APPARATUS FOR PRINTING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

• US 20080110395A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 05/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Objet Ltd. (Stratasys Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kritchman, Eliahu, Gothait, Hanan
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 118/300
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92209 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/005 Compensating volume or shape change during moulding, in general
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/02 for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/48 Compensating volume change, e.g. retraction
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/52 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/129 characterised by the energy source therefor, e.g. by global irradiation combined with a mask
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• 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: B33Y 40/10 Pre-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/20 : Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/16 : Braille printing typewriters or selective printing mechanisms for Braille printing B41J3/32

Abstract

An apparatus to help control the quality of printed three-dimensional objects is provided. The apparatus may include a printing head to print a three-dimensional object and a printing tray having defined surface characteristics serving to control adherence of the object being printed to the printing tray and/or prevent deformations in the printed object.

Claims

1. An apparatus for three-dimensional printing comprising:

a printing head to print a three-dimensional object, the object including modeling material; and

a printing tray having predetermined surface characteristics, said characteristics serving to control adherence of the object being printed to the printing tray and/or prevent deformations in the printed object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface characteristics are mechanical or chemical.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said tray has a surface coating with high adhesion characteristics in respect to the modeling material of the object.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said surface coating is an anodized coating.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said anodized coating includes pores containing a material to act to adhere to said object.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said anodized coating includes pores containing modeling material.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said anodized coating includes pores containing water to act to adhere to said object.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said surface coating includes oxides.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said printing tray having a thermal coefficient similar to that of the object being printed.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said printing tray includes organic material.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said organic material has low thermal conductivity.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said printing tray comprises a material substantially similar to a material included in said object.