Systems and methods for an improved peel operation during additive fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9895843-B2
Application number	US-201414333885-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 17, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2014
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

According to some aspects, a method of additive fabrication wherein a plurality of layers of material are formed on a build platform is provided. The method may comprise forming a layer of material in contact with a container, and subsequent to the forming of the layer of material, rotating the container relative to the build platform and moving the build platform relative to the container, thereby creating an effective fulcrum about an axis, wherein the rotating of the container and moving of the build platform causes the layer of material to separate from the container. According to some embodiments, the container may be configured to rotate about a fixed axis. According to some embodiments, moving the build platform may comprise moving the build platform toward the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of additive fabrication wherein a plurality of layers of material are formed on a build platform, comprising:
forming a layer of material in contact with a container; and
subsequent to the forming of the layer of material, rotating the container relative to the build platform about a first axis and simultaneously moving the build platform relative to the container, thereby creating an effective fulcrum about a second axis, parallel to and different from the first axis, about which the container rotates relative to the layer of material,
wherein the rotating of the container and moving of the build platform causes the layer of material to separate from the container.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein rotating the container comprises rotating the container about an end of the container.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the container is fixed to a structure at the first axis.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the build platform relative to the container comprises moving the build platform toward the container.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying the second axis a first distance from an end of the container.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer of material is formed such that it at least partially adheres to the container.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer of material is formed in contact with a previously formed layer.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a position of the second axis based at least in part on a size and/or position of the layer of material.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second axis is determined based at least in part on a distance from an end of the container to an edge of the layer of material.

10. An additive fabrication apparatus configured to form a plurality of layers of material on a build platform, comprising:
a container;
the build platform;
one or more actuators; and
at least one controller configured to:
rotate the container relative to the build platform via at least one of the one or more actuators;
move the build platform relative to the container via at least one of the one or more actuators; and
subsequent to formation of a layer of material in contact with the container, rotate the container about a first axis and simultaneously move the build platform, thereby creating an effective fulcrum about a second axis, parallel to and different from the first axis, about which the container rotates relative to the layer of material,
wherein the rotating of the container and moving of the build platform causes the layer of material to separate from the container.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to rotate the container about an end of the container.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein moving the build platform comprises moving the build platform toward the container.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the at least one controller is further configured to identify the second axis a first distance from an end of the container.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second axis is determined by the at least one controller based at least in part on a size and/or position of the layer of material.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the second axis is determined by the at least one controller based at least in part on a distance from an end of the container to an edge of the layer of material.

Assignees

• Formlabs Inc

Inventors

• Lobovsky Maxim
• Thomas Steven
• Frantzdale Ben

Classifications

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/255

  Enclosures for the building material, e.g. powder containers · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title