Multiaxis fiber reinforcement for 3D printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9815268-B2
Application number	US-201615174645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2016
Priority date	Mar 22, 2013
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

In a 3D composite printer, toolpaths defining fill material shells are received, as are toolpaths defining support material shells. A 3D toolpath defining a long fiber composite material curved shell is also received. A fill material deposition head traces the toolpaths to deposit some of the fill material shells or support material shells at least in part non-parallel to a printing substrate. A long fiber deposition head traces the 3D toolpath at least in part non-parallel to the printing substrate to deposit the long fiber composite material curved, concave, ring, tube, or winding shells to enclose, surround, or envelop at least a portion of the fill or support material shells.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for depositing a 3D printed part with a composite material 3D printer, comprising:
receiving a plurality of 2D toolpaths defining a succession of fill material flat shells;
receiving a second 2D toolpath defining a support material flat shell;
receiving a first 3D toolpath defining a long fiber composite material curved shell, the long fiber composite material including a filament having a matrix embedding reinforcing fibers having a fiber length longer than two times a diameter of the filament;
actuating a fill material deposition head to trace the first 2D toolpath to deposit the succession of fill material flat shells to substantially parallel a flat printing substrate;
actuating a support material deposition head to trace the second 2D toolpath to deposit support material to substantially parallel the flat printing substrate;
actuating a long fiber deposition head to trace the first 3D toolpath at least partially non-parallel to the flat printing substrate to deposit the long fiber composite material;
enclosing the succession of fill material flat shells by depositing the long fiber composite material with a plurality of the embedded reinforcing fibers substantially aligned in a direction of deposition of the long fiber composite material and with a plurality of the embedded reinforcing fibers spanning at least two of the succession of fill material flat shells.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
actuating the long fiber deposition head to trace the first 3D toolpath at least partially non-parallel to the flat printing substrate to deposit the long fiber composite material to enclose the support material flat shell.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the flat printing substrate includes a flat build platform.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising:
actuating one of the support material deposition head and the fill material deposition head to deposit the flat printing substrate upon a build platform.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber composite material comprises a prepreg filament including matrix embedding reinforcing fibers having a length of between 0.6-15 mm, and between two and ten times longer than a diameter of the prepreg filament.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber composite material comprises a semi-continuous prepreg filament including matrix embedding reinforcing fibers aligned along the lengthwise direction of the filament when the filament is in one of solidified, melted, or re-solidified form.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the long fiber deposition head comprises an anisotropic solidifying head that solidifies, along anisotropic fill toolpaths, fiber swaths from a supply of anisotropic fiber reinforced material including a plurality of fiber strands extending continuously within a matrix material, the fiber swaths having an anisotropic characteristic oriented relative to a trajectory of the anisotropic fill tool paths, and wherein the fill material deposition head comprises an isotropic solidifying head that solidifies, along isotropic fill toolpaths, a substantially isotropic material from a supply of solidifiable isotropic material.

Assignees

• Markforged Inc

Inventors

• Mark Gregory Thomas
• Woodruff Rick Bryan
• Parangi Abraham Lawrence
• Benhaim David Steven
• Sklaroff Benjamin Tsu

Classifications

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• G05B19/4099

  Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29K2063/00

  Use of {EP, i.e.} epoxy resins {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material · CPC title

• B29K2079/085

  Thermoplastic polyimides, e.g. polyesterimides, PEI, i.e. polyetherimides, or polyamideimides; Derivatives thereof · CPC title