3D printing tool for machine tools

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440258-B2
Application number	US-201816647330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 22, 2018
Priority date	Sep 14, 2017
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A device for coupling to a spindle of a machine tool includes a holder for coupling to the spindle of the machine tool, a conveyor element configured to convey a filament and rotatable about an axis of rotation, and a material processing unit. The material processing unit includes a gear which includes a force-receiving element configured to receive a mechanical force from the spindle and rotatable about an axis of rotation which extends substantially orthogonal to the axis of rotation of the conveyor element, and a force-delivery element configured to deliver to the conveyor element the mechanical force transmitted purely mechanically from the force-receiving element, with the force-receiving element being configured separately from the force-delivery element.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for conveying a filament, said device comprising:
a holder for coupling the device to a spindle of a machine tool;
a conveyor element configured to convey the filament and rotatable about an axis of rotation; and
a material processing unit comprising a combination gear having a gear train including a first gear wheel rotatable about the axis of rotation as a force-receiving element configured to receive an externally applied mechanical rotational force from the spindle, and a second gear wheel and a third gear wheel meshing with the first gear wheel and configured as force-delivery elements separately from the force-receiving element, with each of the second gear wheel and the third gear wheel connected separately via a respective worm shaft of a respective worm gear to a respective worm wheel as the conveyor element to deliver to the conveyor element the mechanical force transmitted purely mechanically from the force-receiving element, wherein the worm wheels operate as actively-driven pressure rollers conveying the filament.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the force-receiving element is configured to receive a torque from the spindle.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the force-delivery element is configured to deliver the torque to the conveyor element.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a delivery element, said conveyor element conveying the filament in a direction of the delivery element.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the delivery element includes a nozzle, said conveyor element conveying the filament in a direction of the nozzle.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the holder includes a filament receptacle in prolongation of a filament-receiving means in the spindle for receiving the filament.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a heating element for heating the filament as it advances.

8. The device of claim 4 , further comprising a heating element for heating the filament as it advances, said heating element being arranged in the delivery element.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the material processing unit is configured to form a molded part based on the filament.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit and a communication interface communicating with the control unit for transmitting information to the control unit.

11. The device of claim 1 , constructed for additive manufacturing of a molded part.

12. The device of claim 1 , constructed for fused deposition modeling of a molded part.

13. A machine tool, comprising:
a spindle; and a device configured for coupling to the spindle of a machine tool, said device comprising a holder attachable to the spindle, a conveyor element configured to convey a filament and rotatable about an axis of rotation, and a material processing unit comprising a combination gear having a gear train including a first gear wheel rotatable about the axis of rotation as a force-receiving element configured to receive an externally applied mechanical rotational force from the spindle, and a second gear wheel and a third gear wheel meshing with the first gear wheel and configured as force-delivery elements separately from the force-receiving element, with each of the second gear wheel and the third gear wheel connected separately via a respective worm shaft of a respective worm gear to a respective worm wheel as the conveyor element to deliver to the conveyor element the mechanical farce transmitted purely mechanically from the force-receiving element,
wherein the worm wheels are arranged in opposing relationship and operate as actively-driven pressure rollers to convey the filament.

14. The machine tool of claim 13 , wherein the force-receiving element of the device is configured to receive a torque from the spindle.

15. The machine tool of claim 13 , wherein the spindle includes a channel for passage of the filament, said holder including a filament receptacle in prolongation of the channel.

16. A method for additive manufacturing for forming a molded part, comprising:
transmitting a force from a spindle of a machine tool via a gear to a conveyor element for advancing a filament and rotatable about an axis of rotation;
receiving the lament by a material processing unit;
conveying the filament in a direction of a delivery element with the material processing unit which comprises a combination gear having a gear train including a first gear wheel rotatable about the axis of rotation as a force-receiving element configured to receive an externally applied mechanical rotational force from the spindle, and a second gear wheel and a third gear wheel meshing with the first gear wheel and configured as force-delivery elements separately from the force-receiving element, with each of the second agar wheel and the third gear wheel connected separately via a respective worm shaft of a respective worm gear to a respective worm wheel as the conveyor element to deliver to the conveyor element the mechanical force transmitted purely mechanically from the force-receiving element, wherein the worm wheels are arranged in opposing relationship and operate as actively-driven pressure rollers to convey the filament;
heating the filament in the delivery element; and delivering the heated filament.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the filament is conveyed in a direction of a nozzle of the delivery element.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising communicating information about the spindle and/or filament to a control unit via a communication interface.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the additive manufacturing comprises fused deposition modeling.

Assignees

• Siemens Ag

Inventors

• Haase Andreas
• Smolka Karl-Heinz

Classifications

• B33Y40/00

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

• B29C64/118

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

• B29C64/321 Primary

  Feeding · CPC title

• B29C64/295

  Heating elements · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title