Performance optimization in additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11801643-B2
Application number	US-201816650521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2018
Priority date	Oct 9, 2017
Publication date	Oct 31, 2023
Grant date	Oct 31, 2023

Abstract

A method of enhancing a performance characteristic of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the method including: (a) dispensing a batch of a light polymerizable resin into the additive manufacturing apparatus, the batch characterized by at least one physical characteristic; (b) determining the unique identity of the batch; (c) sending the unique identity of the batch to a database; then (d) either: (i) receiving on the controller from the database modified operating instructions for the resin batch, which modified operating instructions have been modified based on the at least one physical characteristic, or (ii) receiving on the controller from the database the at least one physical characteristic for the specific resin batch and modifying the operating instructions based on the at least one physical characteristic; and then (e) producing the object from the batch of light polymerizable resin on the additive manufacturing apparatus with the modified operating instructions.

First claim

We claim:

1. A provider-based method of enhancing at least one performance characteristic of a plurality of additive manufacturing apparatuses during production of an object on each apparatus, each apparatus including a light source and a controller containing operating instructions for production of said object on that apparatus, the method comprising:
(a) blending and/or receiving a plurality of different and distinct light polymerizable resin batches;
(b) assigning a unique identity to each resin batch;
(c) determining at least one resin physical characteristic for each resin batch;
(d) modifying, for each resin batch, the operating instructions for the controller of each apparatus based on the at least one physical characteristic of each resin batch to thereby provide modified operating instructions for each resin batch;
(e) storing in a database, in association with each said assigned unique identity, either (i) said at least one resin physical characteristic for each resin batch, or (ii) said modified operating instructions for each resin batch;
(f) receiving at said database an identification of a specific resin batch from which an object is to be produced on a specific additive manufacturing apparatus; and then
(g) either:
(i) sending from the database to the controller of said specific additive manufacturing apparatus the modified operating instructions for said specific resin batch, for production of said object on said apparatus with said resin batch, or
(ii) sending from said database to said controller of said specific additive manufacturing apparatus the at least one physical characteristic for a specific resin batch, for modification of said operating instructions based on said at least one physical characteristic, and then for production of said object on said apparatus with said resin batch,

wherein the at least one resin physical characteristic comprises viscosity, photosensitivity, cure-through, overcure, heat generation during photopolymerization, at least one mechanical property of a test object produced by the resin, or a combination thereof and the modified operating instructions are dynamically generated on an object-by-object basis based on factors including object size and/or object density.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
packaging each resin batch in at least one container, each container having a container unique identifier associated therewith;
associating said resin batch unique identity with said container unique identifier; and wherein
said sending step (g) is carried out upon detection of said unique identifier by a unique identifier reader operatively associated with said specific apparatus and transmission of said unique identity to said database.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
packaging each resin batch in at least one container;
labelling each container with said resin batch unique identity; and wherein
said sending step (g) is carried out upon manual entry by a user of said unique identity and transmission thereof to said database.

4. A user-based method of enhancing at least one performance characteristic of an additive manufacturing apparatus during production of an object, the apparatus including a light source and a controller containing operating instructions for production of the object on that apparatus, the method comprising:
(a) dispensing a batch of a light polymerizable resin into the additive manufacturing apparatus, said batch characterized by at least one physical characteristic;
(b) determining a unique identity of said batch;
(c) sending said unique identity of said batch to a database; then
(d) either:
(i) receiving on said controller from the database modified operating instructions for said resin batch, which modified operating instructions have been modified based on said at least one physical characteristic, or
(ii) receiving on said controller from the database the at least one physical characteristic for said resin batch and modifying said operating instructions based on said at least one physical characteristic; and then

(e) producing said object from said batch of light polymerizable resin on said additive manufacturing apparatus with said modified operating instructions,
wherein said at least one physical characteristic of said batch of light polymerizable resin comprises viscosity, photosensitivity, cure-through, overcure, heat generation during photopolymerization, at least one mechanical property of a test object produced by the resin, or a combination thereof and the modified operating instructions are dynamically generated on an object-by-object basis based on factors including object size and/or object density.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, prior to said producing step (e), the step of:
selecting a performance characteristic to be optimized.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said sending and receiving steps are carried out over the internet.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein said database comprises a cloud database.

8. A provider-based method of enhancing at least one performance characteristic of a plurality of additive manufacturing apparatuses during production of an object on each apparatus, each apparatus including a light source and a controller containing operating instructions for production of said object on that apparatus, the method comprising:
(a) blending and/or receiving a plurality of different and distinct light polymerizable resin batches;
(b) determining at least one resin physical characteristic for each resin batch;
(c) modifying, for each resin batch, the operating instructions for the controller of each apparatus based on the at least one physical characteristic of each resin batch to thereby provide modified operating instructions for each resin batch;
(d) packaging each resin batch in at least one container;
(e) storing in association with each said container either (i) said at least one resin physical characteristic for each resin batch contained therein, or (ii) said modified operating instructions for each resin batch contained therein,
wherein said at least one resin physical characteristic comprises viscosity, photosensitivity, cure-through, overcure, heat generation during photopolymerization, at least one mechanical property of a test object produced by the resin, or a combination thereof and the modified operating instructions are dynamically generated on an object-by-object basis based on factors including object size and/or object density.

9. The method of claim 8 , each container having an information storage media associated therewith;
wherein said storing step is carried out by recording said at least one physical characteristic or modified operating instruction on said storage media.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
labelling each container with said at least one physical characteristic of said resin batch contained therein.

11. A user-based method of enhancing at least one performance characteristic of an additive manufacturing apparatus during production of an object, the apparatus including a light source and a controller containing operating instructions for production of the object on that apparatus, the method comprising:
(a) dispensing a batch of a light polymerizable resin from a container into the additive manufacturing apparatus, said batch characterized by at least one physical characteristic, with said container having associated therewith either said at least one physical characteristics, or modified operating instructions modified based on said at least one physical characteristic;
(b) either:
(i) receiving on said controller modified operating instructions associated

Assignees

• Carbon Inc

Inventors

• Tumbleston John R
• Gutierrez Clarissa
• Truong Ronald
• Laaker Kyle
• Carlson Craig B
• Goldman Roy
• Parmar Abhishek

Classifications

• B29C64/386 Primary

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/393 Primary

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/307

  Handling of material to be used in additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/314

  Preparation · CPC title

• B33Y50/00

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title