U.S. patent application number 17/743826 was filed with the patent office on 2022-08-25 for additive manufacturing using polymer materials.
This patent application is currently assigned to LARGIX TECH LTD.. The applicant listed for this patent is LARGIX TECH LTD.. Invention is credited to Omer EINAV, Hasdi MATARASSO, Ronen ORR, Shmuel ROSENMANN, Doron SHABANOV, Amir SHEELO.
Application Number | 20220266506 17/743826 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | |
Filed Date | 2022-08-25 |
United States Patent
Application |
20220266506 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
EINAV; Omer ; et
al. |
August 25, 2022 |
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING USING POLYMER MATERIALS
Abstract
An additive manufacturing system is disclosed. The system
comprises at least one feeder configured to feed, continuously, at
least two solid polymer strands, at least one heating element,
configured to simultaneously heat at least a part of adjacent
surfaces of the at least two solid polymer strands, an attachment
unit configured to simultaneously attach the liquified surfaces to
yield attached strands; and a pressing unit configured to press the
at least two solid polymer strands against each other to ensure
attachment.
Inventors: |
EINAV; Omer; (Kfar Monash,
IL) ; SHABANOV; Doron; (Tzur Yigal, IL) ;
MATARASSO; Hasdi; (Pardes Chana, IL) ; ROSENMANN;
Shmuel; (Jerusalem, IL) ; ORR; Ronen; (Tel
Mond, IL) ; SHEELO; Amir; (Raanana, IL) |
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Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LARGIX TECH LTD. |
Tzur Yigal |
|
IL |
|
|
Assignee: |
LARGIX TECH LTD.
Tzur Yigal
IL
|
Appl. No.: |
17/743826 |
Filed: |
May 13, 2022 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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15939325 |
Mar 29, 2018 |
11331847 |
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17743826 |
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PCT/IL2016/050683 |
Jun 27, 2016 |
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15939325 |
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62239291 |
Oct 9, 2015 |
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62481707 |
Apr 5, 2017 |
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International
Class: |
B29C 64/106 20060101
B29C064/106; B29C 64/245 20060101 B29C064/245; B29C 64/295 20060101
B29C064/295; B29C 64/314 20060101 B29C064/314; B29C 64/321 20060101
B29C064/321; B33Y 10/00 20060101 B33Y010/00; B33Y 40/00 20060101
B33Y040/00; B33Y 50/02 20060101 B33Y050/02; B29C 64/393 20060101
B29C064/393 |
Claims
1. An additive manufacturing system comprising: at least one feeder
configured to feed, continuously, at least two solid polymer
strands, at least one heating element, configured to simultaneously
heat at least a part of adjacent surfaces of the at least two solid
polymer strands, an attachment unit configured to simultaneously
attach the liquified surfaces to yield attached strands; and a
pressing unit configured to press the at least two solid polymer
strands against each other to ensure attachment.
2. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising
at least one tip configured to receive, continuously, the at least
two solid polymer strands from the at least one feeder.
3. The additive manufacturing system of claim 2, further
comprising: a positioning unit configured to position the at least
one tip according to a specified product design, and a routing head
coupled to the positioning unit and configured to perform on-line
processing of the attached at least two solid polymer strands.
4. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the at
least one heating element is selected from, a convective heater, a
radiative heater, an inductive heater, and a laser heater.
5. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the
attachment unit comprises a guiding roller.
6. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the
pressing unit comprises at least one of, side rollers, and an
attachment roller.
7. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising
a cutting unit configured to cut the at least two solid polymer
strands.
8. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising
a control module configured to modify the operational parameters of
at least one of: the at least one feeder, the at least one heating
unit, the attachment unit and the pressing unit.
9. The additive manufacturing system of claim 8, wherein modifying
the operational parameters is based on measurements received from
one or more sensors included in the control module.
10. The additive manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein the one
or more sensors are selected from, laser scanners, cameras, IR
sensors, inductive and capacitance sensors, acoustic sensors, and
temperature sensors.
11. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the at
least one heating element is further configured to simultaneously
heat at least a part of adjacent surfaces of the pressed at least
two solid polymer strands and a substrate to which the pressed at
least two solid polymer strands is to be attached.
12. An additive manufacturing system comprising: at least one
feeder configured to feed, continuously, at least one solid polymer
strand, at least one heating element, configured to simultaneously
heat at least a part of adjacent surfaces of the at least one solid
polymer strand and at least one additional solid polymer strand, an
attachment unit configured to simultaneously attach the at least
one solid polymer strand with the liquified surfaces to yield
attached strands; and a press configured to press the at least one
solid polymer strand and the at least one additional solid polymer
strand against each other to ensure attachment.
13. The additive manufacturing system of claim 12, further
comprising at least one tip configured to receive, continuously,
the at least one solid polymer strand from the feeder,
14. The additive manufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the at
least one feeder is configured to feed also the at least one
additional solid polymer strand, previously to feeding the at least
one solid polymer strand.
15. The additive manufacturing system of claim 11, wherein the at
least one heating element is further configured to simultaneously
heat at least a part of adjacent surfaces of the at least one solid
polymer strand and a substrate to which the at least one solid
polymer strand is to be attached.
16. The additive manufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the at
least one heating element is selected from, a convective heater, a
radiative heater, an inductive heater, and a laser heater.
17. The additive manufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the
attachment unit comprises a guiding roller.
18. The additive manufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the
pressing unit comprises at least one of, side rollers, and an
attachment roller.
19. The additive manufacturing system of claim 12, further
comprising a cutting unit configured to cut the at least one solid
polymer strand.
20. The additive manufacturing system of claim 12, further
comprising a control module configured to modify the operational
parameters of at least one of: the at least on feeder, the at least
one heating unit, the attachment unit and the pressing unit.
21. The additive manufacturing system of claim 20, wherein
modifying the operational parameters is based on measurements
received from one or more sensors included in the control module.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 15/939,325 filed Mar. 29, 2018, which
is a continuation-in-part of PCT Patent Application No.
PCT/IL2016/050683 filed on Jun. 27, 2016, which claims the benefit
of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/239,291 filed on Oct.
9, 2015. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/939,325 also claims
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/481,707
filed on Apr. 5, 2017. The contents of the above applications are
all incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Technical Field
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of additive
manufacturing, and more particularly, to additive manufacturing
using polymer materials.
2. Discussion of Related Art
[0003] Historically, prototype development and customized
manufacturing has been performed by traditional methods using metal
extrusion, computer-controlled machining and manual modeling
techniques, in which blocks of material are carved or milled into
specific objects. These subtractive manufacturing methodologies
have numerous limitations. They often require specialist
technicians and can be time- and labor intensive. The time
intensity of traditional modeling can leave little room for design
errors or subsequent redesign without meaningfully affecting a
product's time-to-market and development cost. As a result,
prototypes have been created only at selected milestones late in
the design process, which prevents designers from truly visualizing
and verifying the design of an object in the preliminary design
stage. The inability to iterate a design rapidly hinders
collaboration among design team members and other stakeholders and
reduces the ability to optimize a design, as time-to-market and
optimization become necessary trade-offs in the design process.
[0004] Additive manufacturing ("AM") addresses the inherent
limitations of traditional modeling technologies through its
combination of functionality, quality, and ease of use, speed and
cost. AM is significantly more efficient and cost effective than
traditional model-making techniques for use across the design
process, from concept modeling and design review and validation, to
fit and function prototyping, pattern making and tooling, to direct
manufacturing of repeatable, cost-effective parts, short-run parts
and customized end products.
[0005] Introducing 3D modeling earlier in the design process to
evaluate fit, form and function can result in faster time-to-market
and lower product development costs. For customized manufacturing,
3D printers eliminate the need for complex manufacturing set-ups
and reduce the cost and lead-time associated with conventional
tooling. The first commercial 3D printers were introduced in the
early 1990s, and since the early 2000s, 3D printing technology has
evolved significantly in terms of price, variety and quality of
materials, accuracy, ability to create complex objects, ease of use
and suitability for office environments. 3D printing is already
replacing traditional prototype development methodologies across
various industries such as architecture, automotive, aerospace and
defense, electronics, medical, footwear, toys, educational
institutions, government and entertainment, underscoring its
potential suitability for an even broader range of industries.
[0006] 3D printing has created new applications for model-making in
certain new market categories, such as: education, where
institutions are increasingly incorporating 3D printing into their
engineering and design course programs; dental and orthodontic
applications, where 3D printed models are being used as
replacements for traditional stone models, implants and surgical
guides and for crowns and bridges for casting; Furthermore, 3D
printing is being used in many industries for the direct digital
manufacturing of end-use parts.
[0007] Carneiro et al. 2015, Fused deposition modeling with
polypropylene, Materials & Design 83: 768-776 discuss the
suitability of polypropylene (PP) for used in fused deposition
modeling (FDM)-based 3D printing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The following is a simplified summary providing an initial
understanding of the invention. The summary does not necessarily
identify key elements nor limit the scope of the invention, but
merely serves as an introduction to the following description.
[0009] One aspect of the present invention provides a method of
additive manufacturing, the method comprising: receiving,
continuously, solid polymer material in form of at least one strand
or a plurality of particles, heating a surface of the continuously
received solid polymer material peripherally to liquefy the
surface, using specified heating-related parameters which are
selected to maintain a central volume of the continuously received
solid polymer material in a solid state, liquefying a surface of a
polymer substrate, and attaching the peripherally heated surface of
the continuously received solid polymer material to the liquefied
surface of the polymer substrate, wherein the attachment to the
polymer substrate is achieved by a re-solidification of the
liquefied surface to yield monolithic attachment.
[0010] These, additional, and/or other aspects and/or advantages of
the present invention are set forth in the detailed description
which follows; possibly inferable from the detailed description;
and/or learnable by practice of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] For a better understanding of embodiments of the invention
and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will
now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings
in which like numerals designate corresponding elements or sections
throughout.
[0012] In the accompanying drawings:
[0013] FIG. 1A is a high level schematic block diagram of an
additive manufacturing system, according to some embodiments of the
invention.
[0014] FIG. 1B is a high level schematic illustration of a flow in
the additive manufacturing system and their modification
possibilities, according to some embodiments of the invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a high level schematic illustration of the system,
additively manufacturing a cylindrical part, according to some
embodiments of the invention.
[0016] FIGS. 3A and 3B are high level schematic illustrations of
tips and positioning unit of system, according to some embodiments
of the invention.
[0017] FIGS. 4A and 4B are high level schematic illustrations of
tips of the system, according to some embodiments of the
invention.
[0018] FIG. 5 is a high level schematic illustration of an
exemplary strand production module and tip, according to some
embodiments of the invention.
[0019] FIGS. 6A-6F are high level schematic illustrations of the
system using strands as added material, according to some
embodiments of the invention.
[0020] FIGS. 7A-7F are high level schematic configurations of
attached strands at various spatial configurations, according to
some embodiments of the invention.
[0021] FIGS. 8A-11 are high level schematic illustrations of
various types of strands and their attachment, according to some
embodiments of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 12 is a high level flowchart illustrating a method of
additive manufacturing, according to some embodiments of the
invention.
[0023] FIG. 13A is a high level schematic illustration of an
additive manufacturing system comprising a printing head and a
routing head, according to some embodiments of the invention.
[0024] FIG. 13B is a high level schematic illustration of a
printing head of an additive manufacturing system, according to
some embodiments of the invention.
[0025] FIG. 13C is a high level schematic illustration of a routing
head of an additive manufacturing system, according to some
embodiments of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 13D is a high level schematic illustration of a hybrid
head of an additive manufacturing system, according to some
embodiments of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] Prior to the detailed description being set forth, it may be
helpful to set forth definitions of certain terms that will be used
hereinafter.
[0028] The term "monolithic attachment" as used in this application
refers to the connection of polymer parts at a level defined by
given product requirement. The level of monolithic attachment may
be selected according to the application. In certain embodiments,
the level of monolithic attachment may be such that any two layers,
strands and/or particles are separable only upon applying a certain
percentage (e.g., 70%, 80%, 90% or 100%, depending on the case) of
the force required to tear an equivalent uniform part. In certain
embodiments, the monolithic attachment may comprise connecting the
layers, strands and/or particles to each other in a uniform way
that does not leave traces of the connection interface that are
mechanically weaker than the surrounding material (roughly
equivalent to 100% force mentioned above).
[0029] In the following description, various aspects of the present
invention are described. For purposes of explanation, specific
configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a
thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will
also be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present
invention may be practiced without the specific details presented
herein. Furthermore, well known features may have been omitted or
simplified in order not to obscure the present invention. With
specific reference to the drawings, it is stressed that the
particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of
illustrative discussion of the present invention only, and are
presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most
useful and readily understood description of the principles and
conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is
made to show structural details of the invention in more detail
than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention,
the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those
skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be
embodied in practice.
[0030] Before at least one embodiment of the invention is explained
in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited
in its application to the details of construction and the
arrangement of the components set forth in the following
description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is
applicable to other embodiments that may be practiced or carried
out in various ways as well as to combinations of the disclosed
embodiments. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and
terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and
should not be regarded as limiting.
[0031] Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the
following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the
specification discussions utilizing terms such as "processing",
"computing", "calculating", "determining", "enhancing" or the like,
refer to the action and/or processes of a computer or computing
system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates
and/or transforms data represented as physical, such as electronic,
quantities within the computing system's registers and/or memories
into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within
the computing system's memories, registers or other such
information storage, transmission or display devices. Any of the
disclosed modules or units may be at least partially implemented by
a computer processor.
[0032] The present invention relates to additive manufacturing by
robotic 3D real production systems for direct manufacturing of real
objects that are subsequently used as products. The manufacturing
processes are streamlined to enable production of objects that meet
required industrial standards to replace intensive labor and
significant investments of production tooling. The present
invention enables real production of objects that are generally
hard to manufacture or expensive using conventional subtractive
manufacturing methodologies. Clearly, the present invention also
enables industrial production of small parts as well as production
of prototypes and production of simple and cheap parts.
[0033] Systems and methods of additive manufacturing are provided,
in which solid polymer material in form of strand(s) or particles
is continuously received, and its surface is heated peripherally to
liquefy the surface, using specified heating-related parameters
which are selected to maintain a central volume of the continuously
received solid polymer material in a solid state. The surface of a
polymer substrate is also liquefied, and the peripherally heated
surface of the continuously received solid polymer material is
attached to the liquefied surface of the polymer substrate,
followed by re-solidification of the liquefied surface to yield
monolithic attachment of the material to the substrate. Liquefying
only the surface of the material maintains some of its strength, as
well as its flexibility and material properties, and prevents
deformation and other changes upon solidification. The monolithic
attachment provides uniform and controllable industrial products,
which cannot currently be produced by polymer additive
manufacturing.
[0034] FIG. 1A is a high level schematic block diagram of an
additive manufacturing system 100, according to some embodiments of
the invention. Units in system 100 are illustrated schematically
and may be implemented in various ways, some of which illustrated
in the following figures. Units may be associated with processor(s)
99 for carrying out data processing related functions.
[0035] Additive manufacturing system 100 comprises one or more
feeder(s) configured to feed, continuously, solid polymer material
91 in form of at least one strand 90 and/or a plurality of
particles 95 and one or more tip(s) 110 configured to receive,
continuously, solid polymer material 91 from feeder(s) 150. In the
following, system 100 is sometimes described as having one tip 110
and one feeder 150 for simplicity, without limiting the scope of
the disclosure thereto. Tip 110 may be understood as handling a
single fed material strand or as handling multiple material
strands, as described below.
[0036] System 100 further comprises at least one heating element
120 configured to heat tip 110 to a specified temperature. At least
one heating element 120 is further configured to liquefy by heating
at least part of a surface 123 of a polymer substrate 80 (leaving a
bulk 124 of substrate 80 solid) and/or to liquefy by heating at
least part of a surface 121 of fed material 91 as the polymer
substrate, leaving a core 122 of material 91 solid. The actual
depth of the part(s) of surfaces 121, 123 which are liquefied may
vary depending on various parameters such as form and type of fed
material 91 and substrate 80 (respectively), heating-related
parameters as presented below etc. The depth of the liquefied
surfaces may be selected to maintain large enough material core 122
and substrate bulk 124 solid to provide required mechanical and
shape properties of the produced part, while optimizing the
solidification process and resulting part properties. For example,
deeper liquefied surfaces require more intense heating yet provide
more solidification time than shallower liquefied surfaces. The
surface depths may be monitored and adjusted as part of the
realtime process control described below.
[0037] In certain embodiments, up to 50% of the cross sectional
area of material 91 may be liquefied, leaving at least 50% of the
cross sectional area of material 91 solid. Liquefied surface parts
121 may be circumferential or may extend only to one or more sides
of the cross sectional area of material 91. For example, only one,
two or three sides of a square cross section may be liquefied.
[0038] Tip 110 and substrate surface 123 may be heated by the same
or by different heating elements 120. Tip 110 is further configured
to heat a surface 121 of continuously received solid polymer
material 91 peripherally to liquefy surface 121, using specified
heating-related parameters which are selected to maintain a central
volume 122 of continuously received solid polymer material 91 in a
solid state.
[0039] Advantageously with respect to prior art such as Carneiro et
al. 2015, (in which PP strands are molten prior to deposition),
heating only the periphery of the polymer substrate and of the
polymer material, possibly to a shallow depth and for a short time,
prevents shrinkage upon re-solidification 125 (denoted in FIG. 1A
by thick arrows) and ensures good shape control of the resulting
manufactured parts.
[0040] Moreover, disclosed systems 100 and methods 300 provide
additive manufacturing which is applicable to industrial processes
and enable additive manufacturing of actual industrial parts,
rather than merely of models as in the prior art. In particular,
quality control is integrated in the manufacturing process, which
provides uniform and closely monitored parts. Disclosed systems 100
and methods 300 are configured as robust additive manufacturing
system and methods which enable handling received materials in the
order of magnitude of several kilograms or several tens of
kilograms per hour. Clearly, multiple systems 100 may handle larger
amounts, and smaller system configurations may handle smaller
amounts and finer details (e.g., ranging down to grams).
[0041] Liquefying only the periphery of received material 91
maintains the material strength during manufacturing, enabling
production of overhanging structures (see e.g., FIGS. 7A, 7C, 7E,
7F below) without the need for additional supports and enables
guiding or flexing received material 91 during production to
achieve required shapes and surface/bulk features. The strength of
the material core which is maintained solid enables production of
overhanging structures without the need for additional supports,
which is unheard of in the current state of the art. The monolithic
attachment of received material 91 to substrate 80 maintains
uniform mechanical characteristics throughout the manufactured
parts.
[0042] The specified heating-related parameters may comprise, as
examples, a selection of the heat source (e.g., a contact heater, a
hot air or other convective heater, a radiative heater such as a
halogen or infrared heater, and inductive heater, a laser heater
etc.), a heating temperature, a heating duration as well as feeding
parameters such as a feeding velocity (or a feeding force) of solid
material 91, which determine the heating duration of fed material
91.
[0043] Additive manufacturing system 100 is further configured to
attach peripherally heated surface 121 of continuously received
solid polymer material 91 to liquefied surface 123/121 of polymer
substrate 80/91 (respectively), wherein the attachment to the
substrate is achieved by a re-solidification 125A/125B
(respectively) of the liquefied surface to yield monolithic
attachment. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, any of the following options
may be manufactured by system 100: two or more strands 90 may be
attached to each other (one or more strand(s) being the respective
substrate), particles 95 may be attached to each other (one or more
particle(s) being the respective substrate) and/or at least one
strand or particles as material 91 may be attached to substrate 80,
which may comprise a structure that was previously produced by
additive manufacturing system 100, e.g., one operating layer by
layer. Material 91 may be fed as bulk material, pellets, bids,
rods, wires etc., may possibly comprise more than one material to
provide composites, and may be possibly pre-processed. In any of
these cases, the same operation principle is used, namely
liquefying only the surfaces of the attached elements to provide
monolithic attachment without form change upon re-solidification.
This operation principle enables production of parts having
controlled and uniform characteristics.
[0044] Tip 110 may be further configured to receive, continuously,
a plurality of solid material strands 90, which are attached to
each other by re-solidification 125A of their liquefied surfaces
121, according to a spatial feeding configuration (e.g., a linear
arrangement of strands 90 next to each other, or other
configurations, see FIGS. 7A-7F for various non-limiting examples).
Attachment may be assisted by tip 110 being further configured to
press strands 90 against each other to enhance their attachment
and/or by feeder 150 being further configured to feed strands 90 at
specified angles with respect to each other that enhance their
attachment.
[0045] Tip(s) 110 may have a wide range of designs, corresponding
to fed material 91, heating requirements and product design. For
example, tip(s) 110 may comprise one or more openings, possibly
with different shapes and sizes, and each process or process step
may be used one, some or all of the openings. On or more opening in
tip 110 may have an adjustable cross section. Tip(s) 110 may
comprise additional elements such as co-dispensers of molten or
semi-molten material and/or vibration units (internal or external,
possibly using ultrasound). Tip(s) 110 may comprise guiding
elements to guide material movement through tip(s) 110, wipers
blending and smoothing material 91 and/or attached material 91 as
well as possibly pre-heating and post-cooling elements (e.g., laser
heating element).
[0046] Feeder(s) 150 may be further configured to control feeding
parameters of each strand 90 fed to tip 110. Feeding parameters may
be used to control the form of the produced part, e.g., gradually
increasing feeding speed in one direction of linearly fed strands
may be configured to yield a bend of the produced part to the
opposite direction --bending toward the slowly fed strands. For
example, e.g., strands which are fed at higher speed curve inwards,
toward strands which are fed at lower speed.
[0047] Strands 90 may have any form of cross section (e.g.,
rectangular, round, triangular, hexagonal etc., see FIGS. 3B, 4B,
5, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10A, and 11 for non-limiting examples) and may be
full or hollow (in case of hollow strands an inner periphery of the
hollow in the strand is left solid during attachment). Strand cross
section may be modified by the attaching process by the surface
liquefaction and possible due to applied pressure. Attached strands
90 may differ, e.g., one or more of strands 90 may be made of
different solid materials, one or more strands 90 may be reinforced
(e.g., by carbon fibers) and/or one or more of strands 90 may have
additive(s) (e.g., fillers, colorants etc.). Using strands 90 of
various types enables manufacturing complex parts, having
specifically designed features. For example, system 100 may be used
to manufacture parts such as containers having walls made of the
strands (see FIG. 2 for a non-limiting example). The walls may have
an external colored surface manufactured using external colored
strands, intermediate light weight bulk manufactured using middle
hollow, possible reinforced strands and inner passivated surface
manufactured using inner strands with corresponding additives that
suppress chemical reactivity.
[0048] System 100 may further comprise a strand production module
160 configured to produce strands 90, continuously and
simultaneously (on-line) with the feeding of strands 90 to tip 110.
Strands 90 may be produced from melting particles (e.g., by
extrusion) just prior to their use in tip 110, after undergoing
shape regulation in strand production module 160. For example,
strand production module 160 may be configured to adjust a cross
section of the produced strands according to specified attachment
and structural requirements. Alternatively or complementarily,
strands 90 may be fed by feeder 150 to tip 110 from rolls of strand
produced off-line with respect to the operation of system 100.
[0049] System 100 further comprises a positioning unit 130
configured to position tip(s) 110 with respect to substrate 80
according to a specified product design. Positioning unit 130 may
follow detailed additive manufacturing process parameters to
produce products or parts after specifications (which may be
adapted to the unique manufacturing characteristics of system 100).
Positioning unit 130 may comprise one or more robotic units
configured to position and maneuver tip(s) 110 according to the
designed manufacturing process. Positioning unit 130 may comprise
any of gantry(ies), bridge(s), robot(s), linear and rotary axes,
rails, pulley(ies) etc. Positioning unit 130 may be configured to
operate multiple tip(s) 110, possibly manufacturing multiple parts,
simultaneously.
[0050] Positioning unit 130 may be further configured to position
tip 110 to press peripherally heated surface 121 of continuously
received solid material 91 against substrate 80. Tip 110 may be
configured to continuously receive and attach to each other
multiple solid material strands 90, and position unit 130 may be
configured to positon tip 110 to simultaneously attach strands 90
to substrate 80 (see FIGS. 6A-6F for non-limiting examples).
[0051] System 100 further comprises a control module 140 configured
to control any of feeder(s) 150, heating element(s) 120 and
positioning unit 130 and to monitor the attachment in closed loop
to control a quality of the manufactured product. For example, the
closed loop control may be implemented by control module 140 being
configured to modify the feeding parameters and/or the specified
heating parameters to determine a depth of surface liquefaction 121
with respect to a geometry of substrate 80, while maintaining
central volume 122 in a solid state. Control module 140 may be
configured to modify the specified heating and/or feeding
parameters on-the-fly according to the monitored attachment and
controlled quality. It is emphasized that control module 140
provides continuous control of the manufacturing process (not
merely a layer-by-layer control as in other additive manufacturing
processes) and continuously ensures the quality of the produced
part.
[0052] Control module 140 may comprise multiple sensors 142 of
various types (e.g., laser scanners, cameras, IR sensors, inductive
and capacitance sensors, acoustic sensors, temperature sensors)
configured to monitor the production process, e.g., measure
positions of system elements, measure temperatures such as actual
material and nozzle temperature profile and compare to planned and
or past data, surface temperatures, measure material properties
(e.g., volume, material mixtures and properties of material
components) and their variation. Control module 140 is further
configured to correct any of the measured features by modifying
heating and feeding parameters, positioning unit movements etc. For
example, correction criteria may be set, such as volumetric and
dimensional constraints and tolerances for part parameters such as
size, surface features, flatness and perpendicularity, critical
features (e.g., a hole, a flange, connectors etc.), material
strength, standards, textures etc. Process corrections by control
module 140 may be carried out on the fly (real time) and/or at
spatio-temporal intervals or after production. Corrections may be
implemented by using the measured variation to (i) adjust the
planned dimension to actual manufactured features (adaptive
manufacturing, e.g., changing manufacturing parameters according to
certain shifts in the substrate), (ii) create gradual corrections
to gradually restore the dimensions to the original design, (iii)
suggest or prompt design modification, (iv) add supports that
correspond to monitored variation and/or (v) change material flow
characteristic (e.g., size of orifice in tip 110, temperature,
geometry of molten mass, process speed, etc.). Additionally or
alternatively, control module 140 may be configured to use other
devices or external elements 144 for carrying out the corrections
such as second end-effectors or elements--for example, heat/cooling
sources, wipers, hammer-like units, spindles and/or final machining
or other external robots or machines.
[0053] Solid polymer material 91 and/or polymer substrate 80 may
comprise polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene (PE) which have large
thermal expansion coefficients (in the order of magnitude of
10.sup.-4 m/(m K) and higher). System 100 and method 300 disclosed
below enable additive manufacturing at industrial scale using PP or
PE which is not possible with prior art technology, as the latter
liquefies all the material, which then undergoes shape and
dimensional changes upon re-solidification that contort the
manufactured product and result in uneven mechanical properties of
the product. In contrast, the disclosed systems and methods
maintain the form and the mechanical properties of solid central
volume 122 of the polymer material and provide uniform
re-solidification and uniform mechanical attachment of material 91
to substrate 80 resulting in shape and mechanical properties of the
manufactured products which can be designed to yield industrially
viable parts. Moreover, the closed loop process controls provides
on-line verification of the quality of manufacturing, ensuring
uniform part batches according to design and having uniform
mechanical properties. Clearly, polymer materials with smaller
thermal expansion coefficients (e.g., in the order of magnitude of
10.sup.-5 m/(m K) and lower, e.g., ABS-acrylonitrile butadiene
styrene, PC-polycarbonate etc.) may also be used.
[0054] System 100 may further comprise a design module 102
configured to produce a proper process design of given parts using
system 100. For example, material 91 may be optimized for certain
requirements, added layers may be design according to product
requirements, positioning unit movements may be minimized, material
cuttings reduced and special features may be adapted for the
additive manufacturing (e.g., sharp corners). Design module 102 may
receive modifications from control module 140 during and after
manufacturing to improve the process design and the manufacturing
process.
[0055] FIG. 1B is a high level schematic illustration of a flow in
additive manufacturing system 100 and their modification
possibilities, according to some embodiments of the invention. FIG.
1B illustrates schematically the flow, starting from raw material
such as polymer particles 95 which may comprise PP or any other
thermoplastic polymer possibly with various additives (e.g., UV
protective materials, fillers) and various reinforcement components
(e.g., carbon fibers, glass fibers etc.), which is drawn to strands
90 by an extruder 161 as a non-limiting example, either on-line or
off-line with respect to the operation of system 100. Strands 90
may have any cross section (round, square, triangular), any
dimension or form, and may be co-extruded from more than one
extruder and comprise multiple materials. Extruder(s) 161 may be
controlled 141 by control unit 140 to provide strands that
correspond to product requirements and to provide online closed
loop manufacturing control and quality assurance (QA).
[0056] Positioning unit 130 may comprise any system such as robotic
units, arms, gantries, bridges or even remotely controlled
rotorcraft(s), and may also be controlled 141 by control unit 140
to control the positions and movements of components of system 100
(at all directions) and particularly of tip(s) 110 according to
product requirements and to provide online closed loop QA.
[0057] Feeder(s) 150 may comprise a strand timing module 151 which
feeds strands 90 to tip 110, possibly at different speeds relating
to the geometric configurations of part production, heating
parameters, strand materials and possibly synchronized with
extruder(s) 161. Feeder(s) 150 and/or strand timing module 151 may
be controlled 141 by control unit 140 to control the feeding
parameters of each strand (together or separately) according to
product requirements and to provide online closed loop QA. Strand
timing module 151 enables exact control on strand feeding speed and
provides full control on the geometry of the manufactured product,
e.g., by providing feeding speeds that correspond to specific
product radii and surface features, by providing corresponding
strands to specific product parts and modifying the composition of
strands during manufacturing and so forth.
[0058] Tip(s) 110 may comprise any multi-channel unit for handling
multiple strands and for heating and attaching the strands to
provide manufactured stripes (see FIGS. 3B, 6A-6F, 7A, 7D-11) to be
added to substrate 80. Tip(s) 110 may have various cross sections,
constant or variable, and may enable control of the feeding angles
of the strands. Heating element(s) 120 may utilize various heating
technologies as listed above (contact, convection, radiation,
induction, laser etc.) to heat tip(s) 110 and substrate 80, in
either same or different means and according to corresponding
requirements. The heating levels as part of the heating parameters
may be adjusted according to product specifications, geometry and
strand materials, and may be controlled 141 by control unit 140 to
according to product requirements and to provide online closed loop
quality assurance (QA).
[0059] System 100 may comprise an attachment unit 135 configured to
attach material 91 with liquefied surface to substrate 80, e.g.,
attach a stripe 180 (see e.g., FIGS. 3B and 6F) to substrate 80
controllably, e.g., using a roller. System 100 may further comprise
a cutting unit 170 configured to cut edges of stripes 180 to
provide finish requirements of the produced parts (e.g., using a
laser cutter). Once additive manufacturing 300 is finished, the
manufactured product is removed from the manufacturing region 190
(or system 100 moves to a different production region) and the
product is completed 195 (e.g., is added components, finished,
assembled, etc.) and tested.
[0060] FIG. 2 is a high level schematic illustration of system 100
additively manufacturing a cylindrical part, according to some
embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2 schematically illustrates
substrate 80 as an additively-manufactured cylindrical part such as
container, possibly positioned on a turntable (associated with
positioning unit 130 and controlled by control unit 140) and being
produced by additive manufacturing via tip 110 receiving material
from feeder 150 and positioned by positioning unit 300. Control
unit 140 is not shown, yet may comprise remote user interface
(e.g., via a cloud service, communication link, etc.), a design
module and corresponding monitoring and control software. The
cylindrical part may be manufactured simultaneously by multiple
tip(s) 110.
[0061] FIGS. 3A and 3B are high level schematic illustrations of
tips 110 and positioning unit 130 of system 100, according to some
embodiments of the invention. In the illustrated non-limiting
design, positioning unit 130 may comprise motor(s) 131 configured
to position tip 110 correctly, a cavity 112 through which material
91 is fed and a plunger as an aperture control member 111
configured to modify the size and possibly form of an aperture 110A
in tip 110. Plunger 111 is possibly controlled by one of motor(s)
131. Heating the surface of material 91 may be carried out via
aperture control member 111 (such as the plunger) and/or via cavity
112. One or more tip 110 may be used to deposit material on
substrate 80 in any direction, e.g., on horizontal or vertical
surfaces of substrate 80. The deposited material may comprise
attached broad strands 90 and/or stripes 180 composed from thin
strands 90 attached to each other in tip 110.
[0062] FIGS. 4A and 4B are high level schematic illustrations of
tips 110 of system 100, according to some embodiments of the
invention. In FIG. 4A, aperture control member 111 is illustrated
as a rotary unit with a channel of variable opening. Upon rotation
of rotary unit 111, the size and form of aperture 110A in tip 110
changes to modify the extruded material. In FIG. 4B, aperture
control member 111 is illustrated as a rotatable rod having a
varying profile that controls a number of available apertures 110A
in tip 110, which may receive strands 90. Heating the surface of
material 91 may be carried out via aperture control member 111
(such as the rotary unit or rotatable rod) and/or via cavity
112.
[0063] FIG. 5 is a high level schematic illustration of exemplary
strand production module 160 and tip 110, according to some
embodiments of the invention. In the illustrated non-limiting
embodiments, strand production module 160 may comprise a piston
162A pushing raw material 95 such as pellets into a raw material
container 162B. The raw material is then melted by heater 162C and
extruded by extruder 161 (e.g., a dosage pump driven by motor 131
through multiple holes) to provide solid strands 90 to tip 110, in
which the surfaces of strands 90 may be liquefied prior to their
attachment. Aperture control member 111 may be configured similarly
to the illustration in FIG. 4B to control the number of strands 95
provided to tip 110 and exiting aperture(s) 110A.
[0064] FIGS. 6A-6F are high level schematic illustrations of system
100 using strands 90 as added material 91, according to some
embodiments of the invention. FIG. 6A schematically illustrates
feeder 150 receiving strands 90 and directing them to tip 110 and
comprises strand timing module 151 having a plurality of motors 131
and wheels 152 driven by respective motors 131 and configured to
move and control strands 90 fed to tip 110 (e.g., with respect to
required manufacturing geometry). Sensors 142 may be configured to
provide feedback on strand status (e.g., strand presence and type,
velocity etc.). The separate control of each strand 90 provides
precise control on the manufacturing process. FIG. 6B schematically
illustrates attachment unit 135 comprising a guiding roller 135C,
side rollers 135B and an attachment roller 135C configured,
respectively, to guide strands 90 towards tip 110, secure the
lateral positions of strands 90 and possibly press strands 90
against each other, and ensure adhesion and contact between strands
90 and/or attached strands 180 and substrate 80. Positioning unit
130 may further comprise a piston 135D for pressing tip 110 against
substrate. Attachment of strands 90 to substrate 80 may comprise a
relative movement therebetween to enhance the uniformity of the
re-solidification. Heating element 120 may be positioned adjacent
to attachment unit 135 to liquefy strand surfaces. Feeder 150 may
comprise guides 153 configured to feed strands 90 at specified
angles into tip 110, either parallel or at specified angles which
may be selected to provide additional lateral pressure among
strands 90 that may be selected to further enhance their
attachment. Guides 153 may be configured to provide a selected
spatial configuration of strands 90, as exemplified below. FIG. 6C
schematically illustrates substrate 80 having strands 90 attached
to each other to form stripe 180 which is simultaneously of
consecutively attached as added material 185 to substrate 80.
Either or both substrate 80 and tip 110 may be moved to provide
continuous addition of material 185. Re-solidification 125 is shown
schematically, both for strands 90 attaching to each other and for
stripe 180 to substrate 80.
[0065] FIGS. 6D and 6E are perspective bottom view and perspective
top view, respectively, of feeder 150, strand timing module 151 and
tip 110, according to some embodiments of the invention. Heater
unit 120 is illustrated at the bottom of the device and may be
configured to heat substrate 80, e.g. by hot air convection, and
possibly also strands 90. FIG. 6F schematically illustrates tip 110
with heating element 120 configured to liquefy the strand surfaces
and optionally liquefy the surface of substrate 80 to provide
attachment and monolithic re-solidification of strands 90 to
substrate 80. Strand and substrate heating may be carried out by a
single heating element 120 or by multiple heating elements 120.
[0066] FIGS. 7A-7F are high level schematic configurations of
attached strands at various spatial configurations 185A-F,
according to some embodiments of the invention. Individual strands
are illustrated as being separate for clarity of the explanation,
although they are monolithically attached in the actual
manufactured product or part. Any of the spatial configurations may
comprise multiple steps of additive manufacturing of strands. FIG.
7A schematically illustrates a spatial configuration 185A of
strands 90 that yields a hanging, bench-like structure. Strands may
be added in sequential addition steps utilizing a varying number of
strands attached to each other prior to deposition, to provide
strength in the horizontal direction. FIG. 7B schematically
illustrates a spatial configuration 185B of strands 90 that yields
a flange having adjustable fine scale characteristics that are
determined according to the specific strand feeding configuration.
FIG. 7C schematically illustrates a spatial configuration 185C of
strands 90 that yields a complex structure that is nevertheless
monolithically attached and has uniform mechanical properties
across the structure. The disclosed system 100 and method 300
provide the capability to modify and monitor a highly versatile
spatial strand configuration to yield many complex structures. FIG.
7D schematically illustrates a spatial configuration 185D of
strands 90 that yields a partially hollow intermediate layer
(185D-2, having zigzag-attached strands) between an inner and an
outer continuous layers, 185D-1 and, respectively. Spatial
configuration 185D may be used e.g., to reduce the weight of a
produced cylindrical part (see FIG. 2) by intermediate layer
185D-2, while providing required properties of the inner and outer
surfaces thereof. FIG. 7E schematically illustrates a spatial
configuration 185E of strands 90 that yields an overhang that
provide a dome-like structure without requiring any supports as in
traditional 3D printing. The mechanical strength results from
strands 90 attached to each other prior to their deposition. FIG.
7F schematically illustrates a spatial configuration 185F of
flattened strands 90/180 that yields an overhang that provides a
dome-like structure. Flattened strands 180 may be produced from
attached thin strands or may be received in broad strand form as
fed material 91.
[0067] FIGS. 8A-11 are high level schematic illustrations of
various types of strands 90 and their attachment, according to some
embodiments of the invention. FIGS. 8A and 8B schematically
illustrate strands 90A having a complex H-like profile which
complement each other upon attaching strands 90A into stripe 180A,
the respective protrusions and recesses in the profile supporting
the attachment by surface liquefaction. FIGS. 9A and 9B
schematically illustrate strands 90B having hexagonal profiles
(that may be solid or hollow), which complement lower and upper
deposited strands 90B upon attachment into stripe 180B and onto
substrate 80 (not shown). FIGS. 10A and 10B schematically
illustrate strands 90C having hollow profiles (the outer periphery
of the hollow is maintained solid during attachment of strands 90C)
providing stripe 180C with hollows that reduce their weight and may
enable insertion of wires into the hollows. FIG. 11 schematically
illustrates strands 90D having round profiles which are attached to
form stripe 180D having a rectangular profile, achieved by the
surface melting of strands 90D, possibly under application of some
lateral pressure or guidance. The cores of strands 90D are
maintained solid during the attachment process to avoid thermal
deformation.
[0068] Elements from FIGS. 1A and 1B as well as from FIGS. 2-11 may
be combined in any operable combination, and the illustration of
certain elements in certain figures and not in others merely serves
an explanatory purpose and is non-limiting.
[0069] FIG. 12 is a high level flowchart illustrating a method 300
of additive manufacturing, according to some embodiments of the
invention. The method stages may be carried out with respect to
system 100 described above, which may optionally be configured to
implement method 300. Method 300 may be partially implemented, with
respect to the control processes, by at least one computer
processor. Certain embodiments comprise computer program products
comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer
readable program embodied therewith and configured to carry out of
the relevant stages of method 300.
[0070] Method 300 comprises receiving, continuously, solid polymer
material in form of at least one strand or a plurality of particles
(stage 310), heating a surface of the continuously received solid
polymer material peripherally to liquefy the surface, using
specified heating-related parameters which are selected to maintain
a central volume of the continuously received solid polymer
material in a solid state (stage 340), optionally selecting
heating-related parameters to maintain the center solid (stage
342). Method 300 further comprises liquefying a surface of a
polymer substrate (stage 350), maintaining the bulk of the
substrate solid (stage 352), and attaching the peripherally heated
surface of the continuously received solid polymer material to the
liquefied surface of the polymer substrate, wherein the attachment
to the polymer substrate is achieved by a re-solidification of the
liquefied surface to yield monolithic attachment (stage 360).
Substrate comprising a structure that was previously produced by
method 300 may be used (stage 354). Receiving 310 may comprise
receiving continuously, a plurality of solid material strands
(stage 312) and attaching 360 may comprise attaching the plurality
of strands to each other, according to a spatial feeding
configuration (stage 314), such as a linear arrangement of the
strands next to each other (stage 320). Method 300 may further
comprise pressing the strands against each other to enhance the
attaching (stage 316). Method 300 may further comprise feeding the
strands at specified angles with respect to each other to enhance
the attaching (stage 318). Method 300 may further comprise
controlling feeding parameters of each strand to be received (stage
322) to control the form of the manufactured product and to control
the heating period of the strands. Alternatively or
complementarily, attaching 360 may comprise attaching the strands
to each other and, simultaneously, attaching the strands to the
substrate (stage 366). Alternatively or complementarily, method 300
may comprise using polymer particles as the solid polymer material
(stage 330).
[0071] Method 300 may further comprise continuously producing the
strands to be received (stage 324), e.g., by extrusion. Method 300
may further comprise adjusting a cross section of the produced
strands according to specified attachment and structural
requirements (stage 326) and possibly using hollow strand(s),
strands of different solid materials, reinforced strand(s) and
strand(s) with additive(s) (stage 328).
[0072] Method 300 may further comprise carrying out attaching 360
with respect to the substrate according to a specified product
design (stage 362). In certain embodiments, method 300 may further
comprise pressing the peripherally heated surface of the
continuously received solid material against the liquefied surface
of the substrate (stage 364).
[0073] Method 300 may further comprise optimizing the specified
heating-related parameters such as the choice of heat source,
adjustment of the heating temperature, the heating duration and the
feeding velocity of the solid material (stage 344) and optionally
modifying the specified heating-related parameters to determine and
control a depth of surface liquefaction with respect to a geometry
of the substrate, while maintaining the central volume in a solid
state (stage 346). Method 300 may further comprise continuously
controlling a manufacturing process according to method 300 and/or
monitoring the attaching in closed loop to control a quality of a
manufactured product (stage 372) and optionally modifying the
specified heating-related parameters on-the-fly according to the
monitored attachment, manufacturing process and controlled quality
(stage 374). Method 300 may further comprise modifying the
attaching location (e.g., according to the closed-loop monitoring)
to compensate for geometry deviation from a desired parameter such
as position, volume, tolerance etc. (stage 376).
[0074] FIG. 13A is a high level schematic illustration of an
additive manufacturing system 400 comprising a printing head 410
and a routing head 420, according to some embodiments of the
invention.
[0075] System 400 may comprise a printing head 410 and a routing
head 420 coupled to a positioning unit 440. In various embodiments,
positioning unit 440 is identical to positioning units 130 as
described above with respect to FIGS. 1-6.
[0076] FIG. 13B is a high level schematic illustration of a
printing head 410 of an additive manufacturing system 400,
according to some embodiments of the invention.
[0077] Printing head 410 may be configured to perform polymer
additive manufacturing (e.g., as described above with respect to
FIGS. 1-13). Printing head 410 may comprise a tip 412 that may be
identical to tips 110 as described above with respect to FIGS. 2-6.
Printing head 410 may comprise feeder(s), heating element(s),
cutting unit(s) and/or attachment unit(s) that may be identical to
feeder(s) 150, heating element(s) 120, cutting unit(s) 170 and
attachment unit(s) 135, respectively, as described above with
respect to FIGS. 2-6.
[0078] FIG. 13C is a high level schematic illustration of a routing
head 420 of an additive manufacturing system 400, according to some
embodiments of the invention.
[0079] Routing head 420 may be configured to perform on-line
processing (e.g., drilling, routing, etc.) of the material (e.g.,
strands 90 and/or stripes 180, as described above with respect to
FIGS. 1-11). In various embodiments, routing head 420 is configured
to operate simultaneously and/or in a sequence with operation
printing head 410. Routing head 420 may comprise a holder 422
configured to receive and hold a processing tool 424. In various
embodiments, processing tool 424 comprises a spindle, a drill head,
a tapping head, a knife head and/or an ironing head.
[0080] Routing head 420 may comprise rotary axes 426 (e.g.,
hinges), for example, a first rotary axis 426a and/or a second
rotary axis 426b. Rotary axes 426 may be configured to enable
orientation and/or positioning of processing tool 424 at a
predetermined orientation and/or position with respect to processes
material (e.g., strands 90 and/or stripes 180). In some
embodiments, a robotic unit (not shown) may be used to position
and/or orient processing tool 424.
[0081] FIG. 13D is a high level schematic illustration of a hybrid
head 430 of an additive manufacturing system 400, according to some
embodiments of the invention.
[0082] Hybrid head 430 may comprise printing head 410 that may
comprise, for example tip 412, feeder(s), heating element(s),
cutting unit(s) and/or attachment unit(s) (e.g., as described above
with respect to FIG. 13B) and routing head 420 that may comprise,
for example, holder 422, processing tool 424 and/or rotary axes 426
(e.g., as described above with respect to FIG. 13C).
[0083] In various embodiments, printing head 410 and/or routing
head 420 are detachably coupled to hybrid head 430. For example, at
least one of printing head 410 and/or routing head 420 may be
detached from hybrid head 430. In various embodiments, orientation
and/or position of processing tool 424 (e.g., spindle) of routing
head 420 is adjusted with respect to printing head 410 using, for
example, rotary axes (e.g., hinges) 426.
[0084] Referring back to FIGS. 13A-13D, printing head 410 and
routing head 420 may be configured to operate in a sequence with
respect to each other. In some embodiments, printing (e.g.,
addition of material by tip 412 of printing head 410) is performed
prior to processing (e.g., routing) of the material. In some
embodiments, processing of the material (e.g., routing) by routing
head 420 is performed prior to printing (e.g., addition of
material) by printing head 410 to, for example, prepare the
material for printing.
[0085] In various embodiments, printing head 410 and routing head
420 may be configured to operate simultaneously to, for example,
complement and/or correct each other. For example, routing head 420
may remove access material while printing head 420 may add material
to cover milled areas. In another example, printing head 410 may
attach additional layers that may obstruct access to desired areas
of substrate 80, while routing head 420 may drill and/or route
substrate 80 to enable the access to the desired areas.
[0086] In various embodiments, printing head 410 and routing head
420 are mounted on same and/or separate motion axes. In various
embodiments, printing head 410 is mounted on a first positioning
unit (e.g., positioning unit 440) and routing head 420 is mounted
on a second positioning unit (e.g., positioning unit 440), where
the first and the second positioning units may be configured to
operate simultaneously and/or in a sequence with respect to each
other.
[0087] Aspects of the present invention are described above with
reference to flowchart illustrations and/or portion diagrams of
methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products
according to embodiments of the invention. It will be understood
that each portion of the flowchart illustrations and/or portion
diagrams, and combinations of portions in the flowchart
illustrations and/or portion diagrams, can be implemented by
computer program instructions. These computer program instructions
may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer,
special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing
apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which
execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable
data processing apparatus, create means for implementing the
functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or portion diagram
portion or portions.
[0088] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a
computer readable medium that can direct a computer, other
programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to
function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored
in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture
including instructions which implement the function/act specified
in the flowchart and/or portion diagram portion or portions.
[0089] The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a
computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other
devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on
the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to
produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions
which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus
provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in
the flowchart and/or portion diagram portion or portions.
[0090] The aforementioned flowchart and diagrams illustrate the
architecture, functionality, and operation of possible
implementations of systems, methods and computer program products
according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this
regard, each portion in the flowchart or portion diagrams may
represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises
one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified
logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some
alternative implementations, the functions noted in the portion may
occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two
portions shown in succession may, in fact, be executed
substantially concurrently, or the portions may sometimes be
executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality
involved. It will also be noted that each portion of the portion
diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of
portions in the portion diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can
be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that
perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special
purpose hardware and computer instructions.
[0091] In the above description, an embodiment is an example or
implementation of the invention. The various appearances of "one
embodiment", "an embodiment", "certain embodiments" or "some
embodiments" do not necessarily all refer to the same embodiments.
Although various features of the invention may be described in the
context of a single embodiment, the features may also be provided
separately or in any suitable combination. Conversely, although the
invention may be described herein in the context of separate
embodiments for clarity, the invention may also be implemented in a
single embodiment. Certain embodiments of the invention may include
features from different embodiments disclosed above, and certain
embodiments may incorporate elements from other embodiments
disclosed above. The disclosure of elements of the invention in the
context of a specific embodiment is not to be taken as limiting
their use in the specific embodiment alone. Furthermore, it is to
be understood that the invention can be carried out or practiced in
various ways and that the invention can be implemented in certain
embodiments other than the ones outlined in the description
above.
[0092] The invention is not limited to those diagrams or to the
corresponding descriptions. For example, flow need not move through
each illustrated box or state, or in exactly the same order as
illustrated and described. Meanings of technical and scientific
terms used herein are to be commonly understood as by one of
ordinary skill in the art to which the invention belongs, unless
otherwise defined. While the invention has been described with
respect to a limited number of embodiments, these should not be
construed as limitations on the scope of the invention, but rather
as exemplifications of some of the preferred embodiments. Other
possible variations, modifications, and applications are also
within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of the
invention should not be limited by what has thus far been
described, but by the appended claims and their legal
equivalents.
* * * * *