Boliven Patents - US8003040: Process and freeform fabrication system for producing a three-dimensional object

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US8003040: Process and freeform fabrication system for producing a three-dimensional object

Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Ali El-Siblani ·
Assignee(s)	Envisiontec GmbH · View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Hansen IP Law PLLC ·
Primary Examiner	Yogendra Gupta ·
Assistant Examiner	Robert J Grun ·
Application Number	US12290020
Filing date	10/24/2008
Issue date	08/23/2011
Prior Publication Data	US20090146344 - 06/11/2009
Predicted expiration date	10/25/2028
Patent term adjustment	1
U.S. Classifications	264/401 · 425/135 · 264/460 ·
International Classifications	B29C3508 ·
Kind Code	B2
Foreign Priority	EP07021480 - 11/05/2007 ·

Abstract

The present invention provides a process for producing at least one three-dimensional object, comprising: providing a material to be solidified; delivering electromagnetic radiation and/or synergistic stimulation in a pattern or an image to a building region for solidifying said material; wherein said delivering of electromagnetic radiation and/or synergistic stimulation is performed selectively to a defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; and wherein an energy density of electromagnetic radiation and/or synergistic stimulation is controlled and/or adjusted in a border region of said pattern or image and/or is varied in border regions of patterns or images of different building regions of said material, to have an energy density different from the building region other than said border region(s), wherein the controlling and/or adjustment is dependent on, alone or in combination: (a) intensity of electromagnetic radiation and/or synergistic stimulation delivered to said defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; (b) total shape or contour shape of said defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; (c) size of said defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; and (d) material to be solidified. A device is provided likewise.

Independent Claims | See all claims (18)

1. A process for producing at least one three-dimensional object, comprising: providing a material to be solidified; delivering electromagnetic radiation or synergistic stimulation in a pattern or an image to a building region for solidifying said material, wherein said delivering of electromagnetic radiation and/or synergistic stimulation is performed selectively to a defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; and controlling an energy density of electromagnetic radiation or synergistic stimulation in a border region of said pattern or image relative to a non-border region of said pattern or image based on an observed or determined degree of either out-shining of electromagnetic radiation or synergistic stimulation towards outside regions, or in-shining of electromagnetic radiation or synergistic stimulation into internal regions, respectively, across a border region or border regions of the three-dimensional object by adjusting an energy intensity of electromagnetic radiation or synergistic stimulation in the border region of said pattern or image relative to the non-border region of said pattern or image, wherein the step of adjusting the energy intensity of electromagnetic radiation or synergistic stimulation in the border region of said pattern or image relative to the non-border region of said pattern of image is dependent on at least one selected from: (a) intensity of electromagnetic radiation or synergistic stimulation delivered to said defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; (b) total shape or contour shape of said defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; (c) size of said defined area or volume of said material to be solidified; and (d) material to be solidified.

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