APPARATUS FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING

• Main Authors: MILLER, Gershon, TEICHER, Mordechai
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 23.06.2021
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

Methods and apparatus for preparing a layer of an object being fabricated by a three-dimensional printing process. Embodiments of the invention combine selective deposition with selective curing to benefit from the respective advantages of both techniques. Multiple printing heads deposit a two-dimensional cross section of the object being fabricated on a substrate which is transparent to curing radiation. The multiple printing heads selectively deposit different object body materials in different regions of the cross section and also selectively deposit regions of support material as necessary. The transparent substrate is then moved into registration with the object being fabricated so that the new layer is in contact with the object body, and an ultraviolet two-dimensional image of the cross section is projected through the substrate to selectively cure the new layer.