Methods for fiber reinforced additive manufacturing
AssigneeMarkforged, Inc.
InventorGregory Thomas Mark
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 extrusion 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 extruding the filament from the extrusion nozzle.
Claims20
A method for additive manufacturing of a part, the method comprising:
- supplying an unmelted fiber reinforced composite filament including at least one axial fiber strand extending within a matrix material of the filament;
- feeding the fiber reinforced composite filament at a feed rate;
- heating the fiber reinforced composite filament in a transverse pressure zone to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material to melt the matrix material interstitially within the filament;
- applying an ironing force to the melted matrix material and the at least one axial fiber strand of the fiber reinforced composite filament with an ironing lip as the fiber reinforced composite filament is deposited in bonded ranks to the part;
- and
- translating the ironing lip adjacent to the part at a printing rate that maintains a neutral to positive tension in the fiber reinforced composite filament between the ironing lip and the part, the neutral to positive tension being a tension less than that necessary to separate a bonded rank from the part.
A method for additive manufacturing of a part, the method comprising:
- supplying an unmelted void free fiber reinforced composite filament including at least one axial fiber strand extending within a matrix material of the filament, having no substantial air gaps within the matrix material;
- feeding the unmelted fiber reinforced composite at a feed rate, along a clearance fit zone that prevents buckling of the fiber reinforced composite filament,
- threading the fiber reinforced composite filament to contact the part in a transverse pressure zone;
- translating the transverse pressure zone relative to and adjacent to the part at a printing rate to bring an end of the fiber reinforced composite filament to a melting position;
- and
- melting the matrix material interstitially within the filament at the melting position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.