APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SOLID FREEFORM FABRICATION

• US 20090304952A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: KRITCHMAN, Eliahu M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,609,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/595
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0822 using IR radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0827 using UV radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2035/0877 using electron radiation, e.g. beta-rays
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/08 by wave energy or particle radiation B29C64/00, B29C71/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 35/0805 using electromagnetic radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing

Abstract

A Solid Freeform Fabrication system, apparatus and method is provided, that includes a movable fabrication tray adapted to hold an object being fabricated; a depositing surface to hold deposited materials, and ink jet printing heads to selectively deposit a plurality of building materials on the depositing surface; wherein the deposited materials are merged to the object being fabricated, when said fabrication tray moves said object being fabricated to be in contact with said deposited materials.

Claims

1. A Solid Freeform Fabrication apparatus for fabricating 3-D objects, comprising:

fabrication tray operative to hold an object being fabricated;

a depositing surface upon which building materials are deposited; and

an ink jet printing head operative to selectively deposit building materials in a layer on said depositing surface according to a layer bitmap;

wherein said deposited materials are merged to said object being fabricated, when said fabrication tray moves said object being fabricated to be in contact with said deposited materials.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a curing means to at least partially cure said deposited materials.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said curing means is one of more of the group comprising a light source, a heating element and a cooling element

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said light source may be continuous, flood or flash light.

5. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said light source is selected from the group comprising UV radiation, I-R radiation, electron beam or other source of radiation.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said depositing surface is transparent.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said depositing surface comprises a release layer to enable easy release of said deposited materials.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said depositing surface is a rotating belt.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said object being fabricated is suspended from said fabrication tray.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a backing plate or pressure roller.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of printing heads, wherein each printing head dispenses a different building material.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said printing heads are operative to selectively deposit a plurality of building materials in a layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said building material is photopolymer or wax.

14. A method of fabricating 3-D objects, comprising:

selectively depositing building materials in a layer on a depositing surface, using one or more printing heads;

providing relative movement between an object being fabricated on a fabrication tray and said deposited material, until said deposited material and said object make contact and are merged; and

repeating said depositing and merging steps to form a 3-D object.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said object is suspended from the fabrication tray.

16. The method of claim 14, comprising at least partially curing said building material using a curing mechanism.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said curing mechanism is selected from the group comprising UV radiation, I-R radiation, other sources of electromagnetic radiation, electron beam, natural light, heating and cooling.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising exerting counter pressure against said depositing surface, using a backing plate or impression roller

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said building material is photopolymer or wax.

20. The method of claim 14, including cooling said deposited material.

21. The method of claim 14, including heating said deposited material.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said depositing surface comprises a release layer to enable easy release of said deposited materials.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said depositing surface is a rotating belt.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein said printing heads selectively deposit at least two different building materials in a layer.