Methods and apparatus for production of three-dimensional objects by stereolithography

A method for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising the following steps:

• forming a three-dimensional object, having an object surface spaced from a surface of a platform by a spacing, upon exposure to said synergistic stimulation, the platform surface being perforated with at least one hole having a diameter;
• and
• forming a removable support in said spacing from a material, said support in cross-sectional width being thin, and extending in height at least between said object and platform surfaces, and also extending by a distance approximately greater than said diameter along said platform surface.

A method for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising the steps of:

• forming a three-dimensional object, having a first object surface spaced from a second surface by a spacing, said first object surface covering spaced, internal object members, said members being spaced by an approximately constant distance, upon exposure of said medium to said synergistic stimulation;
• and
• forming a removable support in said spacing from a material, said support in cross-sectional width being thin, and extending in height at least between said first and second surfaces, and also extending by a distance greater than said approximately constant distance along said first object surface.

A method for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising the following steps:

• forming a three-dimensional object having a first object surface spaced from a second surface by a spacing, and at least partially opposing the second surface;
• and
• forming a removable support substantially layer by layer in said spacing from a material, said support in cross-sectional width being thin, and comprising a solid extending along a path connecting said first and second surfaces, the path having a vertical path component which is greater than any horizontal path component, and also extending substantially more than said width along at least one of said first and second surfaces.

A method for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising the following steps:

• forming a three-dimensional object having a first object surface spaced from a second surface by a spacing, and at least partially opposing said second surface;
• and
• forming a removable support in said spacing substantially layer by layer from a material, said support in cross-sectional width being thin, and comprising a solid extending in height by at least two layers at least between said first and second surfaces, and also extending substantially more than said width along at least one of said first and second surfaces.

A method for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:

• forming a three-dimensional object having a first object surface spaced from a second surface by a spacing and at least partially opposing the second surface;
• and
• forming a removable support substantially layer by layer in said spacing from a material, said support being substantially polygonal in cross-section and having an unformed center, and comprising a solid extending along a path connecting said first and second surfaces, the path having a vertical path component greater than any horizontal path component.

A method for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation, comprising:

• forming a three-dimensional object having a first object surface spaced from a second surface by a spacing, and at least partially opposing the second surface;
• and
• forming a removable support in said spacing substantially layer by layer from a material, said support being substantially polygonal in cross-section and having an unformed center, and comprising a solid extending in height by at least two layers at least between said first and second surfaces.

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation from an object representation specifying a first object surface to be spaced from a second surface by a spacing, and at least partially opposing the second surface, comprising:

• at least one computer programmed to form a support representation specifying a removable support to be formed in said spacing out of a material substantially layer by layer, said support in cross-sectional width being thin, and comprising a solid which extends along a path connecting said first and second surfaces, the path having a vertical path component which is greater than any horizontal path component;
• and
• means for receiving said support representation, and for forming said three-dimensional object out of said medium, and also for forming said support out of said material substantially layer by layer, in accordance with said object and support representations.

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation from an object representation specifying a first object surface to be spaced from a second surface by a spacing, and at least partially opposing the second surface, comprising:

• at least one computer programmed to form a support representation specifying a removable support to be formed in said spacing out of a material substantially layer by layer, said support in cross-sectional width being thin, and comprising a solid which extends in height by at least two layers at least between said first and second surfaces, and which also extends substantially more than said width along at least one of said first and second surfaces;
• and
• means for receiving said support representation, and for forming said three-dimensional object substantially layer by layer out of said medium, and also for forming said support substantially layer by layer out of said material, in accordance with said object and support representations.

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation from an object representation specifying a first object surface to be spaced from a second surface by a spacing, and at least partially opposing the second surface, comprising:

• at least one computer programmed to form a support representation specifying a removable support to be formed in said spacing substantially layer by layer out of a material, said support being substantially polygonal in cross-section and having an unformed center, and comprising a solid which extends along a path connecting said first and second surfaces, the path having a vertical path component greater than any horizontal path component;
• and
• means for receiving said support representation, and for forming said three-dimensional object out of said medium, and also for forming said support out of said material substantially layer by layer, in accordance with said object and support representations.

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation from an object representation specifying a first object surface to be spaced from a second surface by a spacing, and at least partially opposing the second surface, comprising:

• at least one computer programmed to form a support representation specifying a removable support to be formed in said spacing out of a material substantially layer by layer, said support being substantially polygonal in cross-section and having an unformed center, and comprising a solid which extends in height by at least two layers at least between said first and second surfaces;
• and
• means for receiving said support representation, and for forming said three-dimensional object substantially layer by layer out of said medium, and also for forming said support substantially layer by layer out of said material, in accordance with said object and support representations.

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation from an object representation specifying a first object surface to be spaced from a second surface by a spacing, and at least partially opposing the second surface, comprising:

• at least one computer programmed to form a support representation, specifying a removable support to be formed in said spacing out of a material substantially layer by layer, said support in cross-sectional width being thin, and comprising a solid extending along a path connecting said first and second surfaces, the path having a vertical path component which is greater than any horizontal path component, and also extending substantially more than said width along at least one of said first and second surfaces, and also programmed to specify object building parameters and support building parameters;
• and
• means for receiving said support representation, and said object and support building parameters, for forming said three-dimensional object out of said medium in accordance with said object representation and said object building parameters, and for forming said support out of said material in accordance with said support representation and said support building parameters.

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation from an object representation specifying a first object surface to be spaced from a second surface by a spacing, and at least partially opposing the second surface, comprising:

• at least one computer programmed to form a support representation, specifying a removable support to be formed in said spacing substantially layer by layer out of a material, said support in cross-sectional width being thin, and comprising a solid which extends in height by at least two layers at least between said first and second surfaces, and which also extends substantially more than said width along at least one of said first and second surfaces, and also programmed to specify object building parameters and support building parameters;
• and
• means for receiving said support representation, and said object and support building parameters, and for forming said three-dimensional object out of said medium substantially layer by layer in accordance with said object representation and said object building parameters, and for forming said support out of said material substantially layer by layer in accordance with said support representation and said support building parameters.

An apparatus for producing a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation upon exposure to synergistic stimulation from an object representation specifying a first object surface to be spaced from a second surface by a spacing and at least partially opposing the second surface, comprising:

• at least one computer programmed to form a support representation, specifying a removable support to be formed in said spacing substantially layer by layer out of a material, said support in cross-sectional width being thin, and comprising a solid extending in height by at least two layers at least between said first and second surfaces, and also extending substantially more than said width along at least one of said first and second surfaces, and also programmed to slice said object representation into object layer representations in accordance with object slicing parameters, and for slicing said support representation into support layer representations in accordance with support slicing parameters;
• and
• means for receiving said object and support layer representations, and for forming said object out of said medium substantially layer by layer in accordance with said object layer representations, and for forming said support out of said material substantially layer by layer in accordance with said support layer representations.