Production of 3-dimensional objects, e.g. surgical implants or toys, involves injecting material from a movable dispenser into a medium and hardening the material by photopolymerization, self-cure or dual-cure polymerisation

摘要

A method for the production of 3-dimensional objects by injecting material from a moveable dispenser into a medium involves hardening the material by radical and/or cationic photopolymerization (at least 2 photopolymerizable compounds in the case of (meth)acrylic systems), self-curing polymerisation (at least 2 co-reactive compounds) or dual-cure polymerisation. A method for the production of 3-dimensional objects involves: (i) placing a medium (2) in a container; (ii) positioning the outlet (5) of a 3-dimensionally movable dispenser (4) in the medium; and (iii) feeding a material (3) from the dispenser into the medium while moving the dispenser to points corresponding to the final object, which is formed by the hardening of (3). Hardening is achieved by (a) radical and/or cationic polymerisation by means of light or electromagnetic energy (with the proviso that compositions containing at least two photopolymerizable compounds are used for the radical photopolymerization of material with (meth)acrylate groups), (b) self-curing polymerisation by mixing at least two co-reactive compounds or (c) dual-cure (photo- and self-cure) polymerisation. An Independent claim is also included for apparatus for use in this method, comprising a container (1) for the medium (2) and a 3-dimensionally-movable dispenser (4) with an outlet (5) below the level of the medium, for introducing material (3) into the medium.