Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno

Dsm IP Assets B.v.

Herman Hendrikus Maalderink

Jacobus Hubertus Theodoor Jamar

Andries Rijfers

Mark Herman Else Vaes

Adrianus Johannes Petrus Maria Vermeer

Ronaldus Jacobus Johannes Boot

Jacobus Hubertus Jamar

Erwin Rinaldo Meinders

Mark Herman Vaes

Adrianus Johannes Vermeer

Erwin John Van Zwet

Borgert Kruizinga

Peter Theodorus Maria Giesen

Jasper Joost Michels

Jeroen Anthonius Smeltink

Richard Thomas

Fabien Bernard Jacques Bruning

Brian Bauman

Antonius Hubertus Joannes Gerardus Lommen

Jentske D Kooistra

Wijnand Christiaan Germs

Henri Jacques Antoine Jean Starmans

Wilhelmus Petrus Van Vliet

Maarten Van Lent

Antonius Hubertus Lommen

A method of and an apparatus () for forming an object by means of additive manufacturing, the method comprising consecutively providing a plurality of layers () of building material (), and selectively curing one or more pixels () of each of the layers () during printing thereof. The method comprises a step of providing a first layer () of a first building material () onto a support surface () or a preceding layer (), and selectively exposing, in accordance with layer data, one or more pixels () in the first layer () to a dose of radiation ('). It further comprises the identifying, based on the layer data, of one or more contour pixels () in the first layer () that coincide with a contour of a featured region of a subsequent second layer (), wherein the featured region of the second layer () is to be provided using a second building material () different from the first building material (). The method also comprises increasing, prior to said selectively exposing, a radiation dose (&#x2032;) for the identified contour pixels (). The step of selectively exposing includes exposing the one or more contour pixels () using the increased radiation dose (&#x2032;).

Method of apparatus for forming an object by means of additive manufacturing

A layerwise production method of a tangible object (). A layer of uncured building material is provided onto a carrier (). Repeatedly, method cycles are performed, each comprising: providing layer data corresponding to an object layer, selectively exposing the layer of building material based on the layer data for curing thereof, and providing a next layer of building material onto the preceding layer. Each method cycle further includes verifying the cured preceding layer for identifying regions of insufficiently cured building material, and adapting a radiation dose locally for the next layer dependent on whether or not a location to be exposed in accordance with the layer data of the next layer coincides with one of the identified regions of insufficiently cured building material in the preceding layer.

Method and apparatus for layerwise production of a tangible object

The invention is directed at an exposure head for use in an exposure apparatus for illuminating a surface, the exposure head comprising one or more radiative sources for providing one or more beams, an optical scanning unit arranged for receiving the one or more beams and for directing the beams towards the surface for impinging each of the beams on an impingement spot, a rotation actuating unit connected to the optical scanning unit for at least partially rotating the optical scanning unit, wherein the impingement spots of the one or more beams are scanned across the surface by said at least partial rotation of the optical scanning unit, wherein the optical scanning unit comprises a transmissive element including one or more facets for receiving the one or more beams and for outputting the beams after conveying thereof through the transmissive element, for displacing the beams upon said rotation of the transmissive element for enabling the scanning of the impingement spots.

Exposure head, exposure apparatus and method of operating an exposure head

An additive fabrication apparatus with an efficient reversal mechanism to reverse the orientation of foil guiding rollers is contemplated. To this end, according to an aspect, a foil guiding system comprising: a flexible foil guiding roller; and a bearing system arranged to bear said guiding roller, said bearing system comprised of end locking elements axially locking to the roller; a bearing arrangement defining a bearing position having the roller curved in bearing engagement. The bearing arrangement engages with an outer face of said roller in a manner so as to thereby flex the roller between at least two bearing positions in conformity with a rolling direction. The flexible roller in connection with the outside bearings replaces a fixed shaft arrangement of the prior art, which is easily tunable to the foil movement direction.

Foil guiding system for additive fabrication

An illumination system for use in a system () for layerwise production of a tangible object () in a liquid reservoir () comprises an image forming element (), an image projection system () and a microlens array (). The illumination system () further comprises a controller () for controlling the microlens array () to perform a movement () which is relative to at least part of the image projection system () and for controlling the image forming element () to form time-varying two-dimensional images synchronously with said movement in such way that microspots () describe and solidify a predetermined area of a liquid layer () when said movement () is also relative to the object () under construction.

Layerwise production method and illumination system for use therein

A system for producing a tangible object. The system has a space which can be filled with a fluid. A reference platform at least partially defines at least one side of the space. The system further has a phase-transformer which can form a layer of the object by selectively transforming the fluid into a solid in a predetermined area of the space. An actuator can separate the layer from the reference platform by moving the layer relative to the reference platform or vice versa. The system has a controller connected with an actuator control output to the actuator and/or with a transformer control output to the phase transformer. The controller can control the production of the object based on a determined value of the force exerted on the reference platform or the solid or of a parameter related to the force.

System and method for producing a tangible object

The present invention relates to an illumination system for use in a stereolithography apparatus. The illumination system includes a plurality of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), each LED having at least a first light-emitting surface and a second surface, at least one of the first and the second surface being substantially flat. The illumination further includes a plurality of electrical pathways, selectively connected to the respective LEDs, such that each LED can be individually controlled and a leveling surface. The leveling surface is substantially flat and in leveling contact with the at least one substantially flat surface of each LED, such that a two-dimensional array of LEDs extends in a plane parallel to the leveling surface.

Illumination system for use in a stereolithography apparatus

A system and method of layerwise production of a tangible object (), they system comprising a construction shape () to form a liquid layer to be brought in contact with the tangible object; solidifying means () for solidifying a predetermined area of a layer () of the liquid (), so as to obtain a solid layer () of the tangible object (), the solid layer thus having a predetermined shape, separating means (&#x2033;) for separating said solid layer from said construction shape; moving means () for moving, relative to one another, the construction shape () to a predetermined position relative to the tangible object (), for carrying out a successive such method cycle for solidifying a predetermined area of a successive such liquid layer; the system is arranged to provide a limited volume of liquid adhered to the construction shape to form a liquid layer of limited height that does not contact the tangible object; wherein said moving of said construction shape and said solidifying of said predetermined area are carried out to take place simultaneously.

Method and apparatus for layerwise production of a 3D object

The invention concerns an illumination system for use in a stereolithography apparatus, comprising a planar support supporting a two-dimensional array of individually controllable wide-angle light-emitting diodes (LEDs); and a multilens projector array arranged relative to the array, and adapted to project a focused image of the LEDs onto a work area. The multilens projector array is arranged to project light from the LED array having a light emitting edge area image spot size which is smaller than or equal to a light emitting central area image spot size.

A system and method for layer-by-layer production of an object is provided. The system includes a construction shape having a carrying surface adapted for carrying a layer of build material, a plate having a holding surface adapted for holding an object in an object build area, a moveable reservoir having a plurality of containment surfaces defining a containment area adapted for containing a volume of build material within the moveable reservoir, and an exposure unit adapted for exposing at least a portion of the layer of build material in the object build area so that the portion of the layer of build material solidifies to form a solidified layer of the object. In one embodiment, the moveable reservoir is moveable between a first position and a second position and at least one of the plurality of containment surfaces of the moveable reservoir includes a portion of the carrying surface when the moveable reservoir is in the first position, and the portion of the carrying surface is positioned in the object build area when the moveable reservoir is in the second position.

A method cycle of a method for layerwise production of a tangible object () comprises the successive steps of: solidifying predetermined parts of a liquid so as to obtain a solid layer () having a predetermined shape; separating said solid layer from a construction shape (); and moving, relative to one another, the separated solid layer and the construction shape to a predetermined position relative to one another. Solidifying is carried out such that the solid layer and the construction shape have nonmatching shapes in the sense that all surface portions of a solid layer side () that are or have been in contact with a liquid contacting side () of the construction shape can not simultaneously be brought in full contacting engagement with the liquid contacting side.

Method and system for layerwise production of a tangible object

A system and method for layer-by-layer production of an object is provided. The system includes a construction shape having a carrying surface adapted for carrying a layer of build material, a plate having a holding surface adapted for holding an object in an object build area, a moveable reservoir having a plurality of containment surfaces defining a containment area adapted for containing a volume of build material within the moveable reservoir, and an exposure unit adapted for exposing at least a portion of the layer of build material in the object build area so that the portion of the layer of build material solidifies to form a solidified layer of the object.

System and method for layerwise production of a tangible object

A method for layerwise production of a tangible object comprises repeatedly performing method cycles. Each method cycle comprises the steps of solidifying a predetermined area of an uppermost liquid layer () of a liquid () in a reservoir (), so as to obtain a solid layer of the tangible object, and creating, above, parallel and adjacent to the solid layer, a successive uppermost liquid layer of the liquid. Said creating of the successive liquid layer is carried out by spraying such liquid onto upper parts of the contents in the reservoir. A height distribution over at least part of the surface of the uppermost liquid layer is measured by means of a measuring device (). Based on the measured height distribution, the solidifying is carried out to compensate for unflatness of the measured height distribution.

A method cycle of a method for layerwise production of a tangible object () comprises the successive steps of: solidifying a predetermined area of a layer () of a liquid (), said liquid layer adjoining a construction shape (), so as to obtain a solid layer () having a predetermined shape; separating said solid layer from said construction shape; and moving the separated solid layer and the construction shape to a predetermined position relative to one another for letting the liquid flow-in between the separated solid layer and the construction shape. Reduced pressure is applied to at least one fluid, such as the liquid ().

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Nuenen, Netherlands

Herman Hendrikus Maalderink