Fiber management arrangement and method for additive manufacturing system

Abstract

A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing an object. The system may include a support, and a print head being connected to and moved by the support. The print head may have an outlet configured to discharge a material and a cutting mechanism configured to sever the material. The system may also include a controller in communication with the support and the print head. The controller may be configured to cause the print head to discharge material through an outlet, and cause the support to move the print head during discharging to form the object with the material. The controller may also be configured to cause the outlet of the print head to be moved a distance away from the object to provide a clearance between the outlet and the object, to cause a cutting mechanism to be moved through the clearance toward the material, and to cause the cutting mechanism to sever the material at a distance away from the outlet of the print head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for additively manufacturing an object, the system comprising:
 a support;   a print head having an outlet configured to discharge a material and a cutting mechanism configured to sever the material, the print head being connected to and moved by the support; and   a controller in communication with the support and the print head, the controller being configured to:
 cause the print head to discharge material through an outlet; 
 cause the support to move the print head during discharging to form the object with the material; 
 cause the outlet of the print head to be moved a distance away from the object to provide a clearance between the outlet and the object; 
 cause a cutting mechanism to be moved through the clearance toward the material; and 
 cause the cutting mechanism to sever the material at a distance away from the outlet of the print head. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material includes causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material at a location outside of the print head. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material includes activating the cutting mechanism at least during a time at which the cutting mechanism is moved through the clearance. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein activating the cutting mechanism includes causing an additional motion of the cutting mechanism that is different from the motion of the cutting mechanism through the clearance. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein causing the outlet of the print head to move away from the object includes causing the outlet to move along a trajectory that is at an oblique angle relative to an axis of the material at an end of a path. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein causing the outlet of the print head to move away from the object causes the material to be pulled out of the print head. 
     
     
         7 . A system for additively manufacturing an object, the system comprising:
 a support;   a print head having an outlet configured to discharge a material and a cutting mechanism configured to sever the material, the print head being connected to and moved by the support; and   a controller in communication with the support and the print head, the controller being configured to:
 cause the print head to discharge material through an outlet; 
 cause the support to move the print head during discharging to form the object with the material; 
 cause the outlet of the print head to be moved a distance away from the object to provide a clearance between the outlet and the object; 
 cause a cutting mechanism to be moved through the clearance toward the material; and 
 cause the cutting mechanism to sever the material and leave a tail of the material extending out of the outlet. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material includes causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material at a location outside of the print head. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material includes activating the cutting mechanism at least during a time at which the cutting mechanism is moved through the clearance. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein activating the cutting mechanism includes causing an additional motion of the cutting mechanism that is different from the motion of the cutting mechanism through the clearance. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein causing the outlet of the print head to move away from the object includes causing the outlet to move along a trajectory that is at an oblique angle relative to an axis of the material at an end of a path. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein causing the outlet of the print head to move away from the object causes the material to be pulled out of the print head. 
     
     
         13 . A system for additively manufacturing an object, the system comprising:
 a support;   a print head having an outlet configured to discharge a material and a cutting mechanism configured to sever the material, the print head being connected to and moved by the support; and   a controller in communication with the support and the print head, the controller being configured to:
 cause the print head to discharge material through an outlet along a path; 
 cause the support to move the print head during discharging along the path to form the object with the material; and 
 at an end of the path, cause the support to move the print head away from the object at an oblique angle relative to an axis of the material at the end of the path. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the print head further includes a cutting mechanism; and   the controller is further configured to cause the cutting mechanism to sever the material after moving the print head away from the object at the oblique angle.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material includes causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material at a location outside of the print head and offset from an outlet of the print head. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein:
 causing the support to move the print head away from the object provide clearance for the cutting mechanism; and   causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material includes moving the cutting mechanism through the clearance.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein causing the support to move the print head away from the object causes the material to be pulled out of the print head. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein causing the cutting mechanism to sever the material includes activating the cutting mechanism and moving the cutting mechanism toward the material. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein activating the cutting mechanism includes causing an additional motion of the cutting mechanism that is different from the motion of the cutting mechanism toward the material. 
     
     
         20 . A method of additively manufacturing an object, the system comprising:
 discharging a material through an outlet of a print head;   moving the print head along a path during discharging to form the object with the material; and   at an end of the path, causing the outlet of the print head to move away from the object at an oblique angle relative to an axis of the material at the end of the path.