Fixed Printhead Fused Filament Fabrication Printer and Method

摘要

A fused filament fabrication printer uses a plurality of fixed printing heads mounted to a structure over a build platform on which the model is built by constructing each layer of the model as the build platform is indexed through a multiplicity of successive print planes. The build platform may be in the form of a circular disk mounted for rotation about a z-axis and for linear motion along the z-axis between successive print planes, and for linear motion along a y-axis which is a selected radial direction perpendicular to the z-axis. Because the printheads are fixed, multiple printheads are easily affixed with respect to the build platform along the same radial line defining the y-axis transverse to the selected radial direction along which the build platform moves.

主权项

1. A fused filament fabrication printer comprising:
a frame; at least one printhead fixedly mounted to the frame; a first carriage mounted to the frame for vertical motion; a second carriage mounted to the first carriage for horizontal motion; a build platform, having a start-print surface, the build platform rotatably mounted to the second carriage, and positioned opposite the printhead(s), so that as the build platform rotates and moves in a horizontal direction opposite the printhead(s), the printhead(s) scan in a print plane parallel to the start-print surface; wherein the first carriage mounted to the frame for vertical motion is arranged to move away from the printhead(s) so that the start-print plane is moved away from the printhead(s).