Automated additive manufacturing system for printing three-dimensional parts, printing farm thereof, and method of use thereof
AssigneeStratasys, Inc.
InventorsWilliam J. Swanson, Dominic F. Mannella, Joseph E. LaBossiere, Michael W. Hansen, Saurav Upadhyaya, Ronald G. Schloesser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An additive manufacturing system comprising a platen assembly configured to restrain and release a film or substrate, a head gantry configured to retain a print head for printing a three-dimensional part on the restrained film or substrate. The additive manufacturing system may also include a removal assembly configured to draw the film having the printed three-dimensional part from the platen assembly and to cut the drawn film.
Claims20
A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
- securing a film or substrate to a platen assembly of the additive manufacturing system;
- printing an information-containing part on the secured film or substrate, wherein the information-containing part comprises encoded information relating to the three-dimensional part;
- printing the three-dimensional part on the secured film or substrate;
- releasing the film or substrate having the printed information-containing part and the printed three-dimensional part from the platen assembly;
- and
- removing the released film or substrate having the printed information-containing part and the printed three-dimensional part from the additive manufacturing system.
A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
- securing a substrate to a platen assembly of the additive manufacturing system, wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of holes;
- printing one or more layers of a support structure on the secured substrate, wherein portions of the one or more printed layers penetrate into at least a portion of the holes in a sprue-like manner to form mushroom heads that lock the support structure to the secured substrate;
- printing the three-dimensional part on the one or more printed layers of the support structure;
- releasing the substrate having printed three-dimensional part from the platen assembly;
- and
- removing the three-dimensional part and at least a portion of the support structure from the substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.