Carbon, Inc.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object is described. The method may use a polymerizable liquid, or resin, useful for the production by additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object, comprising a mixture of (i) a light polymerizable liquid first component, and (ii) a second solidifiable component that is different from said first component.

Provided are methods of forming a three-dimensional object that include irradiating a resin composition of the invention with actinic radiation or light, thereby forming a three-dimensional intermediate, and then further reacting the three-dimensional intermediate to form the three-dimensional object. In some embodiments, resin compositions of the invention include a polyisocyanate such as, e.g., a reactive blocked polyisocyanate; a polyfunctional epoxy compound; a photoinitiator; optionally, a catalyst; optionally, a polyol and/or a polyamine chain extender; optionally, a reactive diluent; optionally, a pigment or dye; and optionally, a filler. Related resin compositions are also provided herein. Further, provided are three-dimensional objects formed by a method of the invention, including, e.g., objects formed of a polymer having at least one oxazolidinone linkage.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object includes: (a) providing an apparatus (b) vertically reciprocating a carrier with respect to a build surface in an upstroke and a downstroke to form a build region between a growing object and the build surface, and to fill the build region with the polymerizable liquid, while also: (i) sensing force exerted between the carrier and the build surface through the growing object and the polymerizable liquid during the upstroke; and (ii) modifying the speed and/or acceleration of the upstroke in response to the sensed force so that the sensed force approaches a predetermined target force; then (c) irradiating the build region with light to form a new portion of the object from the polymerizable liquid on the growing object; and then (d) repeating steps (b) through (c) to form additional portions on the growing object until the three-dimensional object is formed.

Described herein are methods, systems and apparatus (including associated control methods, systems and apparatus), for the production of a three-dimensional object by “bottom up” additive manufacturing, in which a carrier is vertically reciprocated with respect to a build surface, to enhance or speed the refilling of the build region with a solidifiable liquid. In preferred (but not necessarily limiting) embodiments, the three-dimensional object is produced from a liquid interface by continuous liquid interface production (i.e., “CLIP”).

Provided is a method of additively manufacturing an object having a particle surface coating thereon, using an intermediate object produced in an additive manufacturing process by light polymerization of a dual cure resin, the intermediate object having residual dual cure resin from which it was produced remaining on a surface portion thereof in unpolymerized form; forming a solid particle coating adhered to the resin coating film; and then further curing the intermediate object.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object, is carried out by (a) providing a carrier and a build plate, the build plate comprising a semipermeable member, the semipermeable member comprising a build surface with the build surface and the carrier defining a build region therebetween, and with the build surface in fluid communication by way of the semipermeable member with a source of polymerization inhibitor; (b) filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid, the polymerizable liquid contacting the build surface, (c) irradiating the build region through the build plate to produce a solid polymerized region in the build region, while forming or maintaining a liquid film release layer comprised of the polymerizable liquid formed between the solid polymerized region and the build surface, wherein the polymerization of which liquid film is inhibited by the polymerization inhibitor; and (d) advancing the carrier with the polymerized region adhered thereto away from the build surface on the build plate to create a subsequent build region between the polymerized region and the build surface while concurrently filling the subsequent build region with polymerizable liquid as in step (b). Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

Apparatus for, and associated method of, making a three-dimensional object from a light polymerizable resin by inkjet additive manufacturing are described. The methods and apparatus employ dual precursor resins, including but not limited to dual cure resins having a first component photopolymerizable and a second component polymerizable by a mechanism different from the first component.

Provided is method of making a three-dimensional object comprising polyurea, which may include: (a) dispensing a one part (1K) dual cure resin into a stereolithography apparatus, the resin comprising or consisting essentially of a photoinitiator, a reactive blocked polyisocyanate, optionally a catalyst such as a polyurethane blowing catalyst, and optionally a polyepoxide; (b) additively manufacturing from said resin an intermediate object comprising the light polymerization product of said reactive blocked polyisocyanate; (c) optionally cleaning said intermediate object; and (d) reacting said polymerization product in said intermediate with water in the presence of a catalyst such as a polyurethane blowing catalyst (which may be included in the resin, the water, or both) to generate polyamine in situ that sequentially reacts with the remainder of the polymerization product to form urea linkages and thereby produce a three-dimensional object comprising polyurea. Dual cure resins useful for the method are also provided.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object ( 31 ) includes the steps of: (a) providing an apparatus including a carrier ( 15 ), a light transmissive window ( 12 ) having a build surface, polymerizable liquid ( 21 ) on the build surface, and a growing object ( 31 ) on the carrier, the growing object produced by light polymerization of the polymerizable liquid; (b) vertically reciprocating the carrier ( 15 ) with respect to the build surface in an upstroke and a downstroke, the downstroke being shorter than the upstroke, to form a build region between the growing object and the build surface, and to fill the build region with the polymerizable liquid, while also: (i) sensing force exerted between the carrier and the build surface through the growing object ( 31 ) and the polymerizable liquid ( 21 ) during the upstroke; and (ii) modifying the speed, acceleration, or both speed and acceleration of the upstroke in response to the sensed force so that the sensed force approaches a predetermined target force; then (c) irradiating the build region with light through the light transmissive window to form a new portion of the object from the polymerizable liquid on the growing object; and then (d) repeating steps (b) through (c) to form additional portions on the growing object until the three-dimensional object is formed.

A build plate for a three-dimensional printer includes a rigid, optically transparent, gas-permeable planar base having an upper surface and an opposing lower surface; a gas permeable adhesive layer on the base upper surface; and a flexible, optically transparent, gas-permeable sheet having upper and lower surfaces, the upper surface comprising a build surface for forming a three-dimensional object, the sheet lower surface positioned on the adhesive layer opposite the base.