Systems and methods for additive manufacturing
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsXi Yang, Meredith Elissa Dubelman, Christopher David Barnhill, William Joseph Steele, Mary Kathryn Thompson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a support plate including a window. A stage is configured to hold one or more cured layers of the resin to form a component. A radiant energy device positioned on an opposite side of the support plate from the stage and operable to generate and project radiant energy in a patterned image through the window. An actuator is operably coupled with the stage and is configured to move the stage between a curing position and a removal position. The curing position can be offset from the removal position.
Claims18
An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
- a resin support configured to support a resin;
- a drive assembly configured to move the resin support in an X-axis direction, which X-axis direction refers to a machine direction along a length of the resin support;
- a support plate including a window;
- a stage configured to hold one or more cured layers of the resin to form a component, wherein each cured layer is formed with the stage in a respective curing position;
- a radiant energy device positioned on an opposite side of the support plate from the stage and operable to generate and project radiant energy in a patterned image through the window;
- and
- an actuator assembly operably coupled with the stage and configured to move the stage independently of the radiant energy device between a curing position and a removal position, wherein the curing position is offset from the removal position in the X-axis direction, wherein the removal position is at least partially outside of a build zone of the additive manufacturing apparatus,
- wherein the actuator assembly comprises a first actuator for moving the stage along a Z-axis direction, a second actuator for moving the stage in the X-axis direction, and a third actuator for moving the stage in a Y-axis direction, wherein the Y-axis direction is generally perpendicular to the machine direction.
A method of operating an additive manufacturing apparatus, the method comprising:
- placing a stage in a first curing position such that a working surface contacts a resin;
- curing a portion of a first resin while the stage is in the first curing position to form a layer of a component, the portion of the first resin at least partially coupled to the working surface;
- separating the component from a resin support;
- and
- moving the component independently of a radiant energy device to a removal position that is offset from the first curing position via an actuator assembly operably coupled with the stage, wherein:
- the removal position is at least partially outside of a build zone of the additive manufacturing apparatus;
- and
- the actuator assembly comprises a first actuator for moving the stage along a Z-axis direction, a second actuator for moving the stage in an X-axis direction, and a third actuator for moving the stage in a Y-axis direction, wherein the Y-axis direction is generally perpendicular to the X-axis direction.
An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
- a resin support including a first portion configured to support a resin;
- a support plate including a window;
- a stage configured to hold one or more cured layers of the resin to form a component, wherein each cured layer is formed with the stage in a respective cure position;
- a radiant energy device positioned on an opposite side of the resin support from the stage and operable to generate and project radiant energy in a patterned image through the window;
- a cleaning assembly positioned in an offset location from the first portion of the resin support;
- and
- an actuator assembly operably coupled with the stage and configured to move the stage independently of the radiant energy device between a curing position and a removal position, wherein the actuator assembly comprises a first actuator for moving the stage along a Z-axis direction, a second actuator for moving the stage in an X-axis direction, and a third actuator for moving the stage in a Y-axis direction, wherein the Y-axis direction is generally perpendicular to the X-axis direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.