Patent ID: 9149988
Filing Date: 2015-10-06
Classification: B29C,B29K

Abstract:
1. A three dimensional printer for additive manufacturing of a part, comprising: a build platen for receiving and supporting the part; a print head opposing the build platen, the print head including a conduit nozzle having an ironing outlet lip and a heater that heats the ironing outlet lip; a motorized feeding mechanism constructed and arranged to drive a void free composite filament in an unmelted state into the conduit nozzle and toward the ironing outlet lip, wherein the composite filament includes a matrix material permeating a core of at least one axial strand extending substantially continuously within the filament; a motorized three axis translation mechanism constructed and arranged to translate the conduit nozzle and a build platen with respect to one another; a controller operatively connected to the heater, the feeding mechanism and the three axis translation mechanism, the controller controlling the velocity of the print head, an unattached terminal end of the void free composite filament, and the build platen to continuously iron melted matrix material including the at least one axial strand by substantially simultaneously: heating the ironing outlet lip to a temperature greater than a melting temperature of the matrix material: compacting the filament with the heated ironing outlet lip; and tensioning at least one non-molten axial strand within the filament between the part and the outlet lip to pull the filament out of the conduit nozzle.