Apparatus and method for producing an object using stereolithography
First Claim
1. A stereolithographic apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object, said apparatus comprising:
- a tank for receiving a bath of a liquid or powdery material suitable for solidification using electromagnetic radiation, said bath having a bath surface;
a relatively moveable support for positioning said object in said bath relative to said bath surface so as to form a layer of said material adjacent to said bath surface;
a solidification device for solidifying said layer by directing electromagnetic radiation thereto;
a coating device for supplying said material to said bath, said coating device having a bottom side arranged above said bath surface in an operational position;
an adjustable discharge opening including a gap which is provided in and extends along said bottom side, said gap having a gap width, and including a spacing device for adjusting said gap width;
a channel formed within said coating device and communicating with said discharge opening; and
a pump communicating with said channel through a conduit for supplying said material to said adjustable discharge opening.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for producing an object by stereolithography is provided with a tank (1) receiving a bath of liquid or powdery material which can be solidified by action of electromagnetic radiation. In known manner the apparatus comprises a support (4) for positioning the object relative to the surface (3) of the bath and a device (8) for solidifying a layer of the material (3) adjacent to the surface using electromagnetic radiation. In order to allow a precise adjustment of the layer thickness the apparatus comprises a supplying device (51) for supplying the solidifiable material (3), the supplying device extending transversely across the tank and having a discharge opening (53) at its bottom side in operational position, a channel extending in the interior thereof and communicating with the discharge opening (53), the channel being connected at one point with a pump (63) through a conduit (62).
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A stereolithographic apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object, said apparatus comprising:
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a tank for receiving a bath of a liquid or powdery material suitable for solidification using electromagnetic radiation, said bath having a bath surface; a relatively moveable support for positioning said object in said bath relative to said bath surface so as to form a layer of said material adjacent to said bath surface; a solidification device for solidifying said layer by directing electromagnetic radiation thereto; a coating device for supplying said material to said bath, said coating device having a bottom side arranged above said bath surface in an operational position; an adjustable discharge opening including a gap which is provided in and extends along said bottom side, said gap having a gap width, and including a spacing device for adjusting said gap width; a channel formed within said coating device and communicating with said discharge opening; and a pump communicating with said channel through a conduit for supplying said material to said adjustable discharge opening. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A stereolithographic method for producing a three-dimensional object by solidiying successive layers of a material, said material being suitable for solidification when irradiated with electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
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a) providing a bath of said material, said bath having a bath surface; b) applying a layer of said material having a defined layer thickness including moving a supplying device above a support for the object or a previously solidified layer, said supplying device having a discharge gap provided at its bottom side facing said bath surface in an operational position, said discharge gap having a gap width; c) solidifying said layer at places corresponding to said object including irradiating said layer with electromagnetic radiation; d) repeating steps (b) and (c) a plurality of times to form the object from a plurality of solidified layers; and e) controlling the thickness of at least one of said applied layers including controlling the gap width. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A stereolithographic method for producing a three-dimensional object by solidifying successive layers of a material, said material being suitable for solidification when irradiated with electromagnetic radiation, comprising:
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a) providing a bath of said material, said bath having a bath surface; b) applying a layer of said material, said layer having a defined layer thickness, including moving a supplying device above a support for the object or a previously solidified layer, said supplying device having a discharge gap provided at its bottom side facing said bath surface in an operational position, said discharge gap having an adjustable gap width; and c) solidifying said layer at places corresponding to said object including irradiating said layer with electromagnetic radiation; d) repeating steps b) and c) a plurality of times to form the three-dimensional object; and wherein the method further comprises setting the defined layer thickness including adjusting the gap width. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification