Patents Assigned to Stratasys, Inc.
  • Sheet substrate retention device for securing a sheet substrate to a vacuum platen in an additive manufacturing system
    Patent number: 10471658
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system for forming 3D parts includes a platen, a gantry, at least one print head, and a retention device. The gantry is configured to move the platen along a vertical axis. The at least one print head is configured to extrude part and/or support material onto a sheet substrate that is positioned on a support surface of the platen. The retention device includes a frame that is configured to press two or more edge portions of the sheet substrate against the support surface of the platen when the retention device is in a lowered position relative to the platen or support surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventor: William J. Swanson
  • Additive manufacturing systems and method of filling voids in 3D parts
    Patent number: 10471702
    Abstract: A method of additive three-dimensional object production includes depositing liquefied material to produce two roads and placing an extruder tip having a bottom surface that surrounds an orifice such that one portion of the bottom surface is sealed against one of the two roads and another part of the bottom surface is sealed against the other of the two roads and the orifice is positioned over a space between the two roads. Liquefied material is then extruded through the orifice to fill the space between the two roads.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: Paul J. Leavitt, J. Samuel Batchelder
  • Materials containing fluoropolymers for additive manufacturing applications
    Patent number: 10457833
    Abstract: Part materials for additive manufacturing applications include materials with a fluoropolymer processing aid (material-FP). These materials include one or more thermoplastic polymers and one or more fluoropolymers as a processing aid. The material-FP is used to build parts with additive manufacturing systems. Parts built using material-FP have improved physical properties including improved strength in the z-direction of the parts. Composite systems such as reinforced filaments with the material-FP also have a higher density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: Neil R. Granlund, Adam R. Pawloski, Garrett S. Van Gorden, Luke M. B. Rodgers, Vittorio L. Jaker
  • 3D printer with spool and material container
    Patent number: 10442179
    Abstract: A 3D printer has a gantry configured to move in a plane substantially parallel to a build plane, and a platen configured to support a part being built. The platen is configured to move in a direction substantially normal to the build plane. A head carriage is carried by the gantry, and a print head is carried by and retained in the head carriage. A material container has a material container body and a material container cover configured to allow loading of a spool containing a supply of a consumable filament for printing with the 3D printer, the spool mounted on an axle containing a spool chip and electrical contacts. The material container body includes a first and second axle channels configured to accept first and second ends of the axle. The first axle channel has a number of electrical contacts and is tapered to orient the axle to align the axle contacts with the first axle channel contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: Shawn Michael Koop, Peter D. Schuller, Jordan Paul Nadeau, Samuel Ogrodnik
  • Magnetically coupled print head for additive manufacturing system
    Patent number: 10434719
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes a gantry configured to move in a build plane. A platen is configured to support a part being built in a layer by layer process and wherein the platen is configured to move in a direction substantially normal to the build plane. A head carriage is carried by the gantry wherein the head carriage includes ferromagnetic material. The system includes at least one print head where the print head includes a housing and one or more magnets attached to the housing wherein the at least one print head is configured to be coupled to the head carriage through a magnetic coupling between the one or more magnets and the ferromagnetic material such that the print head is configured to move rotationally relative to the head carriage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: William J. Swanson, Alfredo Santiago, Jr., Joseph LaBossiere, Kevin Johnson, Nathan Joseph Knutson
  • Filament feeding device having a capacitive filament displacement sensor for use in additive manufacturing system
    Patent number: 10421268
    Abstract: A filament feeding device includes a drive mechanism and a displacement sensor. The drive mechanism is configured to feed a filament along a feed path. The displacement sensor is positioned adjacent the feed path and is configured to determine a velocity and direction in which the filament is fed along the feed path based on at least two capacitance measurements that vary in response to movement of the filament along the feed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: J. Samuel Batchelder, William J. Swanson
  • Remotely-adjustable purge station for use in additive manufacturing systems
    Patent number: 10414094
    Abstract: A purge station assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, which includes a purge station having a base bracket, a slide mount slidably engaged with the base bracket, and a contact head configured to clean a nozzle tip of a print head. The purge station assembly also includes a mechanism, such as a cable line, operably attached to the slide mount that allows an operator to mechanically move the slide mount relative to the base bracket from a location that is remote from the purge station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: Robert L. Skubic, Logan R. Kiene, Joel E. Farley, Benjamin L. Braton, James Flannigan, Joel Ostby
  • Additive manufacturing technique for printing three-dimensional parts with printed receiving surfaces
    Patent number: 10399281
    Abstract: A method for printing three-dimensional parts with an additive manufacturing system, comprising printing successive layers having increasing cross-sectional areas, and printing layers of a three-dimensional part onto the previously printed layers, where a last layer of the previously printed successive layers has a cross-sectional area that is at least as large as a footprint area of the three-dimensional part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: Dominic F. Mannella, William J. Swanson
  • In-situ part position measurement
    Patent number: 10399326
    Abstract: A probe for an additive manufacturing system includes a probe body having a first air port therethrough between an inlet and an outlet, and a location sensing probe extending from the probe body. The location sensing probe includes a probe end and a probe bar, the probe bar coupled between the probe body and the probe end, and a channel surrounding the probe bar, the channel having an inner tube having an inlet proximate the probe body and an outlet proximate the probe end. A method of determining a position of an item being printed in an additive manufacturing system, includes probing the position with a location sensing probe having a resolution finer than a print resolution of the print head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: Brent Jorgenson, Michael D. Bosveld, Logan R. Kiene, Jerome W. Goetzke, Benjamin L. Braton, David Mulcrone
  • Continuous liquid interface production system with viscosity pump
    Patent number: 10384439
    Abstract: A continuous liquid interface production system includes a source of optical stimulation. The system includes a vessel configured to retain a pool or film of optically sensitive monomer and a substantially optically transparent plate retained by the vessel. The optical stimulation is directed through the plate and into the pool or the film based upon a sliced 3D model of the part. The system includes source of reaction inhibitor wherein the substantially optically transparent plate allows the reaction inhibitor to permeate through the plate and into the pool or the film such that a sufficient amount of reaction inhibitor is within the pool or the film to create a zone proximate the plate that prevents polymerization therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: J. Samuel Batchelder, Jonathan B. Hedlund, Paul E. Hopkins, Steven A. Chillscyzn
  • Consumable filaments having reversible reinforcement for extrusion-based additive manufacturing
    Patent number: 10370510
    Abstract: A consumable assembly for use with an additive manufacturing system to print three-dimensional parts, the consumable assembly including a supply device (e.g., a spool) and a filament supported by the supply device, where the filament has a composition comprising one or more elastomers and one or more reinforcing additives, and a filament geometry configured to be received by a liquefier assembly of the additive manufacturing system. The composition is preferably configured to be thermally and/or chemically modified to reduce its flexural modulus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Jacob Cernohous, Adam R. Pawloski, Benjamin A. Demuth
  • Additive manufacturing system and method for printing three-dimensional parts using velocimetry
    Patent number: 10369776
    Abstract: An additive manufacturing system that retains a print head for printing a three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner using an additive manufacturing technique, where the retained print head is configured to receive a consumable material, melt the consumable material, and extrude the molten material. The system also includes a velocimetry assembly configured to determine flow rates of the molten material, and a controller assembly configured to manage the extrusion of the molten material from the print head, and to receive signals from the velocimetry assembly relating to the determined flow rates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventor: J. Samuel Batchelder
  • Method of forming a non-cylindrical filament for use in extrusion-based digital manufacturing systems
    Patent number: 10272665
    Abstract: A consumable material for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising a length and a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length that is axially asymmetric. The cross-sectional profile is configured to provide a response time with a non-cylindrical liquefier of the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system that is faster than a response time achievable with a cylindrical filament in a cylindrical liquefier for a same thermally limited, maximum volumetric flow rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Samuel Batchelder, William J. Swanson, S. Scott Crump
  • Ceramic support structure
    Patent number: 10272592
    Abstract: A pre-ceramic support structure for additive manufacturing, that upon thermal processing, is soluble in various solvents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin A. Demuth, Adam R. Pawloski
  • Heated air system for 3D printer
    Patent number: 10265941
    Abstract: An apparatus and a method using the apparatus provides heated air in an additive manufacturing process for building a three-dimensional part. The method comprises providing a stream of flowable part material at an initial build level, the initial build level being positioned in and defining a horizontal plane wherein the stream of flowable material is being initially disposed on previously deposited part material. Heated air is provided at a selected temperature corresponding to the temperature of the stream of flowable part material such that the stream of flowable part material deposits on previously deposited part material in an adhering fashion thereby forming the three-dimensional part wherein the heated air is provided in the horizontal plane of the initial build level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter D. Schuller, Jordan Paul Nadeau, Joel Ordell Ostby, Shawn Michael Koop
  • Method for building and using three-dimensional objects containing embedded identification-tag inserts
    Patent number: 10226916
    Abstract: A method for building a three-dimensional object containing an identification-tag insert, the method comprising performing a build operation to form layers of the three-dimensional object using a layer-based additive technique, placing the identification-tag insert on at least a portion of the layers during the build operation, and reading information from the identification-tag insert.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventors: David M. Kozlak, Steven A. Chillscyzn, J. Samuel Batchelder
  • Additive manufacturing system and process with material flow feedback control
    Patent number: 10201931
    Abstract: A liquefier assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, which includes a rigid member having a gap, a liquefier tube operably disposed in the gap, one or more heater assemblies disposed in the gap in contact with the liquefier tube, and configured to heat the liquefier tube in a zone-by-zone manner, preferably one or more thermal resistors disposed in the gap between the rigid member and the heater assemblies, and preferably one or more sensors configured to operably measure pressure within the liquefier tube. The one or more heater assemblies may be operated to provide dynamic heat flow control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventors: J. Samuel Batchelder, William J. Swanson, Kevin C. Johnson
  • Method for printing three-dimensional parts with crystallization kinetics control
    Patent number: 10189210
    Abstract: A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, which includes providing a part material that compositionally has one or more semi-crystalline polymers and one or more secondary materials that are configured to retard crystallization of the one or more semi-crystalline polymers, where the one or more secondary materials are substantially miscible with the one or more semi-crystalline polymers. The method also includes melting the part material in the additive manufacturing system, forming at least a portion of a layer of the three-dimensional part from the melted part material in a build environment, and maintaining the build environment at an annealing temperature that is between a glass transition temperature of the part material and a cold crystallization temperature of the part material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventors: Luke M. B. Rodgers, Vittorio L. Jaker
  • Print head
    Patent number: D849071
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2019
    Assignee: Stratasys, Inc.
    Inventor: Shawn Michael Koop
  • Material hopper
    Patent number: D865313
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
    Inventors: Michael D. Bosveld, Robert L. Skubic, Robert E. Styer