Additive manufacturing system with rotatable deposition head and integrated material feed

a deposition head configured to receive the additive manufacturing material from the material holder and deposit the additive manufacturing material on a substrate or workpiece, and further configured to extrude the additive manufacturing material, mix and extrude the additive manufacturing material, jet the additive manufacturing material, direct energy to consolidate the additive manufacturing material, deposit the additive manufacturing material, and/or shape the additive manufacturing material during or after deposition;

• a motion system configured to move the deposition head and position the deposition head in at least two-dimensional space;
• a flexible material pathway extending between the material holder and the deposition head;
• the flexible material pathway has a length greater than a linear distance between the material holder and the deposition head to define a service loop;
• a support system configured to maintain the service loop in a non-linear configuration;
• and
• a control system configured to rotate the deposition head about a rotation axis within a rotation range of at least 360 degrees, wherein the support system accommodates a changing arrangement of the service loop to supply the additive manufacturing material to the deposition head while the deposition head rotates and maintains a continuous material pathway.

An additive manufacturing machine (AMM) comprising:

• a primary material holder configured to supply an additive manufacturing material;
• an end-effector material holder mounted on an end-effector of the AMM, and configured to receive the additive manufacturing material from the primary material holder;
• a deposition head operably connected to the end-effector and configured to receive the additive manufacturing material from the end-effector material holder and to deposit the additive manufacturing material on a substrate or workpiece;
• a motion system configured to move the deposition head and position the deposition head in at least two-dimensional space;
• a rotary union operatively coupled to the deposition head;
• a control system configured to control rotation of the deposition head about a rotational axis in a range of 360 degrees or more;
• and
• a transfer mechanism configured to at least intermittently replenish or replace the end-effector material holder with additive manufacturing material from the primary material holder.

A method of additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

• operatively coupling a deposition head to an automated manufacturing machine (AMM) using a rotary union that facilitates rotation of the deposition head about a rotational axis;
• supplying an additive manufacturing material from a material holder to the deposition head;
• moving the deposition head in at least two-dimensional space using a motion system;
• and
• depositing, with the deposition head, the additive manufacturing material on a substrate or workpiece;
• wherein the rotary union facilitates rotation of the deposition head about a rotational axis in a range of 360 degrees or more, and wherein said supplying an additive manufacturing material from a material holder to the deposition head includes delivering the additive manufacturing material via a material pathway, the material pathway disposed and configured to convey the additive manufacturing material from a first, supply-side portion of the material pathway across the rotary union to a second, delivery-side portion of the material pathway proximate the deposition head, the delivery-side portion of the material pathway being rotatable with the deposition head about the rotational axis, the supply-side portion of the material pathway being fixed relative to the motion system, wherein the material pathway includes:
• a pathway disposed externally around the rotary union and/or at least one internal passage within the rotary union.

A method of additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

• supplying an additive manufacturing material from a main material holder;
• depositing the additive manufacturing material from a deposition head;
• moving the deposition head in at least two-dimensional space using a motion system;
• operatively coupling a rotary union between the motion system and the deposition head;
• rotating the deposition head within a range of at least 360 degrees about a rotational axis;
• supplying said additive manufacturing material directly to the deposition head from an end-effector material holder mounted on an end-effector of the additive manufacturing machine;
• and
• replenishing the end-effector material holder at least intermittently with additive manufacturing material from the main material holder via a transfer mechanism.

A method of additive manufacturing, comprising:

• supplying an additive manufacturing material from a material holder to a deposition head via a flexible material pathway having a length greater than a linear distance between the material holder and the deposition head to define a service loop;
• moving the deposition head in at least two-dimensional space using a motion system;
• rotating the deposition head about a rotation axis within a rotation range of at least 360 degrees;
• depositing the additive manufacturing material from the deposition head onto a substrate or workpiece;
• and
• maintaining the service loop in a non-linear configuration and accommodating a changing geometry of the service loop to maintain a continuous material pathway during said movement and rotation.