DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR 3D PRINTING AND MANUFACTURING OF MATERIALS USING QUANTUM CASCADE LASERS

摘要

A 3D printer device utilizing at least one Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) image head having at least one beam focused in a focal plane of the device for building on a surface of the device a 3D model of a target object from a digital image. The inventive 3D printer is more compact in size due to the use of QCL image heads, which provides focused wavelengths of QCLs matching the absorption properties in plastics for more efficient absorption of the radiant energy. Each QCL channel power in the inventive 3D printer can be doubled by combining two lasers with a polarization beam splitter. The QCL image head is provided with Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) for compensating for imaging speed. The invention includes a method for scaling up the building speed of 3D printing regardless of detail level. The invention discloses an affordable 3D printer using QCL technology while maintaining high standards of resolution, use of quality materials, and rapid building speeds.

主权项

1. A 3D printer device utilizing at least one Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) image head having at least one beam focused in a focal plane of said device for building on a surface of said device a 3D model of a target object from a digital image, said device comprising:
a powder material for building said 3D model; a powder pre-heating system for pre-heating said powder material for efficiency; a means for feeding said powder material in successive layers in a vertical (Z) direction onto said surface; a leveling means for leveling each of said successive layers of powder material on said surface before imaging; and a motorized X-Y stage upon which said QCL image head is mounted,wherein when said 3D printer device is connected to a computer having a 3D software program and a digital image of said 3D model and operated, said powder material is pre-heated by said pre-heating system and fed in successive layers in a vertical (Z) direction onto said surface by said means for feeding said powder material and leveled by said leveling means and said motorized X-Y stage moves said at least one QCL image head so that said at least one beam is focused in a focal plane so as to image each of said successive layers of powder material to build said 3D model in accordance with said digital image.