Rapid prototyping and manufacturing system and method

• US 20070075459A1
• Filed: 09/30/2005
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Reynolds, Gary, Hunter, Don
• Granted Patent: US 7,621,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/401
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/182 in parallel batches
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

A stereolithography apparatus having a resin vat with resupply containers in one-way flow communication and a leveling container in two-way flow communication, an automatic offload cart to remove and replace build support platforms, an elevator assembly for supporting and releasably retaining a build platform removably attached to the stereolithography apparatus frame such that elevator forks supporting the build platform can be released into the vat and removed from the stereolithography apparatus with the vat, and a recoater assembly and recoater blade for mapping the resin surface in the vat and applying a fresh coating of resin to a cross-section being built in the vat.

Claims

1. A vat for containing a liquid resin in a stereolithography apparatus, said vat comprising;

a) a receptacle for the resin;

b) at least one supplemental resin container containing resin and in flow communication with said receptacle for adding resin to or removing resin from said vat, thereby to maintain a resin level in said receptacle; and

c) a controller operatively connected to said at least one container for controlling flow to and from said container.

2. The vat according to claim 1 further comprising a sensor in sensing engagement with the resin in said receptacle for determining whether the level of resin within said receptacle is within predetermined high and low limits and wherein said controller controls said at least one container to add or remove resin so that the resin level is within predetermined limits.

3. The vat of claim 2 wherein said sensor is a closed-loop laser diode sensor that is turned on for sensing and is turned off immediately after returning the resin level to predetermined limits.

4. The vat according to claim 1 wherein said at least one container further comprises a valve for regulating flow between said receptacle and said container and wherein said valve and said container are sufficient to maintain a resin level within predetermined limits after a first build and prior to a second build.

5. The vat according to claim 1 further comprising additional containers wherein said additional containers further comprise one or more valves for metering flow to said receptacle sufficient to maintain a precise level of the surface of the resin within said receptacle during a build.

6. The vat according to claim 1 wherein said containers further comprise radio frequency identification tags cooperating with said controller for at least confirming whether the resin in said receptacle and the resin in said container are the same resins prior to establishing flow communication therebetween.

7. The vat according to claim 1 further comprising a radio frequency identification tag cooperative with said controller to identify the vat and the liquid resin.

8. The vat according to claim 6 further comprising the radio frequency identification tags identifying at least one of liquid resin identify, rate of installation, resin expiration date, resin batch number and volume of resin.

9. A method for stereolithography by which three-dimensional objects are produced from liquid resin by applying laser energy to the resin surface to build the objects layer-by-layer in accordance with a preprogrammed controller, said method comprising controlling in response to a preprogrammed controller the level of the resin surface between each application of energy to the resin surface.

11. The method according to claim 9 further comprising providing a data flow between a resupply container holding a replenishing resin and the preprogrammed controller to identify the replenishing resin and confirm the replenishing resin and the liquid resin forming the resin surface on which objects are built are the same resins.

12. The method according to claim 9 further comprising the preprogrammed controller receiving data flow from a vat containing the liquid resin identifying at least one of the liquid resin identity, the date of installation, the resin expiration date, the resin batch number, the volume of resin and the vat identity.

10. A method for stereolithography by which three-dimensional objects are produced from liquid resin by applying laser energy to the resin surface to build the objects layer-by-layer in accordance with a preprogrammed controller, said method comprising automatedly controlling in response to a preprogrammed controller the level of the resin surface after removing the at least one first build.