The present invention relates to the field of three-dimensional (3D)
printing/additive manufacturing. More particularly, present invention relates to an
apparatus and method to implement simultaneous multi-material 3D printing,
10 having horizontal arms configured especially to provide flexibility and
compatibility.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
15 [0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in
understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the
information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed
invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
20 [0003] 3D printing, a subset of additive manufacturing, is an emerging technology
used for creating myriad objects of different design and constructive parameters.
Some of the widely known applications of 3D printing include fields of
manufacturing, electronics, biomedical, electronics and aerospace. 3D printing is a
relatively simpler but highly automated process which is generally seen to be of
25 many types depending on the type of technology used thereto.
Generally, the implementation of 3D printing starts with a Computer-Aided
Design (CAD) file. The CAD file can be created by any of the CAD software like
Solid Works, Autodesk Fusion, Onshape, ANSYS and so on. The files exported
30 from the CAD software are usually transformed into a preferably known input file
type of 3D printers, namely, Standard Triangle Language (STL) file format,.
3
Thereafter, the exported .stl files are uploaded onto a 3D printer’s slicing software
to provide an orientation to the digital drawing. The selective material contained
inside the embodiments of the 3D printer finally develops a variety of 3D printed
objects with characterized properties.
5
[0004] By the mid-2000s, the democratization of manufacturing had captured the
public’s imagination, as had the idea of mass customization. The first SLS
machine became commercially viable in 2006, which opened the door to ondemand manufacturing of industrial parts. Several works have been done so far in
10 the field of additive manufacturing and specifically 3D printing. 3D-printing
startup Objet (now merged with Stratasys) built a 3D printer product that could
print in multiple materials while allowing a single part to be fabricated in different
versions, with different material properties.
15 [0005] The intensely creative innovations of the decade topped off with the
launch of collaborative co-creation services such as Shapeways, a 3D-printing
marketplace where designers can get feedback from consumers and other
designers and then affordably fabricate their products. As the cherry on
top, MakerBot hit the scene, providing open-source Do It Yourself (DIY) kits for
20 makers to build their own 3D printers and products. At this point, the barriers to
entry for designers and inventors were falling every day.
[0006] While the price of 3D printers has fallen rapidly and the accuracy of 3D
printing has improved, innovators are pushing the envelope in ways that Charles
25 Hull could only dream of. Designers are no longer limited to printing with plastic.
Evidently, it is possible to design and develop an engagement ring of your
dreams using gold or silver. Engineers at the University of Southampton have
flown the world’s first 3D-printed unmanned aircraft, and KOR Ecologic
prototyped Urbee, a car with a 3D-printed body that’s built to get 200 mpg on the
30 freeway.
4
[0007] Not just jewelry and aircraft, but 3D printing is now being used to
manufacture affordable housing for the developing world, and visionaries have
begun to employ the technology to print everything from smart robotic arms, bone
replacements, and even particles just a few atoms thick (which could result in
5 even smaller electronics and batteries).
[0008] Heretofore, though there have been countless other notable developments
made worldwide in the field of 3D-printing, it is almost impossible to keep up in
these times of fastly evolving technology arena. Futuristically, perhaps kids will
10 build art projects with their classroom’s 3D printers, and dentists will be able to
call in prescriptions for custom-printed sets of dentures.
[0009] There are some constraints in 3D printing like build volume, complex
geometries and incapability to simultaneously implement multi-material
15 extrusion. Hence, there exists a need to envision a 3D printing apparatus and a
method that envisages the simultaneous dispensing of multiple materials while
being fully versatile and flexible in nature. If we increase the size of the machine,
the portability of the 3D printer will be decreased.
20 [0010] US9283714B2 discloses a modified fused deposition modeling process for
production of multicolored three-dimensional objects. More particularly, the
invention relates to a 3D printing process with which 3D objects with particularly
good color appearance compared to the prior art can be produced. The process
according to the invention is based on coloring of the polymer strand used for
25 production of the actual object in the nozzle, and on using a mixing apparatus
which comprises a plurality of injection needles, a static mixer or a dynamic
mixer.
[0011] Through the aforementioned disclosure addresses the problem of
30 providing a 3D printing process with which selectively colored, multi-material
three-dimensional objects can be produced with a sharp and precise
5
material/colour appearance, the disclosure does not solve the problem of
simultaneous multi-material deposition for implementing 3D printing on a large
scale. Also, the embodiments disclosed are not flexible to ensure multiple degrees
of freedom and not compactable to facilitate portability of the disclosed apparatus.
5
[0012] Hence, technological advancements demand the need to design a portable
mechanism having multiple Degrees of Freedom (DOF), less complexity, more
compatibility, easy to assemble/disassemble, easily transportable from one site to
another site and most importantly, capable of implementing simultaneous multi10 material extrusion.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The principal object of the present invention is to overcome the
15 disadvantages of the prior art.
[0002] An object of the present invention is to facilitate deposition of multiple
materials to form a 3D object.
20 [0003] Another object of the present invention is to facilitate simultaneous or
switched deposition of multiple materials for 3D printing.
[0004] Another object of the present invention is to provide a 3D printing
apparatus flexible enough to operate in multiple degrees of freedom.
25
[0005] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for 3D
printing that is robust and intelligently counter balanced in nature.
[0006] Yet another object of the present invention is to a 3D printing apparatus
30 that is compactable and thereby portable in nature.
6
[0007] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the present
invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following
detailed description of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
5
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for forming
three-dimensional (3D) structures by foldably switching the flexibly designed
10 horizontal arms of the apparatus having extrusion nozzles operationally
configured to facilitate simultaneous multi-material deposition.
[0009] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the disclosed 3D
printing apparatus comprises a telescopic column capable of moving
15 longitudinally along its own axis such that the telescoping column wears a
rotation means enabling rotational movement of telescopic column along its own
axis, multiple horizontal arms diverging out of the rotation means to mimic
movements pertaining to the referred rotational movements, multiple mechanical
actuators physically associating the rotation means with the horizontal arms to
20 retractably facilitating folding of the horizontal arms, two or more parallel vertical
arms disposed below each of the horizontal arms in a way that the vertical arms
independently slide transversally along the horizontal arms and multiple extruder
nozzle assemblies, each mounted on each vertical arm for conveying multiple
melted materials such that each of the assemblies comprise atleast one outlet
25 nozzle to dispense the materials.
[0010] In an aspect, the telescopic column further comprises of a hub to act as
point of divergence for the horizontal arms.
30 [0011] In an aspect, the rotation means is selected from but not limited to slewing
ring, ball bearing, roller bearing and turnable bearing.
7
[0012] In an aspect, the mechanical actuator is selectively a hydraulic cylinder
which further comprises of atleast one hydraulic pump and multiple solenoid
valves.
5
[0013] In an aspect, the extruder nozzle assembly further comprises of atleast one
inlet hose for receiving melted material, a hopper for holding the material and the
outlet nozzle for dispensing the material. Herein, the outlet nozzle further
comprises an Archimedes screw for controlling flow of material being extruded
10 by the outlet nozzle.
[0014] In an aspect, the apparatus further comprising of a computing module
constituting atleast one control panel and atleast one computing unit selected from
but not limited to mobile phone, PDA, laptop, comp, desktop and tab.
15
[0015] In an aspect, a method for multi-material extrusion-based 3D printing is
disclosed, comprising steps of simultaneously providing atleast one material into
an inlet hose of multiple extruder nozzle assemblies, advancing the material into
atleast one outlet nozzle through a conveying hopper, ensuring the multi20 directional movement of the nozzle while extruding the material, deploying a selffolding mechanism to ensure compatibility during inactivity and monitoring
multiple parameters of the material extrusion using a computing module.
[0001] While the invention has been described and shown with particular
25 reference to the preferred embodiment, it will be apparent that variations might be
possible that would fall within the scope of the present invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
30 [0002] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further
understanding of the present disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute a
8
part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the
present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the
principles of the present disclosure.
5 [0003] In the figures, similar components and/or features may have the same
reference label. Further various components of the same type may be
distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that
distinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label is
used in the specification, the description is applicable to any of the similar
10 components having the same reference label irrespective of the second reference
label.
Figure 1 illustrates an isometric view of a multi-material extrusion-based 3D
printing apparatus;
Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the proposed apparatus;
15 Figure 3 illustrates a top view of the proposed apparatus;
Figure 4 illustrates a bottom view of the proposed apparatus;
Figure 5 depicts the material suction and loading process for the proposed
apparatus, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6 illustrates an exemplary compacted horizontal arm view of the proposed
20 apparatus, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and
Figure 7 illustrates a method to implement simultaneous multi-material 3D
printing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
25
[0004] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow,
the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context
clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of
“in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
30
[0005] If the specification states a component or feature “may”, “can”, “could”, or
9
“might” be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature
is not required to be included or have the characteristic.
[0006] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter
5 with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments
are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms
and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These
embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete
and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the
10 art. Moreover, all statements herein reciting embodiments of the disclosure, as
well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and
functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents
include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the
future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of
15 structure).
[0007] Various terms as used herein are shown below. To the extent a term used
in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons
in the pertinent art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and
20 issued patents at the time of filing.
[0008] In some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written
description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon
the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some
25 embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed in light of the
number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding
techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting
forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations,
the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as
30 practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the
invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard
10
deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
[0009] The present invention relates to a flexible and portable 3D printer having
extrusion nozzles mounted on its horizontal arm, whereby simultaneous extrusion
5 of multiple materials can be achieved, and a method to achieve thereof.
[0010] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the present
invention envisages a versatile 3D printer for manufacturing objects on large scale
possessing one or more extruding nozzles mounted on multiple horizontal arms,
10 wherefrom simultaneous multi-material extraction can be facilitated such that the
horizontal arms are flexible and compactable in nature.
[0011] It would be appreciated by a person skilled in the art that although the
present invention has been described in terms of an apparatus and method for
15 manufacturing thermoplastic models at a large scale and/or casting of materials
like Silicon etc. The invention can also be possibly modified for a variety of
manufacturing needs. The features of the proposed invention such as build
volume, the axis of printing, hardware, electronic circuitry are highly
customizable as per the user requirements and several modifications are possible.
20
[0012] Referring to Figure 1, an illustration of an isometric view of a multimaterial extrusion-based 3D printing apparatus 100 is shown. A telescopic
column 101 supports all the embodiments that make up the disclosed 3D printer
apparatus 100 and provides a backbone structure thereto. The telescopic column
25 101 referred to herein is capable of being nested into a minimum length “h” and
being elongated into a maximum length “H”.
[0013] The up-down movement of the telescopic column 101 between the
minimum and the maximum length assists in delivering coarse movements along
30 a first axis (ideally named as Z-axis), for creating a 3D object. The telescopic
column 101 is ideally made up of a metallic material. The bottom portion of the
11
telescopic column 101 can be affixed over a primary base plate supported by
multiple legs standing on a floor.
[0014] Structurally, one or more equidistant horizontal arms 102 extend
5 outwardly from a common fixation point on the telescopic column 101. The
aforesaid common fixation point is electively a hub 107 fitted on the telescopic
column 101 and structured to receive one end of all the horizontal arms 102.
[0015] A rotation means (preferably a slewing ring) is welded at the top portion
10 of the telescopic column 101 to enable the rotation thereof along a second axis,
electively considered to be the ‘Y’ axis. Wherefore, hub 107 can be mounted on
the rotation means and can be driven by atleast two servo motors, thereby helping
in the rotation of horizontal arms 102 along the second axis.
15 [0016] A person skilled in the art would appreciate the fact that the number of
horizontal arms 102 can be increased or decreased manually according to the
build volume of the geometry. The number of horizontal arms 102 can be added
to increase the length along the transverse axis in case of large scale printing
requirements. The added horizontal arm sections together can be connected using
20 a nut and bolt arrangement.
[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a set of vertical
arms 104 are parallelly disposed below of the outer portions of each of the
horizontal arms 102. The parallelly arranged vertical arms 104 are free to
25 independently slide here and there on their respective horizontal arms 102, along a
third axis (preferably referred to as ‘X’ axis).
[0018] The vertical arms help in delivering precise movements along the first axis
(heretofore named as Z-axis), for creating the 3D object. Moreover, having a set
30 of parallel vertical arms 104 on each horizontal arm 102 ensures the ability to
perform multiple material extrusion simultaneously at a time, thereby saving
12
money as well as time. In an exemplary scenario, one vertical arm can be used to
facilitate build material extrusion and another one can be used to facilitate fillers
or support materials.
5 [0019] Figure 2 illustrates a front view of the proposed invention and discloses
the connectivity between the telescopic columns 101 with each horizontal arm
102 using mechanical actuators 103. The mechanical actuators 103 referred to
herein are selectively chosen to be hydraulic cylinders comprising of hydraulic
pump and solenoid valves. Mechanical actuators 103 are also connected to the
10 slewing rings from one end and are mounted on the horizontal arm 102 from the
second end, thereby facilitating folding of the respective horizontal arms 102
during transportation of the apparatus 100 and/or inactive hours.
[0020] Each of the parallel vertical members 104 possesses atleast one extruder
15 nozzle assembly 105, capable of moving transversely along the third axis (ideally
horizontal arm axis or ‘X’ axis) and/or vertically up-down along the first axis
(ideally considered as the axis along the vertical arm and/or telescopic column).
[0021] Each extruder nozzle assembly 105 comprises an inlet hose 108 to receive
20 a melted material, a hopper 109 to hold the received flowable material and
dispense it down when needed, and an outlet nozzle 106 disposed below a
secondary base plate for dispensing the material on the surface. The outlet nozzle
106 is coupled with the secondary base plate for rotating itself, such that the
secondary base plate rotates up to 180 degrees, along its axis.
25
[0022] Particularly, the vertical arm utilizes the rack and pinion mechanism to
rotate along the axis of the horizontal arm 102. The rack is horizontally fixed to
the horizontal arm 102, with the drive pinion gear mounted on the vertical arm
104 (Zp) running together with the motor which is fixed on the secondary base.
30 Moreover, the movement along the vertical arm i.e. along the first axis for precise
movements along with the layer height is achieved using a ball screw & nut
13
arrangement mounted thereon. The deposition of the material can be done layer by
layer using this motion to achieve the desired motion along the first axis.
[0023] According to an alternate embodiment, a robotic arm can be mounted on
5 the secondary base plate for large scale multiple axis printing. Other embodiments
like thermoplastic outlet nozzle 106 can be mounted on the secondary base plate.
Moreover, the Directed-Energy Deposition (DED) tool can also be mounted on
the secondary base plate for enabling large scale metal printing. Multiple numbers
of outlet nozzles 106 make the apparatus 100 more flexible to print multiple
10 materials at a time.
[0024] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the flow of the
melted material through the outlet nozzle 106 is controlled by an Archimedes
screw which is coupled to a servo motor. Archimedes' screw is used to
15 controllably extrude the material through the nozzle such that the screw controls
the excess flow of material in a controlled manner. The screw can work as a valve
to start/stop the flow of material therethrough. A rotation in the clockwise
direction allows the material to exits through the nozzle and a rotation in the
counter-clockwise direction transforms the screw to act as a valve to stop the flow
20 of material.
[0001] Figure 3 and Figure 4 present a top view and a bottom view of the
proposed apparatus. Both the views show a clear illustration of the connectivity of
the vertical arms 104 disposed below from the outer portions of the horizontal
25 arms 102. Moreover, the positions of outlet nozzles 106 on the vertical arms 104
is also illustrated in the best possible way. Notwithstanding the shown top and
bottom view of the proposed apparatus, all the quantitative and orientation
modifications should be apparent to a person skilled in the art.
30 [0002] As indicated in figure 5, the apparatus is run on an AC power supply, and
therefore an AC servo stabilizer is used to hold a perpetual power supply for the
14
shipment. All the servo motors & sensors are controlled by the Control Panel and
that can, in turn, be controlled by the computer. All the printing parameters can be
controlled and monitored by the control panel & computer.
5 [0003] The digital files can be transferred from the computer system to the control
panel, wherein the control panel processes the digital file to convert it into a
machine language G or M code, which gives commands to print and forward data
to the printers, thereby dispensing then contour or geometry from the disclosed
dispensing apparatus.
10
[0004] For the aforementioned purpose, the CAD model file is saved in the .STL
format. The reason being, this file format is supported by many CAD software
and is widely used in additive manufacturing/3D Printing & Computer-Aided
Manufacturing (CAM). The CAD ‘.stl’ file is pre-processed by the different
15 slicing software before being uploaded to the 3D printer for printing the geometry.
All other parameters like temperature, speed, extrusion material flow, etc. can be
controlled by the computer and control panel.
[0005] Additionally, a band heater and a temperature sensor can be mounted on
20 the barrel surface in order to melt the plastic pellets that can further be extruded
by the loosening of the Archimedes screw. A vacuum hopper and hopper dryer
can also be facilitated to preheat the plastic pellets, thereby removing moisture
therefrom. The vacuum hopper draws the material from the storage bucket using a
suction hose and an autoloader helps to draw material from outside into the
25 vacuum hopper using vacuum air.
[0001] However, in furtherance to the afore-described disclosure, it would be
appreciated by a person skilled in the art, that modifications are possible by
incorporating Artificial intelligence (AI). In an exemplary case, Artificial
30 Intelligence (AI) may enable the automatic selection of horizontal arms carrying
different materials, hence preventing collision thereof. A person skilled in the art
15
would also appreciate that remote monitoring of the disclosed embodiments is
also possible by including several other modifications.
[0002] Referring now to Figure 6, the apparatus 100 can be folded during times of
5 transportation and inactivity. The appearance of the apparatus 100 during inactive
times is apparent from figure 6. While being folded, the compact form achieved
by the apparatus 100 is comfortably portable in nature, which constitutes one of
the prominent features pertaining to present disclosure.
10 [0003] As presented in Figure 7, a method 200 for multi-material extrusion based
3D printing comprises steps of simultaneously providing atleast one material into
an inlet hose of plurality of extruder nozzle assemblies 201, advancing the
material into atleast one outlet nozzle through a conveying hopper 202, ensuring
multi-directional movement of the nozzle while extruding the material 203,
15 deploying a self-folding mechanism to ensure compatibility during inactivity 204
and monitoring multiple parameters of the material extrusion using a computing
module 205.
[0004] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more
20 modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from
the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be
restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting
both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the
broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms
25 “includes” and “including” should be interpreted as referring to elements,
components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced
elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with
other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the
specification claims refers to at least one of something selected from the group
30 consisting of A, B, C ….and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only
one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc. The foregoing
16
description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of
the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily
modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without
departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and
5 modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning
and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that
the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description
and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been
described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will
10 recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within
the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
[0005] While embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and
described, it will be clear that the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments
15 only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents
will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and
scope of the disclosure, as described in the claims.
ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
20
[0006] The present invention facilitates the deposition of multiple materials to
form a 3D object.
[0016] The present invention facilitates simultaneous or switched deposition of
25 multiple materials for 3D printing.
[0007] The present invention provides a 3D printing mechanism having three
degrees of freedom.
30 [0008] The present invention provides a 3D printing apparatus that is compactable
and thereby portable in nature.
17
[0009] The present invention provides a 3D printing apparatus that is compactable
and thereby portable in nature.
5 [0010] The present invention provides a robust method for 3D printing possessing
intelligent counter-balancing.

I Claim:
1) An apparatus 100 for multi-material extrusion based 3D printing, comprising:
i) a telescopic column 101 capable of moving along a first axis,
wherein said telescoping column 101 wears a rotation means
enabling rotation thereof along a second axis;
ii) plurality of horizontal arms 102 diverging out of said rotation means
to mimic movements pertaining to said second axis;
iii) plurality of mechanical actuators 103 physically associating said
rotation means with said horizontal arms 102, thereby retractably
facilitating folding of said horizontal arms 102;
iv) two or more parallel vertical arms 104 disposed below each of said
horizontal arms 102, wherein said vertical arms 104 independently
slide along a third axis; and
v) plurality of extruder nozzle assemblies 105, each mounted on each
vertical arm 104 for conveying plurality of melted materials, wherein
each of said assemblies comprise atleast one outlet nozzle 106 to
dispense said materials.
2) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first axis constitutes
longitudinal movements along said telescopic column, said second axis constitutes
rotational movements around said telescopic column and said third axis
constitutes transversal movements along said horizontal arms.
3) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said telescopic column 101
further comprises of a hub 107 to act as point of divergence for said horizontal
arms.
4) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said rotation means is selected
from but not limited to slewing ring, ball bearing, roller bearing and turnable
bearing.
19
5) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mechanical actuator 103 is
selectively a hydraulic cylinder.
6) The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein said hydraulic cylinder further
comprises of atleast one hydraulic pump and plurality of solenoid valves.
7) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said extruder nozzle assembly
105 further comprises of atleast one inlet hose 108 for receiving melted material, a
hopper 109 for holding said material and said outlet nozzle 106 for dispensing
said material.
8) The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein said outlet nozzle 106 further
comprises an Archimedes screw for controlling flow of material being extruded
therethrough.
9) The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising of a computing
module 110 constituting atleast one control panel and atleast one computing unit
selected from but not limited to mobile phone, PDA, laptop, comp, desktop and
tab.
10) A method 200 for multi-material extrusion based 3D printing, comprising
steps of:
a) simultaneously providing atleast one material into an inlet hose of plurality
of extruder nozzle assemblies 201;
b) advancing said material into atleast one outlet nozzle through a conveying
hopper 202;
c) ensuring multi-directional movement of said nozzle while extruding said
material 203;
d) deploying a self-folding mechanism to ensure compatibility during
inactivity 204; and
20
e) monitoring multiple parameters of said material extrusion using a
computing module 205.