Three dimensional printer for fiber reinforced composite filament fabrication
AssigneeMarkforged, Inc.
InventorsGregory Thomas Mark, Antoni S. Gozdz
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to applying the filament from the conduit nozzle.
Claims30
A three dimensional printer for additive manufacturing of a part comprising:
- a supply of reinforced composite filament including a plurality of axial fiber strands extending within a matrix material;
- a deposition head including a conduit therethrough, a chamfer smoothly and continuously transitioning the conduit to a substantially rounded outlet tipped with an ironing lip;
- a deposition head drive configured to drive the ironing lip to flatten the reinforced composite filament against previously deposited portions of the part;
- a nozzle tip arranged along a path of the reinforced composite filament and configured to separate the reinforced composite filament to form an unattached terminal end;
- a filament drive configured to drive the unattached terminal end of the reinforced composite filament through the conduit to exit the outlet at the ironing lip;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the filament drive and the deposition head drive.
A three-dimensional printer for additive manufacturing of a part, the three dimensional printer comprising:
- a supply of fiber reinforced filament including one or more axial fiber strands extending within a matrix material;
- a build platen supporting the part;
- a print head opposing the build platen and including a fiber reinforced filament ironing tip and a heater configured to heat the fiber reinforced filament ironing tip to a temperature at which the matrix material may flow;
- a plurality of actuators configured to move the print head and the build platen relative to one another in at least three degrees of freedom;
- a filament drive configured to drive the fiber reinforced filament, and the axial fiber strands embedded within, into the print head;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the heater, the filament drive and the plurality of actuators, wherein the controller is configured to control the filament drive to move an unattached terminal end of the fiber reinforced filament through the fiber reinforced filament ironing tip and to control the plurality of actuators to move the fiber reinforced filament ironing tip to flatten the fiber reinforced filament against previously deposited portions of the part.
A three dimensional printer for additive manufacturing of a part comprising:
- a supply of reinforced composite filament including a plurality of axial fiber strands extending within a matrix material;
- a deposition head including a conduit therethrough, a chamfer smoothly and continuously transitioning the conduit to a substantially rounded outlet tipped with an ironing lip;
- a deposition head drive configured to drive the ironing lip to flatten the reinforced composite filament against previously deposited portions of the part;
- a cutter arranged along a path of the reinforced composite filament and configured to separate the reinforced composite filament to form an unattached terminal end;
- a filament drive configured to drive the unattached terminal end of the reinforced composite filament through the conduit to exit the outlet at the ironing lip;
- and
- a controller operatively connected to the filament drive and the deposition head drive.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.