Large array stereolithography with efficient optical path
Assignee3D Systems, Inc.
InventorsRobert W. Beauchamp, Ning Zheng, James Francis Smith, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A three-dimensional printing system includes a resin vessel containing resin, an imaging bar, a movement mechanism coupled to the imaging bar, and a controller. The imaging bar includes an arrangement of light emitting devices that selectively emit radiation from an exit surface of the imaging bar to define a build plane in the resin. The exit surface of the imaging bar is preferably less than 10 millimeters from the build plane. The controller is configured to scan the imaging bar along a scan axis and, concurrent with scanning, operate the imaging bar to selectively image a layer of resin at the build plane.
Claims20
A method of manufacturing and configuring an imaging system including an imaging bar configured to image a build plane in a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
- providing a substrate with an array of light emitting devices;
- fabricating a polymer material collimation layer having an array of collimators corresponding to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators including an array of openings that extend through the polymer material and have reflective inside surfaces;
- and
- overlay the polymer material collimation layer onto the substrate with the array of collimators aligning to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators is configured to reflect and redirect light from the array of light emitting devices.
A method of manufacturing and configuring an imaging system including an imaging bar configured to emit radiation from an exit surface and to image a build plane in a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
- providing a substrate with an array of light emitting devices;
- fabricating a polymer material collimation layer having an array of collimators corresponding to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators including an array of openings that extend through the polymer material and have reflective inside surfaces;
- overlay the polymer material collimation layer onto the substrate with the array of collimators aligning to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators is configured to reflect and redirect light from the array of light emitting devices;
- overlay the polymer material collimation layer with a lenslet layer;
- overlay the lenslet layer with an aperture layer;
- and
- mounting the imaging bar into the three-dimensional printing system with the exit surface less than 10 millimeters from the build plane.
A method of manufacturing and configuring an imaging system including an imaging bar configured to emit radiation from an exit surface and to image a build plane in a three-dimensional printing system comprising:
- providing a substrate with an array of light emitting devices;
- fabricating a polymer material collimation layer having an array of collimators corresponding to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators including an array of openings that extend through the polymer material and have reflective inside surfaces;
- overlay the polymer material collimation layer onto the substrate with the array of collimators aligning to the array of light emitting devices, the array of collimators is configured to reflect and redirect light from the array of light emitting devices;
- fabricating one or more lenslet layers individually having a plurality of lenslets;
- overlay the polymer material collimation layer with the one or more lenslet layers with each of the plurality of lenslets overlaying one of the array of collimators;
- patterning an aperture mask on an aperture layer, the aperture mask defining an array of optical apertures;
- overlay the lenslet layer with the aperture layer with each of the array of optical apertures overlaying one of the lenslets;
- and
- mounting the imaging bar into the three-dimensional printing system with the exit surface less than 10 millimeters from the build plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.