Ribbon filament and assembly for use in extrusion-based digital manufacturing systems

摘要

A consumable material for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising a length and a cross-sectional profile of at least a portion of the length that is axially asymmetric. The cross-sectional profile is configured to provide a response time with a non-cylindrical liquefier of the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system that is faster than a response time achievable with a cylindrical filament in a cylindrical liquefier for a same thermally limited, maximum volumetric flow rate.

主权项

1. A non-cylindrical ribbon filament for use in an extrusion-based digital manufacturing system with a ribbon liquefier to build a three-dimensional model in a layer-by-layer manner, the ribbon filament comprising:
a composition comprising at least one extrudable material; a length that is continuous for at least a distance such that the ribbon filament is feedable from a supply source to the ribbon liquefier configured to melt and extrude the filament, the ribbon liquefier retained by a moveable head of the extrusion-based digital manufacturing system; and a cross-sectional profile of the length that is axially asymmetric and having a width and a thickness, wherein the width ranges from about 1.0 millimeter to about 10.2 millimeters, wherein the thickness ranges from about 0.51 millimeters to about 1.0 millimeter, and wherein the cross-sectional profile of the ribbon filament has a cross-sectional aspect ratio of the width to the thickness ranging from about 2.5:1 to about 20:1; wherein the ribbon filament exhibits a flexibility such that the ribbon filament does not plastically deform or fracture while retained by the supply source or when fed from the supply source to the ribbon liquefier; and wherein the ribbon filament further exhibits a Young's Modulus value ranging from about 1.0 gigapascal to about 5.0 gigapascals.