8338results about "Manufacturing data aquisition/processing" patented technology

A system and methods for solid freeform fabrication of an object is disclosed. The system comprises a solid freeform fabrication apparatus having a plurality of dispensing heads, a building material supply apparatus configured to supply a plurality of building materials to the fabrication apparatus, and a control unit configured for controlling the fabrication apparatus and the supply apparatus based on an operation mode selected from a plurality of predetermined operation modes.

The present invention relates to a method and a device to monitor and control the Selective Laser Powder Processing. A Selective Laser Powder Processing device comprising a feedback controller to improve the stability of the Selective Laser Powder Processing process is presented. A signal reflecting a geometric quantity of the melt zone is used in the feedback controller to adjust the scanning parameters (e.g. laser power, laser spot size, scanning velocity, . . . ) of the laser beam (4) in order to maintain the geometric quantity of the melt zone at a constant level. The signal reflecting the geometric quantity of the melt zone can also be displayed in order to monitor the Selective Laser Powder Processing process. The present invention allows for the production of three-dimensional objects from powder material and improves the state of the art by compensating variations of the border conditions (e.g. local heat conduction rate) by a feedback control system based on a geometric quantity of the melt zone resulting in e.g. a lower amount of dross material when overhang planes are scanned.

Devices, systems and methods for three-dimensional model printing. A three-dimensional model printer may, for example, calibrate, optimize, or indicate the need for replacement of or evaluation of one or more printing heads or nozzles of the three-dimensional model printer.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object, comprises providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween; filling the build region with a polymerizable liquid; irradiating the build region through the optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from the polymerizable liquid while concurrently advancing the carrier away from the build surface to form the three-dimensional object from the solid polymer, while also concurrently: (i) continuously maintaining a dead zone of polymerizable liquid in contact with the build surface, and (ii) continuously maintaining a gradient of polymerization zone between the dead zone and the solid polymer and in contact with each thereof, the gradient of polymerization zone comprising the polymerizable liquid in partially cured form. Apparatus for carrying out the method is also described.

A resection guide locator includes a bone engagement portion with surfaces that are complementary to the surface topographies of a bone to be resected during surgery. A housing includes a socket defined by a resilient annular wall that is sized and arranged so to accept a resection guide by press-fit to thereby position and hold the resection guide within the socket. The resection guide is maintained in a predetermined, preferred position while the surfaces are releasably locked in position on the bone. A method is disclosed for forming and using the resection guide locator.

A resection guide locator includes a bone engagement portion with surfaces that are complementary to the surface topographies of a bone to be resected during surgery. A housing includes a socket defined by a resilient annular wall that is sized and arranged so to accept a resection guide by press-fit to thereby position and hold the resection guide within the socket. The resection guide is maintained in a predetermined, preferred position while the surfaces are releasably locked in position on the bone. A method is disclosed for forming and using the resection guide locator.

The present invention is a method for performing a calibration routine of a deposition device in a three-dimensional modeling machine that deposits a material to build up three-dimensional objects as directed by a controller on a substrate mounted on a platform. The method comprises generating a material build profile, which represents a three-dimensional structure at defined locations. A relative position of the material build profile is then determined. An expected build profile is identified and then compared to the determined relative position of the material build profile to identify any difference which represents an offset. The modeling system then positions the deposition device based upon the offset.

A method of making an organ or tissue comprises: (a) providing a first dispenser containing a structural support polymer and a second dispenser containing a live cell-containing composition; (b) depositing a layer on said support from said first and second dispenser, said layer comprising a structural support polymer and said cell-containing composition; and then (c) iteratively repeating said depositing step a plurality of times to form a plurality of layers one on another, with separate and discrete regions in each of said layers comprising one or the other of said support polymer or said cell-containing composition, to thereby produce provide a composite three dimensional structure containing both structural support regions and cell-containing regions. Apparatus for carrying out the method and composite products produced by the method are also described.

The invention relates to a device for producing products having individual geometries, comprising a substrate carrier device, a material application device for applying material, preferably above the substrate carrier device, which material application device can be moved relative to the substrate carrier device, and a control device which is coupled to the material application device for signaling. According to the invention, the material application device is coupled to an input interface for signaling and for selection of a first or a second application mode, the control device and the application device being designed such as to produce, in the first application mode, a three-dimensional product on the surface of a substrate plate by way of an additive production method, said substrate plate being connected to the substrate carrier device. According to the additive production method, a curable material is applied in consecutive layers, one or more predetermined regions are selectively cured after or during each application of a layer, the predetermined regions being bonded to one or more regions of the underlying layer. The predetermined region(s) is/are predetermined by a cross-section geometry of the product in the respective layer and is/are stored in the control device, and the curable material is applied in a plurality of consecutive layers to produce the three-dimensional product. The control device and the application device are further designed such that in the second mode of application one or more colors are applied to predetermined regions of a print substrate material connected to the substrate carrier device to produce a monochrome or polychrome print.

A patient-specific porous metal prosthesis and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The orthopaedic prosthesis may be metallic to provide adequate strength and stability. Also, the orthopaedic prosthesis may be porous to promote bone ingrowth.

A method of authenticating the printing of a three-dimensional (3D) article at a 3D printer according to a 3D print file describing a three-dimensional design is described. The method comprises: receiving an authentication request from a 3D print server that is associated with the 3D printer, the request comprising a unique design identifier associated with a 3D design file and a unique 3D printer identifier associated with a 3D printer, the received unique 3D design identifier being related to the received 3D printer ter identifier in accordance with a first relationship; using at least one of the received unique identifiers to access a verifying 3D design identifier and a verifying 3D printer identifier, the verifying identifiers being related to each other in accordance with a second relationship; comparing the first and second relationships between the received and verifying identifiers; generating an authentication signal if the first relationship corresponds with the second relationship; obtaining a decryption key associated with the received identifiers in response to the authentication signal; and transferring the decryption key to the 3D print server to authenticate and enable the printing of the 3D article on the 3D printer.

The invention refers to a method for calibrating the control of a radiation device producing electromagnetic radiation or particle radiation in a rapid prototyping system. The method comprises the steps of arranging a calibration plate at a defined position in the rapid prototyping system, the calibration plate having an upper side with a first region and a second region separate from the first region, the first region being provided with optically detectable reference marks and the second region having a medium which is sensitive to the radiation of the radiation device, producing a test pattern by exposing said medium to said radiation at predetermined desired positions defined by position coordinate data, digitizing the first region of the calibration plate with the reference marks thereon and the second region of the calibration plate having the test pattern, comparing the digitized reference marks and the digitized test pattern and calculating and providing correction data for the control of the radiation device on the basis of the comparison.

A method and apparatus is disclosed for additive manufacturing and three-dimensional printing, and specifically for extruding tubular objects. A print head extrudes a curable material into a tubular object, while simultaneously curing the tubular object and utilizing the interior of the cured portion of the tubular object for stabilizing and propelling the print head.

The present invention provides a system and a method for real time monitoring and identifying defects occurring in a three dimensional object build via an additive manufacturing process. Further, the present invention provides in-situ correction of such defects by a plurality of functional tool heads possessing freedom of motion in arbitrary planes and approach, where the functional tool heads are automatically and independently controlled based on a feedback analysis from the printing process, implementing analyzing techniques. Furthermore, the present invention provides a mechanism for analyzing defected data collected from detection devices and correcting tool path instructions and object model in-situ during construction of a 3D object. A build report is also generated that displays, in 3D space, the structural geometry and inherent properties of a final build object along with the features of corrected and uncorrected defects. Advantageously, the build report helps in improving 3D printing process for subsequent objects.

An apparatus and a method of using the apparatus wherein a radiation emitter is positioned adjacent a sensor apparatus within a process chamber in a laser sinter system that emits radiation to the sensor apparatus and a calibration apparatus receives readings from the sensor apparatus to compare temperature sensings received from the sensor apparatus with set emission signals from the radiation emitter to adjust the temperature sensings to calibrate the sensor apparatus during the forming of a three-dimensional article. The calibration is done repeatedly during the build process of the three-dimensional article.

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining an accurate three-dimensional model of a dental impression, said method comprising the steps of, scanning at least a part of an upper jaw impression and/or a lower jaw impression, obtaining an impression scan, evaluating the quality of the impression scan, and use the impression scan to obtain a three-dimensional model, thereby obtaining an accurate three-dimensional model of the dental impression.

A method and an arrangement for producing a workpiece using additive manufacturing techniques involve in-process measurement in order to determine individual characteristics of one or more workpiece layers. In particular, dimensional and/or geometrical characteristics of a workpiece layer are measured before the next workpiece layer is produced. Advantageously, the measurement results are fed back into the production process in order to increase accuracy and precision of the production process.

Various embodiments of the present invention relate to a method for welding a workpiece comprising the steps of: making a first weld at a first position on said workpiece with a high energy beam, deflecting the high energy beam with at least one deflection lens for making a second weld at a second position on said workpiece, focusing the high energy beam on said workpiece with at least one focusing lens, shaping the high energy beam on said workpiece with at least one astigmatism lens so that the shape of the high energy beam on said workpiece is longer in a direction parallel to a deflection direction of said high energy beam than in a direction perpendicular to said deflection direction of said high energy beam. The invention is also related to the use of an astigmatism lens and to a method for forming a three dimensional article.