HK1089128B - Process of and apparatus for three-dimensional printing - Google Patents

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to apparatuses and methods useful in three-dimensional object printing. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods, and apparatuses for helping to improve the quality of printed three-dimensional objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a process used for the printing of three-dimensional objects, for example by printing or building parts of such objects in layers. Such 3D objects may be used, for example, for prototype parts.

Various systems have been developed for three-dimensional printing, wherein material for object printing is deposited in consecutive layers according to a pre-determined configuration or in selected arrays as defined by, for example, a Computer Aided Design (CAD) system connected to the printing systems. Such materials may include materials for constructing an object and materials used for constructing support structures for an object. US 6,162, 378 discloses a method, system and apparatus for variably controlling the temperature in a selective deposition modeling environment in accordance with the preamble of claims 1 and 11. The temperature of the formed portion of the three-dimensional object is detected. A gas is forced onto a surface of the formed portion of the three-dimensional object. The forced gas has a characteristic, such as temperature and quantity, which is variably controlled based on the detected temperature of the formed portion of the three-dimensional object. WO 00/78519 discloses a three-dimensional modeling apparatus that builds up three-dimensional objects in a heated build chamber by dispensing modeling material from a dispensing head onto a base in a pattern determined by control signals from a controller. The motion control components of the apparatus are external to and thermally isolated from the build chamber. A deformable thermal insulator forms a ceiling of the build chamber, allowing motion control of the dispensing head in an x, y plane by an x-y gantry located outside of and insulated from the build chamber. In the preferred embodiment, a material receiving inlet of the dispensing head is external to the build chamber as well, while a material dispensing outlet of the dispensing head is inside the chamber. Thermal isolation of the motion control components from the build chamber allows the chamber to be maintained at a high temperature. US 6, 153,142 discloses a rapid prototyping and manufacturing (e.g. stereolithography) method and apparatus for making three-dimensional objects with enhanced control of the temperature of the build environment. A modulated control signal is supplied to a heating element based on a difference between a desired build temperature and a detected temperature. The modulated signal result in the heater supplying, on average, more energy to the build chamber when the temperature difference is large and supplying, on average, less energy to the build chamber when the difference is small. The detection of the build chamber temperature may occur at one or more locations. If multiple locations are used, the detected temperatures may be averaged, or otherwise combined, to derive a single difference value that will be used to control the heater. Alternatively, the multiple detected temperatures may be used to produce multiple difference values that can in turn be used to control the quantity of heat applied directly to different locations in the build environment by either using multiple heaters or multiple controllable ducts.

According to some apparatuses, systems and methods for 3-D printing, predetermined or preprogrammed configurations and designs using, for example, CAD software, may aim at obtaining as accurate a final product as possible. However, each printed product or model is different, whether in shape, design, size, bulk, composition and so on, and these differences may be affected by different factors during the printing process, such as heat, chemical reactions of the photopolymer material to curing, internal strains (e.g., within the object) due to strains such as, for example shrinkage of the materials during curing and/or cooling, environmental influences within the printing apparatus, for example temperature fluctuations etc. Adverse effects may take on different forms such as various deformations in the finished product. In addition, the quality of the finished product may be affected by these and other factors.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the present invention provide apparatuses and methods for controlling the quality of printing in three-dimensional object-printing systems. A printing system, according to some embodiments of the present invention, may include a printing apparatus to print three-dimensional objects and a controller that may prepare the digital data that characterizes the 3-D object for printing.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a printing apparatus for three-dimensional printing may be provided that may include a printing head (e.g., an ink jet head or another suitable material deposit system or dispenser) to deposit material for a three-dimensional object; a printing tray to support the objects being printed by the apparatus; and a temperature control unit to control the temperature in the apparatus. The temperature control unit may include, for example, a heating source or mechanism and a cooling source or mechanism. The temperature control unit may be integrated into the printing tray. For example, the printing tray may include cooling tunnels and/or heating elements and/or temperature sensor.

According to some embodiments of the present invention a printing apparatus for three-dimensional, printing may include a printing head, a printing tray, and a blowing unit to cool layers of an object after printing. In other embodiments such a printing apparatus may include a sucking unit to cool layers of an object after printing.

According to some embodiments of the present invention the printing apparatus for three-dimensional printing may include a printing sub-system or other suitable container which may be insulated for, for example, temperature control. The cell may include a temperature control unit. The temperature control unit may include a heating source or mechanism and/or a cooling source or mechanism. Heating of the cell, for example, may be brought about by the tray, which may be heated by heating elements. The printing sub-system may include material that may be reflective, in the IR wavelength region. The printing sub-system may include at least one insulation structure. The printing sub-system may include an upper heating element, radiation source, lamp, or other suitable heat source, to control the temperature of the printing sub-system and/or heat the upper layers of an object being printed.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the printing apparatus may include a printing sub-system and an insulation area to insulate an object or set of objects whose printing may be complete. The insulation area may include a temperature control unit. The printing apparatus may include at least two printing trays.

According to some embodiments of the present invention the printing system may include a curing lamp located at a side of the printing head, and a leveling device and/or another curing lamp located at the other side of the printing head.

According to some embodiments of the present invention the temperature of an object being printed may be controlled. The control may be enabled by heating a printing tray to a selected temperature during the building of the object. The object may subsequently be cooled. The selected temperatures may be substantially at the glass transition point of a modeling material, or at the glass transition point of a support material. The temperature of an upper layer of material of an object being printed is controlled, by for example a controller, to a temperature above the glass phase transition of the material. Such control may be enabled using an electromagnetic radiation associated with the curing device, electromagnetic radiation independent of the curing device, exothermic chemical curing, a heating element, a cooling element, and/or other suitable temperature control elements, such as a temperature sensor and controller that operates the cooling and heating elements according to the sensor reading and required temperature. The material of the upper layer(s) may be heated before depositing.

According to some embodiments of the present invention the temperature in a printing sub-system may be controller during a printing process, using, for example, a heating element, a cooling element, a curing unit, a radiation unit, an insulated printing sub-system, and/or other suitable temperature control elements. The cooling of the printing sub-system may be controlled. The printing tray may be moved to an insulation area, which may be, for example, within the printing sub-system or outside of the printing sub-system. The insulation area may include a removable structure.

BRIET DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The principles and operation of the system, apparatus, and method according to the present invention may be better understood with reference to the drawings, and the following description, it being understood that these drawings are given for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be limiting, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a 3D printer system according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a printing tray and printing object, according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a printing sub-system, according to some embodiments of the present invention;

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, elements shown in the drawings have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the drawings to indicate corresponding or analogous elements throughout the serial views.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention as provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be apparent to those with skill in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments shown and described, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features herein disclosed. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present invention.

It is noted that the term "building material" as used herein may include model or "modeling" material, support material, mixed material, and/or any suitable combination of materials used in the building, forming, modeling, printing or other construction of three-dimensional (3D) objects or models. Building material may include material used to create objects, material used to modify such material (e.g., dyes, fillers, etc), support material, or other material used in the creation of objects, whether or not appearing in the final object. The terms "structures" or "construction as used herein may include different types and/or combinations of building materials. For example, support constructions may include pillars built from modeling material surrounded by support material. A construction including a single, homogenous material may also be regarded as a structure or construction according to embodiments of the present invention. The term "object" as used herein may include a structure that includes the object or model desired to be built. Such a structure may, for example, include modeling material alone or modeling material with support material. The terms "support" or "support construction" as used herein may include all structures that are constructed outside the area of the object itself. The terms "layer" or "slice" as used herein may include portions of an object and/or accompanying support structures optionally laid one above the other in Z direction. The word layer may also be used to describe a three-dimensional envelope or skin.

The printing system and system components according to embodiments of the present invention may be similar to and use or be based on aspects of embodiments described in United States Patent Numbers 6,259,962, issued March 1, 1999 , titled "APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL MODEL PRINTING"; 6,569,373, issued May 27, 2003 , titled "COMPOSITIONS AND METHOD FOR USE IN THREE DIMENSIONAL MODEL PRINTING"; 6,658,314, issued December 12, 2003 , titled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL MODEL PRINTING ; and 6,850,334 issued February 1, 2005 , titled "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL MODEL PRINTING"; as well as United States Publication Numbers 2003/0207959 published November 6, 2003 , titled "COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS FOR USE IN THREE DIMENSIONAL MODEL PRINTING"; 2002/0171177, published November 21, 2002 "SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRINTING AND SUPPORTING THREE DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS"; and/or 2003/0151167 published August 14, 2003 , titled "DEVICE, SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ACCURATE PRINTING OF THREE DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS", all assigned to the common assignee of the present invention and fully incorporated herein by reference. However, the printer system according to some embodiments of the present invention may also have other configurations and/or other methods of operation. For example, the printer system according to the present invention may include more than one printing head, and/or more than one material dispenser, positioner, curer, imager, illuminator, leveler, sensor, cartridge, cartridge valve, etc. In further embodiments, layer-by-layer deposition need not be used, and other curing or solidifying methods may be used. The printing head may include, for example, an ink jet head or another suitable material deposit system or dispenser.

According to various embodiments of the present invention, the materials that may be used may be similar to the materials described in the aforementioned US Patent and US Patent applications. For example, photopolymer material, curable by the application of electromagnetic radiation or other materials suitable for 3-D object construction may be used. The photopolymer material may be of various types, including, for example, a photopolymer modeling material which may solidify to form a solid layer of material upon curing, and a photopolymer support material which may solidify, wholly or partially, or not solidify upon curing, to provide a viscous material, a soft gel-like or paste-like form, and/or a semi-solid form, for example, that may be easily removed subsequent to printing. The various types of photopolymer material may be dispensed separately or in any given combination, according to the hardness and/or elasticity of the object desired to be formed or any of its parts, or the support constructions required to provide object support during construction. Materials other than those described in the above patents and applications may be used.

The 3-D object being printed may consist predominantly of modeling material and may or may not be combined with support material, in varying ratios and combinations, according to the strength, elasticity or appearance desired for the finished printed object. Such combination of materials used for the building of the object or model itself is termed the "modeling construction".

"Support constructions", on the other hand, may consist predominantly of support material, which may or may not be combined with building material in varying ratios and combinations according to the desired strength, elasticity and so on of the support construction. Support constructions may be printed adjacent and/or around part/s or all of the modeling construction/s according to the purpose which the support construction/s are to serve.

A third type of construction that may be printed is the "release" construction, which may consist predominantly of support material (optionally with a relatively small element of modeling material). Release constructions may not solidify or may solidify partially to form a relatively soft layer or layers of material, to enable easy release from a printed object. For example, the release layer may be a viscous liquid material, paste-like material, gel-like material and/or semi-solid material etc., according to the requirements of the object and the purpose which the release layer may be to serve in the printing process.

US Patent No 6,259,962 assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference, describes, inter alia, embodiments including an apparatus and method for 3-D object printing. The apparatus may include, for example, a printing head, for example an ink-jet type printing head, having a plurality of nozzles through which building materials are dispensed, and a dispenser connected to the printing head for selectively dispensing material in layers onto a printing tray. The printing head may draw material from a reservoir containing the material. The reservoir may be connected to the printing head, and may supply the material via a tube or tubes to the printing head. A common type of reservoir may consist of a container, such as a cartridge, containing building material. Other types of reservoirs and feed systems may be used. The apparatus may further include an electromagnetic radiation mechanism for optionally curing each of the layers of material deposited. The location of depositing, and the amount and/or type of material to be deposited may be controlled by the apparatus' controller as preprogrammed from a 3-D data file. The depth of each deposited layer may be controlled by selectively adjusting the output from each of the plurality of nozzles.

The building materials used in the process of construction of 3-D objects according to some embodiments of the present invention are described in US Patent 6,658,314 and further in US Patent No. 6,569,373 , both assigned to the current assignee, and both of which are incorporated herein by reference. Briefly, in one embodiments there are two main types of building materials used: "modeling material" or "model material", being the first building material substantially as described in the aforementioned patent applications assigned to the current assignee, and "support material", being the second building material substantially as described in the aforementioned patent applications assigned to the current assignee. Of course, other materials, other numbers of materials and other combinations of materials may be used.

As described in US Publication No. 2002/0171177 assigned to the current assignee, and incorporated herein by reference, a relatively solid support structure may be formed using modeling material, for example in the form of narrow vertical pillars joined by horizontal membranes, around, between, and/or whithin which support material may be dispensed. The support structure, when cured, may provide a semi-solid support construction for the 3-D object being built. Support material may be dispensed alone and may remain uncured for various purposes, for example, to form layers of 'release' between the solidified object and its semi-solid support constructions for easy separation of the two types of construction after printing is complete.

US Patent 6,850,334 , also assigned to the current assignee and incorporated herein by reference, includes for example an embodiment having an apparatus in the form of a leveling device which may follow in the path of the apparatus' printing head. This leveling device may serve to straighten the most recently laid layer of materials before curing, thereby narrowing each layer to its desired depth and ensuring consistent 'spread' of the materials within the layer, in preparation for the deposit of the next layer of materials. Excess interface material gathered en route by the leveling device may be cleaned off the leveling device and disposed of after separate curing.

The various constructions comprising each layer (e.g., modeling, support and/or release, as required) may be deposited in the same passage of the printing head in the X-Y axes, according to, for example, a predetermined CAD configuration which may be converted, for example, to a Stereo Lithography (STL) format, and programmed into an apparatus control unit. The CAD configuration may determine, for example, the amount of building material, the type of building material and various combinations of materials to be jetted from the nozzles, and may determine from which nozzle and at which points building material may be jetted from each nozzle during the course of deposit of a single layer of materials. Other data formats may be used.

When printing, the printing head may move in the X-Y direction, depositing the materials in the course of its passage over the printing tray or printing area, in a predetermined configuration. This forward passage of the printing head may be followed by curing of the deposited material by a source of electromagnetic radiation. In the reverse passage of the printing head, back to its starting point for the layer just deposited (point 0 on the X-Y axes), an additional deposition of materials may be carried out, according to predetermined configuration. In the reverse passage of the printing head, the second part of the layer thus laid may be straightened by a leveling device, for example, a roller or blade, which may, for example, follow in the path of the printing head in its reverse movement, and then the thus straightened layer may be cured by means of electromagnetic radiation. Since the movement of the leveling device may follow the reverse route of the printing head, the first part of the layer deposited in the printing head's forward movement may be thicker than the second part of the layer deposited in the printing head's reverse movement. CAD configuration of the final depth or height of each layer, for example, may take into account the final desired thickness of each single layer after forward and reverse movements of the printing head at each height of the printing apparatus on the Z axis. Other movement, curing, and leveling sequences may be used. For example, a leveling procedure may be performed at other times.

Once the printing head has returned to the 0 position (starting point) in the X-Y axes, the printing tray may be lowered in the Z axis to a predetermined height, according to the desired thickness of the layer subsequently to be printed, and the printing head once again may begin its movement in the X-Y axes as predetermined. The tray need not be lowered. The starting position of the printing head may be adjusted in the Y axis, for example, for further printing in the X axis at the same Z height as the previously deposited layer.

As described above, adverse effects in printed objects may take on different formes, for example, various deformations and/or defects in the finished product. According to some embodiments of the present invention, methods and apparatuses may be provided that may help in improving the quality, strength, appearance, and/or `finish' of the final product. For example, these apparatuses and methods may help in preventing deformation of 3-D printed objects, aiding construction using support materials, and improving accuracy of printed 3-D objects, as are described in detail below.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a 3D printer system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 3D printer system 100 may include, for example, a CAD module 102 or other design module, controller 105, and printing apparatus 140.

Controller 105, which may prepare the digital data that characterizes a 3-D object for printing, and control the operation of the printing apparatus, may include, for example, a processor 110, a memory unit 115, software code 120, and a communications unit 125. Other configurations may be used for a controller or control unit. Control functionality may be spread across units, and not all control functionality may be within system 100. For example, a separate unit, such as a personal computer or workstation, or a processing unit within a supply source such as a cartridge may provide some control or data storage capability. Communications unit 125 may, for example, enable transfer of data and instructions between controller 105 and CAD module 102, between controller 105 and printing apparatus 140, and/or between controller 105 and other system elements. Controller 105 may be suitably coupled and/or connected to various components of printing apparatus 140.

Printing apparatus 140 may include for example positioner(s) 155, material dispenser(s) 150, material supply unit(s) 152, and printing sub-system 180. Printing sub-system 180 may include a printing box 145, and a printing tray 170. Printing box 145 may include printing head(s) 146, printing nozzle(s) 147, leveler(s) 157, curer(s) 159, and other suitable components. Positioner 155, or other suitable movement devices, may control the movement of printing head 145. Leveler or leveling device 157 may include, for example, a roller or blade or other suitable leveling mechanism. Printing head 145 may be, for example, an ink jet head or other suitable printing head.

Controller 105 may utilize Computer Object Data (COD) representing an object or a model, for example, CAD data in STL format. Other data types or formats may be used Controller 105 may convert such data to instructions for the various units within 3D printer system 100 to print a 3D object. Controller 105 may be located inside printing apparatus 140 or outside of printing apparatus 140. Controller 105 may be located outside of printing system 100 and may communicate with printing system 100, for example, over a wire and/or using wireless communications. In some embodiments, controller 105 may include a CAD system or other suitable design system. In alternate embodiments, controller 105 may be partially external to 3D printer system 100. For example, an external control or processing unit (e.g., a personal computer, workstation, computing platform, or other processing device) may provide some or all of the printing system control capability.

In some embodiments, a printing file or other collection of print data may be prepared and/or provided and/or programmed, for example, by a computing platform connected to 3D printer system 100. The printing file may be used to determine, for example, the order and configuration of deposition of building material via, for example, movement of and activation and/or non-activation of one or more nozzles 147 of printing head 145, according to the 3D object to be built.

Controller 105 may be implemented using any suitable combination of hardware and/or software. In some embodiments, controller 105 may include, for example, a processor 110, a memory 115, and software or operating instructions 120. Processor 110 may include conventional devices, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU), a microprocessor, a "computer on a chip", a micro controller, etc. Memory 115 may include conventional devices such as Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), or other storage devices, and may include mass storage, such as a CD-ROM or a hard disk. Controller 105 may be included within, or may include, a computing device such as a personal computer, a desktop computer, a mobile computer, a laptop computer, a server computer, or workstation (and thus part or all of the functionality of controller 105 may be external to 3D printer system 100). Controller 105 may be of other configurations, and may include other suitable components.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, material supply unit(s) 152 may supply building materials to printing apparatus 140. Building materials may include any suitable kind of object building material, such as, for example, photopolymers, wax, powders; plastics, metals, and may include modeling material, support material and/or release material, or any alternative material types or combinations of material types. In some embodiments of the present invention, the building materials used for construction of the 3D object are in a liquid form. Such materials may be similar to those described in embodiments of US Patent Numbers 6,569,373 and 6,658,314 and US Publication No. 2003/0207959 , all of the same Assignee, and incorporated herein by reference. In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the modeling and/or support materials used are photopolymers that may contain material curable by electro-magnetic radiation and/or electron beams etc. The materials may come in different forms, textures, colors, etc. Other suitable materials or combinations of materials may be used.

The 3-D object printing process as described in US Patent No. 6,259,962 , 6,658,314 and 6,569,373 , and US Publication No. 2002/0171177 , all assigned to the current assignee and incorporated herein by reference, may include a method of printing a 3-D object on a layer-by-layer basis. For example, printing an object may include dispensing modeling and/or support materials on a layer by layer basis according to a predetermined configuration, from a plurality of nozzles on the apparatus' printing head. The building material(s) may be dispensed at a given temperature in a fluid state to form a layer, and after dispensing each layer may optionally be cured by, for example, a source of electromagnetic radiation. The building material(s) may solidify as a result of curing and subsequent cooling.

Printed 3-D objects, however, may be deformed or have defects. Factors that may contribute to such deformations and defects may include, for example, internal stress forces due to the photo-polymerization curing process, for example residual polymerization occurring after primary curing of lower layers or accumulative stress gradients within the printed object. Additionally, temperature variances between levels of layers and/or between the laid layers and the internal apparatus 'environment' may cause deformations in the printed object Furthermore, mechanical forces, for example damage caused during removal from the printing tray, may leads to deformations of printed 3-D objects. Various embodiments of the present invention are provided to minimize deformation of a printed object during and/or after the printing process.

For example, solidification of building material(s) may cause shrinkage of parts of the object or the whole objet. In addition, cooling or other temperature changes of the material after it has been dispensed and cured may cause additional shrinkage. After a number of layers have been laid, there may be a difference between the uppermost, last laid layers and the lower layers of material, both in temperature and in the extent to which the different layers have been cured. For example, the uppermost layers may be warmed by the curing radiation and by the exothermic chemical curing process that evolves. The lower layers, in contrast, may be cooler, as they may have had more time in which to cool, and may have been cooled in a colder environment as compared to the upper layers. In addition, with each passing of the printing head over the 3-D object being built, repeated irradiation of the layers beneath the uppermost layers of material may cause a difference in the extent of curing between the lower layers and the uppermost more recently laid layers. These and other differences in temperature and curing between upper and lower layers may cause stress between the various layers of the object, and may lead to a variety of deformations. Other embodiments may not experience such temperature differences or radiation differences.

One appearance of deformation that may occur is the lifting or "curling' of the base edges of the 3-D object upwards. This phenomenon may relate, for example, to the excess of repeated UV radiation that the sides are exposed to, which may cure the sides more than the center of the object. Curling up of the edges of the base of the object may also result from the lower temperature of the sides of the object, which may shrink in relation to the center of the object. In other situations, the center of the object rather than the sides may lift, due, for example, to the stronger shrinkage of the lower layer with respect to the upper layers, as described above. Curing using methods other than UV may be used.

Another form of deformation that may occur is the sideways 'bending' of vertical walls of the printed object. The sides of the object being printed may be exposed to repeated radiation (e.g., UV radiation) and to more cooling than the center of the object. Furthermore, different sides of the printed object may be exposed to different amounts of radiation and cooling etc. These influences, for example, may cause the object to be elongated more on one side than the other, therefore causing the walls to bend.

Reference is now made to Fig. 2 , which is a schematic illustration of various support layers printing elements that may be provided, according to some embodiments of the present invention. Printing tray 170 may be coated with a surface coating 202, for example, an adhesive coating or layer that has characteristics appropriate to enable high adhesion to the object's building material(s). These characteristics may be, for example, mechanical or chemical in nature. One type of surface coating 202 may include, for example, an anodized layer (e.g., coated electrolytically with a protective or decorative oxide) laid over, for example, a smooth aluminum surface. Another type of surface coating 202 may include an anodized layer with pores that are filled with modeling material or any other material that may chemically fit and attract the modeling material. An additional type of surface coating 202 may be an anodized coating with pores that are filled with water. Other suitable materials and surface constructions may be used.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, printing apparatus 140 may provide a relatively thin membrane, appendage, or carpet 210 of building material below and/or around the base of the object being printed 200. This appendage or carpet 210 to the base of the object being printed may include, for example, one or more layers of modeling material. In cases where carpet 210 may tend to lift from tray 170, the portions of carpet 210 that protrude out of the boundaries of the base of object 200 may be coated with one or more layers of support material 215 that may protect carpet 210, for example, from additional curing, and may help keep carpet 210 flexible and adhesive in texture. In order to coat the carpet edges, one or more layers of supporting material 215 may protrude outside the carpet's circumference thereby covering the carpet. In addition, above the layers of support material 215, an additional layer or layers of modeling material 220 may be added to strengthen carpet 210 during printing. Carpet 210, which may include, for example, soft and adhesive support layers above and around it, may be effective, for example, in preventing air, radiation etc. from infiltrating between the base of object 200 and tray 170, thereby helping prevent detachment of object 200 from tray 170.

According to some embodiments of the present invention a support pedestal 230 may be provided to help ease the removal of a printed object from the printing tray and thus may help prevent deformation by manual or mechanical damage. A support pedestal may be defined as a part of the support structure that may be lower than the lowest point of the object. Support pedestal 210 may enable easy release of printed object 200 from printing tray 170, may improve an object's accuracy in the Z direction (height), and/or may improve an object's accuracy in the X-Y directions. Support pedestal 210 may be provided, for example, by printing extra support construction layers underneath the object and/or the object's adjacent support constructions. The pedestal may be, for example, a matrix of support construction layers that may be pre-configured to be printed beneath the object (e.g., between the object and the tray). Such a support matrix may be printed prior to the laying of the first layer of the 3-D object to be built, and may include support material and/or a combination of modeling, support, release and/or other materials. The supporting pedestal may be constructed from modeling materials that, for example, may not tend to lift from the tray, and therefore may not be required to be firmly attached to the tray. Such modeling materials may, for example, be characterized by being soft and of a flexible mature. Support pedestal 210 may be constructed from regular support construction, or may be more rigid and sticky so as to enhance adherence of the object to the pedestal. Such construction may be composed, for example, of densely spaced thin pillars made of modeling material with support material in-between. Other suitable pedestal constructions may be used.

Inaccuracies in Z may occur at the lowest layers of the printed object This may be because the top surface of the tray at Z start level (the Z- level of the tray when printing starts) may not be exactly at a height which enables the leveling device to reach and thus level the first layers deposited in the printing process, when the leveling device may be at its lowest point (e.g., because of inaccuracy in adjustments and/or incomplete flatness and horizon of the tray etc). As a result, the lower layers of the printed object may not be leveled by the leveling device and therefore their thickness may be greater than the designed layer thickness, therefore increasing the height of the object as printer in contrast to the object as designed. The use of a pedestal constructions under the lowest point of the object may solve this problem by specifying that the height at which printing of the actual object may starts may be the height at which the pedestal itself may be significantly leveled by the leveling device.

according to an embodiment of the present invention, pedestal 210 may provide a barrier between object 200 and tray 170. Barrier layer 230 may have a structure of similar construction to the main support structure 215, but not necessarily, equal to support structure 215. For example, the barrier layer may be a relatively soft layer, and may measure, for example, a few tenths of a millimeter in height The barrier layer may have any other dimensions. The barrier layer may provide a barrier between the tray and the object, which may have dissimilar thermal coeffcients, such that lower layers of printed object 200 may not be directly exposed to the surface of tray 170. The usage of soft barrier may require the object to be constructed from modeling material that does not tend to deform when not bound strongly to tray 170.

During a printing process or after printing is finished, the bottom layers of an object 200 and tray surface may cool simultaneously. In the case where the tray is made of metal and the printing materials are plastic, for example, the thermal expansion coefficient of plastic may be significantly larger than that of metal. In the case where there is a strong adherence of object 200 to tray 170, the bottom layers of object 200 and the tray surface may shrink by a similar amount, since the object shrinkage may be partially determined or controlled by the tray shrinkage, despite the large difference in the shrinkage coefficient of the two components. The amount that an object layer may shrink may gradually increase when the built layer is further apart from the tray. The difference in shrinkage between the bottom layers and the higher layers may therefore introduce adverse stress in the printed object, and may cause, for example, uneven dimensional errors in various parts of the object.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a tray 170 may be provided that has a thermal coefficient similar to that of object 200. For example, tray 170 may be made of organic material or of the same or similar material to the object material, for example, a plastic that has a thermal coefficient similar to that of the printed layers of building material. It may be necessary, for example, for the organic material to have a low thermal conductivity. The usage of such a material for tray 170 may enable tray 170 to expand and/or contract at a rate equivalent to that of the building material, which may, for example, decrease the strain and minimize deformation due to differences in thermal tendencies.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, printing tray 170 may be warmed prior to printing of a 3-D object, to a temperature that is, for example, close to the glass transition point of the modeling and/or support materials, by, for example, a temperature control unit 204. Printing tray 170 may subsequently be allowed to gradually cool down after printing, for example, causing a controlled, gradual cooling down of the initial printed layers. In this way the cured material of the initial layers may remain for a relatively long time in near flow-able state, and may thus attain close contact with the molecular lattice of tray 170, resulting in firm adherence of the printed object to the printing tray after solidifying. In other embodiments, tray 170 may be heated before the start of printing to such a temperature that the shrink of the tray and object during and after printing due to a temperature decrease are controlled to best fit each other, for example, by shrinking to a substantially similar amount Tray heating may be performed by temperature control unit 204.

A method of improved quality printing of 3-D objects, according to some embodiments of the present invention may include, heating printing tray 170, for example using temperature control unit 204, to a selected temperature, for example, such that the temperature may be substantially at the glass transition point of the modeling and/or support materials. After object printing the tray may be gradually cooled at a selected rate, using, for example, temperature control unit 204. In such a way adhesion of the object to the tray may be enabled, and/or the respective shrinkage of the object and the tray may be controlled. Additionally or alternatively, tray 170 may be cooled using temperature control unit 204, to enable adherence of an object to tray 170. Other heating or cooling temperatures and/or mechanisms may be used. Other steps and/or series of steps may be used.

Further, a method of preventing and/or minimizing deformation caused by thermal inconsistencies between inner and outer parts of a printed object may be performed by constructing a 'thickening' or outer covering of support structure of a predetermined thickness around the external surface of the printed object. This covering may, for example, shield the object's external surfaces from disproportionate curing and/or uneven heating or cooling.

Reference is now made to Fig. 3 , which is a schematic illustration of printing sub-system 180 or printing cell, which may include various printing components, according to some embodiments of the present invention. Printing sub-system 180 may includes, for example, a blowing unit 330 and and/or a sucking unit 340, for respectively cooling of printing sub-system 180 by sucking hot air or other substances out of printing sub-system 180 and/or drawing cool air or other substances in to printing sub-system 180 from the surroundings. Printing tray 170 may include an adhesive surface coating 375, to enable adhesion of a printed object to tray 170. Printing sub-system 180 may include a temperature control unit 310 and/or Temperature control unit 310 may include a heating source, and/or a cooling source. Heating source may include, for example, wires, heating elements and/or other suitable components. Cooling source may include, for example, wires, cooling elements, cooling tunnels, and/or other suitable components. "Printing tray 170 may include one or more cooling tunnels 380. Printing sub-system 180 may include a temperature sensing unit 385, optionally associated with temperature control unit 310, to sense the temperature of cell180, tray 170, building materials etc. Printing sub-system 180 may include an electromagnetic radiation source 315, to enable heating of the building material before, during, and/or after deposition. Printing sub-system 180 may include an electromagnetic lamp 320, for curing and/or warming of printed objects. Printing sub-system 180 may have insulation structures, for example, insulation walls 350 and/or insulation layer(s) 355. Insulation walls 350 and/or insulation layers 355 may be coated or laminated internally by an insulation coating or covering 360, for example, glossy aluminum foil or other suitable IR reflecting materials, to reflect the IR radiation. Printing sub-system 180 may have , for example, a door or opening from which printed objects may be extracted. Printing sub-system 180 may include other suitable components or combinations of components.

According to an embodiment of the present invention a method is provided to prevent and/or minimize object deformation, by printing in such a way that the printing temperature of the upper printed layers may be above, for example, the glass phase transition temperature of the materials. The temperature control unit 310 and/or. Since curing, for example UV curing, may occur at the uppermost layers of the printed object, the building material in these layers may remain in a flow-able state during, for example, the entire curing time. When contraction takes place in a liquid, the liquid may contract in a way that requires minimum energy, which in this case, for example, may cause contraction along the gravitational axis. Therefore the contraction may affect the height of the material layer (Z axis). The lower material layers may be kept below the glass transition temperature in order to prevent collapse of the object under its own weight, or due to the machine's vibrations.

According to some embodiments, higher temperatures of the upper material layers may be maintained by various means, for example, by irradiating the upper layers using a warming electromagnetic radiation source 315, heating the building material before deposition, and/or warming the upper layers by heating element 312, the heat of the exothermic chemical reaction of the curing itself, and/or any other suitable heating source. In one embodiment, a combination of preheated droplets of building materials, a strong electromagnetic lamp 320 which may include a UV wavelength required for curing, as well as visible and IR wavelengths for further warming, and/or a strong exothermic reaction, may raise and maintain the required temperature of the top layers. Other electromagnetic sources may be used.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a method of preventing and/or minimizing deformation is provided, that may include increasing the intensity of electromagnetic radiation such that curing of each subsequent layer of building material may be completed and/or maximized prior to dispensing the subsequent layer of building material.

In cases where the temperature of the lower layers of the object and/or the object's sides may be below, for example, the glass transition point, further curing may cause shrinking of object material in the Z direction as well as in the X-Y plane, which may introduce shear stress between the various layers. According to one embodiment the lower layers may be warmed to prevent farther curing of the object material, for example, using UV or other radiation that may- reach the lower layers when passing through the top layers, and/or may penetrate the bare sides of the object

A method for improved quality printing of 3-D objects, according to some embodiments of the present invention, method may include, heating up a higher layer of building material during curing; and, then cooling the object. Other steps and/or series of steps may be used.

According to some embodiments of the present invention a method of preventing and/or minimizing deformation is provided, by lessening or minimizing thermal inconsistencies in the printed object. Such a method may include, for example, cooling each dispensed layer in turn after printing and curing, by blowing air on the top layer and/or sucking air from above the layer. Such cooling or sucking of air may be enabled, for example, by using a suitable blowing unit 330 or sucking unit 340, which may be associated with printing head 145 or otherwise situated within printing apparatus 140. The method in one embodiment may not require cooling the upper layers below the glass transition temperature, but may require cooling of the top layers, for example, such that their temperatures do not exceed too high a value above, for example, the glass transition point.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, a method of minimizing deformation is provided that includes printing with the air surrounding the object at an even temperature which may be substantially similar to the temperature of the top layers. Since the top layers may be required to be, for example, of a temperature substantially similar to the glass transition point of the cured material, a substantially similar temperature for the surrounding air and tray may be advantageous. Other suitable temperature targets may be used. For example, a warmed tray may be used to warm up the air surrounding the object during printing. For example, the printing sub-system 180 may have an insulated shield 355 and/or walls 350 to insulate printing sub-system 180, since printing sub-system 180 may be required to be warmed by IR radiation in order to prevent cooling the object Optionally, the inside of the printing sub-system 180 may have a material that may be reflective in the IR wavelength region. According to one embodiment, the inner wall or side of the shield 360 may be laminated with, for example, glossy aluminum foil, to reflect the IR radiation. Other suitable materials may be used. An additional step in keeping the environment warm may be to avoid opening printing sub-system 180 while heating, cooling and/or curing may be taking place. Moreover, the object may be allowed to cool down slowly after printing has completed, for example, with the doors or alternative openings of the printing sub-system remaining closed, so as to maintain nearly even temperature outside and inside the object during cool down time.

During printing of an object, the layers of the building material used may shrink within a short time interval, for example, a few seconds or tenths of seconds immediately after being laid and irradiated. Additional shrinkage may occur subsequently while cooling. When printing is paused the shrinking before a next layer of material is dispensed may continue for longer than usual, and as a consequence a thin 'break line' or mark may be evident on the surface of the printed object According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method of preventing and/or minimizing such 'break lines' may be provided, that may include keeping one or more layers previously deposited (before such a pause) warm, for example, by exposing the layer to warming electromagnetic radiation during such a pause, until printing of the subsequent layer resumes. Other methods of maintaining the warmth of printed layers may be used, for example, using heating element 312. Warming or other temperature control methods may have benefits other than or in addition to avoiding break lines.

In another embodiment, 'break-lines' between layers may be minimized or prevented by, for example, compensating the expected shrinkage in the Z-axis by altering the height of printing tray 170 prior to the deposition of the next layer of material after printing is resumed. For example, printing tray 170 may be lowered to print a subsequent layer, but before printing of the subsequent layer, printing tray may be slightly raised to compensate for the excess shrinkage in the previous layer. The previously laid layer may be leveled by leveler 157, and the next layer may subsequently be deposited. Since the layer thickness or height may be equal to the level of the bottom of the leveler minus the level of the top of the preceding layer, the correct layer thickness may hereby be assured. The extent to which printing tray 170 may be lowered and/or lifted may be determined according to the length of the pause in printing, and/or according to other printing parameters.

After the printing, process has been completed, deformation of or damage to the printed object may occur during the cooling phase of the object and/or while removing the object from printing tray 170. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for preventing such deformations, which includes allowing the temperature of printing tray 170 and the surrounding environment (e.g., the air) to decrease slowly, before opening the printing-cell and removing the object from printing tray 170. The method may include, for example, keeping printing sub-system 180 closed during cooling, thereby cooling the printed object by natural heat loss from the object to the surrounding air, and from the surrounding air through the insulating cover of the printing apparatus to the outside environment. Forced airflow around the object should preferably be avoided to enable even and slow cooling of the printed object before its removal from printing tray 170.

According to other embodiments, a method of preventing such deformations may be performed using a removable printing tray. Accordingly, printing tray 170 may be removed from the printing area of printing apparatus 140 together with the printed object to an insulated area, within which slow cooling of the printing object may occurs, as described previously. The insulating area may be external to printing sub-system 180, and may be a moveable structure, for example, a box. The insulating area may include a shield or set of walls to prevent fast escape of heat, and a flat and open bottom. When printing is complete, an operator, for example, may open the door to the printing sub-system and place the insulating box over the tray so as to completely enclose the object, and then remove the tray and the object thus enclosed from the printing machine. In this way direct exposure of the object to the outside air may be minimized.

According to still further embodiments, a method of preventing such deformations may be performed using an insulating chamber or area situated within the printing apparatus, such that, for example, printing tray 170 bearing a printed object may be automatically moved from the printing area to the insulating chamber without necessitating opening of the printing apparatus by an operator. Such an embodiment may enable automatic continuation of the printing of a next object, once the current printing 'job' is completed and a new printing tray has been prepared. According to the current and/or previously discussed embodiment the printer may immediately resume printing of a new object using, for example, a replacement tray.

Deformation that may occur in the printing process may be caused by physical damage to the printed object when being manually removed from the printing tray on completion of printing. Such deformation may be increased, for example, when some extent of manual or mechanical force may be required in its removal.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, if the object is well adhered to a tray, for example a metal tray, the tray may be cooled, for example, by detaching the tray and submerging it in cold water or an alternative cooling source. Additionally or alternatively cold water from outside or inside printing apparatus 140 may be made to flow within channels such as cooling tunnels 380 within the base of tray 170. The difference in the thermal expansion coefficient between the thus cooled tray and the printed object may cause the object to separate easily from the tray. According to one embodiment shock waves or vibrations may be imposed on the tray during or after cooling, to accelerate the detachment of the printed object from the tray.

When a 3-D printed object cools down, the X-Y dimensions may decrease according to the object's thermal expansion coefficient. The lower part of the object which may be firmly attached to the printing tray may shrink, however, according to the thermal expansion coefficient of the tray, which may be substantially different from that of the modeling material. As a consequence the accuracy of the final X-Y dimensions at the top of the object and at the bottom of the object may differ from each other. Improved printing accuracy in the X-Y directions may be enabled by, for example, incorporating a soft pedestal between the tray and the object to enable the bottom of the object shrinking to be in accordance with the object's thermal expansion coefficient.

in an alternative embodiment, the bottom layer of the object may be modified to partly include, for example, pixels or other areas of support material, which may reduce the adherence of the object to the tray. In other embodiments the bottom layer of the object may be clear of support pixels (e.g, may preferably not include support pixels) so as to increase the adherence of the object periphery to the tray, since detaching of the object from the tray during printing may start at the periphery. The density of support pixels may be determined in such a way that the object may adhere to the tray as required, while detachment of the object from the tray after printing may still be relatively easy.

The printing of three-dimensional objects may require different types of support constructions. These may be, for example, 'support constructions' and/or "release constructions" etc., as depicted in embodiments in US Patents Nos. 6,658,314 and 6,569,373 both of which are assigned to the current assignee and incorporated herein by reference, and as described hereinabove. "Support constructions" may consist predominantly of support material that may or may not be combined with modeling material in varying ratios and combinations according to the desired strength, elasticity and so on of the support construction. Support constructions may be printed, for example, underneath and/or adjacent to the modeling construction(s), according to the purpose which the support construction(s) are to serve. "Release constructions" as described above may consist predominantly of support material, optionally combined with a relatively small proportion of modeling materials, and may be deposited between the modeling construction and its adjacent support construction(s). Curing may solidify release constructions to provide, for example, a relatively soft layer of material. Such a layer may be, for example, viscous liquid, paste-like, gel-like or semi-solid to varying extents, as required, in order to ease the separation or 'release' of the support construction from the object after printing. Support and release constructions other than those described in these applications may be used.

The support and release constructions, respectively, may serve the purposes suggested by their names: 'support constructions' may be built, for example, to support parts or the whole of the object being constructed and to prevent the modeling construction from collapsing onto the printing tray. For example, where one surface of the object is constructed at a less than 90° angle, a support construction may be constructed 'underneath' this surface to support its construction. Another example may be where part of the object is constructed only from a certain Z-level (height), such as a part branching off the main body of the object or a 'lid' on top of an open object, a 'support construction' may be built up to the Z-level where construction of this part of the object begins. 'Release constructions' may for example be printed between the modeling construction and the support construction(s) to, for example, enable easy release of the support construction/s from the object. Support constructions may also serve, for example, to prevent the object being knocked by the leveling device, modify curing on the object's side walls, improve object surface quality, and reduce deformation etc.

It should be noted that when used herein the X, Y and Z directions may be relative to each other, and need not be absolute, and further the use of descriptions of movement in these directions is by example only, and other movement patterns and schemes are possible. Further, some embodiments described herein include a print head or other equipment having a certain movement pattern (e.g., forward and backwards, etc), or a certain timing pattern of movement relative to jesting, curing, etc. These movement and timing patterns are shown by way of example only. Other suitable movement and timing patterns may be used.

Inaccuracies and/or imperfections in the final printed 3D object or model may occur for a number of reasons. Even if the inaccuracy is minimal, the error may have serious consequences for example, when two or more parts are designed to fit together, a slight inaccuracy renders this impossible. According to some embodiments of the present invention, in order to limit the inaccuracy to a proportion acceptable in the art, e.g. 0.2 mm, or even smaller proportions, modifications may be introduced to the configured data (for example the STL file) taking into account the parameters of printing apparatus 140, the printing process and the building materials, being used.

It should be noted that the various methods and structures described herein may be effected by a suitable 3-D printer and a controlling unit possibly in conjunction with software and/or hardware element, such as for example, controller 105, printing apparatus 140 and the various associated components described in Figs 1, 2A and 3A, but may be effected by other suitable 3-D printing software and/or apparatuses having other functionalities and structures.

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has been presented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. It should be appreciated by personas skilled in the art that many modifications, are possible in light of the above teaching. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all such modifications.

Claims (19)

1. A method for printing a three-dimensional object comprising:

   depositing material in layers onto a printing tray (170) to form a three-dimensional object (200); and

   controlling the temperature characterized in controlling the temperature of upper layers (31) of said object being printed to be above the glass transition temperature of said material.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the temperature of said layers comprises controlling the temperature during a printing process.
3. The method of claim 1 comprising depositing more than one material.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

   heating said material before depositing.
5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

   heating (24) said printing tray (170) to substantially the glass transition temperature of said material.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

   cooling the upper layers (31) of said object such that the temperature of said upper layers (31) does not exceed too high above the glass transition temperature of said material.
7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

   controlling the temperature of lower layers of said object to be below the glass phase transition temperature of said material.
8. The method of claims 1 and 7, wherein controlling the temperature of said layers comprises controlling the temperature of said layers by one or more temperature control mechanisms selected from the group consisting of: electromagnetic radiation (315), exothermic chemical curing, a heating element (312) and a cooling element.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein said cooling element is an air blowing unit (330) and/or an air sucking unit (340).
10. The method of claims 1 and 7, wherein controlling the temperature of said layers comprises operating cooling and/or heating elements according to reading received from a temperature sensor (385).
11. A system for printing a three-dimensional object (200), the system comprising:

    a printing head (146) for depositing material in layers;

    a printing tray (170) upon which the material is deposited;

    characterized in that the system comprises one or more temperature control mechanisms for controlling the temperature of upper layers of said object to be above the glass transition temperature of said material; and a controller (310) for controlling the one or more temperature control mechanisms.
12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more temperature control mechanisms are to control the temperature of the layers during the printing process.
13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said printing head (146) is to deposit more than one material.
14. The system according to claim 11 further comprising:

    a heating unit (312) to heat the material before it is deposited from the printing head.
15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said printing tray (170) comprises one or more temperature control units (204).
16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more temperature control mechanisms control the temperature of lower layers of said object to be below the glass transition temperature of said material.
17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the one or more temperature control mechanisms are selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation (315), exothermic chemical curing, a heating element (312) and a cooling element.
18. The system according to claim 17, wherein said cooling element comprises an air blowing unit (330) and/or an air sucking unit (340).
19. The system according to claim 17 further comprising:

    a temperature sensor (385) and wherein the controller (310) is to operate the cooling and heating elements according to reading received from the sensor (385).