Reinforced Fused-Deposition Modeling

Abstract

An apparatus for manufacturing an object includes an extrusion head having an extrusion needle for extruding thermoplastic material associated with one or more fiber strands. The apparatus may further include a turn-table, a more robotic arm for moving the extrusion head and needle, thermoplastic filament and fiber strand spools and thermoplastic filament and fiber strands. A controller is provided for directing the robotic arm, extrusion head and the turn-table. Further, a method for manufacturing an object includes generating a design for the object that substantially satisfies desired structural properties of the object and generating a sequence for extruding one or more beads of thermoplastic material to manufacture the object according to the design, in which the one or more beads of thermoplastic material are associated with one or more fiber strands. The one or more beads of thermoplastic material and the associated one or more fiber strands are then extruded according to the sequence.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 35 . (canceled) 
     
     
         36 . A system for manufacturing at least a portion of a three-dimensional (3D) object adjacent to a support, comprising:
 a source of filament of thermoplastic material, the filament of thermoplastic material comprising a tow of carbon fibers;   a support for supporting the at least the portion of the 3D object during manufacturing;   a positioning assembly having a dispensing end for directing the filament from the source and into contact with (i) the support or (ii) a previously deposited layer of the 3D object adjacent to the support;   a heater configured to subject the filament to heating;   a cutter for cutting the tow of carbon fibers to generate the at least the portion of the 3D object; and   a controller operatively coupled to the cutter, wherein the controller is configured to:   (i) direct the filament from the source toward the dispensing end, and   (II) upon directing the filament toward the dispensing end:
 a. direct the heater to heat the thermoplastic material and the tow of carbon fibers, and 
 b. direct the cutter to cut the tow of carbon fibers to generate a portion of the filament, such that the portion of the filament is deposited towards the support or the previously deposited layer of the 3D object adjacent to the support, thereby manufacturing the at least the portion of the 3D object. 
   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the controller is configured to direct the filament from the source toward the dispensing end while the dispensing end is moving along a direction relative to the support or the previously deposited layer of the 3D object adjacent to the support. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the controller directs the dispensing end along the direction relative to the support or the previously deposited layer of the 3D object adjacent to the support to deposit a subsequent portion of the 3D object by repeating (i) and (ii). 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the controller is configured to direct an additional filament toward the dispensing end for deposition over the support or the previously deposited layer of the 3D object adjacent to the support. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 39 , wherein the additional filament is a thermoplastic filament. 
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the source of filament is a spool of filament. 
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the controller is configured to direct an additional filament inside of the at least the portion of the 3D object. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a build chamber having a bottom surface and configured to enclose the at least the portion of the 3D object during manufacturing; and   a drive mechanism configured to move the support relative to the dispensing end, wherein the drive mechanism is mounted on the bottom surface of the build chamber.   
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the controller is configured to control a rate at which the filament is directed toward the dispensing end. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the controller Is configured to direct rotation of the support around a Z-axis, which Z-axis is perpendicular to an XY plane parallel to a surface of the support. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the controller is configured to direct formation of a support structure from a source of a thermoplastic filament prior to manufacturing the at least the portion of the 3D object. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the positioning assembly is a multi-axis robotic arm supporting the dispensing end, wherein the multi-axis robotic arm is configured to sequentially deposit the at least the portion of the 3D object. 
     
     
         48 . The system of  claim 47 , wherein the multi-axis robotic arm is a six-axis or seven-axis robotic arm. 
     
     
         49 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the filament is continuous tow filament.