Production of objects

• US 5,120,476 A
• Filed: 12/14/1990
• Issued: 06/09/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Original Assignee: BASF AG (BASF SE)
• Inventors: Scholz, Dankmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Tentoni, Leo B.
• Application Number:
  US07/627,354
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 264/22, 264/40.1, 264/40.7, 264/298, 264/308, 156/64.242, 156/273.3, 156/273.5, 156/275.5, 156/307.1, 427/8, 427/53.1, 427/54.1, 427/430.1, 250/492.1, 364/468, 364/476, 364/522, 364/523, 365/106, 365/107, 365/119, 365/120, 365/126, 365/127, 430/270, 430/327, 430/328
• US Class Current: 264/401
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2995/0073 smooth
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing

Abstract

Three-dimensional objects are produced by the polymerization of a photopolymerizable liquid medium with the aid of high-energy radiation by continuously introducing the liquid medium in lamina form from a casting means onto the surface of a carrier liquid which has a higher specific gravity than the photopolymerizable medium and is not miscible therewith. This lamina is polymerized by irradiation to form a laminar, two-dimensional polymer layer, then the surface of the carrier liquid is raised and another lamina of the photopolymerizable medium is introduced onto the surface and polymerized to form a further polymer layer which combines with the preceding one. These steps are repeated until the three-dimensional object is formed. The steps of forming the polymer lamina and raising the surface of the carrier liquid may be computer controlled.

Claims

1. A process for producing a three-dimensional object by polymerizing a photopolymerizable liquid medium with high-energy radiation by

a) producing a laminar, two-dimensional polymer layer on a surface of a carrier liquid,

b) raising the surface of the carrier liquid by an amount which corresponds to a thickness of the laminar polymer layer and then again producing a two-dimensional polymer layer which connects to the preceding one, and

c) repeating steps a) and b) until a three-dimensional object is formed,

which comprises continuously introducing onto the surface of the carrier liquid, from a casting means, a lamina of a photopolymerizable liquid medium, which has a lower specific gravity than the carrier liquid and is not miscible therewith, and then polymerizing the photopolymerizable liquid medium by irradiation of the entire photopolymerizable liquid surface uninterruptedly.

2. A process for producing an object as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photopolymerizable liquid medium comprises an ethylenically unsaturated acrylic or vinyl compound and a photoinitiator.

3. A process for producing an object as claimed in claim 1, wherein the photopolymerizable liquid medium is thixotropic.

4. A process for producing an object as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carrier liquid onto whose surface the photopolymerizable liquid medium is introduced is an aqueous salt solution.

5. A process for producing an object as claimed in claim 1, wherein the introduction of the lamina from the casting means onto the surface of the carrier liquid is computer controlled.