Apparatus and method for forming three-dimensional objects using a curved build platform or curved solidification substrate
AssigneeGlobal Filtration Systems, a dba of Gulf Filtration Systems Inc.
InventorsAli El-SIBLANI, Alexandr SHKOLNIK, Chi ZHOU
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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.
Claims20
1-66. (canceled)
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;
- rotating the rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate about an axis of rotation;
- and
- translating the rigid or semi-rigid solidification substrate along a build axis.
78-93. (canceled)
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.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.