Method and system for building painted three-dimensional objects

• US 10,399,374 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2017
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Kritchman, Eliahu M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barnes-Bullock, Crystal J
• Application Number:
  US15/673,440
• Publication Number:
  US 20170334130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/002 Coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 1/18 Printing one ink over another
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 5/0047 by ink-jet printing
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 7/0027 using protective coatings or layers by lamination or by fusion of the coatings or layers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 15/02 electric
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49023 3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24876 Intermediate layer contains particulate material [e.g., pigment, etc.]

Abstract

Methods of printing a three-dimensional object, layer by layer are provided. Layers are formed by printing a bulk region with a white building material; inkjet printing a circumferential region surrounding the bulk region that is part of an apparent colored surface of the three-dimensional object, the circumferential region includes colored voxels formed by depositing a transparent building material and one or more color additive materials and inkjet printing a transparent layer around the circumferential region.

Claims

1. A method of printing a three-dimensional object, layer by layer, the method comprising:

for a layer;

printing a bulk region with a white building material;

inkjet printing a circumferential region surrounding the bulk region that is part of an apparent colored surface of the three-dimensional object, the circumferential region includes colored voxels formed by depositing a transparent building material and one or more color additive materials; and

inkjet printing a transparent layer around the circumferential region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a color additive material resolution is higher than a transparent building material resolution.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the colored voxels includes at least two of the color additive materials.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a droplet volume of the color additive materials is smaller than a droplet volume of the transparent building material.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bulk region of the layer further comprises the transparent building material.

6. A three-dimensional object printed in layers, wherein printing a layer comprises:

printing a bulk region with a white building material;

inkjet printing a circumferential region surrounding the bulk region that is part of an apparent colored surface of the three-dimensional object, the circumferential region includes colored voxels formed by depositing a transparent building material and one or more color additive materials; and

inkjet printing a transparent layer around the circumferential region.

7. The three-dimensional object of claim 6, wherein the bulk region of the layer is further printed with the transparent building material.

8. A method of printing a three-dimensional object, layer by layer, the method comprising:

for a layer;

printing a bulk region with a white building material;

inkjet printing a circumferential region surrounding the bulk region that is part of an apparent colored surface of the three-dimensional object, the circumferential region includes colored voxels formed by depositing one or more colored building materials; and

inkjet printing a layer of transparent building material around the circumferential region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the bulk region of the layer further comprises the transparent building material.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the circumferential region of the layer further comprises the white building material.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the circumferential region of the layer further comprises the transparent building material.

12. A three-dimensional object printed in layers, wherein printing a layer comprises:

printing a bulk region with a white building material;

inkjet printing a circumferential region surrounding the bulk region that is part of an apparent colored surface of the three-dimensional object, the circumferential region includes colored voxels formed by depositing one or more colored building materials; and

inkjet printing a layer of transparent building material around the circumferential region.

13. The three-dimensional object of claim 12, wherein the bulk region of the layer is further printed with a transparent building material.