Solid image apparatus with improved part separation from the image plate

摘要

Devices, methods, and computer program products for facilitating the assembly of three-dimensional parts in a layer-wise fashion are disclosed, wherein separation forces between the assembler device and the parts are minimized at certain interfaces. Parts may be produced from polymers, photopolymers, metals, or other materials. In some aspects of the present disclosure, separation forces are minimized via the utilization of a cure inhibiting layer on a top surface of the image plate and via sliding the part from contact with a portion of the image plate having high elevation to above a portion of the image plate with low elevation. In some aspects, the assembler device further comprises a sweeper configured to expose the cure inhibiting layer to a source of cure inhibitor after a cure cycle.

主权项

1. An assembler device for constructing a three-dimensional part in a layer-wise fashion from liquid resin wherein a layer has a cross-section and a thickness, the device comprising:
an image plate comprising:
a top image plate surface;a bottom image plate surface;a high elevation area; anda low elevation area;wherein the image plate provides for layer-wise construction of the part on the top image plate surface at one of the high elevation area and the low elevation area, the high elevation area and the low elevation area each comprise a width for constructing the part; a cure inhibiting layer located on an area of the top image plate surface to prevent curing of an adjacent volume of liquid resin; a build table located adjacent to the image plate, wherein the build table comprises:
a table portion to receive the part being constructed, wherein the vertical distance between the image plate and the part being constructed may be altered by sliding the part between a first part position over the high elevation area and a second part position over the low elevation area; and a sweeper, the sweeper comprising:
a first sweeper portion; anda second sweeper portion; wherein the image plate is slidable between a first image plate position and a second image plate position; wherein the first sweeper portion extends to a top of the cure inhibiting layer to be in contact with the cure inhibiting layer, the sweeper is positioned across a side of the cure inhibiting layer such that the image plate slides in a single plane relative to the sweeper to retard the flow of liquid resin when the first sweeper portion contacts the cure inhibiting layer, to expose at least a portion of the cure inhibiting layer to the atmosphere, and remove debris from the cure inhibiting layer when the debris comes into contact with the sweeper as the image plate slides between the first image plate position and the second image plate position.