Resin extractor for additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897198-B2
Application number	US-202217683784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 1, 2022
Priority date	Apr 23, 2018
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A method of separating excess resin from at least one object, includes: (a) stereolithographically producing at least one object on at least one carrier platform, each carrier platform having a planar build surface to which at least one object is connected, each object carrying excess resin on a surface thereof; then (b) mounting each carrier platform to a rotor; (c) centrifugally separating excess resin from each object by spinning the rotor with each carrier platform connected thereto while each object remains connected to each carrier platform; and then (d) removing each carrier platform from the rotor with each object thereon, with excess resin separated therefrom.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of separating excess resin from at least one object, comprising:
(a) stereolithographically producing at least one object on at least one carrier platform, said at least one carrier platform having a planar build surface to which at least one object is connected, said at least one object carrying excess resin on a surface thereof; then
(b) mounting said at least one carrier platform to a rotor;
(c) centrifugally separating excess resin from said at least one object by spinning said rotor about a vertical axis of rotation with said at least one carrier platform connected thereto while said at least one object remains connected to each said carrier platform; and then
(d) removing said at least one carrier platform from said rotor with said at least one object thereon, with excess resin separated therefrom,
the method further comprising spraying a solvent on said excess resin to reduce the viscosity thereof during said centrifugally separating step,
wherein said centrifugally separating step is carried out with said at least one carrier platform mounted to said rotor with said planar build surface facing away from said axis of rotation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said centrifugally separating step is carried out with said at least one carrier platform mounted to said rotor with said planar build surface oriented perpendicularly to a radius of the rotor and tangentially to said axis of rotation of said rotor.

3. The method claim 1 , wherein said at least one carrier platform comprises at least two or three carrier platforms.

4. The method claim 1 , wherein said at least one carrier platform has at least two or three stereolithographically produced objects connected thereto.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising warming said excess resin to reduce the viscosity thereof during said centrifugally separating step.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said centrifugally separating step is carried out in a gas at ambient pressure or a pressure less than ambient pressure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said rotor comprises a primary rotor and a plurality of secondary rotors mounted on said primary rotor, wherein each said carrier platform is mounted on one of said secondary rotors, and wherein said spinning step is carried out by rotating said primary rotor while rotating said secondary rotors.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said spinning is carried out at a speed of from 200 or 400 revolutions per minute (rpm) to 1,000 or 1,200 rpm, or more.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(e) collecting said centrifugally separated excess resin, then
(f) combining said centrifugally separated excess resin with additional resin; and then
(g) stereolithographically producing at least one additional object from said centrifugally separated excess resin and/or said additional resin.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one object comprises an intermediate object produced from a dual cure resin, the method further comprising:
(h) separating said at least one object from said at least one carrier platform; and then
(i) further curing said at least one object to produce a finished object.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one object comprises a lattice and/or includes one or more internal cavities and has at least one opening formed therein in fluid communication with the one or more internal cavities and configured for excess resin within the one or more internal cavities to flow therethrough and out of the one or more internal cavities during the centrifugally separating step.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one object on said at least one carrier platform have a higher drag orientation and a lower drag orientation, and said centrifugally separating step is carried out with said at least one carrier platform mounted on said rotor with said at least one object positioned in said lower drag orientation.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one object has or have a long dimension, and said at least one object is or are oriented on said at least one carrier platform with said long dimension substantially parallel to said planar build surface.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring at least one characteristic or parameter associated with said at least one carrier platform using at least one force gauge that engages or interfaces with said at least one carrier platform.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said at least one characteristic or parameter comprises an amount of resin separated from each object on said at least one carrier platform and/or an amount of resin remaining on each object on said at least one carrier platform.

16. A centrifugal extractor configured for carrying out the method of claim 1 .

17. An apparatus for carrying out the method of claim 1 .

18. An apparatus for separating excess resin from at least one object, comprising:
a collection vessel;
a rotor in the collection vessel and configured to receive at least one carrier platform having at least one object thereon and to spin about a vertical axis of rotation with said at least one carrier platform connected thereto such that excess resin from said at least one object is removed and optionally received in the collection vessel; and
one or more spray nozzles on said collection vessel and configured to spray a solvent on said excess resin to reduce the viscosity thereof while said rotor spins with said at least one carrier platform connected thereto,
wherein each said carrier platform comprises a planar build surface to which said at least one object is connected, and
said rotor is configured to receive each said carrier platform with said planar build surface facing away from said axis of rotation.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the collection vessel is sealable, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a vacuum line connected to the collection vessel and configured to reduce pressure in the collection vessel to reduce drag on said at least one object as it is spun by the rotor.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising a resin drain line connected to the collection vessel and configured to collect the excess resin for recycling in a subsequent stereolithographic production process.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising at least one force gauge that engages the at least one carrier platform, said at least one force gauge configured to measure at least one characteristic or parameter associated with the carrier platform to which it is engaged.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the at least one characteristic or parameter comprises an amount of resin separated from each object on the carrier platform and/or an amount of resin remaining on each object on the carrier platform.

Assignees

• Carbon Inc

Inventors

• Murillo Michael
• Dachs Ii Gregory W
• Feller Bob E

Classifications

• B29C64/35 Primary

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B29C64/124

  using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified · CPC title

• B29C64/245

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

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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