Apparatus and method for forming three-dimensional objects using linear solidification

• US 10,000,023 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gulf Filtration Systems Inc. (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gulf Filtration Systems Inc. (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Inventors: El-Siblani, Ali, Shkolnik, Alexandr
• Primary Examiner(s): Hindenlang, Alison L
• Application Number:
  US14/712,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20150246486A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/214 Doctor blades
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/264 Arrangements for irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/24 crosslinked or vulcanised
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. In certain examples, the linear solidification device includes a laser diode that projects light onto a scanning device, such as a rotating polygonal mirror or a linear scanning micromirror, which then deflects the light onto a photohardenable resin. As a result, the linear solidification device scans a line of solidification energy in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the laser diode. In other examples, the linear solidification device is a laser device array or light emitting diode array that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the array.

Claims

1. An apparatus for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material, comprising:

a linear solidification device that is movable along a first axis and operable to progressively solidify the solidifiable material along a second axis while moving along the first axis; and

a vacuum blade having a length extending along the second axis and which is operatively connected to the linear solidification device such that when the linear solidification device moves along the first axis, the vacuum blade moves along the first axis.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vacuum blade comprises first and second surfaces spaced apart along the first axis which define an interior space between the first and second surfaces, and the apparatus further comprises a vacuum pump in fluid communication with the interior space and operable to maintain the interior space below atmospheric pressure.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the vacuum blade further comprises first and second projecting edges, the first projecting edge is connected to the first surface and projects away from the first surface and the second surface, and the second projecting edge is connected to the second surface and projects away from the second surface and the first surface, and the first and second projecting edges are spaced apart from one another along the first axis.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the linear solidification device and the vacuum blade are spaced apart along a third axis.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the vacuum blade is spaced apart from the linear solidification device in a first direction along the first axis.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the solidifiable material comprises a photohardenable resin, and the apparatus further comprises a container that contains the photohardenable resin.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the solidifiable material has an exposed surface, the vacuum blade has a lower surface, and the lower surface of the vacuum blade is spaced apart from the exposed surface along a third axis.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the linear solidification device is movable in a first direction along the first axis and in a second direction along the first axis, the linear solidification is operable to progressively solidify the solidifiable material while moving in the first direction along the first axis and is not operable to progressively solidify the solidifiable material while moving in the second direction along the first axis, and the vacuum blade is spaced from the linear solidification device in the first direction along the first axis.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the linear solidification device comprises a first linear solidification device, and the apparatus further comprises a second linear solidification device positioned adjacent the first linear solidification device along the second axis.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the linear solidification device comprises a selectively activatable laser diode in optical communication with a rotating polygonal mirror.

11. A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprising:

traversing a vacuum blade along a first axis and in contact with a solidifiable material; and

traversing a linear solidification device along the first axis and progressively supplying solidification energy from the linear solidification device to the solidifiable material along a second axis as the linear solidification device is traversed along the first axis.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising maintaining an offset between the vacuum blade and the linear solidification device in a first direction along the first axis.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of traversing the linear solidification device along the first axis comprises traversing the linear solidification device in a first direction along the first axis and progressively supplying solidification energy from the linear solidification device to the solidifiable material along the second axis as the linear solidification device is traversed in the first direction along the first axis, and the method further comprises traversing the linear solidification device in a second direction along the first axis without supplying solidification energy from the linear solidification device to the solidifiable material.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein during the step of traversing the linear solidification device in a second direction along the first axis the vacuum blade is offset from the linear solidification device in the first direction along the first axis.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the vacuum blade has a length extending along the second axis and first and second surfaces spaced apart along the first axis which define an interior space between the first and second surfaces, and the method further comprises maintaining the interior space at a sub-atmospheric pressure.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the solidifiable material has an exposed surface, the method further comprises maintaining a volume of the solidifiable material in the interior space, and the volume of the solidifiable material has a level above the exposed surface.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the solidifiable material has an exposed surface, the vacuum blade has a bottom surface, and the step of traversing the vacuum blade along the first axis comprises maintaining the bottom vacuum blade surface spaced apart from the exposed surface along a third axis.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the linear solidification device is a first linear solidification device, and the method comprises providing a second linear solidification device positioned adjacent the first linear solidification device along the second axis, and the method further comprises progressively supplying solidification energy to the solidifiable material from the second linear solidification device along the second axis as the second linear solidification device is traversed along the first axis.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of progressively supplying solidification energy to the solidifiable material from the first linear solidification device to the solidifiable material along the second axis comprises supplying solidification energy from the first linear solidification device to an overlap region of the solidifiable material along the second axis, and the step of progressively supplying solidification energy to the solidifiable material from the second linear solidification device to the solidifiable material along the second axis comprises supplying solidification energy from the second linear solidification device to the overlap region of the solidifiable material along the second axis.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of progressively supplying solidification energy from the linear solidification device to the solidifiable material along a second axis as the linear solidification device is traversed along the first axis comprises selectively activating a laser diode in optical communication with a rotating polygonal mirror as the linear solidification device is traversed along the first axis.