Stratasys, Inc.

Robert L Zinniel

S Scott Crump

J Samuel Batchelder

John Samuel Batchelder

Carl Robert Deckard

James K Mikulak

William R Priedeman, Jr

Dominic F Mannella

John Barnett

Timothy Sampson

James W Comb

Andrea Lee Brosch

Steven Scott Crump

William R Priedeman

Andrea L Brosch

Samuel J Batchelder

An additive manufacturing system configured to a 3D print using a metal wire material includes a drive mechanism configured to feed the metal feedstock into an inlet tube and a liquefier. The liquefier has a chamber configured to accept the metal feedstock from the inlet tube. The metal feed stock is heated in the chamber such that a melt pool is formed in the chamber. The liquefier has an extrusion tube in fluid communication with the chamber, the extrusion tube having a length (L) and a diameter (D) wherein the ratio of length to diameter (L/D) ranges from about 4:1 to about 20:1. The system has a platen with a surface configured to accept melted material from the liquefier, wherein the platen and the liquefier move in at least three dimensions relative to each other. The system includes a regulated source of pressurized inert gas flowably coupled to the liquefier and configured to place a controlled positive pressure onto the melt pool sufficient to overcome the resistance of the extrusion tube such that a part may be formed by the extrusion of the liquidus metal along toolpaths defined by the relative motion of the liquefier and the platen.

System and method for 3D printing with metal filament materials

A magnetically throttled liquefier assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system and configured to heat a metal-based alloy to an extrudable state includes an array of magnets to generate a magnetic field in order to induce a viscosity in the heated metal-based alloy and to control the flow rate of the heated metal-based alloy through the liquefier for extrusion and the building of a three-dimensional object with the metal-based alloy.

Magnetically throttled liquefier assembly

A consumable filament for use in an extrusion-based additive manufacturing system, where the consumable filament comprises a core portion of a first thermoplastic material, and a shell portion of a second thermoplastic material that is compositionally different from the first thermoplastic material, where the consumable filament is configured to be melted and extruded to form roads of a plurality of solidified layers of a three-dimensional object, and where the roads at least partially retain cross-sectional profiles corresponding to the core portion and the shell portion of the consumable filament.

Core/shell filament for use with extrusion-based additive manufacturing system

A pump assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system includes a viscosity pump having a first end and a second end wherein the first end has a cross sectional area greater than a cross sectional area of the second end. The viscosity pump has a conical shaped inner surface defining a pump chamber, an inlet proximate the first end and an outlet proximate the second end. The viscosity pump includes an impeller having an axis of rotation, where the impeller has a shaft positioned through the first end of the first housing and into the pump chamber. The impeller includes a distal tip-end at a distal end of the shaft wherein the impeller is configured to be axially displaced within the pump chamber of the viscosity pump parallel to the axis of rotation. An actuator is coupled to a proximal end of the impeller, wherein the actuator is configured to move the impeller parallel to the axis of rotation.

Conical viscosity pump with axially positionable impeller and method of printing a 3D part

Additive manufacturing method for building three-dimensional objects with core-shell arrangements, and three-dimensional objects thereof

Additive manufacturing method for building three-dimensional objects with core-shell arrangements

A digital manufacturing system comprises a build chamber, a build platform disposed within the build chamber, at least one extrusion line configured to heat a metal-based alloy up to a temperature between solidus and liquidus temperatures of the metal-based alloy, a deposition head disposed within the build chamber and configured to deposit the heated metal-based alloy onto the build platform in a predetermined pattern, an umbilical having a first end located outside of the build chamber and a second end connected to the deposition head, and at least one gantry assembly configured to cause relative motion between the build platform and the deposition head within the build chamber, where the at least one gantry assembly comprises a motor disposed outside of the build chamber.

System and method for building three-dimensional objects with metal-based alloys

Method for building three-dimensional objects in extrusion-based additive manufacturing systems using core-shell consumable filaments

A method for forming a surface-treated, three-dimensional object, comprising: solvent smoothing an exterior surface of a rapid-manufactured, three-dimensional object, and media blasting at least a portion of the solvent-smoothed exterior surface.

Surface-treatment method for rapid-manufactured three-dimensional objects

Three-dimensional parts having porous protective structures built with powder-based additive manufacturing systems, the porous protective structures being configured to protect the three-dimensional parts from damage during de-powdering processes.

Three-dimensional parts having porous protective structures

A system and method is provided for vapor smoothing a rapid manufactured three-dimensional object. A cabinet housing has a sealable interior. A heated vapor chamber in the interior of the cabinet housing contains solvent that is vaporizable to fill the vapor chamber with vapor for smoothing the object when the object is placed in the vapor chamber. A drying chamber is also provided in the interior of the cabinet housing that is separate from the vapor chamber for drying the object when the object is moved from the vapor chamber to the drying chamber.

Vapor smoothing surface finishing system

The present invention is a method () for manufacturing a three-dimensional object. The method () includes receiving () digital information of the three-dimensional object over a communication line and building () the three-dimensional object based at least in part on the received digital information, where at least part of the three-dimensional object is built by rapid manufacturing, and where the three-dimensional object comprises an exterior surface. The method also includes vapor smoothing () at least a portion of the exterior surface of the three-dimensional object.

Transactional method for building three-dimensional objects

The present invention is a method for forming an object, the method comprising jetting a first material to form a plurality of layers that define a support structure increment, and extruding a second material to form a layer of the object. The layer of the object substantially conforms to an interior surface of the support structure increment.

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Plymouth, MN, United States of America

Robert L Zinniel