System and method for additive manufacturing

A method for additive manufacturing of an object on a substrate,, the method comprising:

• providing a printing unit, the printing unit comprising:
• a vat accommodating a photocurable resin, the vat comprising a semi-transparent membrane, and
• providing an optical unit, the optical unit comprising:
• one, or more, light source(s) capable of emitting a single wavelength or a multiple wavelength emitted light beam along an optical path passing through said membrane towards said substrate,
• a collimator lens receiving and collimating said emitted light beam along the optical path,
• an objective lens receiving and focusing said emitted light beam along the optical path,
• a detector detecting one, or more, properties of the object, substrate, cured resin and/or the membrane from a reflected light beam reflected from the object, substrate, cured resin and/or membrane, and
• XY-actuators positioning the optical unit at a printing position along a XY-plane substantially parallel to the attachment surface of the substrate or the upper surface of the membrane relative to the printing unit;
• wherein the system is adapted to receive the substrate, the substrate is comprising an attachment surface on which the object is manufactured, and the substrate and/or the object is at least partly submerged within the photocurable resin;
• the method is further comprising:
• emitting the emitted light beam at one, or more, wavelength(s) that does not cure the resin,
• detecting properties of the object, substrate, cured resin and/or the membrane,
• based on the detected properties, positioning the optical unit at said printing position, and mechanically displacing said collimating lens along said optical path by applying a corresponding collimator lens actuator, hereby moving a focal point of the emitted light beam along a line substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the membrane and/or the attachment surface of the substrate to a curing position by displacing said collimator lens along the optical path,
• emitting the emitted light beam at a wavelength that cures the resin, and
• curing the photocurable resin at the focal point of the emitted light beam when the focal point reaches said curing position;
• wherein, the method further comprising manufacturing the object on the substrate by
• moving the optical unit between different printing positions, and
• in each printing position moving the focal point of the emitted light beam to the curing position, and thereby curing the photocurable resin at the focal point such that the cured resin is attached to the object or substrate.

A system for additive manufacturing of an object on a substrate, the system comprising

• a printing unit, the printing unit comprising:
• a vat configured to accommodate a photocurable resin, such that the substrate and/or the object can be at least partly submerged within the photocurable resin, the vat comprises a semi-transparent membrane, and
• a substrate comprising an attachment surface on which the object is manufactured;
• and
• an optical unit, the optical unit comprising:
• one, or more, light source(s) capable of emitting a single wavelength or multiple wavelengths emitted light beam along an optical path passing through said membrane towards said substrate,
• a collimator lens arranged to receive and collimate said emitted light beam along the optical path,
• an objective lens adapted to receive, and focus said emitted light beam along the optical path,
• a detector configured to detect one, or more, properties of the object, substrate, cured resin and/or the membrane from a reflected light beam from the object, substrate, cured resin and/or membrane, and
• XY-actuators configured to position the optical unit at a printing position along a XY-plane substantially parallel to the attachment surface of the substrate or the upper surface of the membrane relative to the printing unit;
• wherein said collimator lens is mechanically displaceable substantially along said optical path by a corresponding collimator lens actuator;
• wherein, when the optical unit is positioned at said printing position, the collimator lens is arranged to be displaced by said collimator lens actuator along the optical path to move a focal point of the emitted light beam along a line substantially perpendicular to the upper surface of the membrane and/or the attachment surface of the substrate to a curing position;
• and
• wherein the photocurable resin is adapted to be cured to cured resin at the focal point of the emitted light beam when the focal point has reached said curing position;
• and
• wherein, to manufacture the object on the substrate, the system is adapted to move the optical unit between different printing positions, and at each printing position, to move the focal point of the emitted light beam to the curing position, and thereby cure the photocurable resin at the focal point such that the cured resin is attached to the object or substrate.