Patent Application
20230182399
Additive manufacturing techniques, such as three-dimensional (3D) printing, are rapidly being adopted as useful techniques for a number of different applications, including rapid prototyping and fabrication of specialty components. Examples of 3D printing include powder-based printing, fused deposition modeling (FDM), and stereolithography (SLA). In SLA printing technology, a 3D structure may be built by forming one layer at a time, where a subsequent layer adheres to the previous layer.
A 3D printing system may comprise a plurality of components, e.g., a build head to hold a 3D printed object or a portion thereof and/or a resin coater. A 3D printing process may involve controlling configurations (e.g., position, lateral and/or rotational movement, speed of movement, etc.) of one or more of the plurality of components. In an example, one or more actuators may be operatively linked to a component of the 3D printing system to direct movement of such component. In some cases, controlling discrete steps of the 3D printing process and configurations of the 3D printing system may be computer-implemented, e.g., executed by a computer processor.
The present disclosure provides methods and systems for three-dimensional (3D) printing. Methods and systems of the present disclosure may be used to generate an application executable by the 3D printing system to print at least a portion of a 3D object.
In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer-implemented method for generating an application executable by a three-dimensional (3D) printing system to print a 3D object, comprising: (a) providing at least one electronic file comprising a plurality of operations of the 3D printing system, wherein an operation of the plurality of operations is associated with a configuration of at least one component of the 3D printing system, and wherein the at least one electronic file does not comprise a source code usable to generate the application; and (b) using the at least one electronic file to generate at least another electronic file comprising the source code that is usable to generate the application.
In some embodiments, the at least one component comprises (i) at least one actuator configured to control movement of at least one part of the 3D printing system or (ii) at least one sensor configured to detect movement or condition of the at least one part of the 3D printing system. In some embodiments, the at least one component comprises (i) the at least one actuator and (ii) the at least one sensor. In some embodiments, the at least one part comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of: a build head, a platform, a deposition head, a wiper, a film transfer unit, a coupling unit, an optical source, a camera, and a mixture usable for printing the 3D object.
In some embodiments of any of the methods herein, the at least one electronic file comprises (i) a first electronic file comprising the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system and (ii) a second electronic file comprising the configuration of the at least one component of the 3D printing system associated with each operation of the plurality of operations. In some embodiments, the second electric file comprises a plurality of electronic files for a plurality of components of the at least one component of the 3D printing system associated with each operation of the plurality of operations.
In some embodiments of any of the methods herein, the method further comprises, in (a), using an initial electronic file to generate the at least one electronic file, wherein the initial electronic file comprises (i) a first table comprising the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system and (ii) a second table comprising the configuration of the at least one component of the 3D printing system associated with each operation of the plurality of operations. In some embodiments, the second table comprises a plurality of tables for a plurality of components of the 3D printing system associated with each operation of the plurality of operations. In some embodiments, the generating the at least one electronic file is performed automatically by the computer.
In some embodiments of any of the methods herein, in (b), the generating the at least another electronic file is performed automatically by the computer.
In some embodiments of any of the methods herein, the plurality of operations are grouped into different processes of the 3D printing system in the at least one electronic file.
In some embodiments of any of the methods herein, the application comprises an instruction for the 3D printing system to automatically transition from a first operation to a second operation of the plurality of operations.
In some embodiments of any of the methods herein, the method further comprises using the at least another electronic file to generate the application executable by the 3D printing system.
In some embodiments of any of the methods herein, the 3D printing system comprises a state machine controller configured to execute the application to print the 3D object.
In another aspect, the present disclosure provides a system for generating an application executable by a three-dimensional (3D) printing system to print a 3D object, comprising: a computer storage unit configured to store at least one electronic file comprising a plurality of operations of the 3D printing system, wherein an operation of the plurality of operations is associated with a configuration of at least one component of the 3D printing system, and wherein the at least one electronic file does not comprise a source code usable to generate the application; and one or more computer processors operatively coupled to the computer storage unit, wherein the one or more computer processors are individually or collectively programmed to (i) retrieve the at least one electronic file from the computer storage unit, and (ii) use the at least one electronic file to generate at least another electronic file comprising the source code that is usable to generate the application. In some embodiments, the one or more computer processors are individually or collectively programmed to execute any of the methods herein.
In some embodiments, the at least one component comprises (i) at least one actuator configured to control movement of at least one part of the 3D printing system or (ii) at least one sensor configured to detect movement or condition of the at least one part of the 3D printing system.
In some embodiments of any of the systems herein, the at least one electronic file comprises (i) a first electronic file comprising the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system and (ii) a second electronic file comprising the configuration of the at least one component of the 3D printing system associated with each operation of the plurality of operations.
In some embodiments of any of the systems herein, the application comprises an instruction for the 3D printing system to automatically transition from a first operation to a second operation of the plurality of operations.
In some embodiments of any of the systems herein, the system further comprises a state machine controller configured to execute the application to print the 3D object.
In a different aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer-readable medium comprising non-transitory, machine-executable instructions that, upon execution by one or more computer processors, implements a method for generating an application executable by a three-dimensional (3D) printing system to print a 3D object, the method comprising: (a) providing at least one electronic file comprising a plurality of operations of the 3D printing system, wherein an operation of the plurality of operations is associated with a configuration of at least one component of the 3D printing system, and wherein the at least one electronic file does not comprise a source code usable to generate the application; and (b) using the at least one electronic file to generate at least another electronic file comprising the source code that is usable to generate the application. In some embodiments, the non-transitory, machine-executable instructions implement any of the methods herein.
Additional aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become readily apparent to those skilled in this art from the following detailed description, wherein only illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure are shown and described. As will be realized, the present disclosure is capable of other and different embodiments, and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the disclosure. Accordingly, the drawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive.
All publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. To the extent publications and patents or patent applications incorporated by reference contradict the disclosure contained in the specification, the specification is intended to supersede and/or take precedence over any such contradictory material.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are utilized, and the accompanying drawings (also “Figure” and “FIG.” herein), of which:
While various embodiments of the invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed.
The term “state machine,” as used herein, generally refers to a logic function comprising a plurality of states (or operations) in a predetermined order. The logic function may use an input condition (e.g., an input from a user of the hardware) to determine the next state of the hardware and/or a logic output.
The terms “macro,” “macro-instruction,” and “macro-operation,” as used herein, generally refer to a series of actions that are recorded into a format (e.g., by a computer software, such as Microsoft® Office Excel) that can be re-executed at a later time to repeat the series of actions again.
The term “source code,” as used herein, generally refers to one or more commands that can be compiled or assembled into an executable computer program.
The term “unit,” as used herein, generally refers to a unit operation. A unit may include one or more components. For example, a computer storage unit may include one or more electronic components (e.g., computer memory) that are configured to store electronic data and/or an electronic file. A computer storage unit can be a database. Such database can include one or more physical storage media.
The term “real-time” or “real time,” as used interchangeably herein, generally refers to an event (e.g., an operation of a 3D printing process, a computation, a calculation, an analysis, movement of the at least one part of a 3D printing system, etc.) of the 3D printing systems and methods disclosed herein. A real-time event may be performed almost immediately or within a short enough time span, such as within at least 0.0001 millisecond (ms), 0.0005 ms, 0.001 ms, 0.005 ms, 0.01 ms, 0.05 ms, 0.1 ms, 0.5 ms, 1 ms, 5 ms, 0.01 seconds, 0.05 seconds, 0.1 seconds, 0.5 seconds, 1 second, or more. A real-time event may be performed almost immediately or within a short enough time span, such as within at most 1 second, 0.5 seconds, 0.1 seconds, 0.05 seconds, 0.01 seconds, 5 ms, 1 ms, 0.5 ms, 0.1 ms, 0.05 ms, 0.01 ms, 0.005 ms, 0.001 ms, 0.0005 ms, 0.0001 ms, or less.
Overview
Operations of a hardware, e.g., a three-dimensional (3D) printing system, may be regulated by an executable computer program (i.e., an application). In some cases, a state machine may be used by the executable computer program to control the flow of the hardware's operations.
The executable computer program may be generated based on an electronic file comprising (i) a plurality of operations of a hardware to be controlled by the application and (ii) a text listing of commands (i.e. a source code) to be compiled or assembled into the executable computer program. A scale and complexity of the state machine may increase, for example, in proportion to a number of operations of a hardware (e.g., a number of components of the hardware to control) and/or a number of input conditions. As such, a software engineer may be required to generate the electronic file comprising the source code, and a hardware engineer may be required to rely on the software engineer for modifying the executable computer program to accommodate for any update or modification in the hardware.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need for alternative methods and systems for a user to generate an application executable by a hardware, e.g., a 3D printing system to print a 3D object, with minimal or no knowledge (or experience) in software engineering and/or source code languages. Additionally, there exists a need for alternative methods and systems for a user to generate an application executable by a hardware in more rapidly.
Methods and Systems for 3D Printing Management
Methods and systems for hardware management, as provided herein, can allow a user to generate an application executable by a hardware for its operation, e.g., a 3D printing system for printing a 3D object, based on one or more electronic documents that do not comprise any source code. The application may comprise a state machine, and the methods and systems may allow a non-software engineer (e.g., a mechanical engineer, a user, etc.) to (i) review and understand a plurality of states (or operations) of the state machine and/or (ii) modify at least a portion of the state machine (e.g., change an order of two or more states), e.g., via use of a spreadsheet that does not comprise any source code. In some cases, the at least the portion of the state machine may be modified based on modification of the hardware of operations thereof. For example, one or more states of the plurality of states provided in one or more electronic files (e.g., one or more spreadsheets that do not comprise a source code) may be modified without using, modifying, and/or needing any source code. In another example, one or more states of the plurality of states provided in the one or more electronic files may be partitioned into different subsets without using, modifying, and/or needing any source code. By reducing or eliminating the need to utilize source codes for one or more operations of the methods and systems for 3D printing as disclosed herein, a user may gain more freedom to control or modify (e.g., personalize) such one or more operations without relying on manufacturer or engineer of the system.
The methods and systems for hardware management may allow a user to generate or update a spreadsheet (e.g., by a computer software, such as Microsoft® Office Excel) that defines the plurality of states and does not comprise any source code, and use a macro to convert (e.g., automatically convert) the spreadsheet into the application executable by the hardware. For 3D printing, the methods and systems disclosed herein may design a state machine based on (i) a flow of a plurality of states of the state machine and (ii) condition of one or more components (e.g., actuators, sensors, etc.) of the 3D printing system or a product thereof (e.g., a printed layer of a 3D object).
In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a computer-implemented method for generating an application executable by a system to operate. The computer-implemented method (i.e., the method) may comprise providing at least one electronic file comprising a plurality of operations of the system. An operation of the plurality of operations may be associated with a configuration of at least one component of the system. The at least one electronic file may not comprise a source code usable to generate the application. The method may comprise using the at least one electronic file to generate at least another electronic file comprising the source code that is usable to generate the application. The method may further comprise using the at least another electronic file to generate the application executable by the system. In some cases, the system may be a 3D printing system to print a 3D object.
A file format of the at least one electronic file may be .XLS, .XLSX, .DOC, .DOCX, .PPT, .PPTX, .TXT, .CSV, .RTF, .WKS, .WK1, and/or .WK2. In an example, the at least one electronic file may be provided as a .csv file.
The at least one component of the 3D printing system may comprise at least one actuator configured to control movement of at least one part of the 3D printing system. The at least one actuator may control a relative movement of the at least one part within the 3D printing system. For example, the at least one actuator may control a relative movement of a first part of the 3D printing system with respect to one or more additional parts of the 3D printing system. In an example, the at least one actuator may control a relative movement of a deposition head with respect to a platform and/or a film transfer unit of the 3D printing system. The at least one actuator may be operatively coupled to the at least one part. The at least one actuator may be directly coupled to the at least one part. Alternatively, the at least one actuator may be indirectly coupled to the at least one part. For example, the at least one actuator may be coupled to a support structure, and the support structure may be coupled to the at least one part.
The at least one actuator may be operatively coupled (e.g., via wired or wireless communications) to a controller of the 3D printing system. The controller may direct operation of the actuator in real-time, in near real-time, and/or or at a later time point upon generation of the sensor data.
The at least one actuator may be capable of directing movement of the at least one part of the 3D printing system in at least one degree of freedom. The at least one actuator may be capable of directing movement of the at least one part in at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more degrees of freedom (e.g., up, down, right, left, forward, backwards, roll, pitch, and/or yaw). The at least one actuator may be capable of directing movement of the at least one part in at most 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 degree of freedom. In some cases, the at least one actuator may be capable of directing movement of the 3D printing system.
The at least one actuator may be one or more of a stepper actuator, linear actuator, hydraulic actuator, pneumatic actuator, electric actuator, magnetic actuator, and mechanical actuator (e.g., rack and pinion, chains, etc.). For example, the at least one actuator may be a servomotor, brushed electric motor, brushless electric motor (e.g., stepper motor), torque motor, or shaft actuator (e.g. hollow shaft actuator).
The 3D printing system may comprise at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, or more actuators. The 3D printing system may comprise at most 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 actuator. The at least one part of the 3D printing system may be operatively coupled to at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more actuators. The at least one part of the 3D printing system may be operatively coupled to at most 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 actuator. An individual actuator may be operatively coupled to at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more different parts of the 3D printing system. The individual actuator may be operatively coupled to at most 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, or 2 different parts of the 3D printing system. In some cases, an individual actuator may be operatively coupled to a single part of the 3D printing system.
The at least one component of the 3D printing system may comprise at least one sensor configured to detect movement (e.g., up, down, right, left, forward, backwards, roll, pitch, and/or yaw) and/or condition of the at least one part of the 3D printing system. Examples of the condition of the at least one part can include, but are not limited to, (i) a relative position within the 3D printing system, (ii) a relative position with respect to one or more different parts of the 3D printing system (e.g., a coupling (or de-coupling) of the at least one part to one or more different parts, (iii) a presence and/or thickness of a material (e.g., a mixture comprising a resin) deposited adjacent to the at least one part (e.g., a platform, window, or film), (iv) a presence, shape, and/or thickness of a material (e.g., a printed layer of the 3D object) disposed adjacent to the at least one part (e.g., a build head), (v) a direction, speed, and, or acceleration of movement of the at least one part relative to the 3D printing system, etc.
The at least one sensor may be operatively coupled (e.g., via wired or wireless communications) to a controller of the 3D printing system. The controller may direct operation of the at least one sensor. The controller may receive sensor data from the at least one sensor. The controller may receive the sensor data that is generated by the at least one sensor in real-time, in near real-time, and/or at a later time point upon generation of the sensor data.
The at least one sensor may be operatively coupled to the at least one part. The at least one sensor may be directly coupled to the at least one part. Alternatively or in addition to, the at least one sensor may not be directly coupled to the at least one part. The at least one sensor may be indirectly coupled to the at least one part, such that the movement and/or condition of the at least one part can be detected by the at least one sensor.
The at least one sensor may comprise a contact sensor and/or a non-contact sensor. The at least one sensor may comprise at least one pressure sensor (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more pressure sensors) configured to detect a pressure between a first part and a second part of the 3D printing system. The at least one sensor may comprise at least one electrical current sensor (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more electrical current sensors) configured to detect an electrical current between the first part and the second part. In an example, a non-contact sensor may comprise a magnetic field sensor configured to detect a magnetic field between the first part and the second part. In another example, the non-contact sensor may comprise at least one camera (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more cameras) configured to capture one or more images or videos of the at least one part. In another example, the contact sensor may comprise at least one piezoelectric sensor (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more piezoelectric sensors). In another example, the contact sensor may comprise at least one force sensor (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more force sensors). In a different example, the contact sensor may comprise at least one contact switch (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more contact switches).
The at least one sensor may comprise a motion sensor capable of sensing position, orientation, and/or accelerations of the at least one part of the 3D printing system. The motion sensor may be an inertial measurement unit (IMU). Examples of the motion sensor can include, but are not limited to, an accelerometer (e.g., a three-axes accelerometer), a gyroscope (e.g., a three-axes gyroscope), and/or a magnetometer (e.g., a three-axes magnetometer).
The at least one sensor may be operatively coupled to the at least one part. The at least one sensor may be directly coupled to the at least one part. Alternatively or in addition to, the at least one sensor may not be directly coupled to the at least one part. The at least one sensor may be indirectly coupled to the at least one part, such that the movement and/or condition of the at least one part can be detected by the at least one sensor.
The 3D printing system may comprise at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, or more sensors. The 3D printing system may comprise at most, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 sensor. The at least one part of the 3D printing system may be operatively coupled to at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more sensors. The at least one part of the 3D printing system may be operatively coupled to at most 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 sensor. An individual sensor may be operatively coupled to at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more different parts of the 3D printing system. The individual sensor may be operatively coupled to at most 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, or 2 different parts of the 3D printing system. In some cases, an individual sensor may be operatively coupled to a single part of the 3D printing system.
In some cases, the at least one component of the 3D printing system may comprise both the at least one actuator and the at least one sensor.
The at least one part of the 3D printing system can include, but are not limited to, at least one build head (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more build heads), at least one platform (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more platforms), at least one deposition head (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more deposition heads), at least one wiper (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more wipers), at least one film transfer unit (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more film transfer units), at least one coupling unit (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more coupling units), at least one optical source (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more optical sources), at least one camera (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more cameras), at least one mixture usable for printing the 3D object (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more mixtures that are different or the same), at least one container configured to hold the mixture (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more mixtures), and/or at least one transfer device (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more transfer devices).
The at least one wiper may be a blade (e.g., a doctor blade), a roller, and/or a rod. The at least one optical source may be capable of emitting at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more different wavelengths, such as a photoinitiation light and a photoinhibition light that are different. The at least one transfer device may be a mixture transfer device (e.g., a fluidic device, a nozzle, etc.) configured to transfer the mixture from one part of the 3D printing system to another (e.g., from the container to the window or film, and/or vice versa). Alternatively or in addition to, the at least one transfer device may be a transport unit configured to transport a printed 3D object (or a portion thereof) from the 3D printing system to a processing unit (e.g., a debinding unit, a sintering unit, etc.). The transport unit can comprise a roller, a belt, a chain, a chute, and/or a pulley.
In some cases, the 3D printing system may be a collection of a plurality of 3D printing systems and/or a collection of at least one 3D printing system and a processing unit. Such collection may be operatively coupled to each other by the at least one transfer device. Examples of the processing unit can include, but are not limited to, a 3D object cleaning unit, debinding unit capable of debinding at least a portion of a polymer within a printed 3D object, and a sintering unit. The debinding unit may utilize a liquid (e.g., a solvent) and/or thermal energy for the debinding. The sintering unit may utilize thermal energy for the sintering. The heat for debinding and/or sintering may be supplied by an optical source.
Examples of an optical source, as provided herein, may include lamps, torches, lasers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), super luminescent diodes (SLDs), gas-filled tubes such as fluorescent bulbs, or any other equipment capable of producing a stream of photons. An optical source may emit electromagnetic waves with one or more wavelengths ranging from about 200 nm to about 700 nm. The optical source may emit electromagnetic waves with one or more wavelengths less than about 200 nm. The optical source may emit electromagnetic waves with one or more wavelengths greater than about 700 nm. In an example, an optical source may include sources of ultraviolet (UV) light. Other examples of a source of thermal energy may include lamps, torches, lasers, heaters, furnaces, or an open flame.
In some cases, the optical source used for printing at least a portion of a 3D object can include a first wavelength for photoinitiation and a second wavelength (different from the first wavelength) for photoinhibition. The optical source used for sintering may be located external to the green part.
The at least one electronic file may comprise at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more electronic files that may not comprise a source code usable to generate the application. The at least one electronic file may comprise at most 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 electronic file. The at least one electronic file may comprise a single electronic file. Alternatively, the at least one electronic file may comprise a plurality of electronic files. The plurality of electronic files may be the same or different. In some cases, the at least one electronic file may comprise a first electronic file and at least a second electronic file (e.g., at least a second electronic file, a third electronic file, a fourth electronic file, a fifth electronic file, or more; at most a fifth electronic file, a fourth electronic file, a third electronic file, or a second electronic file). The first electronic file may comprise descriptions (e.g., in texts and/or diagrams) of the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system. The at least the second electronic file may comprise descriptions (e.g., in texts and/or diagrams) of the configuration of the at least one component of the 3D printing system associated with each operation of the plurality of operations. Such descriptions within the at least one electronic file may be provided in a non-source code form, such that a non-software engineer (e.g., a hardware engineer) may be able to create or modify the executable computer program for the 3D printing system.
In some examples, the second electronic file may comprise a configuration of the at least one actuator that is associated with each operation of the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system, and the third electronic file may comprise a configuration of the at least one sensor that is associated with each operation of the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system.
In the at least one electronic file, the configuration of the at least one component of the 3D printing system may be provided in one or more text codes (e.g., numbers, alphabets, and/or symbols). Alphabets may comprise one or more letters from Afrikaans, Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Armenian, Assamese, Assyrian, Avar, Azerbaijani, Balinese, Bamara Bantu, Bashkir, Basque, Bengali Birhari, Bulgarian, Buluba-Lulua, Burmese, Buryat, Byelorussian, Caddoan, Cantonese, Catalan, Chechen, Chikaranga, Chippewa, Choctaw, Church Slavik, Chuvash, Coptic, Cree, Croatian, Cyrillic, Czech, Dakota, Danish, Dari, Devanagari, Dutch, Dzongkha, English, Eskimo, Esperanto, Estonian, Ewe, Farsi, Fijian, Filipino, Finnish, Flemish, French, Fulani, Gaelic, Galician, Gcorgian, German, Greek, Gujarati, Gurmakhi, Harari, Hausa, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hiragana, Ibo, Icelandic, Indonesian, Irish, Irogquoian, Italian, Japanese, Kabardian, Kalmyk, Kannada, Kanuri, Kashmiri, Katakana, Kazakh, Khasi, Khmer, Kirghiz, Kishmiri, Komi, Kongo, Korean, Kurdish, Lao, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Lu-Guanda, Macedonian, Magahi Maithili, Makua, Malagasy, Malay, Malayalam, Maltese, Mandarin, Mandingo, Manipuri, Marathi, Masai, Mizo, Moldavian, Mongolian, Munda, Naga, Navaho, Nyanja, Nepalese, Norwegian, Oriya, Oromo, Ossetian, Pashto, Polish, Portugese, Punjabi, Rajasthani, Rhaeto-Romanic, Rumanian, Russian, Samoan, Sangs, Serbian, SerboCroatian, Sinhalese, Sinhi, Sioux, Slovak, Slovenia, Spanish, Sundanese, Swahili, Swedish, Syriac, Tadzhik, Tagalog, Tajik, Tamil, Tatar, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Turknen, Udmurt, Uighur, Ukrainian, Umbundu, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese, Visayan, Welsh, Yakut, Yoruba, or a combination thereof.
The method may further comprise using at least one initial electronic file to generate the at least one electronic file. The at least one initial electronic file may comprise (i) a first chart comprising the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system and (ii) at least a second chart (e.g., at least a second chart, a third chart, a fourth chart, a fifth chart, or more; at most a fifth chart, a fourth chart, a third chart, or a second chart). The at least the second chart may comprise the configuration of the at least one component of the 3D printing system associated with each operation of the plurality of operations. Examples of the chart may include, but are not limited to, at least one table (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more tables), a graph (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more graphs), and/or a diagram (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more diagrams). In some cases, the chart may comprise a grid (e.g., a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns), such as a spreadsheet. In some cases, the at least one initial electronic file may be generated by using one or more spreadsheet programs (e.g., Microsoft® Office Excel, Microsoft® Office Word, Microsoft® Office PowerPoint, Lotus 1-2-3, etc.). A file format of the at least one initial electronic file may be .XLS, .XLSX, .DOC, .DOCX, .PPT, .PPTX, .TXT, .CSV, .RTF, .WKS, .WK1, and/or .WK2. The at least one initial electronic file may not comprise the source code that is usable to generate the application.
In an example, the second chart (e.g., a second table) may comprise a configuration of the at least one actuator that is associated with each operation of the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system, and the third chart (e.g., a third table) may comprise a configuration of the at least one sensor that is associated with each operation of the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system. In another example, the second chart (e.g., a second table) may comprise (i) a configuration of the at least one actuator that is associated with each operation of the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system, and (ii) a configuration of the at least one sensor that is associated with each operation of the plurality of operations of the 3D printing system. A plurality of charts of the at least one initial electronic file may be provided in a single initial electronic file. Alternatively, the plurality of charts of the at least one initial electronic file may be provided in a plurality of separate electronic files. The plurality of separate electronic files may be provided in the same or different file formats.
The at least another electronic file may comprise at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or more another electronic files. The at least another electronic file may comprise at most 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 another electronic file. The at least another electronic file may be a collection of a plurality of electronic files that are the same or different. The generating the at least one electronic file may be performed automatically by the computer, e.g., upon instruction from a user of the computer.
A programming language used by the programming language generator can comprise Array languages, Assembly languages, Authoring languages, Constraint programming languages, Command line interface languages, Compiled languages, Concurrent languages, Curly-bracket languages, Dataflow languages, Data-oriented languages, Decision table languages, Declarative languages, Embeddable languages, Educational languages, Esoteric languages, Extension languages, Extension, Fourth-generation languages, Functional languages, Hardware description languages, Imperative languages, Interactive mode languages, Interpreted languages, Iterative languages, Languages by memory management type, List-based languages, Little languages, Logic-based languages, Machine languages, Macro languages, Metaprogramming languages, Multiparadigm languages, Numerical analysis, Non-English-based languages, Object-oriented class-based languages, Object-oriented prototype-based languages, Off-side rule languages, Procedural languages, Query languages, Reflective language, Rule-based languages, Scripting languages, Stack-based languages, Synchronous languages Shading languages, Syntax handling languages, System languages, Transformation languages, Visual language, Wirth languages, and/or Extensible Markup Language (XML)-based languages.
Examples of the programming language can include, but are not limited to, A# .NET, A-0 System, A+, A++, ABAP, ABC, ABC ALGOL, ACC, Accent, Ace DASL (Distributed Application Specification Language), Action!, ActionScript, Actor, Ada, Adenine, Agda, Agilent VEE, Agora, AIMMS, Aldor. Alef, ALF, ALGOL 58, ALGOL 60, ALGOL 68, ALGOL W, Alice, Alma-0, AmbientTalk, Amiga E, AMOS, AMPL, AngelScript, Apex, APL, App Inventor for Android's visual block language, AppleScript, APT, Arc, ARexx, Argus, Assembly language, AutoHotkey, AutoLISP/Visual LISP, Averest, AWK, Axum, B, Babbage, Ballerina, Bash, BASIC, bc, BCPL, BeanShell, Batch file (Microsoft® Windows/MS-DOS), Bertrand, BETA, BLISS, Blockly, BlooP, Boo, Boomerang, Bosque, Bourne shell including bash and ksh), C, C−−(C minus minus), C++(C plus plus)-ISO/IEC 14882, C*, C# (C sharp)-ISO/IEC 23270, C/AL, Caché ObjectScript, C Shell (csh), Caml, Cayene, CDuce, Cecil, Cesil, Céu, Ceylong, CFEngine, Cg, Ch, Chapel, Charm, CHILL, CHIP-8, chomski, ChucK, Cilk, Citrine, CL (IBM), Claire, Clarion, Clean, Clipper, CLIPS, CLIST, Clojure, CLU, CMS-2, COBOL-ISO/IEC 1989, CobolScript-Cobol Scripting language, Cobra, CoffeeScript, ColdFusion, COMAL, Combined Programming Language (CPL), COMIT, Common Intermediate Language (CIL), Common Lisp (also known as CL), COMPASS, Component Pascal, Constraint Handling Rules (CHR), COMTRAN, Cool, Coq, Coral 66, CorVision, COWSEL, CPL, Cryptol, Crystal, Csound, Cuneiform, Curl, Curry, Cybil, Cyclone, Cypher Query Language, Cython, D, DASL (Datapoint's Advanced Systems Language), Dart, Darwin, DataFlex, Datalog, DATATRIEVE, dBase, dc, DCL, DinkC, DIBOL, Dog, Draco, DRAKON, Dylan, DYNAMO, DAX (Data Analysis Expressions), E, Ease, Easy PL/I, EASYTRIEVE PLUS, eC, ECMAScript, Edinburgh IMP, EGL, Eiffel, ELAN, Elixir, Elm, Emacs Lisp, Emerald, Epigram, EPL (Easy Programming Language), EPL (Eltron Programming Language), Erlang, es, Escher, ESPOL, Esterel, Etoys, Euclid, Euler, Euphoria, EusLisp Robot Programming Language, CMS EXEC (EXEC), EXEC 2, Executable UML, Ezhil, F, F#, F*, Factor, Fantam, FAUST, FFP, fish, Fjölnir, FL, Flavors, Flex, FlooP, FLOW-MATIC, FOCAL, FOCUS, FOIL, FORMAC, @Formula, Forth, Fortran-ISO/IEC 1539, Fortress, FP, Franz Lisp, Futhark, F-Script, Game Maker Language, GameMonkey Script, GAMS, GAP, G-code, GDScript, Genie, GDL, GEORGE, GLSL GNU E, Go, Go!, GOAL, Godel, Golo, GOM (Good Old Mad), Google Apps Script, Gosu, GOTRAN, GPSS, GraphTalk, GRASS, Grasshopper, Groovy, Hack, HAGGIS, HAL/S, Halide (programming language), Hamilton C shell, Harbour, Hartmann pipelines, Haskell, Haxe, Hermes, High Level Assembly, HLSL, Hollywood, HolyC, Hop, Hopscotch, Hope, Hugo, Hume, HyperTalk, lo, Icon, IBM Basic assembly language, IBM HAScript, IBM Informix-4GL, IBM RPG, IDL, Idris, Inform, J, J#, J++, JADE, JAL, Janus (concurrent constraint programming language), Janus (time-reversible computing programming language), JASS, Java, JavaFX Script, JavaScript, Jess (programming language), JCL, JEAN, Join Java, JOSS, Joule, JOVIAL, Joy, JScript, JScript.NET, Julia, Jython, K, Kaleidoscope, Karel, KEE, Kixtart, Klerer-May System, KIF, Kojo, Kotlin, KRC, KRL, KRL (KUKA Robot Language), KRPTON, Korn shell (ksh), Kodu, Kv, LabVIEW, Ladder, LANSA, Lasso, Lava, LC-3, Legoscript, LIL, LilyPond, Limbo, Limnor, LINC, Lingo, LINQ, LIS, LISA, Lisp-ISO/IEC 13816, Lite-C, Lithe, Little b, LLL, Logo, Logtalk, LotusScript, LPC, LSE, LSL, LiveCode, LiveScript, Lua, Lucid, Lustre, LYaPAS, Lynx, M2001, M4, M#, Machine Code, MAD (Michigan Algorithm Decoder), MAD/I, Magik, Magma, Maude system, Mani, Maple, MAPPER (now part of BIS), MARK-IV (now VISION:BUILDER), Mary, MASM Microsoft Assembly x86, MATH-MATIC, Mathematica, MATLAB, Maxima (see also Macsyma) Max (Max Msp-Graphical Programming Environment), MaxScript internal language 3D Studio Max, Maya (MEL), MDL, Mercury, Mesa, Metafont, MHEG-5 (Interactive TV programming language), Microcode, MicroScript, MIIS, Milk (programming language), MIMIC, Mirah, Miranda, MIVA Script, MIVA Script, ML, Model 204, Modelica, Modula, Modula-2, Modula-3, Mohol, MOO, Mortran, Mouse, MPD, Mathcad, MSL, MUMPS, MuPad, Mutan, Mystic Programming Language (MPL), NASM, Napier88, Neko, Nemerle, NESL, Net.Data, NetLogo, NetRexx, NewLISP, NEWP, Newspeak, NewtonScript, Nial, Nice, Nicle (NITIN), Nim, NPL, Not eXactly C (NXC), Not Quite C (NQC), NSIS, Nu, NWScript, NXT-G, o:XML, Oak, Oberon, OBJ2, Object Lisp, ObjectLOGO, Object REXX, Object Pascal, Objective-C, Objective-J, Obliq, OCaml, occam, occam-TT Octave, OmniMark, Opa, Opal, OpenCL, OpenEdge ABL, OPL, Open Vera, OPSS, OptimJ, Orc, ORCA/Modula-2, Oriel, Orwell Oxygene, Oz, P, P4, P″, ParaSail (programming language), PARI/GP, Pascal-ISO 7185, Pascal Script, PCASTL, PCF, PEARL, PeopleCode, Perl, PDL, Pharo, PHP, Pico, Picolisp, Pict, Pig (programming tool), Pike, PILOT, Pipelines, Pizza, PL-11, PL/0, PL/B, PL/C, PL/I-ISO 6160, PL/M, PL/P, PL/SQL, PL360, PLANC, Plankalkül, Planner, PLEX, PLEXIL, Plus, POP-11, POP-2, PostScript, PortablE, POV-Ray SDL, Powerhouse, PowerBuilder-4GL GUI application generator from Sybase, PowerShell, PPL, Processing, Processing.js, Prograph, PROIV, Prolog, PROMAL, Promela, PROSE modeling language, PROTEL, ProvideX, Pro*C, Pure, Pure Data, PureScript, Python, Q (programming language from Kx Systems), Q# (Microsoft programming language), Qalb, QtScript, QuakeC, QPL, Qbasic, .QL, R, R++, Racket, Raku, RAPID, Rapira, Ratfiv, Ratfor, rc, React, React Native, Reason, REBOL, Red, Redcode, REFAL, REXX, Rlab, ROOP, RPG, RPL, RSL, RTL/2, Ruby, Rust, S, S2, S3, S-Lang, S-PLUS, SA-C, SabreTalk, SAIL, SAM76, SAS, SASL, Sather, Sawzall, Scala, Scheme, Scilab, Scratch, Script.NET, Sed, Seed7, Self, SenseTalk, SequenceL, Serpent, SETL, SIMPOL, SIGNAL, SiMPLE, SIMSCRIPT, Simula, Simulink, Singularity, SISAL, SLIP SMALL, Smalltalk, SML, Strongtalk, Snap!, SNOBOL (SPITBOL), Snowball, SOL, Solidity, SOPHAEROS, Source, SPARK, Speakeasy, Speedcode, SPIN, SP/k, SPS, SQL, SQR, Squeak, Squirrel, SR, S/SL, Starlogo, Strand, Stata, Stateflow, Subtext, SBL, SuperCollider, SuperTalk, Swift (Apple programming language), Swift (parallel scripting language), SYMPL, SystemVerilog, T, TACL, TACPOL, TADS, TAL, Tcl, Tea, TECO, TELCOMP, TeX, TEX, TIE, TMG compiler-compiler, Tom, TOM, Toi, Topspeed, TPU, Trac, TTM, T-SQL, Transcript, TTCN, Turing, TUTOR, TXL, TypeScript, Tynker, Ubercode, UCSD Pascal, Umple, Unicon, Uniface, UNITY, Unix shell, UnrealScript, Vala, Verilog, VHDL, Vim script, Viper, Visual Basic, Visual Basic .NET, Visual C++, Visual DataFlex, Visual DialogScript, Visual Fortran, Visual FoxPro, Visual J++, Visual LISP, Visual Objects, Visual Prolog, VSXu, WATFIV, WATFOR, WebAssembly, WebDNA, Whiley, Winbatch, Wolfram Language, Wyvern, X++, X10, xBase, xBase++, XBL, XC (targets XMOS architecture), xHarbour, XL, Xojo, XOTcl, XOD (programming language), XPL, XPL0, XQuery, XSB, XSharp, XSLT, Xtend, Yorick, YQL, Yoix, YUI, Z notation, Zebra, ZPL, ZPL2, Zeno, ZetaLisp, ZOPL, Zsh, ZPL and/or Z++.
The plurality of operations may define each state of a state machine of the application executable by the 3D printing system to print the 3D object. The plurality of operations may be grouped into different processes (i.e., groups) of the 3D printing system, e.g., in the at least one electronic file, the at least another electronic file, the initial electronic file, etc. The application may be used by the 3D printing system to control a group transition between a first group and a second group (and/or vice versa). In some cases, the group transition may be triggered by an instruction from a user. In some cases, the application may comprise an instruction for the 3D printing system to automatically group transition, e.g., based on one or more feedback from the at least one actuator and/or the at least one sensor. Alternatively, the plurality of operations may not be grouped into different processes (i.e., groups) of the 3D printing system.
The application may comprise an instruction for the 3D printing system to automatically transition from a first operation to a second operation of the plurality of operations, e.g., based on one or more feedback from the at least one actuator and/or the at least one sensor. In an example, when a sensor data received from the at least one sensor is within an acceptable range (e.g., within a predetermined range), the instruction may direct the 3D printing system to automatically transition from the first operation to the second operation. When the sensor data is outside of the acceptable range, the instruction may (i) direct the at least one sensor to collect a new sensor data (e.g., for re-assessment) and/or (ii) direct the 3D printing system to stop the 3D printing process (e.g., until intervention by the user). Alternatively or in addition to, the transition from the first operation to the second operation of the plurality of operations may be triggered by an instruction from the user.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Systems for 3D Printing
The 3D printed structure 608 is 3D printed on a build head 610, which is connected by a rod 612 to one or more 3D printing mechanisms 614. The 3D printing mechanisms 614 can include various mechanical structures for moving the build head 610 within and above the vat 602. This movement is a relative movement, and thus moving pieces can be the build head 610, the vat 602, or both, in various cases. In some cases, the 3D printing mechanisms 614 include Cartesian (xyz) type 3D printer motion systems or delta type 3D printer motion systems. In some cases, the 3D printing mechanisms 614 include one or more controllers 616 which can be implemented using integrated circuit technology, such as an integrated circuit board with embedded processors and firmware. Such controllers 616 can be in communication with a computer or computer systems 618. In some cases, the 3D printing system 600 includes a computer 618 that connects to the 3D printing mechanisms 614 and operates as a controller for the 3D printing system 600.
A computer 618 can include one or more hardware (or computer) processors 620 and a memory 622. For example, a 3D printing program 624 can be stored in the memory 622 and run on the one or more processors 620 to implement the techniques described herein. The controller 618, including the one or more hardware processors 620, may be individually or collectively programmed to implement methods of the present disclosure.
Multiple devices emitting various wavelengths and/or intensities of light, including a light projection device 626 and light sources 628, can be positioned below the window 606 and in communication to the computer 618 (or other controller). In some cases, the multiple devices include the light projection device 626 and the light sources 628. The light sources 628 can include greater than or equal to about 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, or more light sources. As an alternative, the light sources 628 may include less than or equal to about 10, 9, 8 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 or less light sources. As an alternative to the light sources 628, a single light source may be used. The light projection device 626 directs a first light having a first wavelength into the mixture 604 within the vat 602 through window 606. The first wavelength emitted by the light projection device 626 is selected to produce photoinitiation and is used to create the 3D printed structure 608 on the build head 610 by curing the photoactive resin in the mixture 604 within a photoinitiation layer 60630. In some cases, the light projection device 626 is utilized in combination with one or more projection optics 62632 (e.g. a projection lens for a digital light processing (DLP) device), such that the light output from the light projection device 626 passes through one or more projection optics 62632 prior to illuminating the mixture 604 within the vat 602.
In some cases, the light projection device 626 is a DLP device including a digital micro-mirror device (DMD) for producing patterned light that can selectively illuminate and cure 3D printed structures 608. The light projection device 626, in communication with the computer 618, can receive instructions from the 3D printing program 624 defining a pattern of illumination to be projected from the light projection device 626 into the photoinitiation layer 60630 to cure a layer of the photoactive resin onto the 3D printed structure 608.
In some cases, the light projection device 626 and projection optics 632 are a laser and a scanning mirror system, respectively (e.g., stereolithography apparatus). Additionally, in some cases, the light source includes a second laser and a second scanning mirror system. Such light source may emit a beam of a second light having a second wavelength. The second wavelength may be different from the first wavelength. This may permit photoinhibition to be separately controlled from photoinitiation. Additionally, in some cases, the platform 638 is separately supported on adjustable axis rails 640 from the projection optics 632 such that the platform 638 and the projection optics 632 can be moved independently.
The relative position (e.g., vertical position) of the platform 638 and the vat 602 may be adjusted. In some examples, the platform 638 is moved and the vat 602 is kept stationary. As an alternative, the platform 638 is kept stationary and the vat 602 is moved. As another alternative, both the platform 638 and the vat 602 are moved.
The light sources 628 direct a second light having a second wavelength into the mixture 604 in the vat 602. The second light may be provided as multiple beams from the light sources 628 into the build area simultaneously. As an alternative, the second light may be generated from the light sources 628 and provided as a single beam (e.g., uniform beam) into the beam area. The second wavelength emitted by the light sources 628 is selected to produce photoinhibition in the photoactive resin in the mixture 604 and is used to create a photoinhibition layer 634 within the mixture 604 directly adjacent to the window 606. The light sources 628 can produce a flood light to create the photoinhibition layer 634, the flood light being a non-patterned, high-intensity light.
In some cases, the light sources 628 are light emitting diodes (LEDs) 336. The light sources 628 can be arranged on a platform 638. The platform 638 is mounted on adjustable axis rails 640. The adjustable axis rails 640 allow for movement of the platform 638 along an axis. In some cases, the platform 638 additionally acts as a heat-sink for at least the light sources 628 arranged on the platform 638.
The respective thicknesses of the photoinitiation layer 630 and the photoinhibition layer 634 can be adjusted by computer 618 (or other controller). In some cases, this change in layer thickness(es) is performed for each new 3D printed layer, depending on the desired thickness of the 3D printed layer, and/or the type of 3D printing process being performed. The thickness(es) of the photoinitiation layer 630 and the photoinhibition layer 634 can be changed, for example, by changing the intensity of the respective light emitting devices, exposure times for the respective light emitting devices, the photoactive species in the mixture 604, or a combination thereof. In some cases, by controlling relative rates of reactions between the photoactive species (e.g., by changing relative or absolute amounts of photoactive species in the mixture, or by adjusting light intensities of the first and/or second wavelength), the overall rate of polymerization can be controlled. This process can thus be used to prevent polymerization from occurring at the resin-window interface and control the rate at which polymerization takes place in the direction normal to the resin-window interface.
For example, in some cases, an intensity of the light sources 628 emitting a photoinhibiting wavelength to create a photoinhibition layer 634 is altered in order to change a thickness of the photoinhibition layer 634. Altering the intensity of the light sources 628 can include increasing the intensity or decreasing the intensity of the light sources 628. Increasing the intensity of the light sources 628 (e.g., LEDs) can be achieved by increasing a power input to the light sources 628 by controllers 616 and/or computer 618. Decreasing the intensity of the light sources 628 (e.g., LEDs) can be achieved by decreasing a power input to the light sources 628 by controllers 616 and/or computer 618. In some cases, increasing the intensity of the light sources 628, and thereby increasing the thickness of the photoinhibition layer 634, will result in a decrease in thickness of the photoinitiation layer 630. A decreased photoinitiation layer thickness can result in a thinner 3D printed layer on the 3D printed structure 608.
In some cases, the intensities of all of the light sources 628 are altered equally (e.g., decreased by a same level by reducing power input to all the light sources by an equal amount). The intensities of the light sources 628 can also be altered where each light source of a set of light sources 628 produces a different intensity. For example, for a set of four LEDs generating a photoinhibition layer 634, two of the four LEDs can be decreased in intensity by 10% (by reducing power input to the LEDs) while the other two of the four LEDs can be increased in intensity by 10% (by increasing power input to the LEDs). Setting different intensities for a set of light sources 628 can produce a gradient of thickness in a cured layer of the 3D printed structure or other desirable effects.
In some cases, the computer 618 (in combination with controllers 616) adjusts an amount of a photoinitiator species and/or a photoinhibitor species in the mixture 604. The photoinitiator and photoinhibitor species can be delivered to the vat 602 via an inlet 646 and evacuated from the vat 602 via an outlet 648. In general, one aspect of the photoinhibitor species is to prevent curing (e.g., suppress cross-linking of the polymers) of the photoactive resin in the mixture 604. In general, one aspect of the photoinitiation species is to promote curing (e.g., enhance cross-linking of the polymers) of the photoactive resin in the mixture 604. In some cases, the 3D printing system 600 includes multiple containment units to hold input/output flow from the vat 602.
In some cases, the intensities of the light sources 628 are altered based in part on an amount (e.g., volumetric or weight fraction) of the one or more photoinhibitor species in the mixture and/or an amount (e.g., volumetric or weight fraction) of the one or more photoinitiator species in the mixture. Additionally, the intensities of the light sources 628 are altered based in part on a type (e.g., a particular reactive chemistry, brand, composition) of the one or more photoinhibitor species in the mixture and/or a type (e.g., a particular reactive chemistry, brand, composition) of the one or more photoinitiator species in the mixture. For example, an intensity of the light sources 628 for a mixture 604 including a first photoinhibitor species of a high sensitivity (e.g., a high reactivity or conversion ratio to a wavelength of the light sources 628) can be reduced when compared to the intensity of the light sources 628 for a mixture 604 including a second photoinhibitor species of a low sensitivity (e.g., a low reactivity or conversion ratio to a wavelength of the light sources 628).
In some cases, the changes to layer thickness(es) is performed during the creation of the 3D printed structure 608 based on one or more details of the 3D printed structure 608 at one or more points in the 3D printing process. For example, the respective layer thickness(es) can be adjusted to improve resolution of the 3D printed structure 608 in the dimension that is the direction of the movement of the build head 610 relative to the vat 602 (e.g., z-axis) in the layers that require it.
Though the 3D printing system 600 is described in
The platform 701 comprises a plurality of first coupling units 750. The platform 701 is an open platform, wherein the mixture 704 is self-supporting on or adjacent to the film 770 without requiring support or being supported by any wall. The plurality of first coupling units 750 are not in contact with the mixture 704 during 3D printing. The system 700 includes a build head 710 configured to move relative to the platform 701. The build head 710 is movable by an actuator 712 (e.g., a linear actuator) operatively coupled to the build head 710. Alternatively or in addition to, the platform 701 may comprise one or more actuators to move the platform 701 relative to the build head 710. The build head 710 comprises a surface 711 configured to hold at least a portion of a 3D object 708a (e.g., a previously printed portion of the 3D object) or a different object onto which the at least the portion of the 3D object is to be printed. The surface 711 of the build head 710 may be a portion of a surface of the build head 710. Alternatively or in addition to, the surface 711 may be a surface of an object (e.g., a film or a slab) that is disposed on or adjacent to a surface of the build head 710. The build head 710 comprises a plurality of second coupling units 760. One of the plurality of second coupling units 760 of the build head 710 is configured to couple to one of the plurality of the first coupling units 750 of the platform 701 to provide an alignment of film 770 relative to the surface 711 of the build head 710 during 3D printing. In some examples, the plurality of first coupling units 750 (e.g., three first coupling units) and the plurality of second coupling units 760 (e.g., three second coupling units) may couple to generate a kinematic coupling between the build head 710 and the film 770, to provide an alignment between the build head 710 and the film 770. The relative movement between the build head and the platform may continue until each of the plurality of first coupling units 750 is coupled to its respective second coupling unit from the plurality of second coupling units 760 (or vice versa).
One or more of the plurality of first coupling units 750 of the platform 701 may comprise one or more sensors 752. Alternatively or in addition to, one or more of the plurality of second coupling units 760 of the build head 710 may comprise one or more sensors 762. The one or more sensors 752 and/or the one or more sensors 762 may be configured to at least detect coupling of the first coupling unit(s) 750 and the second coupling unit(s) 760.
The plurality of first coupling units 750 of the platform 701 may be operatively coupled to one or more actuators 754 (e.g., one or more z-axis telescopic actuators) configured to adjust a height (or protrusion) of the plurality of first coupling units 750 relative to the platform 701 (or relative to a surface of the film 770 disposed adjacent to the platform 701). The one or more actuators 754 may comprise one or more fasteners 756 (e.g., one or more shaft clamps) configured to fasten, hold on to, or stabilize a movement of the plurality of first coupling units 750 relative to the actuators 754.
The plurality of second coupling units 760 of the build head 710 may be operatively coupled to one or more actuators (e.g., one or more z-axis telescopic actuators) configured to adjust a height (or protrusion) of the plurality of second coupling units 760 relative to a surface 711 of the build head 710 (or relative to a surface of the object 708a disposed on the build head 710). The one or more actuators may comprise one or more fasteners (e.g., one or more shaft clamps) configured to fasten, hold on to, or stabilize a movement of the plurality of second coupling units 760 relative to the actuators.
One or more optical sources 726 directs one or more lights to the mixture 704 to cure the photoactive resin in the at least the portion of the mixture 704, thereby to print at least a portion of the 3D object on the surface of the build head 710 or a surface of the object 708a disposed on the surface of the build head 710. The optical source(s) 726 may direct the light(s) through the print surface 702 of the platform 701 and to the at least the portion of the mixture for 3D printing.
Referring to
Referring to
Other features any of the 3D printing systems and methods may be as described in, for example, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2016/0067921 (“THREE DIMENSIONAL PRINTING ADHESION REDUCTION USING PHOTOINHIBITION”), U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0348646 (“MULTI WAVELENGTH STEREOLITHOGRAPHY HARDWARE CONFIGURATIONS”), U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0333911 (“VISCOUS FILM THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS”), International Application No. PCT/US2019/068413 (“SENSORS FOR THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS”), and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/849,596 (“STEREOLITHOGRAPHY THREE-DIMENSIONAL PRINTING SYSTEMS AND METHODS”), each of which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
Computer Systems
The present disclosure provides computer systems that are programmed to implement methods of the disclosure.
The computer system 901 includes a central processing unit (CPU, also “processor” and “computer processor” herein) 905, which can be a single core or multi core processor, or a plurality of processors for parallel processing. The computer system 901 also includes memory or memory location 910 (e.g., random-access memory, read-only memory, flash memory), electronic storage unit 915 (e.g., hard disk), communication interface 920 (e.g., network adapter) for communicating with one or more other systems, and peripheral devices 925, such as cache, other memory, data storage and/or electronic display adapters. The memory 910, storage unit 915, interface 920 and peripheral devices 925 are in communication with the CPU 905 through a communication bus (solid lines), such as a motherboard. The storage unit 915 can be a data storage unit (or data repository) for storing data. The computer system 901 can be operatively coupled to a computer network (“network”) 930 with the aid of the communication interface 920. The network 930 can be the Internet, an internet and/or extranet, or an intranet and/or extranet that is in communication with the Internet. The network 930 in some cases is a telecommunication and/or data network. The network 930 can include one or more computer servers, which can enable distributed computing, such as cloud computing. The network 930, in some cases with the aid of the computer system 901, can implement a peer-to-peer network, which may enable devices coupled to the computer system 901 to behave as a client or a server.
The CPU 905 can execute a sequence of machine-readable instructions, which can be embodied in a program or software. The instructions may be stored in a memory location, such as the memory 910. The instructions can be directed to the CPU 905, which can subsequently program or otherwise configure the CPU 905 to implement methods of the present disclosure. Examples of operations performed by the CPU 905 can include fetch, decode, execute, and writeback.
The CPU 905 can be part of a circuit, such as an integrated circuit. One or more other components of the system 901 can be included in the circuit. In some cases, the circuit is an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
The storage unit 915 can store files, such as drivers, libraries and saved programs. The storage unit 915 can store user data, e.g., user preferences and user programs. The computer system 901 in some cases can include one or more additional data storage units that are external to the computer system 901, such as located on a remote server that is in communication with the computer system 901 through an intranet or the Internet.
The computer system 901 can communicate with one or more remote computer systems through the network 930. For instance, the computer system 901 can communicate with a remote computer system of a user. Examples of remote computer systems include personal computers (e.g., portable PC), slate or tablet PC's (e.g., Apple® iPad, Samsung® Galaxy Tab), telephones, Smart phones (e.g., Apple® iPhone, Android-enabled device, Blackberry®), or personal digital assistants. The user can access the computer system 901 via the network 930.
Methods as described herein can be implemented by way of machine (e.g., computer processor) executable code stored on an electronic storage location of the computer system 901, such as, for example, on the memory 910 or electronic storage unit 915. The machine executable or machine readable code can be provided in the form of software. During use, the code can be executed by the processor 905. In some cases, the code can be retrieved from the storage unit 915 and stored on the memory 910 for ready access by the processor 905. In some situations, the electronic storage unit 915 can be precluded, and machine-executable instructions are stored on memory 910.
The code can be pre-compiled and configured for use with a machine having a processer adapted to execute the code, or can be compiled during runtime. The code can be supplied in a programming language that can be selected to enable the code to execute in a pre-compiled or as-compiled fashion.
Aspects of the systems and methods provided herein, such as the computer system 901, can be embodied in programming. Various aspects of the technology may be thought of as “products” or “articles of manufacture” typically in the form of machine (or processor) executable code and/or associated data that is carried on or embodied in a type of machine readable medium. Machine-executable code can be stored on an electronic storage unit, such as memory (e.g., read-only memory, random-access memory, flash memory) or a hard disk. “Storage” type media can include any or all of the tangible memory of the computers, processors or the like, or associated modules thereof, such as various semiconductor memories, tape drives, disk drives and the like, which may provide non-transitory storage at any time for the software programming. All or portions of the software may at times be communicated through the Internet or various other telecommunication networks. Such communications, for example, may enable loading of the software from one computer or processor into another, for example, from a management server or host computer into the computer platform of an application server. Thus, another type of media that may bear the software elements includes optical, electrical and electromagnetic waves, such as used across physical interfaces between local devices, through wired and optical landline networks and over various air-links. The physical elements that carry such waves, such as wired or wireless links, optical links or the like, also may be considered as media bearing the software. As used herein, unless restricted to non-transitory, tangible “storage” media, terms such as computer or machine “readable medium” refer to any medium that participates in providing instructions to a processor for execution.
Hence, a machine readable medium, such as computer-executable code, may take many forms, including but not limited to, a tangible storage medium, a carrier wave medium or physical transmission medium. Non-volatile storage media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as any of the storage devices in any computer(s) or the like, such as may be used to implement the databases, etc. shown in the drawings. Volatile storage media include dynamic memory, such as main memory of such a computer platform. Tangible transmission media include coaxial cables; copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise a bus within a computer system. Carrier-wave transmission media may take the form of electric or electromagnetic signals, or acoustic or light waves such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media therefore include for example: a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD or DVD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards paper tape, any other physical storage medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave transporting data or instructions, cables or links transporting such a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer may read programming code and/or data. Many of these forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a processor for execution.
The computer system 901 can include or be in communication with an electronic display 935 that comprises a user interface (UI) 940 for providing, for example, (i) access to one or more electronic files (e.g., for selecting or modifying) to be used for generating the application executable by the 3D printing system, and/or (ii) access to the 3D printing system (e.g., for initiating and/or intervening the 3D printing process. Examples of UI's include, without limitation, a graphical user interface (GUI) and web-based user interface.
Methods and systems of the present disclosure can be implemented by way of one or more algorithms. An algorithm can be implemented by way of software upon execution by the central processing unit 905. The algorithm can, for example, operate the 3D printing machine based on the state machine described in the application.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described herein, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such embodiments are provided by way of example only. It is not intended that the invention be limited by the specific examples provided within the specification. While the invention has been described with reference to the aforementioned specification, the descriptions and illustrations of the embodiments herein are not meant to be construed in a limiting sense. Numerous variations, changes, and substitutions will now occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the invention. Furthermore, it shall be understood that all aspects of the invention are not limited to the specific depictions, configurations or relative proportions set forth herein which depend upon a variety of conditions and variables. It should be understood that various alternatives to the embodiments of the invention described herein may be employed in practicing the invention. It is therefore contemplated that the invention shall also cover any such alternatives, modifications, variations or equivalents. It is intended that the following claims define the scope of the invention and that methods and structures within the scope of these claims and their equivalents be covered thereby.
This application is a continuation of International Patent Application No. PCT/US21/38633, filed Jun. 23, 2021, which claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 63/044,076, filed Jun. 25, 2020, each of which is entirely incorporated herein by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63044076 | Jun 2020 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/US21/38633 | Jun 2021 | US |
| Child | 18084154 | US |
