Methods and apparatus for compensating for material distortion during additive manufacturing
AssigneeThermwood Corporation
InventorsKenneth J. Susnjara, Scott G. Vaal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present disclosure are drawn to additive manufacturing methods. An exemplary method may include generating a tool path for forming a component via additive manufacturing, and assessing the tool path to identify a change in direction. The method may also include determining if the change in direction exceeds a predetermined angle, and adding a tangent arc to the tool path before the change in direction if the change in direction exceeds the predetermined angle.
Claims20
An additive manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
- a roller;
- an opening for depositing material;
- and
- a controller operative to:
- identify a model representative of a component;
- determine, based at least in part on the model, a first tool path for forming a portion of the component, the first tool path including a change in direction;
- generate, based at least in part on the change in direction, a second tool path including a compensatory movement;
- and
- cause the additive manufacturing apparatus to form the component by depositing a thermoplastic material according to the second tool path including the compensatory movement, the compensatory movement of the second tool path being added to the first tool path, resulting in movement of the roller and of the opening.
A method for fabricating a component, comprising:
- identifying a model representative of a component;
- determining, based at least in part on the model, a first tool path for forming the component, the first tool path including a change in direction;
- generating, based at least in part on the change in direction, a second tool path including a compensatory movement;
- and
- causing an additive manufacturing apparatus to form the component by depositing a thermoplastic material via an opening according to the second tool path including the compensatory movement, wherein the excess material deposited during the compensatory movement is at least partially canceled out via a roller such that the thermoplastic material is restored to the first tool path.
An additive manufacturing apparatus, comprising:
- an opening operative to deposit a thermoplastic material;
- a roller operative to engage the thermoplastic material;
- and
- a controller operative to:
- identify a model representative of a part;
- determine, based at least in part on the model, a first tool path for forming the part, the first tool path including a first portion and a second portion extending from the first portion according to a change in direction;
- generate, based at least in part on the change in direction, a second tool path including a compensatory movement;
- and
- cause the additive manufacturing apparatus to form the part according to the second tool path,
- wherein the opening and the roller move according to the first portion of the tool path and the compensatory movement of the second tool path while the thermoplastic material is deposited from the opening, and
- wherein the roller moves at least a portion of the thermoplastic material toward the second portion of the tool path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.