Method for printing of three-dimensional objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099406-B2
Application number	US-201715607499-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 28, 2017
Priority date	Dec 3, 2002
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A method for preventing detachment of a three-dimensional object from a printing tray of a printing apparatus is disclosed. The method includes printing a carpet of building material below and around the base of a three-dimensional object to be printed; and printing said three-dimensional object. The portions of the carpet that protrude out of the boundaries of the base of the three-dimensional object are coated with one or more layers of support material to help keep the carpet flexible and adhesive in texture.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for preventing detachment of a three-dimensional object from a printing tray of a printing apparatus, said method comprising:
printing a carpet of building material, on the printing tray or upon a surface coating thereof, below and around a base of the three-dimensional object which is to be printed; and
printing said three-dimensional object,
wherein the carpet is configured to have carpet edges which protrude beyond boundaries of the base of the printed three-dimensional object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carpet of building material includes one or more layers of building material.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the carpet of building material includes one or more layers of modeling material.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising coating the carpet edges with one or more layers of support material to help keep the carpet flexible and adhesive in texture.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising coating the carpet edges with one or more layers of supporting material that protrude outside a circumference of the carpet.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising adding an additional layer or layers of modeling material above the one or more layers of support material to strengthen the carpet during printing.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the carpet of building material to prevent air and radiation from infiltrating between the base of the three-dimensional object and the printing tray.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the carpet of building material to adhere the base of the three-dimensional object to the printing tray.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising configuring the carpet of building material to protect edges of the base of the three-dimensional object from lifting or curling due to shrinkage.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
printing, on the carpet, a support pedestal on the printing tray to enable leveling first layers of the three-dimensional object;
printing the first layers of the three-dimensional object on the pedestal; and
leveling the first layers of the object by a leveling device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the support pedestal comprises a matrix of support construction layers that are pre-configured to be printed beneath the three-dimensional object.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising printing a barrier layer between the support pedestal and the three-dimensional object.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the barrier layer is between 0.1-1 mm thick and made of softer material than the building material.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the printing of the carpet is carried out on the printing tray.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carpet comprises a thin membrane.

16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing the carpet in a same X movement as the printing of the three-dimensional object and/or support constructions thereof.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing the carpet in at least one perpendicular direction to a X movement of the printing of the three-dimensional object and/or support constructions thereof.

18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising printing a barrier layer between the carpet and the three-dimensional object.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the barrier layer is between 0.1-1 mm thick and made of softer material than the building material.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the barrier layer is configured to be air-tight and to prevent merging or mixing of modeling and support materials.

Assignees

• Stratasys Ltd
• Stratasys Ltd

Inventors

• Chechik Dani
• Teken Avraham
• Kritchman Eliahu M
• Napadensky Eduardo

Classifications

• B29C64/106

  using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material · CPC title

• B41M3/16

  Braille printing (typewriters or selective printing mechanisms for Braille printing B41J3/32) · CPC title

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B29C64/124

  using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified · CPC title