Patent ID: 11883987
Assignee: DESKTOP METAL, INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method of manufacturing a part comprising:
printing a three-dimensional support, using a fused filament fabrication-based print head, wherein the support comprises layers of fused polymer filament;
heating one or more segments of prepreg thermoplastic tape, using a heating element disposed in a tape deposition head;
depositing one or more heated segments of prepreg thermoplastic tape on the three-dimensional support in one or more directions;
cooling a compaction roller of the tape deposition head using a fan to direct air having a first temperature relative to a surface of the compaction roller such that temperature of the compaction roller decreases;
directing heated air from the compaction roller having a second temperature to one or more heating elements disposed in the tape deposition head, wherein second temperature is higher than first temperature;
compacting, the one or more segments of prepreg thermoplastic tape such that the one or more segments conform to the support; and
repeating depositing and compacting steps and periodically changing the one or more directions until a fiber-reinforced multi-layer part comprising one or more surfaces is formed, wherein at least one surface of the one or more surfaces is defined by the support.