Stereolithography method and apparatus
First Claim
1. An improved stereolithography apparatus of the type for building a part at a surface of a volume of material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to prescribed synergistic stimulation including means for exposing successive cross-sectional patterns of said part on a selected surface of said material capable of selective physical transformation and successively forming a coating of said material on cross-sections of a determined thickness to form a laminate composite of said part, the improvement comprising means for building the part at the surface of a layer of said material capable of selective physical transformation supported on a volume of a dense, immiscible, intermediate liquid, at least partially transparent to said synergistic stimulation and means for immersing at least a portion of the part into the intermediate liquid and means for integratably performing additional stereolithographic processing on at least a portion of the part while immersed in the intermediate liquid.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved stereolithographic apparatus and method is described. In one embodiment, the improvement includes immersing at least a portion of a part in a volume of a liquid solvent in a vapor degreaser while subjecting the portion to ultrasonic agitation to substantially remove excess resin. Several examples of solvents are provided, including ethanol, and Freon TMS. In a second embodiment, the improvement includes building the part on a layer of liquid resin supported by a volume of a dense, immiscible, and UV transparent intermediate liquid, and integratably immersing at least a portion of the built part in the intermediate liquid, and then either subjecting the immersed portion to ultrasonic agitation to substantially remove excess resin, or subjecting the immersed portion to UV light. Several examples of intermediate liquids are provided, including perfluorinated fluids, such as Fluorinert FC-40, and water-based salt solutions, such as solutions of magnesium sulfate or sodium chloride in water.
251 Citations
39 Claims
- 1. An improved stereolithography apparatus of the type for building a part at a surface of a volume of material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to prescribed synergistic stimulation including means for exposing successive cross-sectional patterns of said part on a selected surface of said material capable of selective physical transformation and successively forming a coating of said material on cross-sections of a determined thickness to form a laminate composite of said part, the improvement comprising means for building the part at the surface of a layer of said material capable of selective physical transformation supported on a volume of a dense, immiscible, intermediate liquid, at least partially transparent to said synergistic stimulation and means for immersing at least a portion of the part into the intermediate liquid and means for integratably performing additional stereolithographic processing on at least a portion of the part while immersed in the intermediate liquid.
- 12. An improved method of the type for building a part on a surface of a volume of material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation by exposing to synergistic stimulation successive cross-sectional patterns of said part on a selected surface of said material capable of selective physical transformation to form a laminate composite of said part, the improvement comprising the steps of building the part on the surface of a layer of the material capable of selective physical transformation supported by a volume of a dense, immiscible, intermediate liquid, at least partially transparent to said synergistic stimulation and then integratably performing additional stereolithographic processing on at least a portion of the part while it is immersed in the intermediate liquid.
- 18. An improved stereolithographic apparatus, for generating a part by forming successive cross-sectional patterns of the part at a selected surface of a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to prescribed synergistic stimulation, including means for forming a coating on said cross-sections as they are formed with said material and for building up said part in step-wise fashion and thereafter cleaning and post-curing the part in separate apparatus, the improvement comprising means for integrating part cleaning and post-curing including means for immersing at least a portion of the part in a volume of liquid stripping medium to substantially remove the excess material from the portion prior to exposing at least some of the immersed portion to synergistic stimulation, means for exposing at least some of said immersed portion to synergistic stimulation while surrounded by the liquid stripping medium.
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21. An improved stereolithographic apparatus, for generating a part by forming successive cross-sectional patterns of said part at a selected surface of a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to prescribed synergistic stimulation including means for forming a coating on said cross-sections with said material as they are formed and for building up said part in step-wise fashion, and thereafter cleaning and post-curing the part in separate apparatus the improvement comprising means for integrating part cleaning and post-curing including means for immersing at least a portion of the part in solvent vapor of a vapor degreaser to substantially remove excess material from the portion and means for post-curing, including means for exposing at least some of said immersed portion to synergistic stimulation while surrounded by the solvent vapor.
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22. An improved stereolithographic apparatus for producing a part by forming successive cross-sectional patterns of said part at a selected surface of a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to prescribed synergistic stimulation including means for forming coatings of said material on said cross-sections as they are formed and for building up said part in a step-wise fashion, the improvement comprising means for integrating part cleaning and post-curing in the same apparatus with part building, including means for building the part, means for immersing at least a portion of the part in a volume of liquid stripping medium, and means for supplying synergistic stimulation to at least some of the immersed portion of the part to effect post-curing after substantially removing the excess material from the portion.
- 23. The apparatus of claim 23 including additional stereolithographic processing means comprising at least one physical agitation means for agitating the liquid stripping medium.
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25. An improved stereolithographic method, for forming a part from a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to prescribed synergistic stimulation including forming successive cross-sectional patterns of the part on a selected surface of the material, forming a coating of said material on said cross-sections as they are formed and building up the part in a step-wise fashion, the improvement comprising the steps of integrating part cleaning and post-curing including immersing at least a portion of the part in a volume of solvent vapor of a vapor degreaser, and subjecting the immersed portion to synergistic stimulation after substantially removing excess material from the portion.
- 26. An improved stereolithographic method for forming a part from a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to prescribed synergistic stimulation including forming successive cross-sectional patterns of the part on a selected surface of the material, forming a coating of said material on said cross-sections as they are formed and building up the part in a step-wise fashion, the improvement comprising the steps of integratably performing part cleaning and post-curing in the same apparatus with part building including the step of forming the part, the step of immersing at least a portion of the part in a volume of liquid stripping medium, and the step of exposing at least some of the immersed portion of the part to synergistic stimulation to effect post-curing after substantially removing excess material from the portion.
- 27. An improved stereolithographic method of the type for forming a part from a working material capable of physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation by using a source of synergistic stimulation to form successive cross-sectional patterns of the part on a selected surface of the working material, forming a coating of said material on the cross-sections as they are formed and building up the part in a step-wise fashion and thereafter cleaning and post-curing the part in separate apparatus, the improvement comprising integratably performing the steps of immersing at least a portion of the part in a volume of a liquid stripping medium to substantially remove excess material from the portion and subjecting the immersed portion to synergistic stimulation.
- 29. An improved stereolithographic apparatus for producing a part by forming successive cross-sectional patterns of said part at a selected surface of a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to prescribed synergistic stimulation including means for forming a coating of said material on said cross-sections as they are formed and for building up said part in a step-wise fashion, the improvement comprising means for building the part cross-section by cross-section and means integral with the means for building for immersing at least a portion of the part in a liquid stripping medium to substantially remove excess material from the portion.
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30. An improved stereolithographic apparatus for producing a part by forming successive cross-sectional patterns of said part at a selective surface of a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to prescribed synergistic stimulation including means for forming a coating of said material on said cross-sections as they are formed and for building up said part in a step-wise fashion, the improvement comprising means for building the part cross-section by cross-section and means integral with the means for building for immersing at least a portion of the part in solvent vapor of a vapor degreaser to substantially remove excess material from the portion.
Specification