System for 3D printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11820069-B2
Application number	US-202117363137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2021
Priority date	Aug 2, 2015
Publication date	Nov 21, 2023
Grant date	Nov 21, 2023

Abstract

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a carriage that deposits material in a defined pattern and a building platform that receives material deposited from the carriage. The carriage includes a pre-heating assembly with a plurality of pre-heating chambers and a printing block with a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of printing heads. The carriage is equipped with more pre-heating chambers than head slots.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a printing block comprising:
a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of inkjet printing heads from which a building material is selectively dispensed for building a 3D object;
a plurality of reservoirs, wherein each of the plurality of reservoirs at least partially surrounds one of said slots and is configured to feed a respective printing head installed in said slot; and
at least one heating plate configured to heat building material in the plurality of reservoirs at a first temperature; and
a pre-heating assembly mounted over the printing block, the pre-heating assembly comprising:
a plurality of pre-heating chambers configured to supply building material to the plurality of reservoirs of the printing block; and
at least one pre-heating plate configured to pre-heat building material in the plurality of pre-heating chambers.

2. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of pre-heating chambers is in fluid communication with one of the plurality of reservoirs formed in the printing block.

3. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a manifold including a plurality of valves, each of the plurality of valves being in fluid communication with one of the plurality of pre-heat chambers; and
a block cover including a plurality of channels configured to connect each of the plurality of pre-heat chambers to one of the plurality of reservoirs, wherein the block cover is positioned between the printing block and the manifold.

4. The additive manufacturing system of claim 3 , wherein the block cover is divided into a first block cover section including at least one of the plurality of channels and a second block cover section, separate from the first block cover section including the other of the plurality of channels.

5. The additive manufacturing system of claim 3 , wherein the block cover includes a plurality block cover slots through which the plurality of printing heads are received in the printing block, and wherein the block cover is divided into a first block cover section including at least one of the plurality of slots and a second block cover section, separate from the first block cover section including the other of the plurality of slots.

6. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of pre-heating chambers includes a heat conductive worm screw configured to allow liquid building material to run downwards around said worm screw.

7. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heating plate on the printing block includes:
a first heating plate configured to heat building material in a first portion of the plurality of reservoirs at a first temperature; and
a second heating plate configured to heat building material in a second portion of the plurality of reservoirs at a second temperature, the second temperature being other than the first temperature.

8. The additive manufacturing system of claim 7 , wherein the printing block includes at least one hollowed space configured to reduce heat transfer between the first portion of the plurality of reservoirs and the second portion of the plurality of reservoirs.

9. The additive manufacturing system of claim 7 , wherein the first heating plate and the second heating plate are configured to concurrently maintain the building material in the first and second portions at different temperatures.

10. The additive manufacturing system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one heating plate includes a first additional heating plate configured to heat building material in the first portion, wherein the first heating plate and the first additional heating plate are installed on opposing surfaces of the printing block.

11. The additive manufacturing system of claim 10 , wherein the at least one heating plate includes a second additional heating plate configured to heat building material in the second portion, wherein the second heating plate and the second additional heating plate are installed on opposing surfaces of the printing block.

12. The additive manufacturing system of claim 7 , wherein the at least one pre-heating plate in the pre-heating assembly includes:
a first pre-heating plate configured to pre-heat the building material in a first portion of the plurality of pre-heating chambers that supply the first portion of the plurality of reservoirs; and
a second pre-heating plate configured to pre-heat the building material in a second portion of the plurality of pre-heating chambers that supply the second portion of the plurality of reservoirs.

13. The additive manufacturing system of claim 12 , wherein the pre-heating assembly includes a first insulator configured to insulate the first portion of the plurality of pre-heating chambers and a second insulator configured to insulate first second of the plurality of pre-heating chambers.

14. The additive manufacturing system of claim 7 , wherein the pre-heating assembly further includes at least one flange mounted on the plurality of pre-heating chambers, wherein the flange includes an inlet to each one of the plurality of pre-heating chambers.

15. The additive manufacturing system of claim 14 , wherein the at least one flange includes a first flange including an inlet to each one of the plurality of pre-heating chambers supplying the first portion and a second flange including an inlet to each one of the plurality of pre-heating chambers supplying the second portion.

16. The additive manufacturing system of claim 7 , wherein the building material includes a support material and a modeling material and wherein the first heating plate is configured to heat the support material and the second heating plate is configured to heat the modeling material.

17. An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a printing block comprising:
a plurality of slots for receiving a plurality of inkjet printing heads from which a building material is selectively dispensed for building a 3D object;
a plurality of reservoirs, wherein each of the plurality of reservoirs at least partially surrounds one of said slots and is configured to feed a respective printing head installed in said slot;
a first heating plate configured to heat building material in a first portion of the plurality of reservoirs at a first temperature; and
a second heating plate configured to heat building material in a second portion of the plurality of reservoirs at a second temperature, the second temperature being other than the first temperature; and
a pre-heating assembly comprising:
a plurality of pre-heating chambers configured to supply building material to the plurality of reservoirs of the printing block;
a first pre-heating plate configured to heat building material to be supplied to the first portion; and
a second pre-heating plate configured to heat the building material to be supplied to the second portion.

18. The additive manufacturing system of claim 17 , wherein the printing block includes at least one hollowed space configured to reduce heat transfer between the first portion of the plurality of reservoirs and the second portion of the plurality of reservoirs.

19. The additive manufacturing system of claim 17 , wherein the first heating plate and the second heating plate are configured to concurrently maintain building material in the first portion of the plurality of reservoirs and building material in the second portion of the plurality of reservoirs at different t

Assignees

• Stratasys Ltd

Inventors

• Brusilovski Gregory
• Grach Uri
• Perek Boaz Max

Classifications

• B29C64/112 Primary

  using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads · CPC title

• B29B13/022 Primary

  Melting the material to be shaped · CPC title

• B29C64/209

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B29C64/295

  Heating elements · CPC title

• B29C64/336

  of two or more materials · CPC title