Methods of securing an initial layer during additive manufacturing of thermoplastic material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017282449-A1
Application number	US-201615090819-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 5, 2016
Priority date	Apr 5, 2016
Publication date	Oct 5, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one embodiment, an additive manufacturing method including the steps of positioning a removable surface on a worktable; applying an adhesive material to the removable surface; depositing a plurality of pellets into the adhesive material, wherein at least a portion of each pellet of the plurality of pellets remains exposed; and depositing a flowable material on at least some of the plurality of pellets.

First claim

We claim:

1 . An additive manufacturing method, the method comprising:
positioning a removable surface on a worktable; applying an adhesive material to the removable surface; depositing a plurality of pellets into the adhesive material, wherein at least a portion of each pellet of the plurality of pellets remains exposed; and depositing a flowable material on at least some of the plurality of pellets.

2 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the flowable material is a thermoplastic material.

3 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 2 , wherein each pellet of the plurality of pellets comprises the thermoplastic material.

4 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 3 , wherein the adhesive material includes polyvinyl acetate glue.

5 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the removable surface includes one of medium density fiberboard (MDF) or high grade plywood.

6 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the flowable material is heated prior to depositing the flowable material on the plurality of pellets.

7 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 6 , further comprising the step of:
cooling the flowable material after the flowable material is deposited on the plurality of pellets.

8 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 6 , wherein depositing the flowable material on the plurality of pellets causes at least one pellet of the plurality of pellets to at least partially melt.

9 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the flowable material includes depositing a plurality of flowable material rows adjacent to one another.

10 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 2 , wherein the flowable material includes a reinforcing material embedded therein.

11 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 10 , wherein the reinforcing material includes strands of fiber.

12 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 9 , wherein depositing the plurality of flowable material rows adjacent to one another includes fusing a row of flowable material to an adjacent previously deposited row of flowable material.

13 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein the flowable material is deposited from a nozzle of a programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine.

14 . The additive manufacturing method of claim 1 , wherein depositing the flowable material includes depositing the flowable material in a pattern, wherein the pattern is based on a digital representation of a component.

15 . An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine configured to extrude a flowable material, wherein the programmable CNC machine includes a worktable; and a removable surface positioned on the worktable, wherein the removable surface includes an adhesive material thereon and a plurality of pellets partially embedded in the adhesive material.

16 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 15 , wherein the computer numeric control (CNC) machine is configured to deposit the flowable material on the plurality of pellets in a pattern based on a digital representation.

17 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 15 , wherein the programmable computer numeric control (CNC) machine includes a nozzle for extruding the flowable material, and wherein the nozzle is moveable along a first axis, a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, and a third axis orthogonal to the first and second axes, and wherein the nozzle is configured to rotate in a plane defined by the first and second axes.

18 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 17 , wherein each of the flowable material and the plurality of pellets comprises a thermoplastic material.

19 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 15 , wherein the adhesive material includes polyvinyl acetate glue.

20 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 15 , wherein the removable surface includes one of medium density fiberboard (MDF) or high grade plywood.

Assignees

• Thermwood Corp

Inventors

• Susnjara Kenneth
• Vaal Scott

Classifications

• B29C64/118

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

• B29K2101/12

  Thermoplastic materials · CPC title

• B29L2009/00

  Layered products · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/30 Primary

  Auxiliary operations or equipment · CPC title