Methods for composite filament threading in three dimensional printing
Various embodiments related to three dimensional printers, and reinforced filaments, and their methods of use are described. In one embodiment, a void free reinforced filament is fed into an conduit nozzle. The reinforced filament includes a core, which may be continuous or semi-continuous, and a matrix material surrounding the core. The reinforced filament is heated to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material and less than a melting temperature of the core prior to applying the filament from the conduit nozzle.
1. A method for manufacturing a part, the method comprising:
from a supply, supplying a core reinforced filament having a solidified matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the core reinforced filament;
translating the core reinforced filament to follow a threaded path from the supply to a nozzle outlet of a nozzle;
holding an unattached terminal end of the core reinforced filament in a location at a temperature in which the matrix material is unmelted;
maintaining the unattached terminal end in a substantially unmelted condition until the unattached terminal end reaches the nozzle outlet;
buckling the terminal end adjacent the nozzle outlet by feeding forward the unattached terminal end to abut the part and relatively moving the nozzle outlet and the part;
anchoring the buckled terminal end at the nozzle outlet by fusing the matrix material to the part;
cutting the core reinforced filament in a location between the supply and the nozzle outlet; and
relatively moving the nozzle outlet and the part to deposit a remaining cut segment portion of the core reinforced filament to the part.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the unattached terminal end in the substantially unmelted condition further comprises:
feeding forward the unattached terminal end of the core reinforced filament into a cold feeding zone of a print head housing the nozzle, the cold feeding zone being at a temperature at which the matrix material is unmelted.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the cold feeding zone comprises a receiving tube arranged to receive the unattached terminal end and support the core reinforced filament.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein a guide tube guiding the core reinforced filament is positioned along the threaded path upstream of the receiving tube, and a bore of the receiving tube is larger than that of the guide tube.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the unattached terminal end in the substantially unmelted condition further comprises:
pushing forward the unattached terminal end through a heated cavity of the nozzle and through a rounded tip terminating the heated cavity.
6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein a bore of the heated cavity is larger than at least one receiving tube upstream along the threaded path from the heated cavity.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the maintaining the unattached terminal end in the substantially unmelted condition further comprises:
maintaining the core reinforced filament in a substantially unmelted state until the core reinforced filament contacts a wall of a heated zone of the nozzle.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fusing the matrix material to the part further comprises:
contacting a heated zone of the nozzle with the core reinforced filament as the core reinforced filament is translated out of the nozzle outlet.
9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fusing the matrix material to the part further comprises melting the matrix material of the terminal end to fuse to the part at a rounded tip of the nozzle.
10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting the core reinforced filament comprises:
cutting the core reinforced filament at a temperature at which the matrix material is unmelted, and further comprising:
rethreading the unattached terminal end through the nozzle.
11. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
dragging forward the core reinforced filament through the nozzle by applying a force at least via the reinforcing strands.
12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
applying pressure with the nozzle to continuously compact the core reinforced filament before the core reinforced filament has fused into the part.
13. The method according to claim 1 , the nozzle comprising a lip forming a smooth transition between a vertical feeding path and a horizontal printing path, and further comprising:
applying pressure with the lip to continuously compact the core reinforced filament as the core reinforced filament is fused into the part.
14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:
dragging forward the core reinforced filament through the nozzle by applying a force at least via the reinforcing strands.
15. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the cutting the core reinforced filament comprises:
cutting the core reinforced filament at a temperature in which the matrix material is unmelted.
16. A method for manufacturing a part, the method comprising:
from a supply, supplying a core reinforced filament having a matrix material impregnating reinforcing strands aligned along the core reinforced filament;
translating the core reinforced filament to follow a threaded path from the supply to a nozzle outlet of a nozzle;
holding an unattached terminal end of the core reinforced filament in a location upstream along the threaded path from the nozzle outlet;
driving the core reinforced filament forward via a guide tube preventing buckling of the core reinforced filament until the unattached terminal end is fed to the nozzle outlet;
buckling the terminal end adjacent the nozzle outlet by feeding forward the unattached terminal end to abut the part and relatively moving the nozzle outlet and build platform;
anchoring the buckled terminal end at the nozzle outlet by fusing the matrix material to the part;
cutting the core reinforced filament in a location upstream along the threaded path of the nozzle outlet; and
relatively moving the nozzle outlet and build platform to deposit a remaining cut segment portion of the core reinforced filament to the part.
17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the driving the core reinforced filament forward via the guide tube preventing buckling further comprises:
feeding forward the unattached terminal end of the core reinforced filament into a receiving tube of the nozzle.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the receiving tube is arranged to receive the unattached terminal end and support the core reinforced filament.
19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein a bore of the receiving tube is larger than a bore of the guide tube.
20. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising:
maintaining the unattached terminal end in a substantially unmelted condition until the unattached terminal end reaches the nozzle outlet of the nozzle; and
pushing forward the unattached terminal end through a cavity of the nozzle and through a rounded tip terminating the cavity.
21. The method according to claim 20 , wherein a bore of the cavity is larger than a bore of a receiving tube upstream along the threaded path from the cavity.
22. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the fusing the matrix material to the part further comprises:
contacting a heated zone of the nozzle with the core reinforced filament as the core reinforced filament is translated out of the nozzle outlet.
23. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the fusing the matrix material to the part further comprises:
curing the matrix material of the core reinforced filament after the core reinforced filament is displaced out of the nozzle outlet.
24. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the fusing the matrix material to the part further comprises melting the matrix material of the terminal end to fuse to the part at a rounded tip of the nozzle.
25. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the cutting the core reinforced filament comprises:
cutting the core reinforced filament at a location downstream along the threaded path from the driving, and further comprising:
rethreading the unattached terminal end through the nozzle.
26. The method according to claim 25 , further comprising:
dragging forward the core reinforced filament through the nozzle by applying a force at least via the reinforcing strands.
27. The method according to claim 25 , further comprising:
applying pressure with the nozzle to continuously compact the core reinforced filament before the reinforced filament has fused into the part.
28. The method according to claim 16 , the nozzle comprising a lip forming a smooth transition between a vertical feeding path and a horizontal printing path, and further comprising:
applying pressure with the lip to continuously compact the core reinforced filament as the reinforced filament is fused into the part.
29. The method according to claim 28 , further comprising:
dragging forward the core reinforced filament through the nozzle by applying a force at least via the reinforcing strands.
30. The method according to claim 28 , wherein the cutting the core reinforced filament comprises:
cutting the core reinforced filament at a location downstream along the threaded path from the driving.