Multi-beam resin curing system and method for whole-volume additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10875247-B2
Application number	US-201715651861-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2017
Priority date	Jul 15, 2016
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

A multi-beam volumetric resin curing system and method for whole-volume additive manufacturing of an object includes a bath containing a photosensitive resin, a light source for producing a light beam, and a spatial light modulator which produces a phase- or intensity-modulated light beam by impressing a phase profile or intensity profile of an image onto a light beam received from the light source. The system and method also include projection optics which then produces multiple sub-image beams from the modulated light beam which are projected to intersect each other in the photosensitive resin to cure select volumetric regions of the resin in a whole-volume three-dimensional pattern representing the object.

First claim

We claim:

1. A multi-beam resin curing system for whole-volume additive manufacturing of an object, comprising:
a bath containing a photosensitive resin;
a light source for producing a light beam;
a spatial light modulator (SLM) adapted to impress an image onto the light beam so as to produce a modulated light beam; and
projection optics adapted to produce at least two sub-image beams from the modulated light beam with each sub-image beam having a 2D intensity profile corresponding to a section of the image, and to optically transport the at least two sub-image beams independently of each other into the bath containing the photosensitive resin so as to project the 2D intensity profiles of the at least two sub-image beams to pass through a volume of the photosensitive resin so that the projected 2D intensity profiles transversely intersect each other in the volume of the photosensitive resin to form a 3D pattern which simultaneously cures select volumetric regions of the volume of the photosensitive resin and thereby forms the object.

2. The multi-beam resin curing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the SLM is adapted to impress a phase profile of the image onto the light beam so as to produce a phase-modulated light beam; and
wherein the projection optics are adapted to produce the at least two sub-image beams by:
deconvolving the phase-modulated light beam into an intensity-modulated light beam having an intensity profile corresponding to all sections of the image,
dividing a cross-section of the intensity-modulated light beam into the at least two sub-image beams.

3. The multi-beam resin curing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the SLM is adapted to impress an intensity profile corresponding to all subsections of the image onto the light beam so as to produce an intensity-modulated light beam; and
wherein the projection optics are adapted to produce the at least two sub-image beams by dividing a cross-section of the intensity-modulated light beam into the at least two sub-image beams.

4. The multi-beam resin curing system of claim 1 ,
wherein the projection optics are adapted to project the at least two sub-image beams to intersect substantially orthogonal to each other.

5. A multi-beam resin curing system for whole-volume additive manufacturing of an object, comprising:
a bath containing a photosensitive resin;
a single mode laser source for producing a laser beam;
a spatial light modulator (SLM) adapted to impress a phase profile of an image onto the laser beam so as to produce a phase-modulated laser beam; and
projection optics adapted to deconvolve the phase-modulated laser beam into an intensity-modulated laser beam, produce at least two sub-image beams from the intensity-modulated laser beam with each sub-image beam having a 2D intensity profile corresponding to a section of the image, and to optically transport the at least two sub-image beams independently of each other into the bath containing the photosensitive resin so as to project the 2D intensity profiles of the at least two sub-image beams to pass through a volume of the photosensitive resin so that the projected 2D intensity profiles transversely intersect each other in the volume of the photosensitive resin to form a 3D pattern which simultaneously cures select volumetric regions of the volume of the photosensitive resin and thereby forms the object.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc
• Lawrence Livermore Nat Securitv Llc

Inventors

• Shusteff Maxim
• Spadaccini Christopher M
• Fang Nicholas
• Panas Robert Matthew
• Henriksson Johannes
• Kelly Brett
• Browar Allison E

Classifications

• B29C64/286

  Optical filters, e.g. masks · CPC title

• B29C64/264

  Arrangements for irradiation · CPC title

• G03H2001/0491

  by monitoring the hologram formation, e.g. via a feed-back loop · CPC title

• B29C64/124

  using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified · CPC title

• G03H1/2205

  using downstream optical component · CPC title