Three-dimensional printing methods for reducing bubbles by de-gassing through build plate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11685117-B2
Application number	US-202017039163-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2020
Priority date	Jul 1, 2016
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

A method of forming a three-dimensional object includes providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface. The carrier and the build surface define a build region therebetween. The method further includes filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid; continuously or intermittently irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid; applying a reduced pressure and/or polymer inhibitor-enriched gas to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member to thereby reduce a gas content of the polymerizable liquid; and continuously or intermittently advancing (e.g., sequentially or concurrently with said irradiating step) said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object from a polymerizable liquid, comprising:
(a) a support;
(b) a carrier operatively associated with said support on which carrier said three-dimensional object is formed;
(c) a gas permeable optically transparent member having a build surface, with said build surface and said carrier defining a build region therebetween;
(d) a liquid polymer supply operatively associated with said build surface and configured to supply liquid polymer into said build region for solidification or polymerization;
(e) a radiation source configured to irradiate said build region through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid;
(f) optionally at least one drive operatively associated with either said transparent member or said carrier;
(g) a controller operatively associated with said carrier, and/or optionally said at least one drive, and said radiation source for continuously or intermittently advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer,
(h) a gas/pressure controller in fluid communication with said optically transparent member configured to control a pressure and/or supply a gas to said build surface through said gas permeable member, wherein said gas/pressure controller is configured to
apply a reduced pressure and oxygen-enriched gas to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member to thereby reduce a nitrogen content of the polymerizable liquid by supplying oxygen through the optically transparent member into the polymerizable liquid while withdrawing nitrogen from the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein oxygen-enriched gas is supplied to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member at a substantially constant pressure.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said reduced pressure and oxygen-enriched gas is supplied at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the oxygen-enriched gas is about 80%-100% oxygen.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pressure of the oxygen-enriched gas is substantial equal to a partial pressure of oxygen in air at atmospheric pressure.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said optically transparent member comprises a build plate comprising a channel layer configured to connect to a gas and/or pressure controller.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to control said carrier, and/or optionally said at least one drive, and said radiation source such that the liquid polymer supply fills the build region, the radiation source irradiates said build region, and/or said carrier advances away from said build surface while said apparatus also concurrently:
(i) continuously maintains a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said build surface, and
(ii) continuously maintains a gradient of polymerization zone between said dead zone and said solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerization zone comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein said gas/pressure controller is configured to intermittently apply a reduced pressure to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member to thereby reduce a nitrogen content of the polymerizable liquid that is sufficient to maintain a dead zone of less than 1000 microns by reducing a gas concentration in the polymerizable liquid.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein said carrier with said polymerized region adhered thereto is configured to unidirectionally advance away from the build surface on a stationary build plate.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein said controller is configured to fill said build region by vertically reciprocating said carrier with respect to said build surface to enhance or speed the refilling of said build region with said polymerizable liquid.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said controller is configured to reduce or hold stationary advancement of the carrier when a reduced pressure is applied to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member.

12. An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object from a polymerizable liquid, comprising:
(a) a support;
(b) a carrier operatively associated with said support on which carrier said three-dimensional object is formed;
(c) a gas permeable optically transparent member having a build surface, with said build surface and said carrier defining a build region therebetween;
(d) a liquid polymer supply operatively associated with said build surface and configured to supply liquid polymer into said build region for solidification or polymerization;
(e) a radiation source configured to irradiate said build region through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid;
(f) optionally at least one drive operatively associated with either said transparent member or said carrier;
(g) a controller operatively associated with said carrier, and/or optionally said at least one drive, and said radiation source for continuously or intermittently advancing said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer,
(h) a gas/pressure controller in fluid communication with said optically transparent member configured to control a pressure and/or supply a gas to said build surface through said gas permeable member, wherein said gas/pressure controller is configured to
apply a reduced pressure and oxygen-enriched gas to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member to thereby reduce a nitrogen content of the polymerizable liquid by supplying oxygen through the optically transparent member into the polymerizable liquid while withdrawing nitrogen from the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member; and
intermittently reducing a pressure of the oxygen-enriched gas.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said gas/pressure controller is configured to supply the oxygen-enriched gas to the polymerization liquid by supplying the oxygen-enriched gas at a pressure less than atmospheric pressure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the oxygen-enriched gas is about 80%-100% oxygen.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the pressure of the oxygen-enriched gas is substantial equal to a partial pressure of oxygen in air at atmospheric pressure.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said optically transparent member comprises a build plate comprising a channel layer configured to connect to a gas and/or pressure controller.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein said controller is configured to control said carrier, and/or optionally said at least one drive, and said radiation source such that the liquid polymer supply fills the build region, the radiation source irradiates said build region, and/or said carrier advances away from said build surface while said apparatus also concurrently:
(i) continuously maintains a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with said build surface, and
(ii) continuously maintains a gradient of polymerization zone between said dead zone and said solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, said gradient of polymerization zone comprising said polymerizable liquid in partially cured form.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said gas/pressure controller is conf

Assignees

• Carbon Inc

Inventors

• Feller Bob E
• Moore David
• Tumbleston John R
• Truong Ronald
• Laaker Kyle

Classifications

• B29C64/124

  using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified · CPC title

• B29C64/129

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

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29C64/268

  using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] · CPC title

• B29C2791/006

  Using vacuum · CPC title