Accurate three-dimensional printing
First Claim
1. A system for printing a three-dimensional object comprising:
- an enclosure configured to enclose, at least during printing of the three-dimensional object, an atmosphere at a pressure that is an ambient atmospheric pressure or a positive pressure above the ambient atmospheric pressure;
an energy source that is configured to generate an energy beam that transforms a pre-transformed material to a transformed material as at least a portion of the three-dimensional object comprising a plurality of layers, which pre-transformed material is transformed over time to yield a plurality of physical attribute oscillations of a change in at least one physical attribute over time, wherein the transformed material comprises a plurality of melt pools that correspond to the plurality of physical attribute oscillations, wherein a layer of the plurality of layers comprises the plurality of melt pools;
a detector that is configured to detect the plurality of physical attribute oscillations; and
one or more controllers operatively coupled to the enclosure, the energy source and the detector, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to;
(i) at least during printing the three-dimensional object, direct maintaining an interior of the enclosure at the ambient atmospheric pressure or at a positive pressure;
(ii) direct the energy source to generate the energy beam that transforms the pre-transformed material to the transformed material as a first portion of the three-dimensional object, wherein transformation of the pre-transformed material over time generates the plurality of melt pools that yields the plurality of physical attribute oscillations;
(iii) evaluate, or direct evaluation of, an oscillation of the plurality of physical attribute oscillations detected by the detector to generate a result; and
(iv) use the result to alter at least one characteristic of the energy beam to form a melt pool as part of the three-dimensional object.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, and systems using, inter alia, a controller that regulates formation of at least one 3D object (e.g., in real time during the 3D printing); and a non-transitory computer-readable medium facilitating the same. For example, a controller that regulates a deformation of at least a portion of the 3D object. The control may be in situ control. The control may be real-time control during the 3D printing process. For example, the control may be during a physical-attribute pulse. The present disclosure provides various methods, apparatuses, systems and software for estimating the fundamental length scale of a melt pool, and for various tools that increase the accuracy of the 3D printing.
774 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A system for printing a three-dimensional object comprising:
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an enclosure configured to enclose, at least during printing of the three-dimensional object, an atmosphere at a pressure that is an ambient atmospheric pressure or a positive pressure above the ambient atmospheric pressure; an energy source that is configured to generate an energy beam that transforms a pre-transformed material to a transformed material as at least a portion of the three-dimensional object comprising a plurality of layers, which pre-transformed material is transformed over time to yield a plurality of physical attribute oscillations of a change in at least one physical attribute over time, wherein the transformed material comprises a plurality of melt pools that correspond to the plurality of physical attribute oscillations, wherein a layer of the plurality of layers comprises the plurality of melt pools; a detector that is configured to detect the plurality of physical attribute oscillations; and one or more controllers operatively coupled to the enclosure, the energy source and the detector, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to;
(i) at least during printing the three-dimensional object, direct maintaining an interior of the enclosure at the ambient atmospheric pressure or at a positive pressure;
(ii) direct the energy source to generate the energy beam that transforms the pre-transformed material to the transformed material as a first portion of the three-dimensional object, wherein transformation of the pre-transformed material over time generates the plurality of melt pools that yields the plurality of physical attribute oscillations;
(iii) evaluate, or direct evaluation of, an oscillation of the plurality of physical attribute oscillations detected by the detector to generate a result; and
(iv) use the result to alter at least one characteristic of the energy beam to form a melt pool as part of the three-dimensional object. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for printing a three-dimensional object comprising:
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(a) providing a system comprising; an enclosure configured to enclose, at least during printing of the three-dimensional object, an atmosphere at a pressure that is an ambient atmospheric pressure or a positive pressure above the ambient atmospheric pressure; an energy source that is configured to generate an energy beam that transforms a pre-transformed material to a transformed material as at least a portion of the three-dimensional object comprising a plurality of layers, which pre-transformed material is transformed over time to yield a plurality of physical attribute oscillations of a change in at least one physical attribute over time, wherein the transformed material comprises a plurality of melt pools that correspond to the plurality of physical attribute oscillations, wherein a layer of the plurality of layers comprises the plurality of melt pools; a detector that is configured to detect the plurality of physical attribute oscillations; and one or more controllers operatively coupled to the enclosure, the energy source and the detector, wherein the one or more controllers are configured to;
(i) at least during printing the three-dimensional object, direct maintaining an interior of the enclosure at the ambient atmospheric pressure or at a positive pressure;
(ii) direct the energy source to generate the energy beam that transforms the pre-transformed material to the transformed material as a first portion of the three-dimensional object, wherein transformation of the pre-transformed material over time generates the plurality of melt pools that yields the plurality of physical attribute oscillations;
(iii) evaluate, or direct evaluation of, an oscillation of the plurality of physical attribute oscillations detected by the detector to generate a result; and
(iv) use the result to alter at least one characteristic of the energy beam to form a melt pool as part of the three-dimensional object; and(b) using the system to print the three-dimensional object. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification