Methods and apparatus for processing and dispensing material during additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12384108-B2
Application number	US-202519028875-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 17, 2025
Priority date	Aug 31, 2016
Publication date	Aug 12, 2025
Grant date	Aug 12, 2025

Abstract

An additive manufacturing method for delivering a flowable material from a nozzle of a programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine, the nozzle being configured to translate along a first axis, a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes. In one embodiment, the method includes actuating an extruder to form a flowable material, delivering the flowable material to a pump, sensing a pressure of the flowable material, and adjusting at least one of a speed of the extruder and a speed of the pump based on at least one of the sensed pressure and a rate of translation of the nozzle along one or more of the first, second, and third axes.

First claim

We claim:

1. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a carriage movable along a horizontal direction;
an extruder including an extruder screw, the extruder being connected to the carriage;
a plurality of segments, including:
a first segment connected to the carriage and movable with the carriage; and
a second segment connected to the first segment;

a plurality of servomotors for moving the plurality of segments, the plurality of servomotors including:
a first servomotor configured to cause the second segment to move; and
a second servomotor configured to cause the carriage to move along the horizontal direction; and

an applicator assembly connected to and movable with the second segment.

2. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further including a nozzle connected to the applicator assembly, the nozzle being movable with the second segment via the first servomotor.

3. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further including a rail, the carriage being movable in the horizontal direction and along the rail.

4. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further including a movable gantry, the carriage being connected to the gantry.

5. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further including a servomotor configured to drive a pump connected downstream of the extruder.

6. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further including:
a pump connected downstream of the extruder;
a third servomotor configured to drive the pump; and
a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure at a location downstream of the extruder.

7. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further including an applicator downstream of the extruder and downstream of a pump in communication with the extruder, the applicator carrying a nozzle for depositing material supplied from the pump.

8. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the first servomotor is configured to move the applicator assembly in a vertical direction and in the horizontal direction.

9. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the first servomotor is configured to move the second segment with respect to the first segment.

10. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further including a gear pump, a speed of the gear pump being adjusted based on a rate of translation of the applicator assembly.

11. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further including a gear pump, a speed of operation of the gear pump being adjustable at the same time that a speed of the extruder is adjusted.

12. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further including a gear pump and a pressure sensor connected upstream of the gear pump.

13. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a carriage movable in a first horizontal direction;
a plurality of segments connected to the carriage;
an extruder connected to the carriage and configured to receive pellets of thermoplastic material, the extruder including a rotatable extruder screw; and
an applicator assembly connected to the plurality of segments, the applicator assembly being fluidly connected downstream of the extruder, the applicator assembly being movable in a second horizontal direction, in a vertical direction, and with the carriage in the first horizontal direction, the applicator assembly configured to place a nozzle of the additive manufacturing system at an angle with respect to the vertical direction.

14. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , wherein the first horizontal direction and the second horizontal direction are different directions.

15. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , further including a gantry, the gantry being moveable with the carriage in the second horizontal direction.

16. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , further including a rail, the carriage being slidably connected to the rail for movement in the first horizontal direction.

17. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , further including a gantry, the gantry being movably connected to at least one support.

18. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , further including a gantry, the gantry being movable with the carriage, the plurality of segments, the extruder, and the applicator assembly in the second horizontal direction.

19. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , further including a melt pump fluidly connected downstream of the extruder and upstream of the applicator assembly.

20. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , further including:
a melt pump; and
a control system configured to adjust a speed of operation of the melt pump and a speed of operation of the extruder.

Assignees

• Thermwood Corp

Inventors

• Susnjara Kenneth J
• Vote Nicolas
• Gaesser Robert
• Vaal Scott G

Classifications

• B29C64/379

  Handling of additively manufactured objects, e.g. using robots · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• 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