Three-dimensional printing systems for rapidly producing objects
First Claim
1. A method for making a three-dimensional object comprising the steps ofa. loading a polymerizable liquid resin material or heated resin material as a liquid into a resin bath (vat) of a 3D printer;
- b. positioning one or more mechanical arms on top of a clear and/or transparent window proximate to a bottom surface of the resin bath to maintain a liquid interface between a build surface and the clear and/or transparent window proximate to the bottom of the resin bath;
wherein the one or more mechanical arms include an edge that is in contact with the clear and/or transparent window;
c. applying sequential voxel planes into the liquid resin or the heated resin to form a first layer of material, which polymerizes into a first solid layer;
d. moving the one or more mechanical arms at a speed so that the edge removes at least a portion of the liquid resin or heated resin from pre-matured polymerization while separating and removing a portion of the first solid layer from the clear and/or transparent window using the edge of the one or more mechanical arms to clean the clear and/or transparent window;
e. supplying additional liquid resin or heated resin to the cleaned clear and/or transparent window;
f. applying sequential voxel planes into the additional liquid resin or the heated resin to form a second layer of material, which polymerizes into a second solid layer;
g. adjusting the speed of the one or more arms based on curing rate, curing area, curing volume, moving of building platform, and/or rheological behavior of the polymerizable liquid resin material or heated resin material so that the edge separates and removes a portion of the additional liquid resin or heated resin and a portion of the second solid layer from the clear and/or transparent window; and
h. applying one or more successive layers of the polymerized material continuously until a predetermined shape is formed.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This invention relates to rapid prototyping systems, specifically, a continuous moving surface liquid resin system (CMSL) and fast printing method for making any 3D objects, such as dental devices, including but not limited to artificial teeth, dentures, orthodontic appliances, aligners, splints, veneers, inlays, onlays, copings, frame patterns, crowns and bridges and the like. 3D printers, such as DLP or stereolithography printer, are used to cure polymerizable material in a layer-by-layer manner to build-up the object rapidly and continuously.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A method for making a three-dimensional object comprising the steps of
a. loading a polymerizable liquid resin material or heated resin material as a liquid into a resin bath (vat) of a 3D printer; -
b. positioning one or more mechanical arms on top of a clear and/or transparent window proximate to a bottom surface of the resin bath to maintain a liquid interface between a build surface and the clear and/or transparent window proximate to the bottom of the resin bath;
wherein the one or more mechanical arms include an edge that is in contact with the clear and/or transparent window;c. applying sequential voxel planes into the liquid resin or the heated resin to form a first layer of material, which polymerizes into a first solid layer; d. moving the one or more mechanical arms at a speed so that the edge removes at least a portion of the liquid resin or heated resin from pre-matured polymerization while separating and removing a portion of the first solid layer from the clear and/or transparent window using the edge of the one or more mechanical arms to clean the clear and/or transparent window; e. supplying additional liquid resin or heated resin to the cleaned clear and/or transparent window; f. applying sequential voxel planes into the additional liquid resin or the heated resin to form a second layer of material, which polymerizes into a second solid layer; g. adjusting the speed of the one or more arms based on curing rate, curing area, curing volume, moving of building platform, and/or rheological behavior of the polymerizable liquid resin material or heated resin material so that the edge separates and removes a portion of the additional liquid resin or heated resin and a portion of the second solid layer from the clear and/or transparent window; and h. applying one or more successive layers of the polymerized material continuously until a predetermined shape is formed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
Specification