Consumable materials having customized characteristics

Abstract

A compounding system for forming a customized consumable material, comprising a plurality of drive mechanisms configured to feed stock materials at independent rates, and an extrusion component configured to receive the fed stock materials, and further configured to at least partially melt and blend the received stock materials to provide the consumable material in an extrudable state. Upon solidifying, the consumable material comprises customized characteristics based on characteristics of the stock materials.

1 . A compounding system for forming a customized consumable material, the compounding system comprising:
 a controller configured to operably receive a user input related to one or more user-selected material characteristics;   a plurality of drive mechanisms configured to operably communicate with the controller, and further configured to feed a plurality of stock materials at independent feed rates that are determined based at least in part upon the user input; and   an extrusion component configured to receive the plurality of fed stock materials, and further configured to at least partially melt and blend the received stock materials to provide the customized consumable material in an extrudable state, wherein upon solidifying the customized consumable material exhibits the one or more user-selected material characteristics.   
     
     
         2 . The compounding system of  claim 1 , wherein the customized consumable material comprises:
 at least one optical characteristic based on optical characteristics of the plurality of stock materials, and   at least one compositional characteristic based on compositional characteristics of the plurality of stock materials.   
     
     
         3 . The compounding system of  claim 1 , wherein the extrusion component comprises:
 a liquefier having a mixing component; and   a guide manifold configured to guide the plurality of stock materials from the plurality of drive mechanisms to the liquefier.   
     
     
         4 . The compounding system of  claim 2 , wherein the liquefier is removably securable to the guide manifold. 
     
     
         5 . The compounding system of  claim 1 , wherein upon solidifying the consumable material also exhibits dimensions that are within dimensional specifications for a digital manufacturing system. 
     
     
         6 . The compounding system of  claim 5 , wherein the dimensions of the consumable material define a filament having an average diameter ranging from about 1.3 millimeters to about 2.5 millimeters. 
     
     
         7 . The compounding system of  claim 1 , and further comprising a housing securable to a digital manufacturing system. 
     
     
         8 . The compounding system of  claim 1 , and further comprising a housing that defines an interior region, wherein at least a portion of the interior region is configured to be maintained at one or more elevated temperatures. 
     
     
         9 . A method for forming a customized consumable material filament, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of stock material filaments, wherein at least one of the stock material filaments has average dimensions that are within dimensional specifications for a digital manufacturing system;   receiving a user input related to one or more user-selected material characteristics;   determining independent feed rates for at least two of the stock material filaments based at least in part upon the user input;   feeding the at least two stock material filaments to an extrusion component based on the determined independent feed rates;   at least partially melting and blending the fed stock material filaments in the extrusion component; and   extruding the blended materials to provide the customized consumable material filament, wherein upon solidifying, the customized consumable material filament exhibits the one or more user-selected material characteristics and average dimensions that are within the dimensional specifications for the digital manufacturing system.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of stock material filaments has average dimensions that are each within the dimensional specifications for the digital manufacturing system. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the customized consumable material comprises:
 at least one optical characteristic based on optical characteristics of the plurality of stock material filaments, and   at least one compositional characteristic based on compositional characteristics of the plurality of stock material filaments.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the average dimensions of the at least one stock material filament comprises an average diameters that ranges from about 1.3 millimeters to about 2.5 millimeters. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the extrusion component comprises:
 a liquefier having a mixing component; and   a guide manifold configured to guide the plurality of stock materials from the plurality of drive mechanisms to the liquefier.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , and further comprising removing the liquefier from the guide manifold. 
     
     
         15 . A method for forming a consumable material, the method comprising:
 at least partially melting a plurality of stock materials in an extrusion component;   blending the at least partially melted materials in the extrusion component;   extruding the blended materials from the extrusion component as the consumable material;   solidifying the extruded consumable material; and   feeding the plurality of stock materials to the extrusion component at independent rates that provide at least one optical characteristic for the solidified consumable material that is based on optical characteristics of the plurality of stock materials, and that provide at least one compositional characteristic for the solidified consumable material that is based on compositional characteristics of the plurality of stock materials.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , and further comprising relaying the solidified consumable material to the digital manufacturing system while extruding successive portions of the consumable material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the consumable material is extruded into an interior cavity of a mold fabricated with a digital manufacturing system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , and further comprising:
 placing the mold within an interior region of a housing; and   heating the interior region to one or more elevated temperatures.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the dimensions of the solidified consumable material define a filament having an average diameter ranging from about 1.3 millimeters to about 2.5 millimeters. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of stock materials defines a filament having an average diameter ranging from about 1.3 millimeters to about 2.5 millimeters.