Method of additive manufacturing by fabrication through multiple zones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155345-B2
Application number	US-201615196951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2016
Priority date	Feb 5, 2015
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A method of forming a three-dimensional object is carried out by: (a) providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween, with the carrier positioned adjacent and spaced apart from the build surface at a start position; then (b) forming an adhesion segment of the three-dimensional object (c) optionally but preferably forming a transition segment of the three dimensional object; and then (d) forming a body segment of the three dimensional object. In each case, the segment can be formed by: (i) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, (ii) continuously or intermittently irradiating the build region with light through the optically transparent, and (iii) continuously or intermittently advancing the carrier away from the build surface, to thereby form that segment from the polymerizable liquid.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprising:
(a) providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, said carrier and said build surface defining a build region therebetween, with said carrier positioned adjacent and spaced apart from said build surface at a start position; then
(b) forming an adhesion segment of said three-dimensional object by:
(i) filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid,
(ii) irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member, while
(iii) advancing said carrier away from said build surface at a first cumulative rate of advance, to thereby form from said polymerizable liquid a solid polymer adhesion segment of said object adhered to said carrier; then

(c) forming a transition segment of said three-dimensional object by:
(i) filling said build region with said polymerizable liquid,
(ii) continuously or intermittently irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member, and
(iii) continuously or intermittently advancing said carrier away from said build surface at a second cumulative rate of advance, to thereby form from said polymerizable liquid a solid polymer transition segment of said object between said adhesion segment and said build surface;
wherein said second cumulative rate of advance is greater than said first cumulative rate of advance; and then

(d) forming a body segment of said three-dimensional object by:
(i) filling said build region with said polymerizable liquid,
(ii) continuously or intermittently irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member, and
(iii) continuously or intermittently advancing said carrier away from said build surface at a third cumulative rate of advance, to thereby form from said polymerizable liquid a solid polymer body segment of said object between said transition segment and said build surface;
wherein said third cumulative rate of advance is greater than said first and/or said second cumulative rate of advance.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said start position can be any position among a range of positions, and said irradiating step (b)(ii) is carried out at an intensity sufficient to adhere said solid polymer adhesion segment to said carrier when said carrier is at any position within said range of positions.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said filling step (d)(i), said irradiating step (d)(ii), and/or said advancing step (d)(iii), and/or wherein said filling step (c)(i), said irradiating step (c)(ii), and/or said advancing step (c)(iii), are carried out while also concurrently:
(i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said build surface, and
(ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between said dead zone and said solid polymer body segment and/or transition segment and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerization zone comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form.

4. The method claim 1 , wherein said build surface is fixed and stationary in lateral dimensions.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said advancing step (d)(iii) is carried out at a cumulative rate of at least 0.1 microns per second.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein said optically transparent member comprises a semipermeable member, and said continuously maintaining a dead zone is carried out by feeding an inhibitor of polymerization through said optically transparent member in an amount sufficient to maintain said dead zone and said gradient of polymerization zone.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said optically transparent member is comprised of a semipermeable polymer.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein said gradient of polymerization zone and said dead zone together have a thickness of from 1 to 1000 microns.

9. The method of claim 3 , wherein said gradient of polymerization zone is maintained for a time of at least 5 seconds.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of heating said polymerizable liquid to reduce the viscosity thereof in said build region.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said irradiating step (b)(ii), said irradiating step (c)(ii), and/or said irradiating step (d)(ii) is carried out by maskless photolithography.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein:
said polymerizable liquid comprises a free radical polymerizable liquid and said inhibitor comprises oxygen; or
said polymerizable liquid comprises an acid-catalyzed or cationically polymerizable liquid, and said inhibitor comprises a base.

13. A method of claim 1 , wherein:
said polymerizable liquid comprises a mixture of (i) a first light polymerizable liquid component, and (ii) a second solidifiable component that is different from said first component,
said method further comprising:
concurrently with or following the forming of said solid polymer adhesion segment, said solid polymer transition segment, and/or said solid polymer body segment, solidifying and/or curing said second solidifiable component to form said three-dimensional object.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said second solidifiable component comprises a polymerizable liquid solubilized in or suspended in said first component.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein said second solidifiable component comprises:
(i) a polymerizable solid suspended in said first light polymerizable liquid component;
(ii) a polymerizable solid solubilized in said first light polymerizable liquid component; or
(iii) a polymer solubilized in said first light polymerizable liquid component.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein said three-dimensional object comprises a polymer blend, interpenetrating polymer network, semi-interpenetrating polymer network, or sequential interpenetrating polymer network formed from said first light polymerizable liquid component and said second solidifiable component.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein said polymerizable liquid comprises:
from 1 percent by weight to 99 percent by weight of said first light polymerizable liquid component; and
from 1 percent by weight to 99 percent by weight of said second solidifiable component.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein said solidifying and/or curing step is carried out concurrently with said irradiating step (b)(ii), said irradiating step (c)(ii), and/or said irradiating step (d)(ii) and:
(i) said solidifying and/or curing step is carried out by precipitation; or
(ii) said irradiating step (b)(ii), said irradiating step (c)(ii), and/or said irradiating step (d)(ii) generates heat from the polymerization of said first light polymerizable liquid component in an amount sufficient to thermally solidify or polymerize said second solidifiable component.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein said solidifying and/or curing step is carried out subsequent to said irradiating step (d)(ii) and is carried out by:
(i) heating said second solidifiable component;
(ii) irradiating said second solidifiable component with light at a wavelength different from that of the light in said irradiating step (d)(ii);
(iii) contacting said second solidifiable component to water; and/or
(iv) contacting said second solidifiable component to a catalyst.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein: said second solidifiable component comprises precursors to a polyurethane, polyurea, or copolymer thereof; a silicone resin; an epoxy resin; a cyanate ester resin; or a natural rubber; and said s

Assignees

• Carbon3D Inc
• Carbon Inc

Inventors

• Ermoshkin Alexander
• Shirvanyants David
• Tumbleston John R

Classifications

• B29C64/40

  Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof · CPC title

• B29C64/245

  Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/129 Primary

  characterised by the energy source therefor, e.g. by global irradiation combined with a mask · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title