type additive manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,600,082 B2 - Document ID: US12600082B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/640,482 - Filed: 2020-09-10 - Published: 2022-12-29 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-10 - Assignees: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO; Chemelot Scientific Participations B.V. - Applicants: Nederlandse Organisatie voor toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk onderzoek TNO; Chemelot Scientific Participations B.V. - Inventors: Andrea Gasperini; Cesar Augusto Stupp - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12600082B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/118: using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B29C 64/232: for motion along the axis orthogonal to the plane of a layer - B29C 64/241: for rotary motion - B29C 64/295: Heating elements - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - 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) - 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 ## Abstract The present document relates to a dispensing head for continuous fiber reinforced fused filament type additive manufacturing. The dispensing head is configured for dispensing a material onto a substrate carrier platform, and comprises one or more inlets for receiving a strand of meltable solid material and a reinforcement fiber and a material passage extending from the receiving inlets to a dispensing outlet. The dispensing head further comprises a material heating unit for liquefying the material and drive means for driving the material through the material passage. The material heating unit comprises a solid radiation body extending from the dispensing outlet at least in a direction parallel to the substrate carrier platform, defining a radiation face toward the substrate carrier platform, wherein the radiation body is thermally separated from the dispensing outlet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dispensing head for continuous fiber reinforced fused filament type additive manufacturing, the dispensing head being configured for dispensing a material onto a substrate carrier platform of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the dispensing head comprising: one or more inlets for receiving at least a strand of meltable solid material and a reinforcement fiber; a dispensing outlet for dispensing the meltable solid material with the reinforcement fiber to serve as build material; at least one passage extending from the one or more receiving inlets to the dispensing outlet, wherein the at least one passage includes a material passage; a material heating unit for liquefying the meltable solid material, and a drive configured to drive the meltable solid material through the material passage by engagement of the strand of meltable solid material, wherein the material heating unit comprises a solid radiation body: mounted to the dispensing outlet so as to extend therefrom at least in a direction parallel to the substrate carrier platform in use, and defining a radiation face toward the substrate carrier platform, wherein the dispensing head further comprises a thermally isolating element mounted to the dispensing outlet, such that the solid radiation body is thermally separated from the dispensing outlet. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dispensing head according to claim 1, wherein the reinforcement fiber is embedded in the strand of meltable solid material, and wherein at least one receiving inlet, of the one or more inlets, is configured for receiving the strand of meltable solid material including the reinforcement fiber embedded therein. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The dispensing head according to claim 1, wherein the solid radiation body is shaped so as to, from the dispensing outlet in a radial direction, gradually decrease height of the radiation face above the substrate carrier platform or a substrate surface located thereon, so as to provide a compacting area for exerting pressure on build material deposited thereon. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The dispensing head according to claim 1, further comprising a compacting element, wherein the compacting element is thermally isolated from the solid radiation body so as to maintain the compacting element at a lower temperature than the temperature of the solid radiation body in use, wherein the compacting element comprises a compacting surface facing the substrate carrier platform, and wherein the compacting element is shaped so as to, from the dispensing outlet in a radial direction, gradually decrease the height of the compacting surface above the substrate carrier platform or a substrate surface located thereon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The dispensing head according to claim 4, wherein the compacting element is located adjacent the dispensing outlet so as to exert a compacting pressure on the material deposited. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dispensing head according to claim 1, wherein the solid radiation body extends from the dispensing outlet in at least one direction defining a relative travel direction of the dispensing head relative to the substrate carrier platform in use, such that the radiation body extends in at least one of a forward or backward direction with respect to the relative travel direction in use. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dispensing head according to claim 1, wherein the solid radiation body is made of a material taken from the group consisting of: a metal, a ceramic, and a thermosetting polymer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The dispensing head according to claim 1, further comprising a height adjustment actuator, wherein the height adjustment actuator cooperatively operates with the solid radiation body to adjust height of the radiation face above the substrate carrier platform or a substrate surface located thereon, wherein the height adjustment actuator is configured to be controlled by a controller for adjusting said height dependent on an areal density of printed material in an area surrounding a deposition location on the substrate surface in use. ### Claim 9 (depends on 5) The dispensing head of claim 5, wherein the compacting element is circumferentially arranged around the dispensing outlet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The dispensing head according to claim 1, wherein the solid radiation body is made of a metal, and wherein the radiation face of the radiation body comprises a metal oxide surface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The dispensing head according to claim 1, wherein the solid radiation body is made of a metal, and wherein the radiation face comprises a coating layer of a material providing the radiation body with an emissivity in excess of an emissivity of the metal.