Apparatus and method for printing of three-dimensional objects

• US 20080118655A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Objet Geometries
• Original Assignee: Objet Geometries
• Inventors: Kritchman, Eliahu M.
• Application Number:
  US11/980,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20080118655A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/427.3
• 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 and a method for printing of three-dimensional objects are provided. The method may include printing a three-dimensional object using a printing head having a plurality of nozzles through which building materials are dispensed in layers; detecting defective nozzles in the printing head using a controller; processing a map of missing nozzles according to data defining the object; and adjusting printing coordinates of the object to be printed, to compensate for the defective nozzles.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus for three-dimensional printing, comprising

a printing head having a plurality of nozzles through which building materials are dispensed to print an object, said printing head dispensing materials in a printing direction;

and

a controller to detect defective nozzles in the printing head, to process a map of missing nozzles according to data defining said object, and to adjust printing coordinates for the object to be printed, to compensate for said defective nozzles.

2. The printing apparatus of claim 1, comprising a nozzle detector mechanism to detect nozzle status.

3. The printing apparatus of claim 1, wherein said controller is to control adjustment parameters with a shift algorithm.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said adjustments include shifting said printing head in a non-printing direction between movements in the printing direction, taking into account the map of missing nozzles, in order to compensate for missing nozzles.

5. A three-dimensional object printing method, comprising:

printing a three-dimensional object using a printing head having a plurality of nozzles through which building materials are dispensed in layers, said printing head dispensing materials in a printing direction;

detecting defective nozzles in said printing head using a controller;

processing a map of missing nozzles according to data defining said object; and

adjusting printing coordinates of said object to be printed, to compensate for said defective nozzles.

6. The method of claim 5 comprising detecting nozzle status using a nozzle detector mechanism.

7. The method of claim 5, where said adjusting includes controlling adjustment parameters selected from the group consisting of print head shifting, print head movement, and input data conversion.

8. The method of claim 6, comprising adjusting said printing coordinates with a shift algorithm by shifting said printing head in a non printing direction between printing movements in the printing direction in response to the map of missing nozzles detected by said nozzle detector mechanism, in order to compensate for missing nozzles.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said compensation is applied by avoiding printing two or more successive layers with missing nozzles in the same location, according to the map of missing nozzles.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the method enables printing of a first layer of an object by a printing head having a certain reference frame;

and printing of a second layer of an object by said printing head, said printing head having a second reference frame, said second reference frame being different from said first reference frame.