STEREOLITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS EQUIPPED FOR DETECTING AMOUNT OF RESIN, AND METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME

• Main Authors: MYLLYLÄ, Tuomas, KOPONEN, Jari, TOIMELA, Lasse, VUORIO, Ville, RAKKOLAINEN, Tero
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 05.05.2021
• 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

A stereolithography apparatus comprises a fixed vat (401) or a holder for receiving a removable vat for holding resin for use in a stereolithographic 3D printing process, an optical radiator (901) configured to project a pattern upon a portion of said vat (401), an optical imaging detector *501 (field of view, installed and directed so that said portion of said vat (401) and/or a surface onto which the projected pattern is reflected-is within said field of view when said optical imaging detector (501) is in an operating position, and a controller (502, 2001) coupled to said optical imaging detector (501) for receiving optical image data from said optical imaging detector (501). Said controller (502, 2001) is configured to use said optical image data to calculate an amount of resin in said vat (401).