Abstract: A material for use in a fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer comprises a polyaryletherketone (PAEK) having an amorphous morphology. In some embodiments, the material also includes a PAEK having a semi-crystalline morphology.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing an object includes an extrusion head having an extrusion needle for extruding thermoplastic material associated with one or more fiber strands. The apparatus may further include a turn-table, a more robotic arm for moving the extrusion head and needle, thermoplastic filament and fiber strand spools and thermoplastic filament and fiber strands. A controller is provided for directing the robotic arm, extrusion head and the turn-table. Further, a method for manufacturing an object includes generating a design for the object that substantially satisfies desired structural properties of the object and generating a sequence for extruding one or more beads of thermoplastic material to manufacture the object according to the design, in which the one or more beads of thermoplastic material are associated with one or more fiber strands. The one or more beads of thermoplastic material and the associated one or more fiber strands are then extruded according to the sequence.

Abstract: A build plate, a mold, a sheet of perforated metal foil, and a sheet of pre-preg fibers are disclosed for use in 3D printers. The build plate and mold are designed so that the build surface of the mold is automatically and implicitly registered in the coordinate system of the printer. The mold, the sheet of perforated metal foil, and the sheet of pre-preg fibers provide a mechanism for precisely controlling the amount of adhesion experienced by the nascent article of manufacture at each location of the build surface.

Abstract: A build plate, a mold, a sheet of perforated metal foil, and a sheet of pre-preg fibers are disclosed for use in 3D printers. The build plate and mold are designed so that the build surface of the mold is automatically and implicitly registered in the coordinate system of the printer. The mold, the sheet of perforated metal foil, and the sheet of pre-preg fibers provide a mechanism for precisely controlling the amount of adhesion experienced by the nascent article of manufacture at each location of the build surface.

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and a method for real time monitoring and identifying defects occurring in a three dimensional object build via an additive manufacturing process. Further, the present invention provides in-situ correction of such defects by a plurality of functional tool heads possessing freedom of motion in arbitrary planes and approach, where the functional tool heads are automatically and independently controlled based on a feedback analysis from the printing process, implementing analyzing techniques. Furthermore, the present invention provides a mechanism for analyzing defected data collected from detection devices and correcting tool path instructions and object model in-situ during construction of a 3D object. A build report is also generated that displays, in 3D space, the structural geometry and inherent properties of a final build object along with the features of corrected and uncorrected defects.

Abstract: An article of manufacture is disclosed that includes an infill generated utilizing three dimensional (3D) printing. Infill is generated utilizing segments of filament, such as, but not limited to continuous carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic filament. Other materials may also be suitably employed. Approaches to tool path generation which accomplish the 3D printing desired are addressed in which material runs of filament are applied that distribute where cuts, beginning, or ends of segments occur or points where ends of segments are anchored to the article to form the desired infill. Aspects of one approach include first generating a meta tool path for the infill and then adapting that tool path to an actual infill tool path by pruning any segments in the meta tool path extending outside the perimeter of the article and identifying anchor points to the article from observed intersections of the meta tool path and said perimeter.

Abstract: An article of manufacture is disclosed that comprises an infill made from linear segments of filament, such as but not limited to continuous carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic filament. Approaches to tool path generation are addressed in which material runs of filament are applied that distribute where cuts, beginning, or ends of segments occur or points where two ends of segments are fused or the like to preserve filament continuity by reducing the number of short segments. Aspects of one approach include identifying long edges and eliminating short edges which acute angles with long edges and utilizing a clipping outline as part of the process of determining start and end points of material runs.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for fabricating at least a portion of a three-dimensional (3D) object. In an example, at least one feedstock may be directed from a source of the at least one feedstock towards a base. The at least one feedstock may comprise a polymeric material and a cross-linking agent. The cross-linking agent may be in an inactive state. Next, first layer of the at least one feedstock may be deposited adjacent to a second layer previously deposited adjacent to the base. The first layer may correspond to at least a portion of the 3D object. During or subsequent to deposition adjacent to the second layer, the cross-linking agent in the first layer may be in an active state to induce cross-linking between the polymeric material in the first layer and a polymeric material in the second layer.

Abstract: In a 3D-printing system, a deposition head comprising a band assembly having a body and a band for compacting a filament onto the surface of an object being manufactured. One or more actuators are mounted on the assembly body and are used to shape the band to a desired contour. The band is connected to the one or more actuators, and is capable of being driven along its length by one or more drive wheels. For example, the band can be in the form of a loop, arranged such that the front of the loop is in contact with a front wheel, the back of the loop is in contact a rear wheel, and the bottom of the loop faces toward the surface of the object. The band assembly further comprises a compaction support supporting the band and comprising a roller that permits the band to move along its length.

Abstract: In a 3D-printing system, a deposition head comprising a band assembly having a body and a band for compacting a filament onto the surface of an object being manufactured. One or more actuators are mounted on the assembly body at a front mounting point or a rear mounting point, or both, and are used to shape the band to a desired contour. The band is made of a flexible material, and has a first and second connecting point, wherein at least one of them is connected to the one or more actuators. The intermediate portion of the band between the connecting points is curved toward the surface of the object being manufactured to enable the portion to come into contact with and to compact the filament onto the object. The band assembly further comprises a compaction support extending from the assembly body toward an inward-facing surface of the band.

Abstract: In a 3D-printing system, a deposition head comprising a band assembly having a body and a band for compacting a filament onto the surface of an object being manufactured. One or more actuators are mounted on the assembly body and are used to shape the band to a desired contour. The band is connected to the one or more actuators, is curved toward the surface of the object to enable contact with the surface, and is capable of being driven along its length by one or more drive wheels that are under the control of a controller. The drive wheels are configured to advance the band along its length by a first distance and in response to a first signal from the controller. The controller provides the first signal based on an estimate of thermoplastic build-up on a portion of the band that overlaps the point of compaction.

Abstract: An article of manufacture is disclosed that comprises an infill made from linear segments of filament, such as but not limited to continuous carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic filament. Feathering approaches are addressed to generate segments of filament in various geometries that distribute where cuts or ends of segments occur or points where two ends of segments are fused or the like to avoid overlap. Aspects of one approach include identifying long edges and eliminating short edges which present acute angles.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is disclosed that comprises two or more lasers for precisely heating a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic feedstock and a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic workpiece in preparation for depositing and tamping the feedstock onto the workpiece. The system employs feedforward, a variety of sensors, and feedback to ensure that the feedstock and workpiece are properly heated.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is disclosed that comprises two or more lasers for precisely heating a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic feedstock and a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic workpiece in preparation for depositing and tamping the feedstock onto the workpiece. The system employs feedforward, a variety of sensors, and feedback to ensure that the feedstock and workpiece are properly heated.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is disclosed that comprises two or more lasers for precisely heating a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic feedstock and a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic workpiece in preparation for depositing and tamping the feedstock onto the workpiece. The system employs feedforward, a variety of sensors, and feedback to ensure that the feedstock and workpiece are properly heated.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is disclosed that comprises two or more lasers for precisely heating a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic feedstock and a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic workpiece in preparation for depositing and tamping the feedstock onto the workpiece. The system employs feedforward, a variety of sensors, and feedback to ensure that the feedstock and workpiece are properly heated.

Abstract: A pair of physically-integrated two-stage heaters are disclosed for precisely heating a thermoplastic filament and a thermoplastic workpiece in preparation for depositing the filament onto the workpiece. The design in physically compact and capable of heating the filament and workpiece to within a very narrow temperature range. This is accomplished with four independently-generated light beams, of different frequencies, that are spatially combined and transmitted, via optical fiber or free-space optics, to the location where they are needed and where they are unpacked (i.e., spatially separated) and shone onto their respective targets.

Abstract: A filament guide that guides thermoplastic filament to an object being manufactured. A deposition head comprising the disclosed filament guide provides a filament to the intended deposition point. The filament guide comprises a guide member having a filament groove configured to guide the filament along a path of travel. The groove has an upstream end that is configured to receive the filament from a source and a downstream end that is configured to direct the filament toward the deposition point in the intended direction. A notch at the downstream end of the guide member enables the filament to travel toward the deposition point. The portions of the guide member on either side of the notch act to keep the filament centered laterally. A plate that is transparent to electromagnetic radiation from a heat source covers the groove and permits the electromagnetic radiation to reach the filament while providing added support.

Abstract: A build plate for 3D printers that facilitates separation of the workpiece from the build plate and yet provides lateral anchoring of the unit cell. The build plate comprises (1) a foundation of a material that the unit cell material will not adhere to or will only weakly adhere to, and (2) a plurality of adhesive islands that provide a lateral anchor for the unit cell. An adhesive island is a hole in the foundation of the build plate that is filled with a plug of material to which the unit cell material will strongly adhere. The number, type, location, and size of the adhesive islands is tailored to provide enough lateral stability where needed, but not more.

Abstract: In additive manufacturing, a method of adding a segment of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic filament. Adding a segment of filament involves three tasks: (1) determining where the segment of filament should be added, (2) depositing the segment of filament at the desired location, and (3) tamping the segment of filament to ensure adhesion and eliminate voids. Tamping the segment of filament is performed by steering a wheel along the filament. In accordance with the illustrative embodiment, the wheel is steered around a yaw axis that is offset from the wheel's axis by a distance s, where s is a positive real number.