Makerbot Industries, LLC

Charles E Pax

Nathaniel B Pettis

Adam G Mayer

Zach Smith

Peter Joseph Schmehl

Robert J Steiner

By reversing the direction of a first build material fed into an extruder, the first build material can be wholly or partially evacuated from the extruder before a second material is introduced. This approach mitigates transition artifacts and permits faster, more complete changes from one build material to another.

Color switching for three-dimensional printing

A variety of techniques for color mixing support a user-controllable palette of colors for use when fabricating three-dimensional objects.

Color three dimensional printing

Multiple extrusion drive motors are nested in an overlapping configuration that permits re-use of the drive axes to support drive gears and complementary guide bearings, resulting in a compact arrangement of independently controllable extruders for multiple build materials.

Multi-extruder

A conveyor or other transport mechanism is provided to support multiple, sequential builds from a three-dimensional fabrication machine. The conveyor may be heated/cooled, coated, or otherwise treated to assist in adhesion during a build, as well as removal of objects after a build. Each fabricated object may be automatically removed from the conveyor as the conveyor moves in order to restore a buildable surface for fabrication of additional objects.

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Maplewood, NJ, United States of America

Charles E Pax