Three-Dimensional Printing Using Carriers with Release Mechanisms

• US 20170210077A1
• Filed: 08/12/2015
• Published: 07/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Carbon, Inc.
• Inventors: Shirvanyants, David, DeSimone, Joseph M., Phelps, Nordstrom Kirk, Ermoshkin, Alexander, Rolland, Jason P.
• Granted Patent: US 10,668,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• 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 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

A method of forming a three-dimensional object (17) includes: providing a carrier (18) and an optically transparent member (15) having a build surface, the carrier (18) and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid (16); irradiating the build region with light (12) through the optically transparent member (15) to form a solid polymer from the polymerizable liquid; and advancing the carrier (18) away from the build surface to form the three-dimensional object (17) from the solid polymer. The carrier (18) includes at least one retain and release (34) feature that is configured to: i) retain the three-dimensional object (17) formed from the solid polymer on the carrier (18) in a first state; and ii) facilitate release of the three-dimensional object (17) formed from the solid polymer from the carrier (18) in a second state.

Claims

1. A method of forming a three-dimensional object, the method comprising:

providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, said carrier and said build surface defining a build region therebetween, said carrier comprising at least one retain and release feature;

filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid;

irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid; and

advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer;

wherein said at least one retain and release feature is configured to;

i) retain said three-dimensional object formed from said solid polymer on said carrier in a first state; and

ii) facilitate release of said three-dimensional object formed from said solid polymer from said carrier in a second state, the method further comprising;

maintaining said retain and release feature in said first state during said filling, irradiating and/or advancing steps; and

switching said retain and release feature to said second state after said filling, irradiating and/or advancing steps to thereby facilitate release of said three-dimensional object formed from said solid polymer from said carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said filling, irradiating and/or advancing steps are carried out while also concurrently:

(i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said build surface, and

(ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between said dead zone and said solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerization zone comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising adhering a release layer to a surface of said carrier that faces said build region in said first state and releasing said release layer from said carrier in said second state.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said release layer comprises a flexible release layer.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said retain and release feature comprises one or more channels in said carrier, the method further comprising applying a negative pressure through said one or more channels to said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object in said first state to thereby increase an adherence of said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object to said carrier.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising increasing a pressure through said one or more channels to said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object in said second state to thereby decrease an adherence of said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object to said carrier.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein, in said second state, said release layer is separated from said carrier and optionally releasably retained on said three-dimensional object.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein said release layer comprises a gas permeable member.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said release layer comprises a woven or nonwoven fabric.

10. The method of claim 3, wherein said release layer comprises nylon, polyester, cellulose and/or polypropylene.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein applying the negative pressure through said one or more channels in said first state is carried out using at least one pump in fluid communication with said one or more channels.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising reducing the negative pressure and/or applying a positive pressure through said one or more channels in said second state using said at least one pump.

13. The method of claim 5, wherein said one or more channels are in communication with said build region.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein at least some of said one or more channels each have an opening on the surface that faces said build region and another opening on a side portion of said carrier.

15. The method of claim 5, wherein at least some of said one or more channels each have an opening on the surface that faces said build region and another opening on an opposite surface of said carrier.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said carrier is inflatable and in fluid communication with a pump, the method further comprising inflating said carrier in one of said first and second states using said pump.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said carrier is magnetic, the method further comprising attaching a metal release layer plate to said carrier by magnetic attraction in the first state.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising demagnetizing said carrier and/or said metal layer release plate in said second state.

19. The method of claim 3, wherein said retain and release feature comprises one or more solvent delivery channels in said carrier, said one or more solvent delivery channels in fluid communication with said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object, the method further comprising delivering a solvent through said one or more solvent delivery channels to said release layer and/or a surface of said three-dimensional object in said second state to thereby decrease an adherence of said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object to said carrier.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein said optically transparent member comprises a semipermeable member, and said continuously maintaining a dead zone is carried out by feeding an inhibitor of polymerization through said optically transparent member in an amount sufficient to maintain said dead zone and said gradient of polymerization zone.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said optically transparent member is comprised of a semipermeable fluoropolymer, a rigid gas-permeable polymer, porous glass, or a combination thereof.

22-31. -31. (canceled)

32. An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object from a polymerizable liquid, the apparatus comprising:

(a) a support;

(b) a carrier operatively associated with said support on which carrier said three-dimensional object is formed;

(c) an optically transparent member having a build surface, with said build surface and said carrier defining a build region therebetween;

(d) a liquid polymer supply operatively associated with said build surface and configured to supply liquid polymer into said build region for solidification or polymerization;

(e) a radiation source configured to irradiate said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid;

(f) a controller operatively associated with said carrier and said radiation source for advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer,

wherein said carrier comprises at least one retain and release feature configured to;

i) retain said three-dimensional object formed from said solid polymer on said carrier in a first state; and

ii) facilitate release of said three-dimensional object formed from said solid polymer from said carrier in a second state.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said controller is operatively associated with said carrier and said radiation source for advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer, while also concurrently:

(i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said build surface; and

(ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between said dead zone and said solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerization zone comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form.

34. The apparatus of claim 32, further comprising a release layer that is configured to adhere to a surface of said carrier that faces said build region in said first state and to release from said carrier in said second state.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said release layer comprises a flexible release layer.

36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said retain and release feature comprises one or more channels in said carrier that are configured to apply a negative pressure to said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object in said first state to thereby increase an adherence of said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object to said carrier.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein said one or more channels are configured to increase a pressure to said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object in said second state to thereby decrease an adherence of said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object to said carrier.

38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein, in said second state, said release layer is separated from said carrier and optionally releasably retained on said three-dimensional object.

42. The apparatus of claim 36, further comprising at least one pump in fluid communication with said one or more channels and configured to apply the negative pressure through said one or more channels in said first state.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein said at least one pump is configured to reduce the negative pressure and/or apply a positive pressure through said one or more channels in said second state.

47. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said carrier is inflatable and in fluid communication with a pump, and wherein said pump inflates said carrier in one of said first and second states.

48. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein at least a portion of said carrier is magnetic, the apparatus further comprising a metal release layer plate, wherein said metal plate is attached to said carrier by magnetic attraction in the first state.

49. The apparatus of claim 48, wherein said carrier and/or said metal layer release plate is demagnetized in said second state.

50. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said retain and release feature comprises one or more solvent delivery channels in said carrier, said one or more solvent delivery channels in fluid communication with said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object and configured to deliver a solvent to said release layer and/or a surface of said three-dimensional object in said second state to thereby decrease an adherence of said release layer and/or said three-dimensional object to said carrier.

51. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said build plate is substantially fixed or stationary.

52. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said optically transparent member comprises a semipermeable member.

39-41. -41. (canceled)

44-46. -46. (canceled)

53-58. -58. (canceled)