Layer manufacturing method and apparatus using full-area curing
First Claim
1. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object in accordance with a computer-aided design of the object, said method comprising:
- (a) providing a work surface lying substantially parallel to an X-Y plane of an X-Y-Z Cartesian coordinate system defined by three mutually perpendicular X-, Y- and Z-axes;
(b) feeding a first layer of a photo-curable material mixture to said work surface, said mixture comprising a primary body building powder material and a photo-curable liquid adhesive;
(c) directing a programmable planar light source means to predetermined areas of said first layer corresponding to the first cross-section of said design to at least partially cure said adhesive which bonds the powder particles together in said areas for the purpose of forming the first cross-section of said 3-D object;
(d) feeding a second layer of said photo-curable material mixture onto said first layer and directing a programmable planar light source means to predetermined areas of said second layer corresponding to the second cross-section of said design to at least partially cure said adhesive and bond the powder particles together in said areas for the purpose of forming the second cross-section of said 3-D object;
(e) repeating the feeding and directing steps to build successive layers along the Z-direction of said X-Y-Z coordinate system in a layer-wise fashion in accordance with said design for forming multiple layers of said object; and
(f) removing un-bonded powder particles and uncured adhesive, causing said 3-D object to appear.
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Abstract
A method and related apparatus for fabricating a three-dimensional object in accordance with a computer-aided design of the object in a layer-by-layer but not point-by-point fashion. The method includes the following steps: (a) providing a work surface; (b) feeding a first layer of a photo-curable material mixture to this work surface, the mixture including a primary body-building powder material and a photo-curable adhesive; (c) directing a programmable planar light source to predetermined areas of the first layer to at least partially cure the adhesive and bond the powder particles together in these areas for the purpose of forming the first cross-section of this object; (d) feeding a second layer of the material mixture onto the first layer and directing a programmable planar light source to predetermined areas of the second layer to at least partially cure the adhesive and bond the powder particles together in these areas for forming the second cross-section of the object; (e) repeating the feeding and directing steps to build successive layers of the material mixture in a layer-wise fashion in accordance with the design for forming multiple layers of the object; and (f) removing un-bonded powder particles and un-cured adhesive to reveal the 3-D object.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object in accordance with a computer-aided design of the object, said method comprising:
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(a) providing a work surface lying substantially parallel to an X-Y plane of an X-Y-Z Cartesian coordinate system defined by three mutually perpendicular X-, Y- and Z-axes;
(b) feeding a first layer of a photo-curable material mixture to said work surface, said mixture comprising a primary body building powder material and a photo-curable liquid adhesive;
(c) directing a programmable planar light source means to predetermined areas of said first layer corresponding to the first cross-section of said design to at least partially cure said adhesive which bonds the powder particles together in said areas for the purpose of forming the first cross-section of said 3-D object;
(d) feeding a second layer of said photo-curable material mixture onto said first layer and directing a programmable planar light source means to predetermined areas of said second layer corresponding to the second cross-section of said design to at least partially cure said adhesive and bond the powder particles together in said areas for the purpose of forming the second cross-section of said 3-D object;
(e) repeating the feeding and directing steps to build successive layers along the Z-direction of said X-Y-Z coordinate system in a layer-wise fashion in accordance with said design for forming multiple layers of said object; and
(f) removing un-bonded powder particles and uncured adhesive, causing said 3-D object to appear. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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16. A solid freeform fabrication apparatus for making a three-dimensional object from layers of a photo-curable material mixture comprising a primary body-building powder material and a photo-curable liquid adhesive, said apparatus comprising:
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(b) a work surface to support said object while being built;
(c) material-dispensing means a distance from said work surface, said dispensing means having an outlet directed to said work surface for feeding successive layers of said mixture onto said work surface one layer at a time;
(d) a programmable planar light source means a distance from said work surface for providing light to a predetermined region of a material mixture layer; and
(e) a light source controller electronically connected to said planar light source means and motion devices coupled to said work surface, said planar light source means, and/or said material-dispensing means for moving said material-dispensing means and said planar light source means relative to said work surface in a plane defined by first and second directions and in a third direction orthogonal to said plane to dispense and cure said multiple layers of material mixture, one layer at a time, for forming said 3-D object.
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22. A method for making a three-dimensional object from layers of photo-curable material mixtures, each of said material mixtures comprising a primary body-building powder material and a photo-curable adhesive and said material mixtures varying in material composition from layer to layer, said method comprising the steps of:
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positioning a work surface a distance from means for storing and supplying said material mixtures;
depositing a thin layer of first material mixture onto said work surface;
utilizing a programmable planar light source to provide actinic radiation energy into selected areas of said layer, one finite area at a time, to at least partially cure the adhesive sufficient for bonding powder particles together in said areas to form a cross-section of said object, the adhesive and powder particles in the negative region other than said selected areas of a layer remaining uncured and un-bonded;
repeating said depositing and utilizing steps to form a plurality of material mixture layers, each of said layers being integrally bonded to the next adjacent of said layers by said utilizing steps to form an integral 3-D body imbedded in a matrix of uncured adhesive and un-bonded powder particles; and
removing said un-cured adhesive and said un-bonded powder particles in said negative region, causing said 3-D object to appear. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification