Patent ID: 8926882
Filing Date: 2015-01-06
Classification: B29C,B29K,B29L,B33Y

Abstract:
1. A method for building a three-dimensional model in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the method comprising: heating a ribbon liquefier retained by the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the ribbon liquefier having a static channel with an inlet end and an outlet end; feeding a ribbon filament into the inlet end of the static channel of the heated ribbon liquefier; melting the ribbon filament in the static channel to at least an extrudable state with the heat to provide a molten material, wherein the molten material conforms to an axially-asymmetric flow in the channel; moving the molten material having the axially-asymmetric flow from the static channel to an extrusion tip disposed at the outlet end of the channel with a viscosity-pump action of the fed ribbon filament; conforming the molten material to a substantially axially-symmetric flow; extruding the molten material having the substantially axially-symmetric flow from the extrusion tip; and depositing the extruded material as a road to form at least a portion of a layer of the three-dimensional model.