Multiple extrusion in three-dimensional printing

Abstract

An extrusion assembly for a three-dimensional printer includes a plurality of extruders that can move independently relative to one another during a fabrication process. This permits concurrent extrusion over a variety of different tool paths, advantageously increasing the overall speed of fabrication. In general, the extrusion assembly as a whole may move within the x-y-z space of a build volume using conventional techniques, while one extruder is movable relative to the other, e.g., by moving radially about the other extruder in an x-y plane of the fabrication process or by moving in the z-axis of the fabrication process relative to the other extruder. Additional extruders may be usefully added to further increase the aggregate volume deposition rate in a three-dimensional fabrication process.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.