Global Filtration Systems

Envisiontec Gmbh

Sprintray Inc.

3dbotics, Inc.

Helisys Corporation

Global Filtration Systems, a Dba of Gulf Filtration Systems Inc.

Alexandr Shkolnik

Ali El-Siblani

Hendrik John

Mohamad Janbain

Chi Zhou

Andrius Raulinaitis

Alexander Nam

James F Bredt

Michael Feygin

Kate Van Rees

Emmanuil Dvorskiy

Michael N Diamond

Ali El-Sibiani

Kirin Xu

Apparatuses and methods for making at three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material are shown and described. A pattern generator comprising at least one lens transmits light to a photopolymer that solidifies by curing, cross-section by cross-section, in the shape of received patterns of light. The photopolymer curing reactions are exothermic and generate heat within the solidifiable material, causing portions of it to vaporize. A crossflow blower, sometimes referred to as an 'air curtain' or “tangential blower”, blows air across the lenses to isolate the lenses from the photopolymer vapors, which prevents the vapors from condensing or otherwise depositing on the lenses. Prevention of such condensation or deposition reduces the likelihood of image distortion and/or reductions in projected light intensity.

Air curtain for photopolymer 3D printer

A solidification substrate assembly for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material includes a solidification substrate assembly. In certain examples, the solidifiable material solidifies in contact with the solidification substrate, and the tilting of the substrate and/or or the use of a peeling member facilitates separation of the substrate from the solidified material. In other examples, the solidification substrate assembly includes a film that is adjacent to a rigid or semi-rigid layer. The solidifiable material solidifies in contact with the film, and a peeling member peels the film away from the solidified material. Intelligent solidification substrate assemblies are also described in which a force sensor determines when to expose the solidifiable material to solidification energy and/or whether to use a peeling member to separate the solidification substrate from a solidified objection section.

Resin solidification substrate and assembly

A method and apparatus for making a three-dimensional object by solidifying a photohardenable material are shown and described. A photohardening inhibitor is admitted into a surface of a photohardenable material through a flexible film to create a 'non-solidification zone' where little or no solidification occurs. The non-solidification zone prevents the exposed surface of the photohardenable material from solidifying in contact with the film. The inhibitor tends to cause the film to deform along the build axis, thereby creating a non-planar interface between the photohardenable material and the film, which distorts the resulting three-dimensional object. An apparatus is provided to stabilize the flexible film and eliminate or minimize such deformation.

Method of stabilizing a photohardening inhibitor-permeable film in the manufacture of three-dimensional objects

Methods and apparatuses for making three-dimensional objects from a bindable powder are shown and described. A dynamically erected and/or expanded retaining barrier is provided which is erected and/or expanded during an object building operation to retain dispensed powder.

Method and apparatus for making three-dimensional objects using a dynamically adjustable retaining barrier

An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. Either a build platform or a solidification substrate has a curved surface, and each point on the curved surface traverses a trochoidal path during an object solidification operation. The curved surface allows the separation forces between the solidification substrate and the most recently solidified layer of material to be concentrated along a line instead of along a planar section which reduces the overall separation force and the likelihood of damaging a part.

Apparatus and method for forming three-dimensional objects using a curved build platform or curved solidification substrate

An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. The apparatus includes a solidification substrate assembly that is tiltable about a tilting axis to peel a solidification substrate from a recently formed object surface and to level the solidification substrate assembly and squeeze out accumulated solidifiable material between the solidification substrate and the recently formed object surface. Intelligent peeling and leveling may also be provided by providing a tilting parameter database that is used to adjust tilting parameters based on object geometry and/or solidifiable material properties.

Apparatus and method for forming three-dimensional objects using a tilting solidification substrate

Methods and apparatuses for making three-dimensional objects from multiple solidifiable materials is shown and described. Multiple solidifiable material container assemblies are provided for holding different solidifiable materials. Relative movement between the solidifiable material container assemblies and a build platform allows the solidifiable materials to be switched as an object is built. Several exemplary cleaning stations are provided for removing residual solidifiable materials from the surface of the three-dimensional object as it is built to better ensure smooth transitions between materials on the finished object.

Method and apparatus for making three-dimensional objects from multiple solidifiable materials

An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. The apparatus and method compensate for a non-orthogonal angle between the travel axis and scanning axis of a linear scanning device and also provide a substantially constant solidification depth along the scanning axis. In certain examples, a solidification energy control system is also provided to regulate the solidification power supplied to the solidifiable material by modulating the power supplied to the linear solidification device's solidification energy source, examples of which include laser diodes.

Apparatus and method for forming three-dimensional objects using linear solidification with travel axis correction and power control

An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device and contourless object data is shown and described. A voxel matrix is superimposed over an object model defined by three-dimensional object data to determine active voxels that intersect at least a portion of the object model. The active voxels are related to a path generation reference frame of an apparatus for making a three-dimensional object to generate solidification energy source event data that defines scanning (y) axis locations and/or solidification times at which a linear solidification device supplies solidification energy to a solidifiable material.

Apparatus and method for forming three-dimensional objects using linear solidification with contourless object data

An apparatus and method for making a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material using a linear solidification device is shown and described. In certain examples, the linear solidification device includes a laser diode that projects light onto a scanning device, such as a rotating polygonal mirror or a linear scanning micromirror, which then deflects the light onto a photohardenable resin. As a result, the linear solidification device scans a line of solidification energy in a direction that is substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the laser diode. In other examples, the linear solidification device is a laser device array or light emitting diode array that extends in a direction substantially orthogonal to the direction of travel of the array.

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Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

Alexandr Shkolnik