Additive manufacturing system and a method of additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11577453-B2
Application number	US-202117248456-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 26, 2021
Priority date	Dec 16, 2015
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system has a light permeable base, a build carrier for holding a workpiece and a light source which is arranged to emit light through the light permeable base. The light permeable base and the build carrier are positionable relative to each other in a build dimension in which the workpiece is built up. The system further has a resin vat in which the light permeable base forms a wall portion thereof. The system further comprises a plurality of resin supplies for supplying different light hardenable resins in direct contact with each other in said vat. The system facilitates the rapid manufacturing of a dental restoration having a color gradation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of additive manufacturing a workpiece, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a system that comprises a light permeable base, a build carrier for holding a workpiece built up by the system, and a light source which is arranged to emit light through the light permeable base toward a region between the light permeable base and the build carrier, the system further comprising a resin vat and at least one resin supply, wherein the light permeable base forms a wall portion of the resin vat,
(b) using the at least one resin supply to provide a portion of a light hardenable resin in the resin vat;
(c) positioning the build carrier and the light permeable base at a predetermined distance relative to each other;
(d) emitting light by the light source toward the region between the light permeable base and the build carrier for hardening the hardenable resin in said region;
(e) successively repeating steps (b) to (d) for building up the workpiece; and
(f) building up an auxiliary compartment along with building up the workpiece, wherein the auxiliary compartment is shaped to separate a partial volume from a greater volume provided in the resin vat,
whereby during building up the workpiece step (a) is performed at least a first time for supplying a first light hardenable resin in the resin vat and a second time for supplying a different second light hardenable resin in the resin vat.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined distance increases during building up the workpiece and wherein the increase is controlled stepwise with essentially equal steps so as to layerwise build up the workpiece.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising the steps of
providing a data based computer model of at least a portion of the shape of the workpiece;
determining a volume of hardened resin or resin to be hardened in at least one layer of the workpiece based on the computer model; and
using the at least one resin supply to provide a quantity of a light hardenable resin in the resin vat, wherein the quantity is determined based on the determined volume of hardened resin or resin to be hardened.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary compartment is formed by a membrane built from the light hardenable resin in the resin vat.

5. The method of claim 1 , whereby successively repeating steps (b) to (d) for building up the workpiece comprises, at least once, supplying the first or second light hardenable resin directly to the auxiliary compartment.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Korten Malte
• Mayr Helmar
• Raia Gioacchino
• Hofmann Bernhard
• Eckert Adrian

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/336

  of two or more materials · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/264

  Arrangements for irradiation · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title