Apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object

• US 20020155189A1
• Filed: 04/18/2002
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Envisiontec Incorporated (Desktop Metal, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Envision Technologies GmbH
• Inventors: John, Hendrik
• Granted Patent: US 7,052,263 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/174.4
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/129 characterised by the energy source therefor, e.g. by global irradiation combined with a mask
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

An apparatus (1) for manufacturing a three-dimensional object (13) comprises a trough (7) for holding material (11) which can be solidified under the influence of light. The trough (7) comprises on its lower side a transparent plate (8). On the transparent plate (8) and side wall (10) of the trough (7) is provided a resilient layer (9) from which solidified material is easier to detach than from the transparent plate (8). An exposure and projection unit (19) serves to expose and solidify the material (11) in the trough (7) from below through the transparent plate (8).

Claims

1. Apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by solidifying in layers a liquid material (11) which can be solidified under the influence of light at locations corresponding to the cross-section of the object (13), with a trough (9, 10, 8;

7) for holding the material, a light source (19), a device (19) for projecting the area to be exposed onto the surface according to the cross-section of the object to be solidified, a positioning device (15) for positioning the object to be formed relative to the trough, wherein the surface of the material to be exposed is covered by a transparent plate (8) and the transparent plate is coated with a material to which the solidified material sticks less than to the transparent plate, characterised in that the bottom of the trough and the side trough walls (10) are formed by the layer (9).

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the layer (9) is resilient.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the transparent plate (8) and the trough-shaped layer (9) in the apparatus form an exchangeable unit (7).

4. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the transparent plate (8) forms the bottom of the trough and in that exposure is effected from below.

5. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the projection device (19) comprises a multimedia projector with micromirror array technology or with a liquid crystal display.

6. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the height of the trough can be less than the height of the object (13) to be formed.

7. Apparatus according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that an electromechanical closure (21) is provided for controlling the duration of exposure.

9. Apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the light source essentially emits in the visible spectrum.

8. Apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by solidifying in layers a liquid material (11) which can be solidified under the influence of light at locations corresponding to the cross-section of the object (13), with a trough (9, 10, 8;

7) for holding the material, a light source (19), a device (19) for projecting the area to be exposed onto the surface according to the cross-section of the object to be solidified, a positioning device (15) for positioning the object to be formed relative to the trough, wherein the surface of the material to be irradiated is covered by a transparent plate which is provided in the bottom of the trough, characterised in that the device for projecting the area to be exposed comprises a projector with micromirror array technology.