Fast layered extrusion for additive manufacturing

A method of building a wall structure using a 3-D print head including an extrusion outlet with a width and a height, and a plurality of actuators of varied widths configurable to selectively open or block portions of the width of the extrusion outlet, the method comprising:

• configuring first and second actuators, positioned at respective first and second ends of the width of the extrusion outlet, to be in an open state so as to produce exterior wall sections of the wall structure when material is extruded through the outlet in a first extrusion pass;
• configuring a third actuator adjacent to the first actuator, and a fourth actuator adjacent to the second actuator, to block portions of the width of the extrusion outlet, so as to create hollow sections next to the exterior wall sections during the first extrusion pass;
• and
• configurating a fifth actuator adjacent to the third actuator and a sixth actuator adjacent to the fourth actuator to be in an open state so as to produce walls of a central conduit during the first extrusion pass.

A method of building a wall structure using a 3-D print head including an extrusion outlet with a width and a height, and a plurality of actuators of varied widths configurable to selectively open or block portions of the width of the extrusion outlet, the method comprising:

• configuring first and second actuators positioned at respective first and second ends of the width of the extrusion outlet to be in an open state so as to produce exterior wall sections of the wall structure when material is extruded through the outlet in a first extrusion pass;
• configuring a third actuator adjacent to the first actuator and a fourth actuator adjacent to block portions of the width of the extrusion outlet, so as to create hollow sections next to the exterior wall sections during the first extrusion pass;
• and
• providing a first opening positioned adjacent to the third actuator and a second opening positioned adjacent to the fourth actuator so as to allow material to pass through the extrusion let and produce walls of a central conduit during the first extrusion pass.

An apparatus for three-dimensional (3D) printing of a wall structure comprising:

• a print head having:
• at least one inlet for receiving material to be extruded;
• an extrusion outlet having a width and height, the print head being configured, when the outlet is completely unblocked, to extrude a sheet of material of the width and height of the outlet;
• and
• a plurality of actuators, including first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth actuators positioned at different points along the width of the print head and arranged to controllably block one or more sections along the width of the outlet in such a manner as to prevent material from being extruded through the blocked one or more sections, thus enabling selective extrusion of material through a remainder of sections of the outlet that are not blocked in order to selectively print a width of an entire layer of the object in a single pass;
• and
• wherein, to print the wall structure:
• the first and second actuators, positioned at respective first and second ends of the width of the extrusion outlet, are configured to be in an open state so as to produce exterior wall sections of the wall structure when material is extruded through the outlet in a first extrusion pass,
• the third actuator adjacent to the first actuator, and a fourth actuator adjacent to the second actuator, are configured to block portions of the width of the extrusion outlet, so as to create hollow sections next to the exterior wall sections during the first extrusion pass, and
• the fifth actuator, which is adjacent to the third actuator, and the sixth actuator which is adjacent to the fourth actuator, are configured to be in an open state so as to produce walls of a central conduit during the first extrusion pass.