Multi-tool fabrication machine

Abstract

A self-configuring computer-controlled fabrication apparatus that utilizes no fewer than four user changeable tools concurrently installed to fabricate a three-dimensional component from digital design data out of a variety of materials using additive and/or subtractive methods. User interchangeable tools perform different tasks including paste extrusion, filament extrusion, inkjet deposition, laser curing, laser etching, milling, cooling, curing, inspection, and component placement, among others. Each tool, that is selected and installed by the user for each job, contains operational information regarding its performance in nonvolatile memory such that the system can read, then adapt, the build process to the set of tools currently installed.

Claims

1. A self-configuring computer-controlled fabrication apparatus that utilizes no fewer than four user changeable tools concurrently installed to fabricate a component from digital design data.

2. The apparatus in claim 1 in which at least one tool fabricates components additively and at least one tool subsequently modifies the material deposited by the additive tool.

3. The apparatus in claim 1 in which at least one tool fabricates components additively and at least one tool fabricates components via subtraction.

4. The apparatus in claim 1 in which at least two tools fabricate components additively through uniquely different additive processes.

5. The apparatus in claim 1 in which each tool shares the same type of physical and electrical connection between the tool and the tool carriage.

6. The apparatus in claim 5 in which any type of tool can be installed into any tool slot on the apparatus's tool carriage.

7. The apparatus in claim 1 in which each tool contains a non-volatile memory containing information about the identity, function, and performance of the tool.

8. The apparatus in claim 7 in which the apparatus automatically selects a build process based on the tools loaded in it.

9. A self-configuring computer-controlled fabrication apparatus that utilizes no fewer than four user changeable tools concurrently installed to additively fabricate a component from digital design data in layers of different thickness for each tool.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0035] FIG. 1Multi-tool fabrication machine without any tools installed. The fabrication apparatus 1 consists of an electronics cabinet 2 that contains such items as a power supply, computer, and relays. The electronics cabinet 2 coordinates the movement of the X-Axis 3, Y-Axis 4, and Z-Axis 5. The coordinated motion of the three axes provide controlled relative positioning of the build platform 6 to the tool carriage 7.

[0036] FIG. 2The multi-tool fabrication machine with tools installed. The tool carriage 7 contains four slots in which individual tools of any type can be installed. In this example, two extrusion tools 8 that are capable of depositing materials in paste format are installed on the rear two slots of the tool carriage 7. A laser tool 9 and an FDM tool 18 are installed in the front two slots.

[0037] FIG. 3The extrusion tool. The extrusion tool 8 is an additive paste extrusion tool that can be plugged into the tool carriage 7 by the user. The extrusion tool 8 is used to deposit materials in paste form that are subsequently cured by exposure to air, or by other means such as heat.

[0038] FIG. 4The laser tool. The laser tool 9 is a subtractive or curing tool that can be plugged into the tool carriage 7 by the user. The laser tool 9 is used to either etch target material with text (e.g. part numbers, etc.) or a surface finish. It may also be used to cure target material with heat (e.g. epoxy, cake batter, etc.).

[0039] FIG. 5The FDM tool. The FDM tool 18 is an additive plastic filament extrusion tool that can be plugged into the tool carriage 7 by the user. The FDM tool 18 is used to deposit a variety of plastics.

[0040] FIG. 6The milling cutter tool. The milling cutter tool 22 is a subtractive cutting tool that can be plugged into the tool carriage 7 by the user. The milling cutter tool 22 is used to trim previously deposited surfaces to improve surface finish, or to mill away material in a manner similar to a CNC milling machine.

APPARATUS DETAILS

[0041] A fabrication machine 1 such as the one shown in FIG. 1 consisting of an electronics cabinet 2 containing power regulation components, a computer, and various electronic components to monitor and control devices on the machine. The computer moves the build platform 6 in the direction of the X-Axis 3 and independently moves the tool carriage 7 in the Y-Axis 4 and Z-Axis 5. For clarity, the tool carriage 7 shown in FIG. 1 is empty. There are no tools loaded in it. It can contain four separate tools in its four tool slots as installed by the user. Each tool slot can be raised or lowered independently by a linear stepper motor dedicated to that tool slot. This secondary Z motion drive allows other tools to move out of the way (up) when one tool is in position (down) and performing its function.

[0042] Tools are inserted by the user. They are mated to the tool carriage 7 with four guide pins. As the tool is pushed upon the guide pins electrical connectors 14 on the tool align with receiving electrical connectors on the tool carriage 7. When fulling inserted, each tool latches into place preventing it from being removed without actively releasing the latch. FIG. 2 shows the fabrication machine 1 loaded with two extrusion tools 8 one laser tool 9, and one FDM tool 18 for example. The machine can be loaded with any combination of tool located in any combination of tool slot.

[0043] FIG. 3 shows what an extrusion tool 8 consists of. Model material paste 15 is contained within a syringe 11 that fits within the extrusion tool 8. A stepper motor 12 that is controlled by the same computer that controls the X,Y, and Z motion of the tool carriage 7 also controls depression of the syringe 11 plunger to synchronize model material paste 15 output through the nozzle outlet 10 relative to X, Y, and Z motion. The resulting extruded model material bead 16 can be turned on or off, and controlled in width and thickness as the rate of syringe 11 plunger depression is increased or reduced relative to the speed of the tool carriage 7 over the build platform 6. When the extrusion tool 8 is inserted into the fabrication machine 1, the carriage connections 14 of the extrusion tool 8 mate with receiving connectors on the tool carriage 7. This electrical connection provides power and control to the tool from the electronics contained within the electronics cabinet 2 as well as information regarding the function of the tool through the non-volatile memory carried on the tool. The extrusion tool 8 is an additive fabrication tool.

[0044] FIG. 4 shows what a laser tool 9 consists of. As with all other tools, the carriage connections 14 mate with receiving connectors on the tool carriage 7 to provide power and control to the tool as well as to identify the tool through its nonvolatile memory. The laser tool 9 contains a laser module 17 that generates a concentrated intense beam of light capable of heating whatever it is shining on. Depending on the target material, that beam of light can be used to melt material, vaporize material, burn material, or just cure material. The strength of the laser beam can be increased or reduced by the control electronics. As the laser beam is traced over the material it is shining on, the strength is modulated in synchronization with the X, Y, and Z position of the tool. The laser tool 9 is a subtractive fabrication tool.

[0045] FIG. 5 shows what an FDM tool 18 consists of. As with all other tools, the carriage connections 14 mate with receiving connectors on the tool carriage 7 to provide power and control to the tool as well as to identify the tool through its nonvolatile memory. During operation, plastic filament is drawn into the top of the FDM tool 18 behind the cooling fan 19 by the filament motor 20. As the filament motor 20 pushes the filament into the FDM tool 18 it is melted before it is extruded out of the FDM nozzle 21. Once out of the FDM nozzle 21 the melted plastic cools and hardens to form a bead of hard plastic material. The filament motor 20 is controlled by the same computer that controls the X,Y, and Z motion of the tool carriage 7. The speed of the filament motor 20 is synchronized relative to X, Y, and Z motion allowing the resulting plastic bead to be thicker or wider as the filament motor 20 speed is increased or reduced relative to the speed of the tool carriage 7 over the build platform 6. The FDM tool 18 is an additive fabrication tool.

[0046] FIG. 6 shows what a milling cutter tool 22 consists of. As with all other tools, the carriage connections 14 mate with receiving connectors on the tool carriage 7 to provide power and control to the tool as well as to identify the tool through its nonvolatile memory. The milling blade 24 is spun by the milling cutter motor 23 which is actuated in both rotational speed and rotational direction by the electronics within the electronics cabinet 2. The milling cutter tool 22 is a subtractive fabrication tool.

Apparatus Operation

[0047] The multi-tool fabrication machine operates on digital data the way a common 3D printer does. It accepts a 3D model of the desired component(s) in STL, AMF, GERBER, or G-CODE file format. 3D models can be generated from a variety of sources including computer aided design systems, scanners, or tomography data. Once the user transfers the input file(s) to the multi-tool fabrication machine via network or USB stick, they must select which tools and materials to use for the job. The tools and materials dictate how the machine can build the desired component requesting the user associate specific portions of the input file(s) to a specific tool and material. The user selects tools by simply installing them into the machine. The machine automatically recognizes the tool and its capabilities. Depending on which tools are installed, the system may also request a desired resolution and/or surface finish on specific faces of the input file because there may be multiple uses of certain tools within one build job.

[0048] The general build process is as follows:

[0049] 1. The user creates an STL/AMF surface representation or G-CODE/GERBER tool path representation of their desired component.

[0050] 2. The file is loaded into the Multi-tool Fabrication Machine via network or USB.

[0051] 3. The user installs the tools they want used to build their component into the Multi-tool Fabrication Machine.

[0052] 4. The user installs a build plate along with any existing component to be printed upon, or any raw material that will be subtracted from.

[0053] 5. The user initiates a build job and the machine uses a distance sensor mounted to the underside of the tool carriage to scan the build platform to determine if it is empty or has an existing component or raw material on it.

[0054] 6. If the build platform is empty, the machine uses the scan to establish the planarity of the build platform and adjusts the slicing plane accordingly.

[0055] 7. If the table is not empty, a high resolution scan of the build platform is done and the user is prompted if the existing material on the build plate is to be added to, or is raw material to be subtracted from.

[0056] 8. The machine then reads the tool types and capabilities and presents the user the viable options for the fabrication of their component. For additive tools, a material type is requested. For subtractive tools, further tool details are requested (like cutting blade diameter), as well as the function the user wishes to perform with that tool. The user then associates each tool with an input file.

[0057] 9. Based on the shape of any existing component on the build platform, and the shape of the new components and the model material(s) selected, the machine makes a recommendation for support material.

[0058] 10. The machine then slices each input file per the tool and material selected for that file. Note that the slice thicknesses for different tools do not have to be the same. For example, the filament fused deposition (FDM) tool may deposit plastic in layers that are 0.25 mm thick while an Extrusion tool may deposit silicone in layers that are 0.33 mm thick. Software keeps track of the height of each tool's deposition on all loaded model files to avoid any overlapping conflicts. Slices are then sequenced based on their thickness, the materials used, and the dictated additive and/or subtractive operations.

[0059] 11. Step 10 is repeated until the entire height of the new component has been sliced and deposited (in the case of an additive build), or sliced and removed (in the case of a subtractive build).