FR3063451A1 - MATERIAL DEPOSITION DEVICE FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL MANUFACTURING SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a material deposition head solution mainly in the form of fusible granules, suitable for additive manufacturing, which comprises a hopper (22) filled with a fusible material (2), which is converted, or not, by the action, or not, of a thermal process (9), and is conveyed by a worm (10) with multi-stage axis, to a nozzle with an extrusion orifice (3), previously selected from a set of available diameters, and allowing variable flow and cooling (29) of suitable material, and that said print head is fixed on a support which moves in three dimensions, to reconstitute by adding successive layers, on a preferably flat surface, a volume previously defined numerically, or mechanically, then interpreted by a suitable control program of the displacement of said print head in the space defined for the construction of the part.

Description

® FRENCH REPUBLIC

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY © Publication number:

(to be used only for reproduction orders)

©) National registration number

063 451

00238

COURBEVOIE

©) Int Cl ⁸ : B 29 C 64/20 (2017.01), B 29 C 64/209, 64/295, 64/386, B 33 Y 30/00

A1 PATENT APPLICATION

(22) Date of filing: 06.03.17. © Applicant (s): SANT GREGORY— FR and PLU- (30) Priority: CHARD BRUNO— FR. ©) Inventor (s): SANT GREGORY and PLUCHARD BRUNO. (43) Date of public availability of the request: 07.09.18 Bulletin 18/36. ©) List of documents cited in the report preliminary research: Refer to end of present booklet @) References to other national documents ©) Holder (s): SANT GREGORY, PLUCHARD BRUNO. related: ©) Extension request (s): @) Agent (s): SANT GREGORY.

MATERIAL DEPOSITION DEVICE FOR THREE - DIMENSIONAL MANUFACTURING SYSTEM.

FR 3 063 451 - A1 _ The invention relates to a material deposition head solution mainly in the form of fusible granules, suitable for additive manufacturing which comprises a hopper (22) filled with a fusible material (2), which is transformed, or not, by the action, or not, of a thermal process (9), and is conveyed by an endless screw (10) with axis with multiple bearings, towards a nozzle with an extrusion orifice (3 ), previously chosen from a set of available diameters, and allowing a variable flow rate and a cooling (29) of suitable material, and that said print head is fixed on a support which moves in three dimensions, to reconstitute by addition of successive layers, on a preferably flat surface, a volume defined beforehand numerically, or mechanically, then interpreted by an adequate control program of the displacement of said print head in the space defined for the construction of e the room.

CONSUMABLE

The present invention relates to a device for depositing meltable material or not for additive manufacturing.

Three-dimensional manufacturing devices often have a limited range of 5 materials, perfectible finishes, and a relatively long lead time for parts.

Many solutions exist on the market, but do not necessarily meet these three criteria, which are highly anticipated by manufacturers.

The invention describes an efficient three-dimensional manufacturing device combining these three criteria most awaited by manufacturers.

The invention defines a solution allowing the use of consumables in the form of granules and / or beads, inter alia, powders, flakes, pastes similar to those used inter alia in the industry.

The invention described can use standard materials allowing a substantial reduction in consumable costs, and allow access to many materials with identified technical sheets.

The invention allows the production of serial parts, with mechanical characteristics often much superior to the parts produced in standard manufacturing processes (injection, thermoforming, machining).

The invention comprises a print head (1) filled with a fusible material (2), or not, mainly in the form of thermoplastic granules, which diffuses this said material via an orifice (3) ( Figure 1), and that said print head is fixed on a support which moves in three dimensions (Figure 2), or more (Figure 3), to reconstruct by adding successive layers (6), on a surface flat or not (7) (FIG. 1), a volume defined beforehand digitally, and interpreted by a digital program controlling an adequate control of the displacement of this said print head in the space defined for the construction of the part.

The invention includes a print head filled with a fusible material, or not, plastic, wax, mash, compote, brine, gel, among other things, is heated or not, integrated in a cylindrical sheath (8) ( Figure 1), made of metal, or ceramic or any other material which conducts heat or not, by means of a resistance heating system (9), by induction, or any other temperature setting system, is controlled by a digital or mechanical program so that said material can reach a state of transformation adapted to its viscosity, allowing said material to pass through an orifice (3) located at the end

-2from the head, using a piston, a screw (10), by gravity, or by any other suitable technical solution.

The invention includes a print head constituting an additive manufacturing equipment, or other, which deposits the material in successive layers defined by a digital or mechanical program, breaking down a volume into successive horizontal parallel layers, or not, with a Cartesian-type adjusted delivery path (on X and Y axes) (11) (Figure 2), or vectorial (on three-dimensional paths X, Y, Z generated by polar coordinates associated with departure and arrival vectors ) (12) and preferably perpendicular to the support on which the said material will be applied, this path can be adapted to the removal of material perpendicularly (13) (FIG. 4), or not, to the external or internal surface (14) of a part, or a support, previously fixed (15) on the printing plate.

The invention comprises a printhead system which directly uses consumables in different forms, granulate, powder, flake, gel, paste, puree, compote, brine, fusible or not, which are brought into a hopper (26) placed preferably on the upper part of a sheath (8) (FIG. 1), and of which these said consumables are brought to temperature, or not, depending on the materials used, controlled independently with a temperature control carried out by a digital program (16 ) or mechanical, and maintained at a sufficiently constant temperature, and which generates temperature gradients adapted according to the type of material, and its type shaped, so that said consumable can move towards the outlet orifice (3 ), a worm (10) rotating (Figure 5) in the normal direction is activated with an angular speed controlled by the program according to material and resolution parameters defined in the control program.

The invention includes a print head (1) (Figure 5) incorporating a worm (10) (Figure 6), the axis of which comprises three different bearings D2, D3, D4, or more, of substantially equivalent length , with a larger axis diameter at the lower bearing dl, to create a compression of the material by reducing the volume between the axis of the screw dl (17) and the inner wall of the sleeve (8), and the length of screw axis Dl preferably has a ratio close to twenty times that of its diameter dl, and the end of which is composed of a hemispherical-shaped endpiece (18), the screw (10) comprising a constant pitch (19 ), but which can be variable, is adjusted to the shape of the hopper and the sheath.

The invention consists of a screw (10) integrated in the print head (1) (Figure 1) which is surmounted by a coupling with a motor (20), or directly associated with the axis of the motor ( 21), and between which a raw material inlet (22) feeds the screw by gravity (figure

-34), which comprises in this volume (16), a greater width of the thread (23) of the screw, for progressively conveying the material towards the sheath (8), during the rotation of the said screw (10).

The invention comprises a sheath (8) constituting the print head, which is associated at its end, with a removable ring (24) (FIG. 7), or not, comprising a number of parallel channels (26), through which the material passes and which have the effect of suppressing the rotation of the extrusion at the outlet of the orifice (8), and to which the removable nozzles (25) (FIG. 8), or not, can be screwed, or assembled, to be interchanged, for cleaning and maintenance, but also to easily change the diameter of the outlet (8) of the material: 0.1mm, 0.2mm etc.

The invention allows the same printing nozzle (25) to apply to a support, material of variable width (Figure 1), more or less 100% of the diameter of the orifice of the nozzle ( 8), thanks to information controlled by the control software which will activate the adapted piloting on the torque rotation speed of the screw (10), and displacement speed of the head, to create a combination which acts on the volume of material diffused by the nozzle.

The invention comprises in the upstream zone of the sleeve (30) (FIG. 5) of the print head, an external or internal cooling system (27), preferably by fan, and preferably associated with a volume with developed surfaces. (28), regulating the temperature gradient of the hopper and reducing the risk of prior melting of the material and / or a blockage in this zone for conveying said material into the sheath.

The invention comprises in the downstream area of the printhead sheath, an external cooling system (29) (FIG. 1), preferably by fan, regulating the solidification temperature of the material deposited beforehand by the nozzle on the support. or on the previously deposited layer, the activation, intensity, duration and phases of which are controlled by commands which are dependent on the type of material and the size of the part, and which can be variable, or no, throughout the manufacturing process.

The device according to the invention is particularly intended for the manufacture of prototypes or serial parts with shapes which can be very complex.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 shows the print head from the side with insertion of the consumable and deposit of the material

Figure 2 shows the support frame of the head and the material depositing tray for 3/4

Figure 3 shows the movable head on two rotary axes

FIG. 4 represents the displacement of the head relative to its support. FIG. 5 represents the section AA of the print head. FIG. 6 represents the side view of the screw of the print head. FIG. 7 represents the % view of the print head control filter

FIG. 8 represents a view of% of the printing nozzle By way of nonlimiting example

Claims (10)

1) Device characterized in that a print head (12) filled with a fusible material (2), mainly in the form of thermoplastic granules, which 5 diffuses this said material via an orifice (3) and that this said printing head is fixed on a support which moves in three dimensions, to reconstitute by adding successive layers (6), on a flat surface (7), a volume defined beforehand numerically, and interpreted by a digital program controlling an adequate control of the displacement of this said head · 10 printing in the space defined for the construction of the printing part, and which once filled with a fusible material, plastic, wax, mash, compote, brine, gel, is warmed up, in a sheath cylindrical (8), made of metal, or ceramic, by means of a resistance heating system (9), by induction, is controlled by a digital or mechanical program, so that the said 15 material can reach a state of transformation adapted to its viscosity, allowing the passage of said material through an orifice (3) located at the end of the head, by means of a piston, a screw (10), by gravity. 2) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the print head is constitutive of additive manufacturing equipment, which deposits the 20 material by successive layers defined by a numerical or mechanical program, breaking down a volume into successive horizontal parallel layers, with an adjusted Cartesian type (on X and Y axes) (11) or vectorial (on three-dimensional X paths) , Y, Z generated by polar coordinates associated with departure and arrival vectors) and 25 preferably perpendicularly to the support on which said material will be applied, this path being able to be adapted to depositing material perpendicularly (13), to the external surface of a part, previously fixed on the printing plate. 3) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the print head system directly uses consumables in different forms, granulated, 30 powder, flake, gel, paste, puree, compote, brine, fuse, which are brought into a hopper (30) preferably placed on the upper part of a sheath (8), and of which these said consumables are warmed up , depending on the materials used, controlled independently with temperature control performed by a digital program and maintained at a sufficiently constant temperature, -6adapted according to the type of material, and its type shaped, so that the said consumable can move towards the outlet orifice (3), an endless screw (10) rotating in the normal direction is activated with an angular speed controlled by the program as a function of material and resolution parameters defined in the 5 control program. 4) Device according to claim 2 characterized in that the print head (12) comprises an endless screw (10), the axis of which comprises three different bearings D2, D3, D4, of substantially equivalent length, with a diameter from the larger axis to the lower bearing dl, to create compression of the material 10 by reducing the volume between the axis of the screw dl (17) and the interior wall of the sheath (8), and the length of the axis of the screw Dl of which has a ratio preferably close to twenty times that of its diameter dl, and the end of which is composed of a hemispherical-shaped endpiece (18), the screw (10) comprising a constant pitch (19), is adjusted to the shape of the hopper and the sheath. 15 5) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the screw (10) of the print head (12) is surmounted by a coupling with a motor (20), or directly associated with the axis of the motor (21) , and between which an arrival of raw material (2) feeds by gravity the screw, which comprises in this volume (16), a greater width of the thread (23) of the screw, for progressively conveying the material to 20 the sheath (8), during the rotation of said screw (10). 6) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the sheath (8) of the print head is associated at its end, with a removable ring (24), comprising a number of parallel channels (26), through which passes the material and which have the effect of suppressing the rotation of the extrusion at the outlet of 25 the orifice (3), and to which the removable nozzles (25), can be screwed, to be interchanged, for cleaning and maintenance, but also to easily change the diameter of the outlet orifice (3 ) of the material: 0.1mm, 0.2mm etc. 7) Device according to claim 6 characterized in that the same nozzle (25) can apply on a support, material of variable width, more or 30 minus 100% of the diameter of the orifice of the nozzle (3), thanks to information controlled by the control software which will activate the adapted piloting on the torque rotation speed of the screw (10), and the displacement speed of the head, to create a combination which acts on the volume of material diffused by the nozzle. -78) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the print head comprises in the upstream region of the sheath (8), an external cooling system (27), preferably by fan, and preferably associated with a volume with developed surfaces (28), regulating the temperature gradient of the hopper 5 and reducing the risk of prior melting of the stuffing material in this area for conveying said material into the sheath. 9) Device according to claim 1 characterized in that the print head comprises in the downstream region of the sleeve, an external cooling system (29), preferably by fan, regulating the temperature of Solidification of the material deposited beforehand by the nozzle on the support, the activation, intensity, duration and the phases of which are controlled by commands which are dependent on the type of material and on the size of the part, and which can be variable, throughout the manufacturing. .30 306345 DRAWINGS