Print assembly for additive manufacturing system, and methods of use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10744753-B2
Application number	US-201515514740-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 28, 2015
Priority date	Sep 26, 2014
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

A print assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system to print three-dimensional parts, which includes a coarse positioner, a fine positioner, and a liquefier assembly, where a portion of the liquefier assembly is operably mounted to the fine positioner such that the fine positioner is configured to move the portion of the liquefier assembly relative to the coarse positioner.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A print assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system to print three-dimensional parts, the print assembly comprising:
a first robotic positioner configured to move in a x-y plane;
a second robotic positioner operably mounted to the first robotic positioner such that the first robotic positioner is configured to move the second robotic positioner, and wherein the second robotic positioner is configured to move in the x-y plane relative to the first robotic positioner but with a smaller range of motion, and wherein the second robotic positioner is smaller than and has a higher fundamental resonance frequency than the first robotic positioner; and
a liquefier assembly configured to melt and extrude a consumable material that is deposited to form printed three-dimensional parts, wherein a portion of the liquefier assembly is operably mounted to the second robotic positioner, wherein the consumable material is extruded from the portion mounted to the second robotic positioner, and wherein a location of deposited consumable material is controlled by the second robotic positioner;
wherein the second robotic positioner can accelerate and decelerate with rates of 30 gees or greater without inducing position errors in the location of deposited consumable material.

2. The print assembly of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the liquefier assembly that is operably mounted to the second robotic positioner has a mass of less than 50 grams, and wherein the first positioner is limited to a one square inch range of motion in the x-y plane.

3. The print assembly of claim 2 , wherein the mass of the portion of the liquefier assembly that is operably mounted to the second robotic positioner is less than 20 grams.

4. The print assembly of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the liquefier assembly that is operably mounted to the second robotic positioner comprises:
an accumulator;
a nozzle at an outlet end of the accumulator; and
an actuator mechanism configured to controllably apply pressure to transversely compress the accumulator.

5. The print assembly of claim 4 , wherein the liquefier assembly further comprises:
a drive mechanism;
a liquefier configured to receive a consumable material from the drive mechanism; and
one or more first heater assemblies configured to heat the liquefier for melting the received consumable material.

6. The print assembly of claim 5 , wherein the liquefier assembly further comprises a conduit configured to receive the molten consumable material from the liquefier.

7. The print assembly of claim 6 , wherein the conduit comprises a thermally and electrically conductive material.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second robotic positioner comprises one or more voice coil actuators configured to move the second robotic positioner within the x-y plane, and optionally out of plane along a z axis.

9. The print assembly of claim 4 , wherein the accumulator has a hollow cross section selected from the group consisting of a rectangular geometry, an elliptical geometry, and an arcuate geometry.

10. The print assembly of claim 4 , wherein the actuator mechanism comprises one or more piezoelectric actuators.

11. A print assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system to print three-dimensional parts, the print assembly comprising:
a coarse positioner configured to move in a plane;
a fine positioner operably mounted to the coarse positioner such that the coarse positioner is configured to move the fine positioner in the plane relative to the course positioner; and
a liquefier assembly comprising a first stage and a second stage connected to the first stage, wherein the second stage is mounted to the fine positioner, and wherein the fine positioner is configured to move the second stage of the liquefier assembly relative to the coarse positioner, wherein consumable material is extruded from the second stage and a location of extended material is controlled by a location of the fine positioner.

12. The print assembly of claim 11 , wherein the plane is the x-y plane.

13. The print assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first stage of the liquefier assembly further comprises:
a drive mechanism;
a liquefier configured to receive a consumable material from the drive mechanism; and
one or more first heater assemblies configured to heat the liquefier for melting the received consumable material.

14. The print assembly of claim 13 , wherein the second stage of the liquefier assembly comprises:
an accumulator;
a nozzle at an outlet end of the accumulator; and
an actuator mechanism configured to controllably apply pressure to transversely compress the accumulator.

15. The print assembly of claim 14 , wherein the actuator mechanism comprises one or more piezoelectric actuators.

16. The print assembly of claim 11 , wherein the liquefier assembly comprises a conduit connecting the first stage and the second stage.

17. The print assembly of claim 16 , wherein the conduit comprises a thermally and electrically conductive material.

18. A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:
moving a fine positioner in an x-y plane with a coarse positioner;
moving, with the fine positioner, a portion of a liquefier assembly in the x-y plane relative to the coarse positioner wherein the fine positioner can accelerate and decelerate with rates of 30 gees or greater without inducing position errors in the location of deposited consumable material; and
melting and extruding a consumable material in the liquefier assembly to print the three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the portion of the liquefier assembly moved with the fine positioner comprises:
an accumulator;
a nozzle at an outlet end of the accumulator; and
an actuator mechanism; and
wherein the method further comprises controllably apply pressure on the accumulator with the actuator mechanism to transversely compress the accumulator.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the fine positioner has a higher fundamental resonance frequency than the coarse positioner.

Assignees

• Stratasys Inc

Inventors

• Batchelder J Samuel
• Swanson William J

Classifications

• B33Y40/00

  Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling · CPC title

• B29C64/106

  using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material · CPC title

• B29C64/20

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B29C64/118 Primary

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B29C64/386

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title