System and method for 3d printing on permeable materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016185041-A1
Application number	US-201514980846-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 28, 2015
Priority date	Dec 31, 2014
Publication date	Jun 30, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Thermoplastic 3D objects are printed directly onto permeable materials with a high strength bond. The 3D object can be attached to the permeable material at one side where the bottom layer of the 3D object can be attached to the permeable material or alternatively, at an internal layer where portions of the 3D object are on opposite sides of the permeable material. In order to improve the adhesion of the 3D object to the permeable material, the bonding layer of the liquid thermoplastic material that is printed directly onto the permeable material can be deposited at modified 3D printer settings that can include a hotter than normal material deposition temperature. Additional build layers of the liquid thermoplastic material are printed on the bonding layer to complete the 3D objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for three-dimensional printing a thermoplastic material onto a permeable material, comprising:
printing an under structure that has at least one layer of the thermoplastic material for a three-dimensional pattern onto a print plate of a three-dimensional printer; increasing a distance between a print head of the three-dimensional printer and the at least one layer of the thermoplastic material; providing a prompt to place the permeable material on the at least one layer of the thermoplastic material; printing a bonding layer of the thermoplastic material for the three-dimensional pattern directly onto the permeable material at a first output temperature; and printing a build layer of the thermoplastic material for the three-dimensional pattern directly onto the bonding layer of the material at a second output temperature, wherein the first output temperature is different from the second output temperature.

2 . The method of claim 1 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the second output temperature is at least 10 degrees Centigrade lower than the first output temperature.

3 . The method of claim 1 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the printing of the bonding layer of the thermoplastic material directly onto the permeable material is performed at a first material output rate and the printing of the build layer is performed at a second material output rate that is at least 5% slower than the first material output rate.

4 . The method of claim 1 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the thermoplastic material is polylactic acid (PLA) and the first output temperature is greater than 250 degrees Centigrade and the second output temperature is less than 270 degrees Centigrade.

5 . The method of claim 1 for three-dimensional printing a thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein portions of the bonding layer of the thermoplastic material printed directly onto the permeable material flow through holes in the permeable material and fuse with the under structure.

6 . The method of claim 1 for three-dimensional printing a thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the permeable material is a woven fabric.

7 . The method of claim 1 for three-dimensional printing a thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the permeable material is polylactic acid (PLA).

8 . The method of claim 1 for three-dimensional printing a thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, further comprising:
storing the three-dimensional pattern for printing the thermoplastic material in a memory device; and
transmitting the three-dimensional pattern from the memory device to the three-dimensional printer.

9 . The method of claim 1 for three-dimensional printing a thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the at least one under structure of the thermoplastic material printed onto a print plate is at least 0.5 millimeter thick.

10 . The method of claim 1 for three-dimensional printing a thermoplastic material onto the permeable material further comprising:
decreasing the distance between the print head of the three-dimensional printer and the permeable material to less than 1 millimeter after increasing the distance step.

11 . A method for three-dimensional printing a thermoplastic material onto a permeable material, comprising:
coating a portion of a print plate of a three-dimensional printer with an adhesive material; providing a prompt to place the permeable material on the adhesive material on the print plate; positioning a print head of a three-dimensional printer to a position within 1 millimeter above the permeable material on the print plate; printing a bonding layer of the thermoplastic material for the three-dimensional pattern directly onto the permeable fabric at a first output temperature; and printing a build layer of the thermoplastic material for the three-dimensional pattern directly onto the base layer of the thermoplastic material at a second output temperature.

12 . The method of claim 11 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the second output temperature that is at least 10 degrees Centigrade lower than the first output temperature.

13 . The method of claim 11 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the printing of the bonding layer is performed at a first material output rate and the printing of the build layer is performed at a second material output rate that is that is at least 5% slower than the first material output rate.

14 . The method of claim 11 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the thermoplastic material is polylactic acid and the first output temperature is greater than 250 degrees Centigrade and the second output temperature is less than 270 degrees Centigrade.

15 . The method of claim 11 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein portions of the base layer flow through holes in the permeable material.

16 . The method of claim 11 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the permeable material is a woven fabric.

17 . The method of claim 11 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the permeable material is polylactic acid (PLA).

18 . The method of claim 11 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto a permeable material, further comprising:
storing the three-dimensional pattern for printing the thermoplastic material in a memory device; and
transmitting the three-dimensional pattern from the memory device to the three-dimensional printer.

19 . A method for three-dimensional printing a thermoplastic material onto a permeable material, comprising:
a) positioning a print head of a three-dimensional printer to a position within 1 millimeter above a portion of the permeable material on a print plate; b) printing a bonding layer of the thermoplastic material for the three-dimensional pattern directly onto the permeable fabric at a first output temperature; c) printing build layers of the thermoplastic material for the three-dimensional pattern on the bonding layer of the material at a second output temperature; d) completing 3D objects; e) moving the permeable material to position a print head adjacent to a unprinted portion of the permeable material; and f) repeating steps a-e.

20 . The method of claim 19 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the second output temperature is at least 10 degrees Centigrade lower than the first output temperature

21 . The method of claim 19 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the printing of the bonding layer is performed at a first material output rate and the printing of the build layers is performed at a second material output rate that is that is at least 5% slower than the first material output rate.

22 . The method of claim 19 for three-dimensional printing the thermoplastic material onto the permeable material, wherein the thermoplastic ma

Assignees

• 3D Systems Inc

Inventors

• Lisagor Jessica
• Miller Andrew R
• Johnson Martin
• Podgursky Nickalaus
• Herran Leigh

Classifications

• B29C64/118

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

• B29C64/245

  Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) · CPC title

• B29C70/78 Primary

  Moulding material on one side only of the preformed part · CPC title

• B29K2713/00

  Use of textile products or fabrics for preformed parts, e.g. for inserts (B29K2105/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B29K2667/046

  PLA, i.e. polylactic acid or polylactide · CPC title