Controllable release build plate for 3d printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017190120-A1
Application number	US-201615338068-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 28, 2016
Priority date	Jan 6, 2016
Publication date	Jul 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fused filament fabrication three dimensional printing system includes a build platform, an extruder for one or more deposition materials, the extruder including at least one nozzle movable relative to the build platform, and a controller configured to control the relative movement between the build platform and the nozzle, and to cause material to be extruded out of the nozzle to form a 3D object on the build platform. The build platform includes a first plate on which the 3D object is formed, a second plate that is positioned vertically below the first plate and defines at least one gap between the first and second plates, and a heating element that is configured to heat the second plate. The first plate defines at least one opening that is configured to allow passage of material extruded from the nozzle into the at least one gap between the first and second plates.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fused filament fabrication (FFF) three dimensional (3D) printing system comprising:
a build platform; an extruder for one or more deposition materials, the extruder comprising at least one nozzle that is movable relative to the build platform; and a controller configured to control the relative movement between the build platform and the nozzle, and to cause material to be extruded out of the nozzle to form a 3D object on the build platform, wherein the build platform comprises:
a first plate on which the 3D object is formed,
a second plate that is positioned vertically below the first plate and defines at least one gap between the first and second plates, and
a heating element that is configured to heat the second plate,
wherein the first plate defines at least one opening that is configured and arranged to allow passage of material extruded from the nozzle into the at least one gap between the first and second plates.

2 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
cause extruded material to flow through one or more of the plurality of openings in the first plate into the gap to thereby form a rivet with a shaft portion that expands within the gap to form a head portion and couple the 3D object on a top surface of the first plate to the head portion of the rivet abutting a bottom surface of the first plate; and activate the heating element to soften the head portion of the rivet to thereby allow removal of the coupling between the 3D object and the first plate.

3 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to activate the heating element to facilitate softening of the shaft portion and the head portion of the rivet by heating the second plate to above a threshold temperature while the first plate remains below the target threshold temperature.

4 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to activate, during rivet formation, the heating element to heat the second plate to an activation temperature that is below the target threshold temperature to thereby facilitate expansion of the head portion within the gap during rivet formation.

5 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 3 , wherein the heating element is attached to a bottom surface of the second plate.

6 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of spacers are disposed between the first plate and the second plate to maintain the vertical separation between the first and second plates.

7 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of spacers are made from a thermally insulating material.

8 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first plate is made from a first material and the second plate is made from a second material, the first material having a thermal conductivity that is lower than that of the second material.

9 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 1 , wherein the first plate and the second plate are made from a same material, the first plate having a shape that leads to lower thermal conductivity compared to the second plate.

10 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 1 , wherein the second plate defines two or more gaps between the first and second plates, and the at least one opening of the first plate is configured and arranged to allow passage of material extruded from the nozzle into the two or more gaps.

11 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 1 , wherein the second plate defines two or more gaps between the first and second plates, and the first plate defines two or more openings that are configured and arranged to allow passage of material extruded from the nozzle into the two or more gaps.

12 . The FFF 3D printing system of claim 11 , wherein the two or more gaps defined between the first and second plates are not in fluidic connection with one another.

13 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that cause one or more computers to perform operations for controlling a 3D printer, the 3D printer comprising a build platform, the build platform including a first plate on which a 3D object is formed and a second plate that is positioned vertically below and separated from the first plate such that a gap is defined between the first and second plates, and an extruder for one or more deposition materials, the extruder including at least one nozzle that is movable relative to the build platform, the operations comprising:
causing at least some of the extruded material to flow through one or more openings that are defined in the first plate into the gap to thereby form a rivet with a head portion that expands within the gap to couple the 3D object to the first plate; causing material to be extruded out of the nozzle while controlling the relative movement between the build platform and the nozzle to thereby form the 3D object above the one or more rivets; and heating the second plate to a threshold temperature to facilitate plastic deformation of the head portion of the rivet to thereby allow removal of the coupling between the 3D object and the first plate.

14 . The medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further include heating, during rivet formation, the second plate to an activation temperature that is lower than the threshold temperature.

15 . The medium of claim 13 , wherein the operations further include causing material to be extruded out of the nozzle while controlling the relative movement between the build platform and the nozzle to thereby form a raft on which the 3D object is to be built, the raft being attached to the one or more rivets.

16 . The medium of claim 13 , wherein forming the rivets includes filling all the openings that are positioned beneath the 3D object to be formed.

17 . The medium of claim 13 , wherein forming the rivets include filling a select number of the openings that are positioned beneath the 3D object to be formed.

18 . The medium of claim 17 , wherein filling the select number of the openings includes filling only the openings that are positioned beneath a perimeter of the 3D object to be formed.

19 . The medium of claim 13 , wherein forming the rivet includes dipping the nozzle into the opening into which the extruded material is to flow.

20 . The medium of claim 19 , wherein forming the rivet further includes extruding the material while moving the nozzle out of the opening in a helical path.

Assignees

• Autodesk Inc

Inventors

• Bloome Cory Mark
• Page James Sherwood
• Crockett Michael Anthony
• FRIEDLAND Gregory Daniel
• Bastian Andreas Linas

Classifications

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29C64/245

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

• B33Y50/02 Primary

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/295

  Heating elements · CPC title