Direct manufacturing using thermoplastic and thermoset

摘要

The present invention provides a direct manufacturing process operable to fabricate three-dimensional physical objects. These three-dimensional physical objects have improved mechanical properties over existing direct manufactured objects. The direct manufacturing process includes an extrusion process, a polymer application process, and a solidification process. The extrusion process deposits a thermoplastic polymer in a series of sequential layers wherein the series of sequential layers are deposited in predetermined patterns. The polymer application process applies compatible polymer(s) after the deposition of each thermoplastic layer. The compatible polymer may be applied in a same or different predetermined pattern when compared to that of the previously deposited thermoplastic layer. The compatible polymer diffuses into voids within the thermoplastic layer. The object is solidified as a series of thermoplastic layers and compatible polymer(s) to produce a three-dimensional physical object that exhibits a combination of the mechanical properties of both the thermoplastic layers and compatible polymers.