Material deposition systems with four or more axes

摘要

A system for fabricating an object includes an extruder for one or more deposition materials having at least one nozzle and a movable support for the nozzle. The nozzle has a nozzle axis and is rotatably attached to the movable support via a connector that is actuatable relative to the movable support to change an angular orientation of the nozzle axis, thus varying an angle between the nozzle axis and a deposition surface. The system also includes a controller that can apply a correction factor calculated for a path of the nozzle when an acute angle is formed between the nozzle axis and the deposition surface, the correction factor for moving toward the acute angle being different from that when moving away from it. The correction factor removes differences in thickness of the deposited material caused by variations in the angle formed between the nozzle axis and the deposition surface.

主权项

1. A system for fabricating an object, the system comprising:
an extruder for one or more deposition materials, the extruder comprising at least one nozzle and a movable support for the nozzle, wherein the nozzle has a nozzle axis and is rotatably attached to the movable support via a connector that is actuatable relative to the movable support to change an angular orientation of the nozzle axis relative to the movable support so as to vary an angle between the nozzle axis and a deposition surface during deposition of a deposition material; and a controller coupled with the extruder, the controller configured and arranged to apply an adjustment calculated for a path of the nozzle based on the angle formed between the nozzle axis and the deposition surface being an acute angle, the adjustment for the nozzle moving toward the acute angle being different from the adjustment for the nozzle moving away from the acute angle, wherein the controller is configured to remove differences in thickness of the deposited material caused by variations in the angle formed between the nozzle axis and the deposition surface by moving the nozzle according to the adjustment such that a distance between the nozzle and the deposition surface is larger when the nozzle is moving away from the acute angle compared to when the nozzle is moving toward the acute angle.