ADDITIVE PRINTING CONVERSION APPARATUS AND KIT FOR COORDINATE MEASURING MACHINES
A CMM system has a CMM arm movable in at least three degrees of freedom, a 3D print head removably couplable with the CMM arm, and a thermal insulator between the print head and the CMM arm.
1 . A CMM system comprising:
a CMM arm movable in at least three degrees of freedom;
a 3D print head removably couplable with the arm; and
a thermal insulator between the print head and the arm.
2 . The CMM system of claim 1 further comprising:
a base; and
a heat bed removably supported by the base, the heat bed being between the base and the CMM arm.
3 . The CMM system of claim 2 wherein the heat bed comprises:
a sensor for monitoring the temperature of the heat bed; and
a controller for controlling the temperature of the heat bed as a function of the temperature of the heat bed.
4 . The CMM system of claim 1 wherein the thermal insulator comprises a bracket formed from a thermally insulating material.
5 . The CMM system of claim 1 wherein the 3D print head is positioned to be offset from the CMM arm.
6 . The CMM system of claim 5 wherein the 3D print head has a print head longitudinal axis, further wherein the CMM arm has an arm longitudinal axis, the head longitudinal axis being substantially parallel with, or diverging from, the arm longitudinal axis.
7 . The CMM system of claim 1 further comprising a probe removably couplable with the CMM arm, the CMM arm being configured to accept no more than one of the probe or the 3D print head at a single time.
8 . A kit for use with a CMM having a movable arm, the kit comprising:
a 3D print head;
a feeder for feeding material to the 3D print head; and
a bracket configured to removably couple the 3D print head with the movable arm of the CMM.
9 . The kit of claim 8 wherein the bracket conductively thermally insulates the 3D print head from the movable arm.
10 . The kit of claim 8 further comprising a heat bed configured to be supported by a base of a CMM.
11 . The kit of claim 10 wherein the heat bed includes a top surface with a controllable temperature, the heat bed also includes a bottom surface with a thermal insulating material.
12 . The kit of claim 10 wherein the heat bed comprises:
a sensor for monitoring the temperature of the heat bed; and
a controller for controlling the temperature of the heat bed as a function of the temperature of the heat bed.
13 . The kit of claim 8 wherein the bracket is configured to offset the 3D print head from the movable arm.
14 . A method of retrofitting a CMM having movable arm and a base, the method comprising:
removably coupling a 3D print head to the movable arm of the CMM;
removably positioning a heat bed on the base of the CMM; and
elevating the temperature of the heat bed.
15 . The method of claim 14 further comprising removing a probe from the movable arm before removably coupling the 3D print head to the arm of the CMM.
16 . The method of claim 14 wherein removably coupling a 3D print head comprises coupling a bracket between the 3D print head and the arm of the CMM, the bracket being a thermal insulator.
17 . The method of claim 14 further comprising:
monitoring the temperature of the heat bed;
adjusting the temperature of the heat bed when the temperature extends outside of a prescribed temperature range.
18 . The method of claim 14 further comprising loading thermoplastic material into a feeder, and directing the loaded thermoplastic to the 3D print head.
19 . The method of claim 14 wherein removably coupling a 3D print head comprises coupling the 3D print head to be offset from the arm of the CMM.
20 . The method of claim 14 wherein the heat bed includes a top surface with a controllable temperature, the heat bed also includes a bottom surface with a thermal insulating material.