3d Systems, Inc.

Vantico Limited

Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corporation

Vantico At&t US Inc.

Thomas H Pang

Charles W Hull

Richard Noel Leyden

Anastasios P Melisaris

Dennis R Smalley

Michael S Lockard

Thomas A Almquist

Thomas Alan Kerekes

Jeffrey S Thayer

Jocelyn M Earl

Bryan J L Bedal

Christian M Merot

Richard P Fedchenko

Dinh Ton That

Wang Renyi

Paul F Jacobs

Stephen D Hanna

Kerry J Allen

John J Gigl

Hop D Nguyen

Chris Robert Manners

John Wai Fong

Jan Richter

Praveen Tummala

Kevin Patrick McAlea

Hop D Hguyen

John W Fong

A part cake defining a build produced by laser sintering and the surrounding unfused powder is contained in an enclosure, and the enclosure includes displaceable wall portions for compressing the part cake to support the build against distortion during rapid cooling from a cooling fluid. The enclosure enables the part cake to be quickly and reliably cooled either within the laser sintering system or outside the laser sintering system. A source of cooling fluid connects to the enclosure and a lid holds the part cake in place as cooling fluid is forced through the pore volume of the cake. An inert gas blanket apparatus is also provided to reduce or prevent oxidation of the part cake and/or to cool the part cake. Once the part cake is cooled, the build produced by laser sintering may be removed from the part cake.

Apparatus and method for cooling part cake in laser sintering

A variety of support structures and build styles for use in Rapid Prototyping and Manufacturing systems are described wherein particular emphasis is given to Thermal Stereolithography, Fused Deposition Modeling, and Selective Deposition Modeling systems, and wherein a 3D modeling system is presented which uses multijet dispensing and a single material for both object and support formation.

Selective deposition modeling method and apparatus for forming three-dimensional objects and supports

The present invention relates to novel resin compositions containing at least one solid or liquid actinic radiation-curable and cationically polymerizable organic substance, an actinic radiation-sensitive initiator for cationic polymerization, an actinic radiation-curable and radical-polymerizable organic substance and an actinic radiation-sensitive initiator for radical polymerization. The actinic radiation-curable and cationically polymerizable organic substance is at least one glycidylether of a polyhydric aliphatic, alicyclic or aromatic alcohol having at least three epoxy groups with epoxy equivalent weight between 90 and 800 grams per equivalent, at least one solid or liquid alicyclic epoxide with an epoxy equivalent weight between 90 and 330 grams per equivalent having at least two epoxy groups and monomer purity greater than about 90% by weight, or at least a solid or liquid epoxycresol novolac or epoxyphenol novolac having epoxy equivalent weight between 130 and 350, or mixtures thereof. The use of the above-mentioned cationically polymerizable components substantially increases the heat deflection temperature of the cured articles while maintaining high photospeed, accuracy, wetting-recoatability, water resistance and good side wall finish. The present invention further relates to a method of producing a cured product, particularly a three-dimensional article, in which a compositions described above are treated with actinic radiation.

Liquid, radiation-curable composition, especially for producing cured articles by stereolithography having heat deflection temperatures

The present invention relates to stereolithographic compositions containing an actinic radiation-curable and cationically polymerizable organic substance, a cationic initiator, a radical photoinitiator, and at least one cationic reactive modifier containing at least two reactive groups per molecule or at least one polyether polyol or mixtures thereof. The cationic reactive modifier has at least one chain extension segment with a molecular weight of at least about 100 and not more than about 2,000. The polyether polyol has a molecular weight greater than or equal to about 4,000. The use of the cationically reactive modifiers and polyether polyol modifiers substantially increases the flexibility and toughness of the cured articles without compromising photospeed, accuracy and wetting-recoatability of the compositions. The present invention further relates to a method of producing a cured product, particularly three-dimensional shaped articles by treating the composition described above with actinic radiation.

Liquid, radiation-curable composition, especially for producing flexible cured articles by stereolithography

The present invention relates to a process for the production of three-dimensional articles by stereolithography using a radiation-curable composition comprising a mixture of at least one cationically polymerizable compound and/or at least one free radical polymerizable compound, at least one filler material and at least one photoinitiator for cationic and/or radical polymerization. An organic viscosity stabilizer material may be brought into contact with the composition to substantially delay or prevent undesirable viscosity increase and subsequently premature polymerization. A filler material is optionally added to the composition in an effective amount to at least delay or prevent a significant increase in viscosity and polymerization. The process is particularly suitable for stabilizing resins in stereolithography baths. The present invention also relates to a cured articles resulting from said process and a process for manufacturing said radiation-curable compositions and stabilized compositions resulting therefrom.

Viscosity stabilization of radiation-curable filled compositions

An improved method for stereolithographically making an object by alternating the order in which similar sets of vectors are exposed over two or more layers. In another method, a pattern of tightly packed hexagonal tiles are drawn. Each tile is isolated from its neighboring tiles by specifying breaks of unexposed material between the tiles. Using an interrupted scan method, vectors are drawn with periodic breaks along their lengths. In another method, modulator and scanning techniques are used to reduce exposure problems associated with the acceleration and deceleration of the scanning system when jumping between vectors or changing scanning directions. In another method, a capability for automatically inserting vents an drains into a three-dimensional object representation is provided.

Method of making a three-dimensional object by stereolithography

Method of and apparatus for making a three-dimensional object by stereolithography

The present invention relates to a process for the production of three-dimensional articles by stereolithography using a radiation-curable composition containing a mixture of at least one cationically polymerizable compound and/or at least one free radical polymerizable compound, at least one filler material, at least one photoinitiator for cationic and/or radical polymerizations and at least one antisedimentation agent. An organic viscosity stabilizer material soluble in the base resin may optionally be brought into contact with the composition. A filler material can be introduced in the composition in an effective amount sufficient to at least delay or prevent a significant viscosity increase. The present invention also relates to cured articles resulting from said processes and a process for preparing said compositions.

Sedimentation stabilized radiation-curable filled compositions

Liquid, radiation-curable composition, especially for producing flexible

Liquid radiation-curable composition especially for producing cured

The present invention relates to a process for the production of three-dimensional articles by stereolithography using a radiation-curable composition having at least one cationically polymerizable compound and/or at least one free radical polymerizable compound, at least one filler material and at least one photoinitiator for cationic and/or radical polymerization. An organic viscosity stabilizer material is brought into contact with the composition to substantially delay or prevent undesirable viscosity increase and subsequently premature polymerization. A filler material is added to the composition in an effective amount to at least delay or prevent a significant increase in viscosity and polymerization.

Process for making three-dimensional articles by stereolithography

Growing community of inventors

Castaic, CA, United States of America

Thomas H Pang