Method and apparatus for forming three-dimensional laminated product from photo-curable liquid

A three-dimensional laminated product forming apparatus for forming a three-dimensional laminated product from a photo-curable liquid by progressively superposing solid laminae having a specified thickness one on top of another, each said solid lamina being provided by photo-curing a surface layer of the photo-curable liquid, said three-dimensional laminated product forming apparatus comprising:

• a container for holding a photo-curable liquid;
• a product table on which a three-dimensional laminated product is built up in progressive steps, said product table being positioned in said photo-curable liquid and adapted to be incrementally advanced into the container step by step, each step being a equal to a specified thickness for each solid lamina;
• a liquid surface leveling device defining a working gap adapted to draw photo-curable liquid into the device by capillary action to create a reserve of photo-curable therein, said liquid surface leveling device being movable horizontally in the container to pass over a surface of photo-curable liquid when held in said container to form a smoothed and leveled surface layer of photo-curable liquid over a three-dimensional laminated product that is being built up on the product table;
• and
• an irradiating head for forming a beam spot of reactive stimulation in the container that corresponds to the smoothed and leveled surface layer of photo-curable liquid at the specified level so as thereby to cure and convert the smoothed and leveled surface layer as a solid lamina on the three-dimensional laminated product being built up on said product table.