Shifting a Curing Location During 3D Printing

• US 20160096331A1
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Published: 04/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Linnell, Jeffrey, Kruysman, Brandon, Proto, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 9,873,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/241 for rotary motion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0058 Liquid or visquous
• 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

Abstract

Example implementations may relate to shifting a curing location during a three-dimensional (3D) printing procedure. A system may control components of a 3D printer to form a first layer of the 3D structure from resin in a first area of a resin container. The components may include: (i) a base plate and (ii) light source(s) operable to emit radiation that cures resin. After formation of the first layer, the system may move the resin container with respect to the base plate such that a second layer of the 3D structure can be formed in a second area of the resin container. The second area and the first area may be at least partially non-overlapping. The system may then control the components of the 3D printer to form the second layer of the 3D structure from resin in the second area of the resin container.

Claims

1. A method for printing a three-dimensional (3D) structure comprising:

controlling, by a computing system, one or more components of a 3D printer to form a first layer of the 3D structure from resin in a first area of a resin container, wherein the one or more components comprise one or more of;

(i) a base plate, wherein the resin container is movable with respect to the base plate, and (ii) one or more light sources operable to emit radiation that cures resin;

after formation of the first layer, moving the resin container with respect to the base plate such that a second layer of the 3D structure can be formed in a second area of the resin container, wherein the second area and the first area are at least partially non-overlapping; and

controlling, by the computing system, the one or more components of the 3D printer to form the second layer of the 3D structure from resin in the second area of the resin container.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources are arranged below the resin container.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the resin container comprises rotating the resin container.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the resin container comprises a circular resin container, and wherein rotating the resin container comprises rotating the circular resin container about the center of the circular resin container.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first area and the second area do not overlap.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the base plate is fixed with respect to the resin container.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the base plate is supported by a robotic device that is operable to move the base plate with respect to the resin container.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D structure is formed from a plurality of layers of resin, and wherein the method further comprises, after formation of each layer from the plurality of layers, moving the resin container with respect to the base plate such that a subsequent layer is formed from resin in an area of the resin container that is at least partially different from an area of the resin container where a preceding layer was formed.

9. A system comprising:

a base plate configured to support a three-dimensional structure;

a resin container that is movable with respect to the base plate;

one or more light sources operable to emit radiation that cures resin in the resin container;

a control system that is operable to generate control signals that coordinate movement of at least the resin container to form the three-dimensional structure from layers of the resin, wherein the generated control signals comprise control signals that;

(a) cause a first layer of the three-dimensional structure to be formed from resin in a first area of the resin container;

(b) after formation of the first layer, cause the resin container move with respect to the base plate such that a second layer of the three-dimensional structure is formed from resin in a second area of the resin container, wherein the second area and the first area are at least partially non-overlapping; and

(c) cause the second layer of the three-dimensional structure to be formed from resin in the second area of the resin container.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the first area comprises a first size, wherein the second area comprises a second size, and wherein the first size is different from the second size.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a mechanical system for moving the resin container with respect to the base plate.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein base plate is supported by a mechanical system that is operable to move the base plate with respect to the resin container.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the mechanical system comprises a robotic system.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the generated control signals further comprise control signals that:

cause the mechanical system to move the base plate with respect to the resin container, after formation of the first layer but prior to moving the resin container with respect to the base plate, to a location where the three-dimensional structure is separated from the resin in the resin container.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the generated control signals further comprise control signals that:

cause the mechanical system to move the base plate with respect to the resin container, after moving the resin container with respect to the base plate but prior to formation of the second layer, to a location where the three-dimensional structure is at least partially in contact with the resin in the resin container.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a computing system to perform functions comprising:

controlling one or more components of a 3D printer to form first layer of the 3D structure from resin in a first area of a resin container, wherein the one or more components comprise one or more of;

(i) a base plate, wherein the resin container is movable with respect to the base plate, and (ii) one or more light sources operable to emit radiation that cures resin;

after formation of the first layer, moving the resin container with respect to the base plate such that a second layer of the 3D structure can be formed in a second area of the resin container, wherein the second area and the first area are at least partially non-overlapping; and

controlling the one or more components of the 3D printer to form the second layer of the 3D structure from resin in the second area of the resin container.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the 3D structure is formed from a plurality of layers of resin, and wherein the functions further comprise, after formation of one or more layers from the plurality of layers, moving the resin container with respect to the base plate such that a subsequent layer is formed from resin in an area of the resin container that is at least partially different from an area of the resin container where preceding layer was formed.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the 3D structure is formed from a plurality of layers of resin, and wherein the functions further comprise, after formation of one or more layers from the plurality of layers, moving the base plate and the one or more light sources with respect to the resin container such that a subsequent layer is formed from resin in an area of the resin container that is at least partially different from an area of the resin container where a preceding layer was formed.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the base plate is supported by a robotic device that is operable to move the base plate with respect to the resin container.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein moving the resin container comprises rotating the resin container.