Stereolithography machine for producing a three-dimensional object and stereolithograpy method applicable to said machine

A method for producing a three-dimensional object in layers within a stereolithography machine comprising:

• movably mounting a container containing a fluid substance in a liquid or a paste state that is solidified through exposure to predefined radiation, the container being mounted so that it can be moved in each one of two mutually opposite horizontal directions, the container having a bottom which is transparent to the predefined radiation;
• a first operation of selectively irradiating a first one of said layers of a fluid substance through the transparent bottom of the container containing the fluid substance in such a way as to obtain a corresponding one of said solidified layers;
• a second operation of moving said solidified layer away from said bottom to make it emerge from said fluid substance;
• a third operation of redistributing said fluid substance in said container in such a way as to fill a depression in said fluid substance caused by said second operation;
• providing two paddles extending in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to said horizontal directions of movement, wherein the two paddles are positioned on two corresponding opposite sides of said modeling plate with respect to said horizontal directions;
• repeating the first, second and third operations for a second one of said layers;
• wherein successive ones of said third operations comprise performing two movements of said container, one movement in each of said two opposite horizontal directions;
• and
• during one of said two successive horizontal movements of the container, positioning one of the two paddles to engage the fluid substance so that movement of the container moves the depression toward the one paddle and causes the one paddle to move the fluid substance into the depression, and positioning the other paddle on the other horizontal side of the modeling plate so that the other paddle is raised from said fluid substance.

A method for producing a three-dimensional object in layers within a stereolithography machine having a container containing a fluid substance that solidifies through exposure to predefined radiation, the container being mounted for reciprocal horizontal movement, the container having a bottom which is transparent to the predefined radiation, the machine including a modeling plate to which the three-dimensional object will be attached, the method comprising the steps of:

• in a first operation, obtaining a solidified layer by selectively irradiating a fluid substance through the transparent bottom of the container containing the fluid substance;
• then
• in a second operation, moving the modeling plate relative to the container to move the solidified layer away from the fluid substance;
• then
• in a third operation, redistributing the fluid substance to fill a depression in said fluid substance caused by the second operation,
• the third operation including providing two paddles extending in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction of movement of the container, the paddles being located on opposite sides of the modeling plate, the third operation including causing one of the paddles to be positioned in the fluid substance when moving the container horizontally after the second operation so that the paddle in the fluid substance redistributes the fluid substance into the depression as the container moves the depression under the paddle;
• and
• reiterating the first, second, and third operations to develop successive layers of the object, including alternating the direction of horizontal movement of the container and which of the paddles is positioned in the fluid substance to cause redistributing of the fluid substance between at least two successive third operations.

A method for producing a three-dimensional object in layers within a stereolithography machine having a container containing a fluid substance that solidifies through exposure to predefined radiation, the container being mounted for reciprocal horizontal movement, the container having a bottom which is transparent to the predefined radiation, the machine including a modeling plate to which the three-dimensional object will be attached, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming a layer of the object;
• moving the container to the left while a paddle located to the left of the modeling plate is positioned in the fluid substance to cause redistribution of the fluid substance into a depression in the fluid substance resulting from withdrawing the object being formed from the fluid substance;
• and
• moving the container to the right while a paddle located to the right of the modeling plate is positioned in the fluid substance to cause redistribution of the fluid substance.

A method of producing a three-dimensional object in layers within a stereolithography machine having a container containing a fluid substance that solidifies through exposure to predefined radiation, the stereolithography machine including a modeling plate to which the three-dimensional object will be attached, the method comprising the steps of:

• forming a layer of the object by selectively radiating a fluid substance that is within the container, elevating the layer from the fluid substance, and moving the container in a horizontal direction;
• after said forming step, operating a leveler arrangement so that when the container moves in a horizontal direction, the leveler arrangement moves some of the fluid substance in an opposite horizontal direction with respect to the container;
• reiterating said steps to form successive layers of the object;
• and
• wherein the method includes moving the container in reciprocating horizontal directions.