Apparatus and method for forming three-dimensional objects using a curved build platform or curved solidification substrate
AssigneeGlobal Filtration Systems
InventorsAli El-Siblani, Alexandr Shkolnik, Chi Zhou
Life of this patent
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Abstract
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.
Claims15
A method of forming a layer of a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material, the method comprising:
- supplying solidification energy to the solidifiable material;
- translating a rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate that is transparent and/or translucent along a travel axis, wherein the rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate has a curved surface with a direction of curvature along the travel axis;
- rotating the rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate about an axis of rotation;
- translating the rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate along a build axis, and moving the rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate such that the substrate's axis of rotation moves along a trochoidal path.
A method of forming a three-dimensional object from a solidifiable material, comprising:
- supplying the solidifiable material between an object contacting surface of a build platform and a solidifiable material contacting surface of a rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate that is transparent and/or translucent, wherein the build platform object contacting surface and the rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate solidifiable material contacting surface face one another and are movable relative to one another along a build axis, one of the build platform object contacting surface and the rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate solidifiable material contacting surface is curved when viewed along a cross-sectional axis, and the curved surface has a direction of curvature along a travel axis;
- supplying solidification energy to solidify the solidifiable material between the object contacting surface of the build platform and the solidifiable material contacting surface of the rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate;
- and
- traversing each point on the curved surface along a trochoidal path, wherein the step of traversing each point on the curved surface along a trochoidal path further comprises simultaneously translating the curved surface along the travel axis, traversing the curved surface along the build axis, and rotating the curved surface about an axis of rotation such that the axis of rotation moves along a trochoidal path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.