3D PRINTER WITH COUPLING FOR ATTACHING PRINT HEAD AND ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT TO HEAD CARRIAGE

• Main Authors: Weeks Bethany, Schuller Peter D, Nadeau Jordan Paul, Barclay Aaron, Dunn Benjamin N
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 01.03.2018
• 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

A 3D printer includes a gantry configured to move in a plane substantially parallel to a build plane. The system includes a platen configured to support a part being built in a layer by layer process, wherein the platen is configured to move in a direction substantially normal to the build plane. The system includes a head carriage carried by the gantry wherein the head carriage includes a first support member carrying a first retaining mechanism and a second support member carrying a second retailing mechanism. The first and second retaining mechanisms are both configured to receive and retain the print head or the additional equipment wherein both the removable print head and the removable additional equipment have substantially a same interface with the head carriage. Non-limiting examples of addition equipment includes a blower configured to discharge a stream of heating or cooling gas, a light, a sensor, a laser, a contact chiller, a roller, a cutting instrument, a bead shaping instrument, a dispenser, a bead blaster, a camera and/or a vacuum.