Method and apparatus for production of high resolution three-dimensional objects by stereolithography

• US 5,345,391 A
• Filed: 03/31/1992
• Issued: 09/06/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 3D Systems, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Smalley, Dennis R., Hull, Charles W., Lewis, Charles W., Tarnoff, Harry L., Spence, Stuart T., Nguyen, Hop D., Harlow, Richard A., Remba, David Z., Vorgitch, Tom J., Albert, David J., Stinebaugh, Phil
• Primary Examiner(s): RUGGIERO, JOSEPH F
• Application Number:
  US07/861,210
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: 364/468, 364/474.05, 364/474.24, 364/476, 395/118-120, 395/161, 264/22, 264/308, 264/40.1, 264/24, 264/241, 264/255, 425/174, 425/174.4, 156/58, 156/59, 156/273.3, 156/273.5, 156/275.5, 156/272.2, 156/378, 156/379.6, 156/379.9, 156/379.8
• US Class Current: 700/182
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• 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 2995/0073 smooth
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/4257 applied to monitoring the characteristics of a beam, e.g. laser beam, headlamp beam monitoring arrangements for lasers in general H01S3/0014
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/0037 Production of three-dimensional images
• CPC Class Codes: G03F 7/70416 2.5D lithography
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49013 Deposit layers, cured by scanning laser, stereo lithography SLA, prototyping
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/00 Three dimensional [3D] modelling, e.g. data description of 3D objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/10 Constructive solid geometry [CSG] using solid primitives, e.g. cylinders, cubes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation

Abstract

An improved stereolithography system for generating a three-dimensional object by creating a cross-sectional pattern of the object to be formed at a selected surface of a fluid medium capable of altering its physical state in response to appropriate synergistic stimulation by impinging radiation, particle bombardment or chemical reaction, information defining the object being specially processed to reduce curl and distortion, and increase resolution, strength, accuracy, speed and economy of reproduction even for rather difficult object shapes, the successive adjacent laminae, representing corresponding successive adjacent cross-sections of the object, being automatically formed and integrated together to provide a step-wise laminar buildup of the desired object, whereby a three-dimensional object is formed and drawn from a substantially planar surface of the fluid medium during the forming process.

Claims

1. A system for producing a three-dimensional object on a cross-section by cross-section basis, comprising:

means for specifying data descriptive of the object;

means for specifying at least one variable building parameter for use in controlling the building of object cross-sections wherein said at least one variable building parameter sets the spacing and directional information of data descriptive of an interior portion of at least one object cross-section;

means for deriving data descriptive of said object cross-sections from said data descriptive of the object including means for deriving data descriptive of the border of said at least one cross-section and then deriving data descriptive of the interior of said at least one object cross-section utilizing said specified at least one variable building parameter and said data descriptive of said border;

means for providing synergistic stimulation;

a container for containing at least in part, material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to the synergistic stimulation;

means for successively providing layers of said material;

means for selectively exposing said layers of said material to said synergistic stimulation in accordance with said data descriptive of said object cross-sections to form successive object cross-sections; and

control means for obtaining said data descriptive of object cross-sections from said deriving means, and for utilizing said data to control said means for successively providing said layers and said means for selectively exposing said layers, to produce said three-dimensional object.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for specifying additionally specifies a first layer thickness for a first object cross-section and a second layer thickness for a second object cross-section, wherein the first layer thickness varies from the second layer thickness.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said data descriptive of the object is descriptive of a surface of the object, and said deriving means scales said data descriptive of said surface prior to forming said data descriptive of said border.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said data descriptive of an interior portion of at least one object cross-section is descriptive of at least some cross-hatch data descriptive of at least part of said at least one object cross-section.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for specifying said at least one building parameter additionally sets a first exposure for at least some of said data descriptive of said object cross-sections to yield a first depth of cure and a second exposure for other of said data descriptive of said object cross-sections to yield a second depth of cure, wherein said first exposure varies from said second exposure and said first depth of cure varies from said second depth of cure.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of specifying at least one variable building parameter further comprises specifying a first exposure for at least some of said data descriptive of said object cross-sections to yield a first depth of cure and a second exposure for other of said data descriptive of said object cross-sections to yield a second depth of cure, wherein said first exposure varies from said second exposure and said first depth of cure varies from said second depth of cure.

5. A system for producing a three-dimensional object on a cross-section by cross-section basis, comprising:

means for specifying data descriptive of the object;

means for deriving data descriptive of object cross-sections from said data descriptive of the object, including, means for deriving vector data representative of a plurality of vectors which are at least partially descriptive of at least one object cross-section, and ordering said vector data to achieve an order of said vectors to reduce distortion of said three-dimensional object;

means for providing synergistic stimulation;

a container for containing at least in part, material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation;

means for successively providing layers of said material;

means for selectively exposing said layers of said material to said synergistic stimulation in accordance with said data descriptive of said object cross-sections to form successive object cross-sections; and

control means for obtaining said data descriptive of object cross-sections from said deriving means, and for utilizing said data to control said means for successively providing said layers and said means for selectively exposing said layers, to produce said three-dimensional object.

17. The system of claim 5, wherein said means for deriving vector data comprises a means for deriving a plurality of blocks of vector data and said ordering of said vector data comprises ordering of said blocks of vector data.

6. A method for producing a three-dimensional object on a cross-section by cross-section basis, comprising the steps of:

specifying data descriptive of the object;

specifying at least one variable building parameter for use in controlling the building of object cross-sections wherein said at least one variable building parameter sets the spacing and directional information of data descriptive of an interior portion of at least one cross-section;

deriving data descriptive of object cross-sections from said data descriptive of the object including deriving data descriptive of the border of said at least one cross-section and then deriving data descriptive of the interior of said at least one object cross-section utilizing said specified at least one variable building parameter and said data descriptive of said border;

providing synergistic stimulation;

containing a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to the synergistic stimulation;

successively producing layers of said material;

selectively exposing said layers of said material to said synergistic stimulation in accordance with said data descriptive of said object cross-sections to successively form object cross-sections; and

utilizing the data descriptive of object cross-sections to control said successive producing and selective exposing steps to produce said three-dimensional object.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said specifying step includes specifying a first layer thickness for a first object cross-section and a second layer thickness for a second object cross-section, wherein said first layer thickness varies from said second layer thickness.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said data descriptive of said object is descriptive of a surface of the object, and said deriving step includes scaling said data descriptive of said surface.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said data descriptive of an interior portion of at least one object cross-section is descriptive of at least some cross-hatch data descriptive of at least part of said at least one object cross-section.

10. A method for producing a three-dimensional object on a cross-section by cross-section basis, comprising the steps of:

specifying data descriptive of the object;

deriving data descriptive of object cross-sections from said data descriptive of the object including deriving vector data representative of a plurality of vectors which describe at least one object cross-section, and ordering the vector data to achieve an order of said vectors to reduce distortion of said three-dimensional object;

providing synergistic stimulation;

containing at least in part, material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation;

successively providing layers of said material;

selectively exposing said layers of said material to said synergistic stimulation in accordance with said data descriptive of said object cross-sections to successively form object cross-sections; and

utilizing the data descriptive of object cross-sections to control said successive producing and selective exposing steps, to produce said three-dimensional object.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein said plurality of vector data comprises a plurality of blocks of vector data and said ordering of said vector data comprises ordering of said blocks of vector data.

13. A system for forming a three-dimensional object on a cross-section by cross-section basis from a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:

at least one computer means programmed to form a plurality of first cross-sectional representations from a first object representation and a plurality of second cross-sectional representations from a second object representation wherein at least one of said first and one of said second cross-sectional representations represent at least a partially overlapping region, and to merge said first and second cross-sectional representations; and

means for forming a three-dimensional object on a cross-section by cross-section basis in accordance with said merged cross-sectional representations, said forming means being coupled to said at least one computer means.

14. A method for forming a three-dimensional object on a cross-section by cross-section basis from a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:

forming a plurality of first cross-sectional representations from a first object representation;

forming a plurality of second cross-sectional representations from a second object representation;

merging the first and second cross-sectional representations wherein at least one of said first and one of said second cross-sectional representations represent at least a partially overlapping region; and

forming the three-dimensional object on a cross-section by cross-section basis in accordance with said merged cross-sectional representations.

15. A system for forming a three-dimensional object from a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:

at least one computer means programmed to orient a slicing axis to improve object building capability, to space a plurality of slicing planes along the slicing axis, and to form a plurality of cross-sectional representations, at least in part, from an object representation at at least one of said planes; and

means for forming said object on a cross-section by cross-section basis in accordance with said cross-sectional representations, said forming means being coupled to said at least one computer means.

16. A method for forming a three-dimensional object from a material capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:

orienting a slicing axis to improve object building capability;

spacing a plurality of slicing planes along the slicing axis;

forming a plurality of cross-sectional representations, at least in part, from said object representation at at least one of said planes; and

forming said object on a cross-section by cross-section basis in accordance with said cross-sectional representations.