SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FABRICATING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

• US 20100003619A1
• Filed: 05/05/2009
• Published: 01/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Michigan (University of Michigan), Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Das, Suman, Halloran, John W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,636,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 430/290
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/02 Sand moulds or like moulds for shaped castings
• CPC Class Codes: B22C 9/24 for hollow articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• 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 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 27/42 for automatic sequential copying of the same original G03B27/34, G03B27/53 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/2057 using an addressed light valve, e.g. a liquid crystal device
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70291 Addressable masks, e.g. spatial light modulators [SLMs], digital micro-mirror devices [DMDs] or liquid crystal display [LCD] patterning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70416 2.5D lithography

Abstract

Systems and methods for fabricating three-dimensional objects. The system includes an optical imaging system providing a light source; a photosensitive medium adapted to change states upon exposure to a portion of the light source from the optical imaging system; a control system for controlling movement of the optical imaging system, wherein the optical imaging system moves continuously above the photosensitive medium. The method includes moving a maskless optical imaging system providing the light beam in a continuous sequence; presenting the light beam on a portion of the photosensitive medium; lowering a plate upon which the photosensitive medium resides; and applying a new layer of the photosensitive medium.

Claims

1. A system for fabricating a three-dimensional object, the system comprising:

an optical imaging system providing a light source;

a photosensitive medium adapted to change states upon exposure to a portion of the light source from the optical imaging system;

a control system for controlling movement of the optical imaging system, wherein the optical imaging system moves continuously above the photosensitive medium.

2. The system of claim 1, the optical imaging system comprising:

a reflector receiving a portion of the light source;

an optical lens system comprising a lens that receives a portion of the reflected light source;

a spatial light modulator for receiving the reflected light source from the optical lens system; and

a projection lens for focusing the light source received from the spatial light modulator onto a surface of the photosensitive medium.

3. The system of claim 1, the optical imaging system comprising a maskless light system for providing the light source and comprising a spatial light modulator scanning a portion of the medium.

4. The system of claim 1, the photosensitive medium comprising a photopolymer.

5. The system of claim 1, the control system receiving a computer aided design drawing.

6. The system of claim 1, the optical imaging system projecting a two-dimensional image comprising a cross-section of a three-dimensional object to be formed, the two-dimensional image received from the control system, onto a surface of the medium.

7. The system of claim 6, the projected two-dimensional image is a dynamic image that continuously changes as the optical imaging system scans over the medium.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a container for housing the photosensitive medium, the container comprising a lower platform adapted to move downwardly for lowering away from the optical imaging system, and wherein the container includes an inlet for introducing more of the photosensitive medium therein.

9. The system of claim 1, the light source continuously changes as the optical light system moves over the surface of the photosensitive medium.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a recoating system for rapidly coating an uniform thickness of the photosensitive medium.

11. An optical modeling method in which a photosensitive medium is exposed with a light beam to form a three-dimensional model, the method comprising:

moving a maskless optical imaging system providing the light beam in a continuous sequence;

presenting the light beam on a portion of the photosensitive medium;

lowering a plate upon which the photosensitive medium resides; and

applying a new layer of photosensitive media.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising analyzing a plurality of two-dimensional computer aided designs;

the light beam presented on the portion of the photosensitive medium having the shape from one of the plurality of two-dimensional computer aided designs.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising projecting the light beam that continuously changes as the light beam scans a surface of the photosensitive medium.

14. The method of claim 11, the lowering of the plate upon which the photosensitive medium resides occurring after the light beam is presented to the portion of the photosensitive medium.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a material build platform for housing the photosensitive medium and the plate upon which the photosensitive medium resides.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising directing the light beam to reflect off a reflector, through at least one lens system, and to a spatial light modulator.

17. A method for fabricating a three-dimensional object, the method comprising:

moving a maskless optical imaging system providing a light source in a continuous sequence;

directing the light source to reflect off a reflector, through at least one lens system, and into a spatial light modulator;

analyzing a plurality of two-dimensional computer aided designs;

presenting the light source on a portion of a photosensitive medium contained in a material build platform, the light source presented on the portion of the photosensitive medium having a pattern corresponding to one of the plurality of two-dimensional computer aided designs;

projecting the light source to continuously change as the light source scans a surface of the photosensitive medium;

lowering a plate disposed within the material build platform upon which the photosensitive medium resides, the lowering of the plate upon which the photosensitive medium resides occurring after the light source is presented to the portion of the photosensitive medium; and

applying a new layer of photosensitive media to the material build platform.