Modular 3D printing using a robot arm

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9808992-B1
Application number	US-201414463530-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 19, 2014
Priority date	May 1, 2014
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

An example three-dimensional printer system includes (a) a resin container, (b) a base plate, (c) a light source arranged below the resin container, where the light source is operable to emit electromagnetic radiation that causes resin in the resin container to cure, (d) a robotic device having the base plate attached thereto, wherein the robotic device positions the base plate above the resin container and is operable to move the base plate with at least two degrees of freedom, such that a build volume of the three-dimensional printer system extends beyond the edges of the resin container, and (e) a control system that is operable to (i) receive data specifying a three-dimensional structure and (ii) generate control signals that coordinate movement of the base plate by the robotic device and operation of the light source to form the three-dimensional structure from layers of resin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A three-dimensional printer system comprising:
a resin container;
a base plate;
a light source arranged below the resin container, wherein the light source is operable to emit electromagnetic radiation that causes resin in the resin container to cure;
a robotic device having the base plate attached thereto, wherein the robotic device positions the base plate above the resin container and is operable to move the base plate with at least two degrees of freedom, such that a build volume of the three-dimensional printer system extends beyond the edges of the resin container and a horizontal cross section of the build volume is larger than a horizontal cross section of the resin container; and
a control system that is operable to:
(a) receive data specifying a three-dimensional structure; and
(b) based at least in part on the specified structure, generate control signals that coordinate movement of the base plate by the robotic device and operation of the light source to form the three-dimensional structure from layers of resin, wherein each layer of resin is formed by exposure of resin in the resin container to electromagnetic radiation from the light source.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device comprises a robotic arm.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the robotic arm is operable to move the base plate with six degrees of freedom.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the resin comprises a liquid resin that cures when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) electromagnetic radiation.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the light source comprises a UV light source.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a surface agitator configured to agitate resin in the resin container.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the surface agitator comprises an automated surface agitator, and wherein the control signals further comprises control signals for the surface agitator that operate the surface agitator after each layer of the three-dimensional structure is formed.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein, to generate the control signals, the control system is operable to:
(i) generate light control signals for the light source; and
(ii) generate corresponding robot control signals for the robotic device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the control system is further operable to generate one or more timing signals that coordinate the light control signals with the corresponding robot control signals.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device is operable to vary an angle of a face of the base plate with respect to the resin container.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control signals comprise a set of control signals that corresponds to each layer of resin, wherein the set of control signals that correspond to a given layer of resin comprise: (a) at least one light control signal specifying a shape of the given layer and (b) one or more robot control signals that cause the robotic device to orient the base plate with a specified pose with respect to the resin container.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the specified pose of the base plate varies between at least two consecutive sets of control signals that correspond to a sequence of two or more layers of resin, such that the resulting layers of resin in the three-dimensional structure are angled with respect to one another.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the three-dimensional structure comprises at least one overhang.

14. A three-dimensional printer system comprising:
a base plate;
a plurality of resin containers comprising at least a first resin container and a second resin container;
a plurality of light sources, wherein at least one light source is arranged below each resin container;
a robotic device having the base plate attached thereto, wherein the robotic device is operable to move the base plate between the plurality of resin containers such that the base plate is positionable above each of the resin containers while a layer of resin is being formed on the base plate, and wherein the robotic device is operable to move the base plate with at least two degrees of freedom such that a build volume of the three-dimensional printer system extends beyond the edges of the resin container and has a horizontal cross section that is larger than the horizontal cross section of the resin container; and
a control system that is operable to:
(a) receive data specifying a three-dimensional structure; and
(b) based at least in part on the specified structure, generate control signals that coordinate movement of the base plate by the robotic device and operation of the plurality of light sources to form the three-dimensional structure from layers of resin, wherein at least a first layer of resin is formed by exposure of resin in the first resin container to electromagnetic radiation from the at least one light source under the first resin container, and at least a second layer of resin is formed by exposure of resin in the second resin container to electromagnetic radiation from the at least one light source under the second resin container.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the first resin container holds a first type of resin and the second resin container holds a second resin container, such that the three-dimensional structure is formed from at least two types of resin.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the robotic device comprises a robotic arm.

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the robotic arm is operable to move the base plate with six degrees of freedom.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the robotic device is operable to vary pose of the base plate with respect to a given one of the resin containers.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the control signals comprise a set of control signals that corresponds to each layer of resin, wherein the set of control signals that correspond to a given layer of resin comprise: (a) at least one light control signal specifying a shape of the given layer and (b) one or more robot control signals that cause the robotic device to orient the base plate with a specified pose with respect to a given one of the resin containers.

20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the specified pose of the base plate varies between at least two consecutive sets of control signals that correspond to a sequence of two or more layers of resin, such that the resulting layers of resin in the three-dimensional structure are angled with respect to one another.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device is operable to move the base plate with at least six degrees of freedom.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein the robotic device is operable to move the base plate with at least three degrees of freedom.

Assignees

• X Dev Llc

Inventors

• Linnell Jeffrey
• Proto Jonathan
• Kruysman Brandon

Classifications

• B29C67/0066

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• B29C67/0059 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C64/176 Primary

  Sequentially · CPC title

• B29C64/245

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