Rapid prototyping and manufacturing system and method
Assignee3D Systems, Inc.
InventorsGary Lee Reynolds, Don Frederick Hunter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A stereolithography apparatus having a resin vat with resupply containers in one-way flow communication and a leveling container in two-way flow communication, an automatic offload cart to remove and replace build support platforms, an elevator assembly for supporting and releasably retaining a build platform removably attached to the stereolithography apparatus frame such that elevator forks supporting the build platform can be released into the vat and removed from the stereolithography apparatus with the vat, and a recoater assembly and recoater blade for mapping the resin surface in the vat and applying a fresh coating of resin to a cross-section being built in the vat.
Claims18
A vat for containing a liquid resin in a stereolithography apparatus, said vat comprising:
- a) at least one leveling container containing resin and in flow communication with said vat for adding resin to or removing resin from said vat, thereby to maintain a resin level in said vat;
- b) at least one resupply container containing resin and in flow communication with the vat to provide resin thereto, wherein the resupply container is replaceable and is different than the leveling container;
- and
- c) a controller operatively connected to the leveling container and the resupply container to control flow to and from the leveling container and from the resupply container.
A vat for containing a liquid resin in a stereolithography apparatus, said vat comprising:
- a) at least one supplemental container containing resin and in flow communication with said vat for adding resin to or removing resin from said vat, thereby to maintain a resin level in said vat;
- and
- b) a controller operatively connected to the supplemental container to control flow to and from the supplemental container,
- wherein said supplemental container further comprises at least one radio frequency identification tag cooperating with said controller for at least confirming whether the resin in the supplemental container and in the vat are the same resins prior to establishing flow communication therebetween.
A vat for containing a liquid resin in a stereolithography apparatus, wherein the stereolithography apparatus comprises a radio frequency identification tag reader, said vat comprising:
- a) at least one supplemental container containing resin and in flow communication with said vat for adding resin to or removing resin from said vat, thereby to maintain a resin level in said vat;
- b) a controller operatively connected to the supplemental container to control flow to and from the supplemental container;
- c) a first radio frequency identification tag cooperative with said controller to identify the vat and the liquid resin when the first radio frequency identification tag is in communication the reader of the stereolithography apparatus;
- and
- d) a vat radio frequency identification tag reader in communication with the controller and with a second radio frequency identification tag provided on the supplemental container,
- wherein the supplemental container comprises a nozzle and wherein the vat includes an alarm operatively connected to the controller that provides an alert before the nozzle is couplingly connected to the vat if the supplemental container contains at least one of an incorrect resin and an expired resin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.