EXTRUSION FOR 3D PRINTING

• Main Authors: DE PAUW, Jan, GALLE, Jonas
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 22.11.2023
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

An extruder for 3D printing includes an outlet for providing extruded material and a feedstock inlet piece for receiving material into the extruder, including cooling means for cooling said material. A reservoir is connected to the outlet and connects with the feedstock inlet piece via a channel. The channel width is lower than the reservoir width. The extruder further comprises at least one heater for melting material in the reservoir, and a controller for controlling the temperature gradient of the material through the channel. The controller is configured to maintain the level of molten material at least at the junction between the reservoir and the channel or along the channel during extrusion. This allows providing extrusion by the material introduced through the feedstock inlet piece and pushing on the molten material in the reservoir.