Shifting a curing location during 3D printing

• US 9,873,223 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2014
• Issued: 01/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Linnell, Jeffrey, Kruysman, Brandon, Proto, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kennedy, Timothy
• Application Number:
  US14/523,214
• Publication Number:
  US 20160096331A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/241 for rotary motion
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2083/00 Use of polymers having silicon, with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen, or carbon only, in the main chain, as moulding material
• 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

Abstract

Example implementations may relate to shifting a curing location during a three-dimensional (3D) printing procedure. A system may control components of a 3D printer to form a first layer of the 3D structure from resin in a first area of a resin container. The components may include: (i) a base plate and (ii) light source(s) operable to emit radiation that cures resin. After formation of the first layer, the system may move the resin container with respect to the base plate such that a second layer of the 3D structure can be formed in a second area of the resin container. The second area and the first area may be at least partially non-overlapping. The system may then control the components of the 3D printer to form the second layer of the 3D structure from resin in the second area of the resin container.

Claims

1. A method for printing a three-dimensional (3D) structure comprising:

controlling, by a computing system, an articulated robotic arm associated with a 3D printer to insert a base plate through a resin surface in a first area of a resin container;

controlling, by the computing system, the 3D printer to form a first layer of the 3D structure on the base plate using one or more light sources that are operable to emit radiation that cures resin;

after formation of the first layer, controlling, by the computing system, the articulated robotic arm associated with the 3D printer to lift the base plate and the first layer through the resin surface in the first area of the resin container, then moving the resin container with respect to the base plate;

controlling, by the computing system, the articulated robotic arm associated with the 3D printer to insert the base plate through a resin surface of a second area of the resin container that is at least partially non-overlapping with the first area; and

controlling, by the computing system, the 3D printer to form a second layer of the 3D structure adjacent to the first layer of the 3D structure using one or more of the light sources that are operable to emit radiation that cures resin.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more light sources are arranged below the resin container.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein moving the resin container comprises rotating the resin container.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the resin container comprises a circular resin container, and wherein rotating the resin container comprises rotating the circular resin container about the center of the circular resin container.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first area and the second area do not overlap.

6. The method of claim 1, comprising dynamically determining an amount by which to move the resin container with respect to the base plate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the amount by which to move the resin container with respect to the base plate varies from layer to layer.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

controlling, by a computing system, an articulated robotic arm associated with a 3D printer to insert a base plate through a resin surface in a first area of a resin container;

controlling, by the computing system, the 3D printer to form a first layer of the 3D structure on the base plate using one or more light sources that are operable to emit radiation that cures resin;

after formation of the first layer, controlling, by the computing system, the articulated robotic arm associated with the 3D printer to lift the base plate and the first layer through the resin surface in the first area of the resin container, then moving the resin container with respect to the base plate;

controlling, by the computing system, the articulated robotic arm associated with the 3D printer to insert the base plate through a resin surface of a second area of the resin container that is at least partially non-overlapping with the first area; and

controlling, by the computing system, the 3D printer to form a second layer of the 3D structure adjacent to the first layer of the 3D structure using one or more of the light sources that are operable to emit radiation that cures resin.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the one or more light sources are arranged below the resin container.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein moving the resin container comprises rotating the resin container.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the resin container comprises a circular resin container, and wherein rotating the resin container comprises rotating the circular resin container about the center of the circular resin container.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein the first area and the second area do not overlap.

13. The medium of claim 8, wherein the operations comprise dynamically determining an amount by which to move the resin container with respect to the base plate.