DEVICE FOR THE GENERATIVE MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL COMPONENTS

• US 20130108726A1
• Filed: 09/13/2011
• Published: 05/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bego Medical GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bego Medical GmbH
• Inventors: Uckelmann, Ingo, Hoges, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 9,456,884 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 425/174.4
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/0019 using three dimensional printing
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 13/20 Methods or devices for soldering, casting, moulding or melting A61C13/04, A61C13/081 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/176 Sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/188 involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/205 Means for applying layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/236 for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 67/0007 Manufacturing coloured articles not otherwise provided for, e.g. by colour change
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7536 Artificial teeth
• 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: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for producing products having individual geometries, comprising a substrate carrier device, a material application device for applying material, preferably above the substrate carrier device, which material application device can be moved relative to the substrate carrier device, and a control device which is coupled to the material application device for signaling. According to the invention, the material application device is coupled to an input interface for signaling and for selection of a first or a second application mode, the control device and the application device being designed such as to produce, in the first application mode, a three-dimensional product on the surface of a substrate plate by way of an additive production method, said substrate plate being connected to the substrate carrier device. According to the additive production method, a curable material is applied in consecutive layers, one or more predetermined regions are selectively cured after or during each application of a layer, the predetermined regions being bonded to one or more regions of the underlying layer. The predetermined region(s) is/are predetermined by a cross-section geometry of the product in the respective layer and is/are stored in the control device, and the curable material is applied in a plurality of consecutive layers to produce the three-dimensional product. The control device and the application device are further designed such that in the second mode of application one or more colors are applied to predetermined regions of a print substrate material connected to the substrate carrier device to produce a monochrome or polychrome print.

Claims

1. Device for manufacturing of products with individual geometry, in particular tooth replacement or dental parts, comprising:

a substrate carrier device

a material application device being movable relatively to the substrate carrier device for application of material, preferably above the substrate carrier device,

a control device being coupled to the material application device for transmitting signals,

characterized by

an input interface being coupled to the control device for transmitting signals for selecting between a first and a second application mode, and

characterized in that said control device and said application device are adapted

to manufacture in a first application mode a three-dimensional product by means of an additive manufacturing method on the surface of a substrate plate being connected to said substrate carrier device, by

applying a curable material in consecutive layers,

selectively curing one or a plurality of predetermined regions after or during each layer application and thereby connecting these predetermined regions with one or a plurality of regions in the underlying layer,

wherein the predetermined region(s) are predetermined on the basis of a cross-sectional geometry of the product in the respective layer and stored in the control device, and

wherein the curable material is applied in a plurality of consecutive layers for manufacturing the three-dimensional product;

and

to apply in the second application mode one or a plurality of colors to predetermined regions of a print carrier connected with the substrate carrier device for establishing a single-colored or multi-colored print.

2. Device according to claim 1,

characterized by

a printing head being movable along at least one axis for selectively coating the regions with a curable material in said first application mode and for color application in said second application mode.

3. Device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the printing head

has a first inlet opening leading into a color lead channel, if applicable further inlet openings leading into respective further color lead channels for each further color and a second inlet opening leading into a material lead channel for the curable liquid and that the color lead channel(s) and the material lead channel lead into a common dispensing nozzle, preferably leading into a common lead channel leading into a dispensing nozzle, or

has an inlet opening leading into a color lead channel, if applicable further inlet openings leading into further color lead channels for each further color and a second inlet opening leading into a material lead channel for the curable liquid and that the color lead channel(s) and the material lead channel lead into spaced apart dispensing nozzles, preferably each color lead channel leads in spaced apart dispensing nozzles.

4. Device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the control device and the application device are adapted to apply in a third application mode in one, preferably each layer:

material and one or a plurality of colors onto a region, preferably by mixing material and one or a plurality of colors before or in the printing head and consequently applying the mixture or applying the material and the color(s) through separate nozzles at the same time or time-delayed and by carrying out the application in such a way that the material of said layer is applied in a predetermined color pattern or

material and one or a plurality of colors on spaced-apart regions, preferably by applying material from a first material application nozzle and one or a plurality of colors from one or a plurality of color application nozzles, and wherein the application is carried out in such a way that the material of a before-hand applied layer or the material of said layer is supplied with a predetermined color pattern.

5. Device according to claim 1,

characterized in that inlet opening(s) is/are provided discharging into one or a plurality of material flow channels for dispensing one or a plurality of materials for building different material regions in the product or for curing of the plurality of materials in a chemical reaction with each other.

6. Device according to claim 1,

characterized by a substrate plate stack and/or a print carrier stack mechanically interacting with the substrate plate carrier for supply of substrate plates or print carriers from the substrate plate stack or the print carrier stack, respectively, onto the substrate plate carrier.

7. Device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the substrate plate carrier forms an endless conveyor device and that the material application device is adapted to dispense the curable material directly onto the substrate plate carrier and/or that a detaching device is arranged at the substrate plate carrier for detaching products manufactured thereon after their completion from the substrate plate carrier or from a substrate plate arranged thereon, wherein preferably the endless conveyor device is turned around at a deflecting device and deformed thereby, and wherein the products are thereby detached.

8. Device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the curable material is dispensed from a first nozzle arrangement with at least one nozzle and that the color is dispensed from a second nozzle arrangement with at least one nozzle and that

the first and second nozzle arrangements are arranged at a printing head being movable at least along one axis during application, or

the first nozzle arrangement is arranged at a first printing head and the second nozzle arrangement is arranged at a second printing head, and the first and/or second printing heads are movable along an axis during application, wherein the axes of the printing heads are arranged in parallel, in particular coaxially, and/or

the first and second nozzle arrangements are movable independently from one another during application.

9. Device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the substrate carrier device and the material application device are movable relative to each other and are guided on a guiding device in such a way, that

the consecutive layers are applied in the first application mode in layer planes being aligned oblique to the surface of the substrate plate,

the color is applied in the second application mode, preferably in a layer plane corresponding to the first operating mode, in particular along an axis lying in such a layer plane, and/or

the substrate plate or the print carrier, respectively, is moved during the application process in at least one direction having a direction component perpendicular to the layer plane, in particular in a direction lying oblique to the layer application plane.

16. Device according to claim 1,

characterized in that the control device is adapted to control the material application device and/or the conveyor device in such a way, that a layer with a thickness between 5 μ

m and 200 μ

m is applied.

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29. Device for manufacturing products with individual geometry, comprising

a substrate plate,

a material application device being movable relatively to the substrate plate for application of material on the substrate plate, preferably above the substrate plate,

a control device being coupled for transmitting signals with the material application device and/or a conveyor device for conveying the substrate plate,

characterized in that

the control device is adapted to control the material application device in such a way that it dispenses the material selectively on predetermined regions corresponding to the cross-section of a product in the respective layer,

the material application device is adapted to apply the material in a plane, which is aligned oblique, in particular in an angle being smaller or equal to the dumping angle of the material, to the surface of the substrate plate, which the material is applied on.

30. Device according to claim 29,

characterized by

a radiation source for a high-energetic radiation,

a radiation guiding means for directing the radiation onto predetermined regions of a material layer applied on the substrate plate.

31. Device according to claim 29,

characterized in that

the substrate plate is divided into a plurality of substrate plate segments,

the material application device is adapted to simultaneously apply a material layer onto a number of the plurality of substrate plate segments;

and

the substrate plate segments are connected detachable with each other or detachable with a base carrier.

33. Device according to claim 29,

characterized in that the substrate plate segments are arranged at an endless conveyor belt running partially or completely in a processing chamber, which is sealed against the environment as far as a controlled, in particular inert atmosphere can be adjusted therein.

35. Device according to claim 29,

characterized in that the substrate plate is adapted to be pushed forward in each building of a new layer in a horizontal direction.

36. Device according to claim 29,

characterized by an input interface for selecting between a first and a second application mode, and

characterized in that the control device is coupled to the input interface for transmitting signals and the control device and the application device are adapted to

manufacture in the first application mode the product on the surface of the substrate plate by means of application of the curable material, and

apply in the second application mode one or a plurality of colors onto selective regions of a print carrier for establishing a single-colored or multi-colored print.

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51. Device for manufacturing of products with individual geometry, comprising

a substrate plate,

a material application device being movable relatively to the substrate plate for applying material on the substrate plate, preferably above the substrate plate,

a control device being coupled with the material application device for transmitting signals,

characterized in that

the control device is adapted to control the material application device in such a way that it dispenses material selectively onto predetermined regions, which correspond to the cross-section of a product in the respective layer, and

the substrate plate is divided into a plurality of substrate plate segments being connected detachable with each other or with a base carrier.

56. Device according to claim 51,

characterized in that inlet opening(s) is/are provided discharging into one or a plurality of material flow channels for dispensing one or a plurality of materials for building different material regions in the product or for curing of the plurality of materials in a chemical reaction with each other.

70. Device according to claim 51,

characterized in that the substrate plate carrier forms an endless conveyor device and that the material application device is adapted to dispense the curable material directly onto the substrate plate carrier and/or that a detaching device is arranged at the substrate plate carrier for detaching products manufactured thereon after their completion from the substrate plate carrier or from a substrate plate arranged thereon, wherein preferably the endless conveyor device is turned around at a deflecting device and deformed thereby, and wherein the products are thereby detached.

71. Device according to claim 51,

characterized in that the control device is adapted to control the material application device and/or the conveyor device in such a way, that a layer with a thickness between 5 μ

m and 200 μ

m is applied.

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