Apparatus and methods for additive manufacturing with variable extruder profiles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11673316-B2
Application number	US-202016840129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2020
Priority date	Feb 1, 2018
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for additive manufacturing with variable extruder profiles are described herein. An extruder print head with multiple nozzles placed at different angles allows for additional degrees of freedom to additively manufacture parts with complex shapes. In addition with the use of shape memory alloy materials, the diameter of one or more nozzles can be adjusted during the additive manufacturing process. This allows for independent control of the build resolution and of the build rate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An additive manufacturing (AM) apparatus, comprising:
a print material source; and
a three-dimensional (3-D) print applicator comprising an actuator system, the actuator system comprising:
an extruder including at least one print member having an opening configured to receive print material from the print material source and to deposit sequential layers of the print material onto a build plate to produce an AM component;
an actuator configured to adjust an opening profile of the opening of the print member; and
a print controller in communication with the actuator,
wherein the actuator is configured to replace, during print operation and responsive to instructions from the print controller, a first print member with a second print member having a different profile.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the print member includes a nozzle.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opening profile comprises a diameter of the opening.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator system comprises a closed-loop system.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the opening profile is adjusted by adjusting the diameter of the at least one opening.

6. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the nozzle comprises a plurality of sections, such that each section in the plurality of sections of the nozzle is operable to adjust the nozzle opening profile.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a first section of the plurality of sections of the nozzle adjusts the nozzle opening profile via a change in thermal energy.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein a first section of the plurality of sections of the nozzle adjusts the nozzle opening profile via a change in applied force.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a layer in the AM component comprises at least one variable cross-section.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the opening profile is adjusted based on a desired resolution of the AM component.

11. A method for additive manufacturing (AM) a component, comprising:
receiving a print material at a three-dimensional (3-D) print applicator, wherein the 3D print applicator comprises a first removable nozzle and at least one actuator;
depositing a plurality of layers of the print material onto a build plate to produce an AM component;
configuring at least one of the first nozzle and the at least one actuator to adjust a nozzle opening profile of the first removable nozzle during AM of the component; and
replacing, during 3-D print operation, the first removable nozzle having a first profile with a second removable nozzle having a second profile.

12. The method of claim 11 , in which configuring the first nozzle comprises adjusting a diameter of the first nozzle.

13. The method of claim 11 , in which at least one actuator of the at least one actuator is a shape memory actuator.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising a plurality of nozzle segments arranged on the print applicator.

15. The method of claim 14 , in which each nozzle segment in the plurality of nozzle segments is coupled to an actuator of the at least one actuators.

16. The method of claim 11 , in which adjusting the nozzle opening profile of the 3-D print applicator is performed in a closed-loop system.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein depositing a plurality of layers of the print material comprises depositing at least one layer having a variable cross-section.

18. The method of claim 11 , wherein adjusting the nozzle opening profile of the nozzle is based on a desired resolution of the AM component.

19. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the at least one nozzle is additively manufactured.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a shape memory alloy actuator.

Assignees

• Divergent Tech Inc

Inventors

• Lakshman Narender Shankar
• Tenhouten Broc William

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/118

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

• B33Y40/00

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

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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