Contour Smoothing for Material Extrusion Three-Dimensionally Printed Parts
AssigneeEssentium Ipco, LLC
InventorCharles Brandon Sweeney
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system, method, and three-dimensional printer for contouring a three-dimensional printed part. The system including the three-dimensional printer and processor control system for performing a method of contouring the three-dimensional part. The method including printing a three-dimensionally printed part by depositing a filament in a primary print path with a three-dimensional print head, wherein the three-dimensionally printed part includes a surface oriented in a build direction; and smoothing the surface oriented in the build direction by moving a reflow tool along a smoothing path while printing the three-dimensionally printed part.
Claims20
A system for contouring a three-dimensional printed part, comprising:
- a three-dimensional printer including a three-dimensional print head carried by an x,y gantry in the three-dimensional printer, the three-dimensional print head including a heated extrusion nozzle;
- and
- a processor control system, wherein the processor control system includes executable code to:
- print a three-dimensionally printed part by depositing a filament trace in a printing path with the three-dimensional print head, wherein the three-dimensionally printed part includes a surface oriented in a build direction;
- and
- smooth the surface oriented in the build direction by moving a reflow tool along a smoothing path while printing the three-dimensionally printed part.
A method for contouring a three-dimensional printed part, comprising:
- printing a three-dimensionally printed part by depositing a filament in a primary print path with a three-dimensional print head, wherein the three-dimensionally printed part includes a surface oriented in a build direction;
- and
- smoothing the surface oriented in the build direction by moving a reflow tool along a smoothing path while printing the three-dimensionally printed part.
A three-dimensional printer, comprising:
- a processor control system, wherein the processor control system includes executable code to:
- print a three-dimensionally printed part by depositing a filament trace in a printing path with the three-dimensional print head, wherein the three-dimensionally printed part includes a surface oriented in a build direction;
- and
- smooth the surface oriented in the build direction by moving a reflow tool along a smoothing path while printing the three-dimensionally printed part.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.