APPARATUS FOR FABRICATION OF THREE DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

• US 20140339741A1
• Filed: 05/13/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwest Greene International, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Holo, Inc.
• Inventors: Aghababaie, Arian, Lin, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 10,150,280 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/401
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/20 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/241 for rotary motion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/255 Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2883/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as mould material
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor

Abstract

An apparatus for bottom-up fabrication of three dimensional objects, the apparatus comprising: a vat for a photosensitive polymer, the floor of the vat including a working surface arranged such that, in use, light incident on the working surface interacts with the photosensitive polymer at the working surface to fabricate a portion of the three dimensional object; a build platform capable of being inserted into the vat, the build platform having a planar surface; an elevator mechanism capable of adjusting the separation between the working surface of the vat and the planar surface of the build platform; and a rotation mechanism capable of varying the relative rotational position of the vat relative to the build platform, the relative rotation being about an axis which is normal to the working surface of the vat.

Claims

1. An apparatus for bottom-up fabrication of three dimensional objects, the apparatus comprising:

a vat for a photosensitive polymer, the floor of the vat including a working surface arranged such that, in use, light incident on the working surface interacts with the photosensitive polymer at the working surface to fabricate a portion of the three dimensional object;

a build platform capable of being inserted into the vat, the build platform having a planar surface;

an elevator mechanism capable of adjusting the separation between the working surface of the vat and the planar surface of the build platform; and

a rotation mechanism capable of varying the relative rotational position of the vat relative to the build platform, the relative rotation being about an axis which is normal to the working surface of the vat.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation mechanism is arranged to vary the rotational position of the vat.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the rotation mechanism is a rotatable plate upon which the vat is mounted.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the vat includes a plug and the rotatable plate includes an aperture, the plug being configured to engage the aperture to secure the vat to the rotatable plate.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotation mechanism is arranged to vary the rotational position of the build platform.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a heating element in thermal contact with the vat.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the floor of the vat has a thickness of at least 5 mm.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the floor includes a first floor portion of a first thickness and a second floor portion of a second thickness, the second thickness being less than the first thickness.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first floor portion has a thickness of at least 6 mm and the second floor portion has a thickness of at least 5 mm.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vat is formed entirely of a liquid silicone rubber.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the working surface of the vat is a replaceable optically clear silicone pad.

12. A vat for bottom-up fabrication of three dimensional objects, the vat formed entirely of a liquid silicone rubber.

13. A vat for bottom-up fabrication of three dimensional objects, the vat including a replaceable optically clear silicone pad.

14. An apparatus for bottom-up fabrication of three dimensional objects, the apparatus comprising:

a vat for a photosensitive polymer, the floor of the vat including a working surface arranged such that, in use, light incident on the working surface interacts with the photosensitive polymer at the working surface to fabricate a portion of the three dimensional object;

a build platform capable of being inserted into the vat, the build platform having a planar surface;

an elevator mechanism capable of varying the separation between the working surface of the vat and the planar surface of the build platform; and

a heating element in thermal contact with the vat.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

a motorized plate capable of moving the vat relative to the build platform along a direction which is different to the direction of separation provided by the elevator mechanism;

wherein the heating element is located between the motorized plate and the vat.

16. A method of bottom-up fabrication of three dimensional objects, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a vat containing photosensitive polymer, the floor of the vat including a working surface;

providing a build platform capable of being inserted into the vat, the build platform having a planar surface;

positioning the build platform within the vat to create a layer of photosensitive polymer between the planar surface of the build platform and the working surface of the vat;

exposing a region of the layer of photosensitive polymer to electromagnetic radiation to cure the exposed region; and

separating the cured photosensitive polymer from the working surface of the vat by rotating the working surface of the vat relative to the planar surface of the build platform, the rotation being about an axis which is normal to the working surface of the vat.