Additive manufacturing systems with defect correction and related methods

Abstract

Systems and methods for manufacturing an object are provided herein. In some embodiments, a system includes a printer assembly configured to perform an additive manufacturing process using a curable material; at least one sensor; and a material removal device. The system may be configured to form an object portion from a curable material using a printer assembly. The system may be configured to generate sensor data of the object portion using the at least one sensor, and determine whether there is a defect in the object portion based on the sensor data. In response to determining that a defect is present in the object portion, the system may be configured to remove a region containing the defect in the object portion using a material removal device.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 489,588, filed March 10, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 496,075, filed April 14, 2023, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] This technology generally relates to manufacturing, and more specifically to additive manufacturing systems and methods with defect correction capabilities. Background Technology

[0004] Additive manufacturing encompasses a variety of techniques involving the construction of 3D objects from multiple layers of material. However, conventional additive manufacturing systems and apparatuses can be prone to problems that compromise the efficiency, quality, and scalability of the printing process. For example, printing defects can occur if material is deposited in the wrong location due to timing issues, post-deposition material migration, or poor adhesion of the deposited material. These defects can severely impact the dimensional accuracy of the printed object, or even lead to print failure, wasting material and extending manufacturing time. Conventional additive manufacturing systems and apparatuses lack the ability to detect and correct such defects, and therefore may be unsuitable for mass production of printed objects. Attached Figure Description

[0005] Many aspects of this disclosure can be better understood by referring to the following figures. The components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Rather, the focus is on clearly illustrating the principles of this disclosure.

[0006] FIG. 1A This is a schematic diagram providing a general overview of a system for additive manufacturing according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0007] FIG. 1B This is a schematic diagram providing a general overview of a system for additive manufacturing according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0008] FIG. 1C This is a schematic diagram providing a general overview of a system for additive manufacturing according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0009] FIG. 2 This is a partial schematic diagram providing a general overview of an additive manufacturing process according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0010] FIG. 3A This is a partial schematic side view of a system for additive manufacturing configured according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0011] FIG. 3B According to embodiments of the present technology FIG. 3AA partial schematic side view of the system during the first operational phase.

[0012] FIG. 3C According to embodiments of the present technology FIG. 3A A partial schematic side view of the system during the second operational phase.

[0013] FIG. 4A This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an object according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0014] FIG. 4B This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an object according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0015] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B This is a partial schematic diagram providing a general overview of a hybrid additive manufacturing process according to embodiments of the present technology.

[0016] FIG. 6A This is a partial schematic side view of a system for additive manufacturing configured according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0017] FIG. 6B According to embodiments of the present technology FIG. 6A A partial schematic side view of the system during the first operational phase.

[0018] FIG. 6C According to embodiments of the present technology FIG. 6A A partial schematic side view of the system during the second operational phase.

[0019] FIG. 6D According to embodiments of the present technology FIG. 6A A partial schematic side view of the system during the third operational phase.

[0020] FIG. 6E According to embodiments of the present technology FIG. 6A A partial schematic side view of the system during the fourth operational phase.

[0021] FIG. 7A This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an object according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0022] FIG. 7B This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an object according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0023] FIG. 8A This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing multiple objects according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0024] FIG. 8B This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing multiple objects according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0025] FIG. 9A This is a partial schematic diagram of a digital representation used in the manufacture of a portion of each of a plurality of objects, according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0026] FIG. 9B Modified embodiments according to the present technology are shown. FIG. 9A The numerical representation.

[0027] FIG. 10A A representative example of a tooth repositioning appliance configured according to embodiments of the present technology is shown.

[0028] FIG. 10B A tooth repositioning system comprising multiple appliances is shown according to an embodiment of the present technology.

[0029] FIG. 10C A method for orthodontic treatment using multiple appliances according to an embodiment of the present technology is illustrated.

[0030] FIG. 11 A method for designing orthodontic appliances according to embodiments of the present technology is shown.

[0031] FIG. 12 A method for designing or manufacturing orthodontic treatment and / or appliances for digital planning according to embodiments of the present technology is illustrated.

[0032] FIG. 13 This is a partial schematic diagram of the elements of a process for correcting printing defects in an additive manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present technology. Detailed Implementation

[0033] As discussed in this article, defects in manufacturing systems, such as additive manufacturing systems, can significantly impact performance. It is desirable to be able to detect and / or address potential defects in additive manufacturing systems without human intervention. For example, the ability to detect and / or address issues such as incorrect material deposition, delamination, and deformation can significantly improve the printing efficiency of individual additive manufacturing parts and / or groups of additive manufacturing parts (printed in one or more batches). A single defect in a part can ruin an entire batch and require reprinting the entire batch. Detecting and / or addressing potential defects in additive manufacturing systems can reduce part waste and can help accelerate process and design development / improvement. Of course, the advantages of detecting and / or addressing potential defects in additive manufacturing systems are further amplified in additive manufacturing systems used for mass customization or batch printing. In systems using two or more 3D printing systems (e.g., systems using digital light processing (DLP) and material jetting), detecting and / or addressing potential defects in additive manufacturing systems can prove particularly useful.

[0034] This technology relates to systems, related apparatuses, and methods for additive manufacturing of objects. For example, in some embodiments, the system for manufacturing an object includes a printer assembly, an imaging device, and a material removal device configured to perform an additive manufacturing process using a curable material. The system may also include a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations to detect and / or correct defects that may occur during the additive manufacturing process. In some embodiments, the operations include: forming an object portion from the curable material using the printer assembly; generating image data of the object portion using the imaging device; and determining, based on the image data, whether a defect exists in the object portion, such as incorrect material placement in the object portion. In response to determining that a defect exists in the object portion, the material removal device can be used to remove the area containing the defect in the object portion (e.g., via removal techniques such as suction, electrostatic interaction, ablation, etc.).

[0035] As another example, a method for manufacturing objects may include receiving digital representations of multiple objects, such as objects that are part of a single layout and are planned to be manufactured simultaneously in the same manufacturing operation. The method may include forming a first portion of each of the multiple objects using an additive manufacturing process based on the digital representation. Subsequently, image data of the first portion of each object may be acquired using an imaging device. The image data may be used to determine whether any defects (e.g., improper material deposition, delamination, deformation) exist in the first portion of any object. In response to determining that a defect exists in the first portion of an object, the digital representation may be modified, for example, by removing the defective portion of the object's digital representation, such as by masking or deleting pixels corresponding to the object in the object's digital representation. Based on the modified digital representation, a second portion of each of the remaining objects may be formed via an additive manufacturing process. In some embodiments, some or all of the defect detection and / or processing functions described herein are performed locally relative to a printing system. As an example of locally performed functions, some or all of the defect detection and / or processing functions described herein may physically reside on a system that also performs additive manufacturing. In some embodiments, some or all of the defect detection and / or processing functions described herein are performed remotely relative to a printing system. As an example of remotely executed functions, some or all of the defect detection and / or processing functions described herein may reside physically away from the system that also performs additive manufacturing; they may be coupled via physical, wireless and / or other network and / or computer-readable media, examples of which will be described herein.

[0036] Compared to conventional additive manufacturing techniques, this technology offers numerous advantages. For example, the system described herein can automatically detect and correct defects that occur during the manufacturing process of additively manufactured objects without the need for monitoring and intervention from human operators. The system also allows for dynamic and adaptive modification of object geometry and / or curing parameters during the additive manufacturing process to correct any defects that arise. In cases where defects cannot be corrected, the system can selectively terminate the printing of the affected object while continuing to manufacture other objects in the same layout. Therefore, the embodiments described herein can improve the efficiency and accuracy of large-scale additive manufacturing while reducing time and material losses due to printing defects.

[0037] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals denote the same elements in several figures, and exemplary embodiments are illustrated in the drawings. However, the embodiments of the claims may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. The examples set forth herein are non-limiting examples and are merely examples of other possible examples.

[0038] As used herein, the terms “vertical,” “lateral,” “upper,” “lower,” “left,” “right,” etc., can refer to the relative orientation or position of a feature of the embodiments disclosed herein, given the orientation shown in the figures. For example, “upper” or “topmost” can refer to a feature positioned closer to the top of the page than another feature. However, these terms should be interpreted broadly to include embodiments with other orientations, such as inverted or tilted orientations, wherein top / bottom, above / below, above / below, up / down, and left / right can be interchanged depending on the orientation.

[0039] The headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not define the scope or meaning of the claimed technology. Embodiments under any heading may be used in conjunction with embodiments under any other heading. I. Systems and methods for additive manufacturing

[0040] FIGS. 1A-1C A system 100 for additive manufacturing according to embodiments of the present technology is provided. FIG. 1A The system shown is system 100A. FIG. 1B The system shown is system 100B. FIG. 1CThe diagram shown is a general overview of system 100C. Additive manufacturing (also referred to herein as “3D printing”) encompasses a variety of techniques for creating 3D objects directly from digital models using additive processes. For example, additive manufacturing can be used to directly manufacture orthodontic appliances (e.g., braces, palatal expanders, retainers, attachment placement devices, attachments), restorative objects (e.g., crowns, veneers, implants), and / or other dental appliances (e.g., oral sleep apnea appliances, oral protectors). Additional examples of dental appliances and associated methods suitable for this technology are described in Section II below.

[0041] System 100A includes at least one printer assembly for manufacturing one or more objects via additive manufacturing technology. Examples of additive manufacturing technologies that the one or more printer assemblies of System 100A can implement include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) vat photopolymerization, wherein objects are constructed from a vat or other volumetric source of liquid photopolymer resin, including technologies such as stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), continuous liquid interface production (CLIP), two-photon induced photopolymerization (TPIP), and volumetric additive manufacturing; (2) material jetting, wherein materials are jetted onto a build platform using a continuous or drop-on-demand (DOD) method; (3) binder jetting, wherein alternating layers of build material (e.g., powder-based materials) and binder material (e.g., liquid binders) are deposited through a printhead; (4) material extrusion, wherein... In this process, material is extracted through a nozzle, heated, and deposited layer by layer, such as fused deposition modeling (FDM) and direct ink writing (DIW); (5) powder bed fusion, including techniques such as direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), electron beam melting (EBM), selective thermal sintering (SHS), selective laser melting (SLM), and selective laser sintering (SLS); (6) sheet lamination, including techniques such as layered solid fabrication (LOM) and ultrasonic additive manufacturing (UAM); and (7) directional energy deposition, including techniques such as laser engineered net-shape forming, directional light fabrication, direct metal deposition, and 3D laser cladding. In some embodiments, the object geometry may be constructed layer by layer, wherein continuous layers are formed in discrete construction steps. Alternatively or in combination, the object geometry may be constructed continuously without discrete layers. Optionally, the additive manufacturing process may use a combination of two or more additive manufacturing techniques.

[0042] For example, a trough photopolymerization process can be used to fabricate additive manufacturing objects, in which light is used to selectively cure a curable material (e.g., a polymer resin) in a trough or other volumetric source. Each layer of curable material can be selectively exposed to light in a single exposure (e.g., DLP) or by scanning a beam on the layer (e.g., SLA). Depending on the relative positions of the material source, the light source, and the build platform, trough polymerization can be performed in a "top-down" or "bottom-up" manner.

[0043] As another example, high-temperature lithography (also known as "thermal lithography") can be used to fabricate additive manufacturing objects. High-temperature lithography can include any photopolymerization process involving heating a photopolymerizable material (e.g., a polymer resin). For example, high-temperature lithography can involve heating the material to a temperature of at least 30°C, 40°C, 50°C, 60°C, 70°C, 80°C, 90°C, 100°C, 110°C, or 120°C. In some embodiments, the material is heated to a temperature in the range of 50°C to 120°C, 90°C to 120°C, 100°C to 120°C, 105°C to 115°C, or 105°C to 110°C. Heating can reduce the viscosity of the photopolymerizable material before and / or during curing, and / or increase the reactivity of the photopolymerizable material. Therefore, high-temperature lithography can be used to manufacture objects from materials with high viscosity and / or poor flowability, which can exhibit improved mechanical properties (e.g., stiffness, strength, stability) upon curing compared to other types of materials. For example, high-temperature lithography can be used to manufacture objects from materials having a viscosity of at least 5 Pa⁻¹, 10 Pa⁻¹, 15 Pa⁻¹, 20 Pa⁻¹, 30 Pa⁻¹, 40 Pa⁻¹, or 50 Pa⁻¹ at 20 °C. Representative examples of high-temperature lithography processes that may be incorporated herein are described in the following international publications: WO2015 / 075094, WO2016 / 078838, WO2018 / 032022, WO2020 / 070639, WO2021 / 130657, and WO2021 / 130661, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0044] In some embodiments, additively manufactured objects are produced using continuous liquid interphase production (also known as "continuous liquid interphase printing"), wherein the object is continuously constructed from a reservoir of photopolymerizable resin by forming a gradient of partially cured resin between the build surface of the object and a "dead zone" that inhibits polymerization. In some embodiments, a semi-permeable membrane is used to control the delivery of photopolymerization inhibitors (e.g., oxygen) into the dead zone to form a polymerization gradient. Representative examples of continuous liquid interphase production processes that may be incorporated into the methods herein are described in the following: U.S. Patent Publications 2015 / 0097315, 2015 / 0097316, and 2015 / 0102532, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0045] As another example, continuous additive manufacturing methods can achieve continuous construction of object geometry by controlling the curing depth of the irradiated photopolymer through continuous movement of the build platform during the irradiation phase (e.g., along the vertical or Z-direction). Thus, continuous polymerization of material on the build surface can be achieved. Such methods are described in U.S. Patent No. 7,892,474, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In another example, continuous additive manufacturing methods can involve extruding a composite material consisting of a curable liquid material surrounding a solid strand. The composite material can be extruded along a continuous three-dimensional path to form an object. Such methods are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 10,162,264 and 2014 / 0061974, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. In yet another example, continuous additive manufacturing methods can utilize heliolithography, in which a liquid photopolymer is cured using focused radiation while the build platform is continuously rotated and raised. Therefore, the geometry of an object can be constructed continuously along a spiral construction path. Such methods are described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2014 / 0265034, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0046] In another example, volumetric additive manufacturing (VAM) processes can be used to fabricate additive objects, in which the entire object is produced from a 3D volume of resin in a single printing step, without the need for layer-by-layer construction. During the VAM process, the entire build volume is irradiated with energy, but the projected pattern is configured such that only certain voxels accumulate a sufficient dose of energy to be cured. Representative examples of VAM processes that can be incorporated into this technique include tomographic volumetric printing, holographic volumetric printing, multiphoton volumetric printing, and xolography. For example, a tomographic VAM process can be performed by projecting a 2D optical pattern onto a rotating volume of photosensitive material at a perpendicular and / or angular incident angle to produce a cured 3D structure. A holographic VAM process can be performed by projecting a holographic light pattern onto a stationary reservoir of photosensitive material. Xolography can use photo-switched photoinitiators to induce localized polymerization within a volume of photosensitive material by linearly exciting it with beams of different wavelengths crossed. Additional details of the VAM process suitable for use with this technology are described in the following: U.S. Patent No. 11,370,173, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2021 / 0146619, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2022 / 0227051, International Publication No. WO2017 / 115076, International Publication No. WO2020 / 245456, International Publication No. WO2022 / 011456 and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 181,645, the disclosures of each of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0047] In yet another example, an additively manufactured object can be created using a powder bed fusion process (e.g., selective laser sintering), which involves selectively fusing layers of powder material using a laser beam according to a desired cross-sectional shape to establish the object's geometry. As another example, an additively manufactured object can be created using a material extrusion process (e.g., fused deposition modeling), which involves selectively depositing filamentary materials (e.g., thermoplastic polymers) in a layer-by-layer manner to form the object. In yet another example, an additively manufactured object can be created using a material jetting process, which involves jetting or extruding one or more materials onto a build surface to form continuous layers of the object's geometry.

[0048] Additively manufactured objects can be made from any suitable material or combination of materials. As discussed above, in some embodiments, additively manufactured objects are made partly or entirely of polymeric materials, such as curable polymeric resins. The resin can consist of one or more monomeric components that are initially in a liquid state. The resin can be in a liquid state at room temperature (e.g., 20°C) or at elevated temperatures (e.g., in the range of 50°C to 120°C). When exposed to energy (e.g., light), the monomeric components can undergo a polymerization reaction, causing the resin to cure into the desired object geometry. Representative examples of curable polymeric resins and other materials suitable for use with the additive manufacturing techniques described herein are described in the following: International Publications WO2019 / 006409, WO2020 / 070639 and WO2021 / 087061, the disclosure of each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0049] Optionally, the additively manufactured object can be made from a variety of different materials (e.g., at least two, three, four, five, or more different materials). The materials can differ from each other in composition, curing conditions (e.g., curing energy wavelength), pre-curing material properties (e.g., viscosity), and post-curing material properties (e.g., stiffness, strength, transparency). In some embodiments, the additively manufactured object is formed from multiple materials in a single manufacturing step. For example, a multi-tip extrusion apparatus can be used to selectively dispense multiple types of materials from different material supply sources to manufacture an object from multiple different materials. Examples of such methods are described in U.S. Patent Nos. 6,749,414 and 11,318,667, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Alternatively or in combination, the additively manufactured object can be formed from multiple materials in multiple sequential manufacturing steps. For example, a first portion of the object may be formed from a first material according to any manufacturing method herein, then a second portion of the object may be formed from a second material according to any manufacturing method herein, and so on, until the entire object has been formed.

[0050] like FIG. 1A As shown, system 100A may include a first printer assembly 102a configured to form at least a portion of an object using a first additive manufacturing technique. The first printer assembly 102a may include a first material source 108a and a first energy source 110a. The first material source 108a may be configured to deposit a first precursor material (e.g., a curable material such as a photopolymer resin) onto a build platform. The first precursor material may be cured, polymerized, melted, sintered, fused, and / or otherwise solidified by the first energy source 110a to form a portion of the object and / or combine that portion with a previously formed portion of the object.

[0051] In some embodiments, system 100A includes a second printer assembly 102b configured to form at least a portion of an object using a second additive manufacturing technique. The second additive manufacturing technique may be the same as or different from the first additive manufacturing technique of the first printer assembly 102a. The first and second additive manufacturing techniques may each be independently selected from any additive manufacturing techniques described herein. The second printer assembly 102b may include a second material source 108b and a second energy source 110b. The second material source 108b may be configured to deposit a second precursor material (e.g., a curable material such as a photopolymer resin) onto a build platform. The second precursor material may be the same as or different from the first precursor material. The second precursor material may be cured, polymerized, melted, sintered, fused, and / or otherwise solidified by the second energy source 110b to form a portion of the object and / or combine that portion with a previously formed portion of the object. The second energy source 110b may output the same type of energy as the first energy source 110a (e.g., energy with the same wavelength) or may output a different type of energy (e.g., energy with different wavelengths). Representative examples of the construction of the first printer assembly 102a and / or the second printer assembly 102b are described below in conjunction with FIGS. 2-6E Further description.

[0052] Controller 106 may be operatively coupled to printer assemblies 102a, 102b of system 100A to control their operation. Controller 106 may be or include a computing device including one or more processors and memory storing instructions for performing the additive manufacturing operations described herein. For example, controller 106 may receive a digital representation of the geometry of a target object to be printed, such as a 3D model of the entire object geometry and / or multiple 2D images (e.g., bitmap images) representing multiple layers used to incrementally construct the object geometry (also referred to herein as “slices” of the object). Controller 106 may transmit instructions (e.g., control signals) to each of printer assemblies 102a, 102b to manufacture the object using the corresponding additive manufacturing process based on the digital representation. The instructions may control the operation of material sources 108a, 108b (e.g., amount of material deposited, type of material deposited, deposition location), energy sources 110a, 110b (e.g., exposure time, exposure pattern, exposure wavelength, energy density, power density), and / or other relevant parameters for additive manufacturing (e.g., material temperature).

[0053] In the illustrated embodiment, system 100A can coordinate the operation of the first printer assembly 102a and the second printer assembly 102b to jointly form a desired object geometry. For example, the digital representation of the target object geometry received by controller 106 may include a first digital representation (e.g., a first 3D model and / or multiple first 2D images) corresponding to one or more first object portions to be formed by the first printer assembly 102a, and a second digital representation (e.g., a second 3D model and / or multiple second 2D images) corresponding to one or more second object portions to be formed by the second printer assembly 102b. Controller 106 may instruct the first printer assembly 102a to form the first object portion from a first precursor material based on the first digital representation, and may instruct the second printer assembly 102b to form the second object portion from a second precursor material based on the second digital representation. The first and second object portions may be formed sequentially or simultaneously as needed. Each object portion may have any suitable geometry. For example, an object portion may be an entire layer of an object, or it may only be a portion of a layer of an object.

[0054] The dimensions and positions of the first and second object portions can be determined based on the desired geometry and properties of the final printed object. Depending on the composition and properties of the first and second precursor materials, the first and second object portions can differ from each other in at least one of the following material properties: modulus (e.g., elastic modulus, flexural modulus, storage modulus), glass transition temperature, elongation at break, elongation at yield, strength, solubility, hardness, scratch resistance, roughness, degradability, color, refractive index, energy absorption, energy dissipation, energy reflection, energy scattering, transparency, diffusion, pH value, porosity, morphology, chemical composition, molecular recognition, molecular absorption, molecular release, phase separation, or durability. Different material properties can enhance the functionality of the final printed object. For example, in embodiments where the printed object is a dental appliance, different material properties can be used to control the magnitude and / or direction of the force applied to the patient's teeth by the dental appliance. Furthermore, in embodiments that utilize support structures (e.g., struts, cones, columns) to connect objects to a building platform for printing, different material properties can be used to create weakened locations at or near the interface between the support structure and the object, making it easier to separate the object from the support structure during post-processing.

[0055] In certain circumstances, defects may occur when system 100A forms one or more additively manufactured objects using first printer assembly 102a and / or second printer assembly 102b. Defects may occur before energy is applied to cure the deposited material, after energy is applied to cure the deposited material, or both. Examples of such defects include, but are not limited to, any of the following: material is deposited in an incorrect location, material is not deposited in the correct location, the amount of material deposited is incorrect (e.g., too much or too little material), material is cured in an incorrect location, material is not cured in the correct location, the degree of curing is incorrect (e.g., over-curing or under-curing), and / or the geometry of the material changes after deposition and / or curing (e.g., due to material migration, warping, or poor interlayer adhesion). For example, in embodiments using printer assemblies that move during material deposition, material deposition defects may occur if there is a timing mismatch between the movement of the printer assembly, the material deposition by the printer assembly, and / or the control signals sent by controller 106 to the printer assembly. Material deposition defects can also occur if the printer assembly is not properly aligned with the active printing area, if the printer assembly is clogged or otherwise fails to deposit material correctly, if the material migrates from its initial placement position after deposition (e.g., due to surface energy, capillary effects), and / or if there is an unexpected offset between the build platform and the printer assembly (e.g., due to forces (such as shear forces) experienced by the build platform during the fabrication of a previous object portion).

[0056] Therefore, system 100A may include a defect correction component 104 configured to detect and correct defects that may occur during additive manufacturing. The defect correction component 104 may include at least one sensor 112 configured to generate sensor data that can be analyzed to determine if any defects, such as material deposition defects, curing defects, and / or any other types of defects described herein, are present in the printed portion of the object.

[0057] For example, sensor 112 may be or include an imaging device (e.g., a camera, a scanner) configured to generate 2D and / or 3D image data of a printed portion of an object. The imaging device may capture images of the object portion at any suitable wavelength, such as infrared wavelengths, visible wavelengths, ultraviolet wavelengths, or combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the imaging device captures the response of the object portion to certain energy wavelengths (e.g., fluorescence imaging) and / or captures changes in the transmission of certain energy wavelengths through the object portion (e.g., X-ray imaging or other radiation-based imaging techniques). Optionally, the precursor materials of the first printer assembly 102a and / or the second printer assembly 102b may include components for enhancing visualization during imaging by the imaging device, such as dyes (e.g., dyes visible at infrared, visible, and / or ultraviolet wavelengths) and / or other components that modify the optical properties of the material (e.g., transparency, absorbance, transmittance, reflectance). In some embodiments, image data of the object portion is generated from multiple viewpoints using multiple imaging devices, and the image data may then be combined to reconstruct the 3D geometry of the object using techniques such as tomography.

[0058] In an embodiment of system 100A including a first printer assembly 102a and a second printer assembly 102b, the first precursor material and the second precursor material may have different optical properties, allowing the different materials to be distinguished from each other in image data acquired by the imaging device. For example, when imaging with light of a first wavelength, the first precursor material may be selectively visible, while when imaging with light of a second different wavelength, the second precursor material may be selectively visible. Therefore, image data captured at different wavelengths can be used to determine whether a defect is present only in the first precursor material or only in the second precursor material. As another example, both the first and second precursor materials may be visible in the image data, but may have different optical properties (e.g., color, opacity) that allow the materials to be distinguished from each other.

[0059] Controller 106 can receive and process image data (e.g., using computer vision algorithms and / or machine learning algorithms) to determine the actual geometry of a printed object portion, such as the locations where one or more materials are deposited, the amount of material deposited at each location, and / or the type of material deposited at each location. Controller 106 can compare the actual geometry of the object portion with a target geometry, which can be determined based on a digital representation of the object (e.g., a 3D model and / or 2D image received by controller 106). For example, in embodiments where the digital representation of the object includes multiple coordinate locations (e.g., pixels or voxels) indicating where material should or should not be deposited, controller 106 can compare each coordinate location in the digital representation of the target object geometry with the corresponding coordinate location in the image data of the actual object geometry to identify any discrepancies. Based on the comparison results, controller 106 can detect any defects in the object portion, such as locations where material is incorrectly deposited (e.g., the actual object geometry includes the material at that location, but the target object geometry does not) and / or locations where material is incorrectly omitted (e.g., the target object geometry includes the material at that location, but the actual object geometry does not).

[0060] Alternatively or in combination, other types of sensors 112 can be used to determine the presence of defects in the printed object portion. For example, system 100A can be configured to characterize the amount of material deposited based on the object portion's response to mechanical disturbances (e.g., vibrations). The mechanical disturbance can be applied by an agitator comprising a vibrating element configured to generate vibrations in the object portion, such as a piezoelectric emitter or an acoustic (e.g., ultrasonic) emitter. System 100A may include at least one sensor 112 that acquires sensor data indicative of the object portion's response to the mechanical disturbance, such as the magnitude and / or frequency of the object's displacement over time. For example, sensor 112 may be a piezoelectric receiver, an acoustic (e.g., ultrasonic) receiver, an imaging device (e.g., a camera), a displacement sensor, a distance sensor, a force sensor, a strain sensor, and / or a position sensor. Controller 106 can use the measured response of the object portion to the mechanical disturbance to calculate the mass and / or volume (e.g., thickness) of the object portion. For example, one or more acoustic pulses can be sent toward one or more specific locations along an object portion, and the thickness of the object portion at those locations can then be calculated using the reflected pulses from these specific locations. This can be based on, for example, the frequency characteristics of the reflected pulses (which can vary based on the path distance of the reflected pulses through the object portion). The calculated mass / volume can be compared to a target mass / volume of the object portion (e.g., the predicted mass / volume of the object portion assuming correct material deposition). The difference between the calculated mass / volume and the target mass / volume can indicate a defect in the object portion. For example, if the calculated mass / volume exceeds the target mass / volume, this can indicate that material deposition at one or more locations is incorrect. Conversely, if the calculated mass / volume is less than the target mass / volume, this can indicate that material has been incorrectly omitted at one or more locations.

[0061] In some embodiments, system 100A includes at least one sensor 112 that acquires sensor data representing the operational state of the first printer assembly 102a and / or the second printer assembly 102b. For example, the operational state may be the velocity, acceleration, force, torque, etc., of one or more movable parts of the first printer assembly 102a and / or the second printer assembly 102b (e.g., a motor driving the rotation of a carrier film supporting material thereon, or a motor driving movement of the printer assembly relative to a build platform). Changes in the operational state of the first printer assembly 102a and / or the second printer assembly 102b may be related to defects in the printed object portion. For example, changes in the velocity, acceleration, force, torque, etc., of one or more movable parts may indicate too much or too little material being deposited, and / or material being deposited in the wrong location. Such changes may be measured by motion sensors (e.g., accelerometers), position sensors, distance sensors, force sensors, strain gauges, and / or appropriate combinations thereof.

[0062] If the controller 106 determines that a defect exists and / or does not exist in the printed object portion, the controller 106 may instruct the defect correction component 104 to take measures to correct or otherwise mitigate the defect. For example, if the defect involves material deposited in an incorrect location, the defect correction component 104 may use the material removal device 114 to remove the improperly deposited material. In some embodiments, the material removal device 114 selectively removes only the area of ​​the printed object portion containing the defect, such as the specific location where the material is improperly deposited, while leaving the rest of the object portion intact. This method can be used when the location of the defect can be identified with sufficient accuracy, the defect is relatively small, and / or the properties of the material (e.g., viscosity, wettability, surface energy) allow for selective removal of material from the target location without disturbing material at other locations. However, in other embodiments, the material removal device 114 may remove other areas of the object portion along with the area containing the defect. For example, the material removal device 114 may also remove material from locations adjacent to and / or near the location of the defect (e.g., within 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, or 1 cm of the defect location). In some embodiments, the material removal device 114 can remove an entire portion of an object containing a defect, such as the entire last printed layer of the object. This method can be used when the exact location of the defect is uncertain, the defect is relatively large, and / or the material properties are unsuitable for selective removal.

[0063] The material removal device 114 may include any means suitable for removing precursor material from the object portion. For example, the material removal device 114 may include a vacuum mechanism configured to remove the material by suctioning it from the object portion. In embodiments where the material is viscous (e.g., resin), the vacuum mechanism may optionally be used in conjunction with another means to reduce the viscosity of the material to facilitate suction, such as an agitator that vibrates the object portion to perform shear-induced thinning, and / or a heat source that heats the object portion.

[0064] As another example, in embodiments where the material is a charged substance or includes a charged substance, the material removal device 114 can be configured to remove material from the target portion via electrostatic interaction. For example, the material removal device 114 may include rollers, drums, screens, or other components having surfaces that can be charged (e.g., capacitively charged). The charged surface can be brought close to the material (e.g., within a threshold distance of the material) to remove the material from the target portion via electrostatic interaction. Alternatively, the surface can be selectively charged (e.g., using a mechanism capable of pixel-level charging, such as a laser) to allow selective removal of material only from one or more target locations.

[0065] In another example, the material removal device 114 may include an ablation mechanism (e.g., a laser or other high-energy source) configured to remove material from the object portion by ablation (e.g., vaporization, melting, blast removal). Other types of removal techniques that the material removal device 114 may implement include, but are not limited to: applying a solvent (e.g., isopropanol) to dissolve and / or wash away the material from the object portion; applying pressurized gas (e.g., an air knife) to flush away the material from the object portion; heating the object portion to melt the material from the object portion; applying mechanical forces (e.g., shaking, brushing, scraping, cutting, splitting) to physically separate the material from the object portion; applying another material that causes a phase change, state change, and / or solubility change in the material of the object portion to facilitate removal; and / or any other physical and / or chemical-based methods for material removal. The following is combined with... FIGS. 2-6E A representative example of the construction of the material removal device 114 is provided.

[0066] Once the incorrectly deposited material is removed, system 100A can continue additive manufacturing of the object, such as instructing the first printer assembly 102a and / or the second printer assembly 102b to reprint any areas of the object portion that were removed along with the area containing the defect. For example, if an entire layer of the object was removed to correct the defect, system 100A can instruct the first printer assembly 102a and / or the second printer assembly 102b to reformat the layer and then continue forming the next layer. If the defect was corrected by removing only the area of ​​the object portion containing the defect, system 100A can instruct the first printer assembly 102a and / or the second printer assembly 102b to directly continue forming the next layer of the object.

[0067] Alternatively or additionally, controller 106 may take other measures to correct or otherwise mitigate the detected defect. For example, if the defect involves a lack of material at a desired location, controller 106 may instruct the appropriate printer assembly to correct the defect by depositing material at that location. As another example, if the defect involves insufficient material curing at a particular location, controller 106 may instruct the appropriate printer assembly to correct the defect by applying additional energy at that location to increase the degree of curing. In yet another example, if the defect involves misalignment between the build platform and the printer assembly, controller 106 may adjust the appropriate printer assembly and / or the object digital representation used by that printer assembly to compensate for the misalignment. For example, if the misalignment is caused by a relatively small distance (e.g., a few millimeters) of offset between the build platform and the printer assembly, controller 106 may apply a linear transformation to the positioning of the printer assembly and / or the object digital representation, such that the linear transformation compensates for the offset between the build platform and the printer assembly.

[0068] In some embodiments, controller 106 is configured to dynamically adjust the digital representation of an object to compensate for detected defects. For example, adjustment may include modifying the geometry of subsequent portions of the object (e.g., changing size and / or shape), modifying energy parameters to be used to form subsequent portions of the object (e.g., changing exposure time, energy intensity, and / or grayscale values), modifying the geometry of another object adjacent to the object with the detected defect, modifying energy parameters to be used to form another object adjacent to the object with the detected defect, or suitable combinations thereof. For example, if it is determined that a layer of the object is undercured, an increased dose of energy may be applied to subsequent layers of the object to cure the previous layer via overcuring. In some embodiments, controller 106 implements a software algorithm that generates corrected geometries for the object portion and / or subsequent object portions, and then instructs appropriate printer components to print the object portion and / or subsequent object portions with the corrected geometry. Appropriate corrected geometries may be determined based on the observed defect type, and appropriate corrected geometries may be generated using simulation, rule-based algorithms, machine learning algorithms, or any other suitable method.

[0069] In some embodiments, if the controller 106 determines that the defect is too severe to be corrected using the defect correction component 104, the controller 106 may instruct the first printer component 102a and / or the second printer component 102b to stop printing the object containing the defect, while continuing to print other objects that do not contain the defect, as described in more detail below, for example, in conjunction with FIGS. 8A-9B As described. In addition, the controller 106 may alternatively or additionally suspend the printing operation, terminate the printing operation, and / or generate a notification reminding the human operator of the presence and / or absence of a defect.

[0070] The defect detection and correction process described herein can be performed at any appropriate stage of the operation of System 100A. For example, defects can be detected and / or corrected after material deposition but before energy curing, after material deposition and after energy curing, or both. The appropriate timing for detecting and correcting defects may vary depending on the type of material used, the additive manufacturing technology, and / or the material removal technology.

[0071] FIG. 1A The system 100A shown can be modified in many different ways. For example, although FIG. 1AAn embodiment of system 100A with two printer components 102a and 102b is shown, but in other embodiments, system 100A may include different numbers of printer components, such as a single printer component (e.g., only the first printer component 102a or only the second printer component 102b) or three, four, five or more printer components. In embodiments where system 100A includes multiple printer components, each printer component may be independently configured to implement any suitable additive manufacturing technology. Some or all of the printer components may use the same additive manufacturing technology, or some or all of the printer components may use different additive manufacturing technologies. Furthermore, some or all of the printer components may use the same precursor material for printing, or some or all of the printer components may use different precursor materials for printing. Optionally, a single printer component may include multiple material sources (e.g., a material jet printer with multiple nozzles for depositing different materials) for printing using a variety of different precursor materials. In some embodiments, each printer assembly has its own respective material source and energy source, while in other embodiments, some or all printer assemblies may share a material source and / or energy source (e.g., a first energy source 110a may be used to cure both a first precursor material of the first printer assembly 102a and a second precursor material of the second printer assembly 102b). The techniques described herein can be modified to suit any suitable number and configuration of printer assemblies.

[0072] Furthermore, despite FIG. 1A A single defect correction component 104 is shown, but in other embodiments, system 100A may include multiple defect correction components (e.g., two, three, four, five, or more defect correction components). Each defect correction component may be independently configured to implement any suitable material removal technique. Some or all of the defect correction components may use the same material removal technique, or some or all of the defect correction components may use different material removal techniques. Optionally, a single defect correction component may include multiple material removal devices 114 implementing different corresponding material removal techniques (e.g., suction and washing). The type of material removal technique used may vary depending on the type of material used by system 100A.

[0073] FIG. 1B This is a schematic diagram providing a general overview of the system 100B for additive manufacturing. FIG. 1B In this example, system 100B includes a printing system 102, a controller 106, a sensor 112, a material modification device 114, and a computer-readable medium 120. The components of system 100B may be coupled to each other and / or coupled to... FIG. 1BComponents not explicitly shown. For example, printing system 102, controller 106, sensor 112, and / or material modification device 114 may be coupled to each other via computer-readable medium 120. One or more of printing system 102, controller 106, sensor 112, and / or material modification device 114 may be embedded on a general-purpose chip or other hardware.

[0074] exist FIG. 1B In the example, printing system 102 includes one or more printing systems, in FIG. 1B The figures shown are printing systems 102-1 to 102-N. Printing system 102 may include... FIG. 1A The printing system 102 shown herein includes some or all of its components. The printing system 102 may include a multi-mode printing system. As used herein, a multi-mode printing system may include a printing system supporting two or more printing modes. Printing modes may include the mechanics, hardware, and / or software for implementing the printing process. Examples of printing modes include tubular photopolymerization, material jetting, binder jetting, polymer jetting, powder bed fusion, material extrusion, directional energy deposition, and sheet lamination. In some embodiments, the printing system 102 supports both DLP and inkjet modes. For example, the printing system 102 may include a first printing system that supports the mechanics, hardware, and / or software for implementing DLP 3D printing of 3D printed articles. The printing system 102 may also include a second printing system that supports the mechanics, hardware, and / or software for inkjet 3D printing of 3D printed articles.

[0075] Printing system 102 may include a material source 108, a material delivery system 109, and / or an energy source 110. Material source 108 may include mechanical and / or hardware for delivering material to printing system 102. In some embodiments, material source 108 includes a storage unit (not shown) for holding curable material to be 3D printed into a 3D printed article. Although material sources 108 are shown as distinct, they may be shared between printing systems 102. Material delivery system 109 delivers curable material to build areas (e.g., build plates) on which a 3D printed part will be formed. As an example, material delivery system 109 may include a carrier film, nozzles, etc., that allow resin to be delivered to the relevant areas to enable part formation. In embodiments, a first material delivery system 109 includes a carrier film, while a second material delivery system 109 includes a material jetting system. Energy source 110 may include mechanical and / or hardware for delivering energy to areas of printing system 102. In some embodiments, energy source 110 includes a light source and / or heat source for curing uncured material. Power source 110 may include DLP mechanics and / or hardware for selectively patterning and / or exposing uncured material to 3D print 3D articles. Power source 110 need not provide selective patterning and / or exposure; it should be noted that in some embodiments, power source 110 may non-selectively cure any material exposed thereto. Although power sources 110 are shown as different, power sources 110 may be shared between printing systems 102.

[0076] Sensor 112 may include mechanical and / or hardware for sensing characteristics and / or state of printing system 102. In some embodiments, sensor 112 includes one or more of a piezoelectric receiver, an acoustic (e.g., ultrasonic) receiver, an imaging device (e.g., a camera), a displacement sensor, a distance sensor, a force sensor, a strain sensor, a temperature sensor, and / or a position sensor. In some embodiments, the functionality of sensor 112 may be incorporated into the functionality of controller 106 when analyzing portions of an image to be 3D printed into a 3D printed article. Material modification device 114 may include mechanical and / or hardware for removing erroneously printed and / or material identified as containing defective elements. In some embodiments, the functionality of material modification device 114 may be incorporated into the functionality of controller 106 when analyzing portions of an image to be 3D printed into a 3D printed article; this will be further described herein.

[0077] Computer-readable medium 120 may include any temporary or non-temporary computer-readable medium or architecture capable of facilitating communication or data transmission. Examples of computer-readable medium 120 include, but are not limited to: wires, buses, cables, intranets, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), personal area networks (PANs), the Internet, power line communication (PLCs), cellular networks (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) networks), portions of one or more of the above, variations or combinations of one or more of the above networks, and / or any other suitable network. In an embodiment, computer-readable medium 120 resides on a device having printing system 102 and / or controller 106. Computer-readable medium 120 may include any temporary or non-temporary computer-readable medium or architecture to couple printing system 102, controller 106, sensor 112, and / or material modification device 114 to each other.

[0078] The controller 106 may include a system for controlling the printing system 102, sensor 112, material modification device 114, and / or other items. FIG. 1B In this example, controller 106 includes processor 130 and memory 140. Processor 130 may include one or more physical processors. Examples of physical processors include, but are not limited to, microprocessors, microcontrollers, central processing units (CPUs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) implementing soft-core processors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), portions of one or more of the above, variations or combinations of the above, and / or any other suitable physical processor. Memory 140 may include physical hardware for storing and / or managing data. Examples of memory 140 include, but are not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), optical disk drives, caches, variations or combinations of the above, and / or any other suitable storage memory.

[0079] exist FIG. 1B In this example, the memory may include computer program instructions 150. The computer program instructions 150 may implement one or more engines that, when executed by the processor, cause the controller 106 to perform specific actions. For example, when executed by the processor 130, the computer program instructions 150 may cause the controller 106 to control the machinery and / or hardware (e.g., material source 108, material delivery system 109, energy source 110, etc.) on the printing system 102.

[0080] exist FIG. 1BIn the example, computer program instructions 150 include a sensor interface 160, a defect evaluator 162, a defect handler 164, and a printing system controller 166. Sensor interface 160 may implement instructions for interfacing with one or more sensors (e.g., sensor 112). Sensor interface 160 may include instructions for collecting sensor data about printing system 102 from sensor 112. Examples of sensor data include images, piezoelectric data, acoustic data, displacement data, distance data, force data, strain data, temperature data, and / or position data associated with one or more elements of printing system 102. In various examples, sensor interface 112 implements machine code and / or assembly code that facilitates the collection of sensor data from sensor 112.

[0081] The defect evaluator 162 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 130, evaluate sensor data for the presence or absence of printing defects. In the example architecture, the defect evaluator 162 implements a database of potential printing defects and a rule engine that associates sensor data with potential printing defects. The rule engine can provide information on the presence and / or absence of printing defects. As described herein, printing defects can take many different forms. As an example, printing defects may be associated with: whether too much or too little material is deposited in a given printed layer; whether a particular material deposition geometry may be related to part warping, cracking, and / or other failures; whether the material source 108, material delivery system 109, and / or energy source 110 may print a problematic layer; whether the material source 108, material delivery system 109, and / or energy source 110 is in a faulty or error-prone state; and so on.

[0082] The defect handler 164 may include instructions that, when executed by the processor 130, handle printing defects. In the example architecture, the defect handler 164 may implement a remedial measures database and a rule engine for associating printing defects with remedial measures. Examples of remedial measures include modifying materials, masking parts of an image, skipping the printing of parts of an image, providing instructions for increasing / decreasing material and / or increasing / decreasing curing dosage, etc.

[0083] The printing system controller 166 instructs physical machinery (e.g., material modification device 114, material source 108, material delivery system 109, energy source 110, etc.) to take action. The printing system controller 166 can implement machine code and / or assembly code to control the machinery on the material modification device 114 and / or printing system 102. In some embodiments, the printing system controller 166 instructs the material modification device 114 to add and / or remove material in a second printing layer (e.g., a subsequent printing layer) in response to the presence of a printing defect in a first printing layer. In some embodiments, the printing system controller 166 modifies the characteristics of at least a portion of an image representing a 3D article to be 3D printed. As an example, the printing system controller 166 can mask at least a portion of the image so that that portion is not printed; can skip printing a portion and move to the next printing layer; can instruct the energy source 110 to deliver more or less energy to the layer than expected to compensate for defects; and so on.

[0084] It should be noted that the components of controller 106 do not necessarily include processor 130 and / or memory 140. As an example, in some embodiments, controller 106 may include analog control elements that perform the functions described herein. The analog control elements may acquire sensor data related to one or more characteristics of printing system 102, evaluate the sensor data for printing defects occurring within one or more printed layers, use control, compensation, and / or other techniques to address the printing defects, and instruct the mechanics on printing system 102 to take corrective measures. Printing system 102 may correspondingly take corrective measures in response to instructions from controller 106.

[0085] It is important to note that FIG. 1B Some or all of the components are optional. As an example, some embodiments do not necessarily include sensor 112 as a physical element; the function of sensor 112 can be implemented by controller 106 when analyzing a portion of an image to be 3D printed into a 3D printed article. As another example, some embodiments do not necessarily include material modification device 114; as described herein, related defect handling techniques can be implemented by controller 106 when at least modifying a portion of an image to be 3D printed into a 3D printed article. For example, in some embodiments, the functions of sensor 112 and / or material modification device 114 can be incorporated into the software executed by controller 106.

[0086] In operation, system 100B can be configured to evaluate 3D-printed articles for the presence and / or absence of printing defects and can adaptively compensate for printing defects. In some embodiments, material source 108 includes curable 3D printable material for a build platform for 3D printing. Reservoirs, tanks, and / or supply lines for supplying curable material may be provided. Material delivery system 109 is instructed to provide a specified amount of curable material to one or more build platforms. As described herein, a first printing mode may include a first material delivery system (e.g., a carrier film), while a second printing mode may include a second material delivery system (e.g., a nozzle / extruder as part of a jetting process). In a multi-mode system, the build platforms may be different or may be shared between printing modes. Sensor 112 can be configured to sense various physical properties of the printing system 102 and / or the articles built therein. Sensor 112 may provide sensor data to controller 106, wherein sensor interface 160 may convert the sensor data into a format suitable for defect evaluator 162. Defect evaluator 162 can evaluate the sensor data for the presence or absence of printing defects. The defect handler 164 can identify one or more corrective actions to be taken based on an assessment of sensor data regarding the presence or absence of printing defects. Depending on the configuration, the defect handler 164 can modify the image representing the 3D printed article and / or instruct the material modification device 114 to take corrective actions.

[0087] exist FIG. 1CIn the system, system 100C includes a computer-readable medium 160 that couples printing system 102 and controller 106 to each other. Computer-readable medium 160 may include any transient and / or non-transitory computer-readable medium, examples of which will be discussed herein. Printing system 102 may include communication system 182. Instructions 150 in memory 140 of controller 106 may include communication system 184. Communication system 182 and / or communication system 184 may include instructions for converting data from a communication format suitable for the respective printing system 102 and / or controller 106 into a format that can be transmitted by computer-readable medium 160. In some embodiments, communication system 182 and / or communication system 184 may format sensor data and / or corrective action data into a format suitable for transmission over a network. For example, communication system 182 and / or communication system 184 may format sensor data and / or corrective action data into network packets that can be transmitted between printing system 102 and / or controller 106. In operation, the computer-readable medium 160 may allow the controller 106 to remotely control the printing system 102. As used herein, remote control of the printing system 102 may include control of the printing system 102 by electronic devices and / or locations not shared with the printing system 102. Thus, in operation, the controller 102 may instruct the printing system 102 to take corrective actions via a network and / or using a remote architecture.

[0088] Systems 100A, 100B, and / or 100C in FIGS. 1A-1C Any components shown as different parts can be combined and / or include interrelated code. Any component of systems 100A, 100B, and / or 100C can be implemented as single and / or interrelated software, or as different software. Any component of systems 100A, 100B, and / or 100C can be implemented on a single machine or any combination of multiple machines. For example, the first printer assembly 102a and the second printer assembly 102b can be combined with each other and / or with other components (e.g., defect correction assembly 104 and / or controller 106). Optionally, controller 106 may include defect correction assembly 104. Furthermore, it should be noted that systems 100A, 100B, and 100C are shown in different figures for illustrative purposes only, and some or all of the components of system 100A may reside in system 100B and / or system 100C, some or all of the components of system 100B may reside in system 100A and / or system 100C, and some or all of the components of system 100C may reside in system 100A and / or system 100B.

[0089] FIGS. 2-4BRepresentative examples of additive manufacturing systems and related methods with defect correction capabilities according to embodiments of the present technology are provided. Specifically, FIG. 2 This is a partial schematic diagram providing an overall overview of the additive manufacturing process. FIGS. 3A-3C It is feasible. FIG. 2 A partial schematic side view of an additive manufacturing system for the process. FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B It shows that it can be used FIGS. 3A-3C The flowchart shows the system's execution of methods to correct defects. FIGS. 2-4B The embodiments can be incorporated FIG. 1A System 100A, FIG. 1B System 100B and / or FIG. 1C The system 100C, and / or in combination with any other embodiments described herein.

[0090] First refer to FIG. 2 The additive manufacturing process of this technology may include manufacturing an object 202 on a build platform 204 from a series of cured material layers, each layer having a geometry corresponding to a respective cross-section of the object 202. To manufacture individual object layers, a layer of curable material 206 (e.g., a polymerizable resin) may be brought into contact with the build platform 204 (when manufacturing the first layer of the object 202) or with a previously formed portion of the object 202 on the build platform 204 (when manufacturing subsequent layers of the object 202). In some embodiments, the curable material 206 is formed on and supported by a substrate, such as a thin film. Energy 208 (e.g., light) from an energy source 210 (e.g., a projector or light engine) is then applied to the curable material 206 to form a cured material layer 212 on the build platform 204 or the object 202. The remaining curable material 206 can then be moved away from the build platform 204 (e.g., by lowering the build platform 204, by laterally moving the build platform 204, by raising the curable material 206, and / or by laterally moving the curable material 206), thereby leaving the cured material layer 212 in situ on the build platform 204 and / or the object 202. The manufacturing process can then be repeated using the new layer of curable material 206 to build the next layer of the object 202. Although FIG. 2 A specific type of process for manufacturing objects is shown, but as discussed elsewhere in this document, any suitable process (e.g., tank photopolymerization) can be used to manufacture objects.

[0091] exist FIG. 2During the additive manufacturing process illustrated, various types of defects may occur. For example, if energy 208 is applied to the incorrect location on the curable material 206, and / or if energy 208 is not applied to the correct location on the curable material 206, the actual geometry of the cured material 212 of object 202 may deviate from the target geometry of object 202. Defects affecting the geometry of object 202 may also occur if the cured material 212 deforms, delaminates, or otherwise deviates from its intended location after the application of energy 208.

[0092] FIGS. 3A-3C A system 300 for additive manufacturing configured according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown. Specifically, FIG. 3A This is a partial schematic side view of System 300. FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C This is a partial schematic side view of system 300 during various operational phases. System 300 is configured to manufacture one or more objects 304 using additive manufacturing processes (for simplicity, FIGS. 3A-3C Only a single object 304 is shown in the diagram. The additive manufacturing process implemented by system 300 and its integration... FIG. 2 The described processes are broadly similar. As detailed below, system 300 can detect and / or correct defects that may occur during the additive manufacturing process. In some embodiments, detection and / or correction are performed automatically by system 300 with little or no human intervention, thereby improving the reliability and scalability of the additive manufacturing process.

[0093] First refer to FIG. 3A System 300 includes a printer assembly 302 that forms an object 304 on a build platform 308 (e.g., a tray, plate, film, sheet, printer bed, or other planar substrate) by applying energy to a curable material 306 (e.g., a photopolymer resin). In the illustrated embodiment, the printer assembly 302 includes a carrier film 310 configured to deliver the curable material 306 to the build platform 308. The carrier film 310 may be a flexible material ring having an outer surface and an inner surface. The outer surface of the carrier film 310 may have a thin layer of the curable material 306 attached to and carrying it. The inner surface of the carrier film 310 may contact one or more rollers 312a to 312d that rotate to move the carrier film 310 in a continuous circular trajectory, for example, in the direction indicated by arrow 314a.

[0094] Printer assembly 302 may also include a material source 316 (shown schematically) configured to apply curable material 306 to carrier film 310 at deposition zone 318 (also referred to as “coating zone”). In the illustrated embodiment, material source 316 is located at the upper part of printer assembly 302, and deposition zone 318 is an upper horizontal section of carrier film 310 between rollers 312a and 312d. However, in other embodiments, material source 316 and / or deposition zone 318 may be located at different locations within printer assembly 302. Material source 316 may include nozzles, ports, reservoirs, etc., for depositing curable material 306 onto the outer surface of carrier film 310. System 300 may also include one or more doctor blades 320 (e.g., doctor blades, recoating blades) that smooth the deposited curable material 306 into a relatively thin, uniform layer. For example, the curable material 306 can be formed into a layer with a thickness in the range of 100 micrometers to 500 micrometers, 200 micrometers to 300 micrometers, or any other desired thickness.

[0095] Curable material 306 can be conveyed from carrier film 310 toward build platform 308. In some embodiments, curable material 306 is conveyed through pre-printing zone 322 downstream of deposition zone 318. While pre-printing zone 322 is shown as a vertical segment of carrier film 310 between rollers 312a and 312b, in other embodiments, system 300 may include one or more rollers between rollers 312a and 312b that are horizontally offset from one or both of rollers 312a and 312b to create one or more angled segments within pre-printing zone 322.

[0096] The build platform 308 may be located near the printing area 324 of the carrier film 310. In the illustrated embodiment, the build platform 308 is located below the printer assembly 302, and the printing area 324 is the lower horizontal section of the carrier film 310 between rollers 312b and 312c. However, in other embodiments, the build platform 308 and / or the printing area 324 may be positioned at different locations within the printer assembly 302. The distance between the carrier film 310 and the build platform 308 may be adjustable, allowing the curable material 306 at the printing area 324 to directly contact the surface of the build platform 308 (when printing the initial layer of the object 304) or directly contact the surface of the object 304 (when printing subsequent layers of the object 304). For example, the build platform 308 may include or be coupled to a motor (not shown) that raises and / or lowers the build platform 308 to a desired height during manufacturing. Alternatively or in combination, the printer assembly 302 may include or be coupled to a motor (not shown) that raises and / or lowers the printer assembly 302 relative to the build platform 308.

[0097] Printer assembly 302 includes an energy source 326 (e.g., a projector or light engine) that outputs energy 328 (e.g., light such as UV light), the wavelength of which is configured to partially or completely cure a curable material 306. A carrier film 310 may be partially or completely transparent to the wavelength of energy 328 to allow energy 328 to pass through the carrier film 310 and reach portions of the curable material 306 above the build platform 308. Optionally, a transparent plate 330 may be disposed between the energy source 326 and the carrier film 310 to guide the carrier film 310 to a specific position (e.g., height) relative to the build platform 308. During operation, energy 328 may be patterned or scanned onto the curable material 306 in a suitable pattern, thereby forming a layer of cured material 332 on the build platform 308 and / or on previously formed portions of the object 304. The geometry of the cured material 332 may correspond to a desired cross-sectional geometry of the object 304. Parameters used to operate the energy source 326 (e.g., exposure time, exposure pattern, exposure wavelength, energy density, power density) can be set based on instructions from the controller 334, as described in further detail below.

[0098] In some embodiments, energy 328 is applied to the curable material 306 while the carrier film 310 moves, causing the curable material 306 to circulate through the printing zone 324. To maintain a relative velocity of zero or substantially zero between the curable material 306 and the build platform 308, the printer assembly 302 may simultaneously move horizontally relative to the build platform 308 in the direction of arrow 314b. Movement of the printer assembly 302 may also increase the printable surface area of ​​the build platform 308. The energy 328 output from the energy source 326 may be coordinated with the movement of the carrier film 310 and the build platform 308 to form a layer of cured material 332 with the correct geometry. For example, the energy source 326 may be a rolling light engine (e.g., a rolling DLP) that outputs energy 328 in a time-varying pattern to match the movement of the printer assembly 302 and the carrier film 310. However, in other embodiments, the printer assembly 302 may be a stationary device that does not move relative to the build platform 308 while energy 328 is applied to the curable material 306.

[0099] Upon curing, the newly formed cured material layer 332 can separate from the carrier film 310 and the remaining curable material 306 at the printing zone 324. In some embodiments, the separation occurs at least in part due to the peeling force generated by the carrier film 310 surrounding the roller 312c, which is located downstream of the printing zone 324. The remaining curable material 306 can be transported away from the build platform 308 by the carrier film 310 and into the post-printing zone 336 downstream of the printing zone 324. Although the post-printing zone 336 is shown as a vertical segment of the carrier film 310 between rollers 312c and 312d, in other embodiments, the system 300 may include one or more rollers between rollers 312c and 312d that are horizontally offset from one or both of rollers 312c and 312d to create one or more angled segments within the post-printing zone 336. The presence of an angled section of the carrier film 310 immediately downstream of the printing zone 324 can adjust the peel angle generated by the roller 312c, thereby adjusting the peel force applied to the curable material 332 to enhance separation from the surrounding curable material 306.

[0100] The remaining curable material 306 transported away from the build platform 308 can be recycled back from the carrier membrane 310 toward the deposition zone 318. In the deposition zone 318, the material source 316 can apply additional curable material 306 to the carrier membrane 310 and / or smooth the curable material 306 to reform a uniform layer of curable material 306 on the carrier membrane 310. The curable material 306 can then be recycled back to the pre-printing zone 322 and then to the printing zone 324 and build platform 308 to fabricate subsequent layers of object 304. This process can be repeated to iteratively build individual object layers on the build platform 308 until object 304 is complete. Object 304 and build platform 308 can then be removed from the system 300 for post-processing.

[0101] Optionally, printer assembly 302 can be configured to produce object 304 using a high-viscosity resin via a high-temperature photolithography process. In this embodiment, printer assembly 302 may include one or more heat sources (heating plates, infrared lamps, etc., not shown) for heating the curable material 306 to reduce its viscosity to a range suitable for additive manufacturing. The heat source may be positioned near or in direct contact with the carrier film 310 to heat the curable material 306 supported by the carrier film 310. The heat source may be located at any suitable part of printer assembly 302, such as on or within build platform 308, on or within material source 316, at deposition area 318, at front printing area 322, at printing area 324, at rear printing area 336, or a combination thereof.

[0102] System 300 also includes a defect correction component configured to monitor printing defects in object 304 and take measures to correct or otherwise mitigate any detected defects, if appropriate. In some embodiments, the defect correction component includes an imaging device 338 and a material removal device 340, the imaging device 338 acquiring image data of at least a portion of object 304, and the material removal device 340 removing part or all of the imaged portion of object 304 to correct the defect. For simplicity, FIG. 3A The imaging device 338 and the material removal device 340 are only schematically depicted in the text.

[0103] Imaging device 338 may be or include a camera, scanner, or other means suitable for capturing 2D and / or 3D image data of the geometry of at least a portion of the depicted object 304. Image data generated by imaging device 338 may be transmitted to controller 334 for defect detection, as described in more detail below. In the illustrated embodiment, imaging device 338 is positioned on one side of printer assembly 302, such as near the rear printing area 336, and oriented toward the upper surface of build platform 308. In other embodiments, imaging device 338 may be positioned at different locations relative to printer assembly 302, such as near the front printing area 322 or near printing area 324.

[0104] The material removal device 340 may be or include an ablation mechanism comprising an energy source (e.g., a high-energy laser) that can remove the cured material 332 from the object 304 by ablating the cured material 332 with output energy, as described in more detail below. In the illustrated embodiment, the material removal device 340 is positioned on one side of the printer assembly 302, such as the side opposite to the side including the imaging device 338. For example, the material removal device 340 may be positioned near the front printing area 322 and oriented toward the upper surface of the build platform 308. In other embodiments, the material removal device 340 may be positioned at different locations relative to the printer assembly 302, such as near the front printing area 322 or near the printing area 324.

[0105] The defect correction assembly, including imaging device 338 and material removal device 340, can be mechanically coupled to printer assembly 302, such that the defect correction assembly moves together with printer assembly 302. For example, components of the defect correction assembly can be configured as a "backpack" type unit carried by printer assembly 302. Alternatively, the defect correction assembly can be mechanically coupled to different components of system 300 (e.g., a housing housing the first printer assembly 302 or a separate movable carriage (not shown) within the housing), such that the defect correction assembly can move independently of printer assembly 302 or remain stationary. Imaging device 338 can have a fixed position and / or orientation such that the field of view of imaging device 338 remains constant, or it can have an adjustable position and / or orientation such that the field of view of imaging device 338 can vary. Similarly, material removal device 340 can have a fixed position and / or orientation such that the working area of ​​material removal device 340 remains constant, or it can have an adjustable position and / or orientation such that the working area of ​​material removal device 340 can vary.

[0106] Controller 334 (shown schematically) is operatively coupled to printer assembly 302 (e.g., coupled to build platform 308, rollers 312a-312d, material source 316, and / or energy source 326) and defect correction assembly (e.g., coupled to imaging device 338 and material removal device 340) to control their operation. Controller 334 may be or include a computing device including one or more processors and memory storing instructions for performing the additive manufacturing, defect detection, and defect correction operations described herein. For example, controller 334 may receive a digital representation of object 304 to be manufactured and may transmit instructions to energy source 326 to apply energy 328 to curable material 306 to form a cross-section of the object. As previously discussed, controller 334 may control various operating parameters of energy source 326, such as exposure time, exposure pattern, exposure wavelength, energy density, power density, and / or other parameters affecting the printing process. Optionally, the controller 334 can also determine and control other operating parameters, such as the positioning of the printer assembly 302 relative to the build platform 308 (e.g., vertical and / or horizontal position), the moving speed and / or direction of the carrier film 310, the rotational speed and / or direction of the rollers 312a to 312d, the amount of curable material 306 deposited by the material source 316, the thickness of the curable material 306 on the carrier film 310, and / or the amount of heat applied to the curable material 306. Furthermore, the controller 334 can be operated to detect and / or correct defects in the object 304 via a defect correction component.

[0107] FIG. 3B and FIG. 3CThe operation of system 300 for detecting and correcting defects according to an embodiment of the present technology is illustrated. This is for simplicity only. FIG. 3B and FIG. 3C Selected components of system 300 (e.g., controller 334) are omitted.

[0108] FIG. 3B A first operational phase of system 300 is illustrated, in which imaging device 338 generates image data of a portion of object 304 (“object portion 342”). This first phase may occur subsequently, following the formation of object portion 342 by applying energy to a curable material 306 on a carrier film 310 to form a cured material layer 332, according to the additive manufacturing techniques described herein. As discussed, printer assembly 302 may be a movable component that translates laterally relative to build platform 308 (e.g., along a first direction indicated by arrow 344), such that carrier film 310 remains stationary relative to build platform 308 during printing, and / or increases the surface area in build platform 308 that can access printer assembly 302. In some embodiments, imaging device 338 and material removal device 340 are coupled to printer assembly 302 such that these components translate laterally relative to build platform 308 together with printer assembly 302. In other embodiments, build platform 308 may be configured to move laterally while printer assembly 302 (along with imaging device 338 and material removal device 340) remains stationary. Optionally, the construction platform 308 (as well as the imaging device 338 and the material removal device 340) and the printer assembly 302 can both be configured to move laterally.

[0109] The printer assembly 302 and the imaging device 338 can move laterally, allowing the object portion 342 to enter the field of view of the imaging device 338. The imaging device 338 can generate image data including one or more images of the object portion 342, such as one or more still images, video streams, etc. The image data can be transmitted to the controller 334 for processing and analysis. For example, the controller 334 can analyze the image data (e.g., using computer vision algorithms and / or machine learning algorithms) to determine whether any defects exist in the object portion 342. In some embodiments, the controller 334 detects the presence of defects by comparing the image data with a digital representation of the target geometry of the object portion 342 (e.g., a 3D model and / or 2D image of the object portion 342). If the comparison indicates that the actual geometry of the object portion 342 presented in the image data differs from the target geometry, this may indicate the presence of defects, such as locations where cured material 332 should not be present in the object portion 342 and / or locations where cured material 332 is missing from the object portion 342. In some embodiments, the controller 334 determines both the type of defect (e.g., missing or excessive material) and the location of the defect (e.g., pixel or voxel coordinates of the defect within the object portion 342). Alternatively, the controller 334 may make a determination about the presence and / or absence of a defect in the object portion 342 without identifying the exact location of the defect.

[0110] Alternatively or in combination, controller 334 may use other types of sensor data to detect the presence of defects in object portion 342. For example, controller 334 may be operatively coupled to one or more sensors that monitor the speed, acceleration, force, and / or torque of at least one movable component of system 300. For example, the movable component may include printer assembly 302, one or more motors (not shown) driving printer assembly 302 relative to build platform 308, carrier film 310, rollers 312a to 312d, one or more motors (not shown) driving rollers 312a to 312d to rotate, or suitable combinations thereof. In some embodiments, changes in the speed, acceleration, force, and / or torque of the movable component are related to the presence of defects in object portion 342; for example, if excessive material is deposited, the speed, acceleration, force, and / or torque may increase, while if insufficient material is deposited, the speed, acceleration, force, and / or torque may decrease. Optionally, multiple types of sensor data may be analyzed in combination to detect the presence of defects in object portion 342.

[0111] FIG. 3CThe second operational phase of system 300 is illustrated, in which material removal device 340 removes at least a portion of object portion 342 to correct defects. Printer assembly 302 may be laterally translated relative to build platform 308 (e.g., in a second opposite direction indicated by arrow 346) to return printer assembly 302 to its starting position, thereby forming the next layer of object 304. Material removal device 340 may move laterally with printer assembly 302 such that object portion 342 enters the working area of ​​material removal device 340. If controller 334 previously determines that object portion 342 includes incorrectly deposited material, controller 334 may instruct material removal device 340 to output energy 348 (e.g., a laser beam) to remove the incorrectly deposited material from object portion 342 by ablating part or all of object portion 342. In embodiments where the specific location of the defect is known, energy 348 may be targeted at that location to selectively ablate only the area of ​​object portion 342 containing the defect, while leaving the remaining area of ​​object portion 342 intact. Alternatively, energy 348 can be used to ablate the entire object portion 342.

[0112] After the ablation process is complete, system 300 can continue using printer assembly 302 to form the next part of object 304. If the entire object portion 342 is ablated, system 300 can re-form the object portion 342 before forming the next part. The process of forming object portion 342, checking for defects in object portion 342, and correcting any existing defects can be repeated until the entire object 304 is formed.

[0113] Optionally, after the ablation process is complete, the system 300 can confirm whether the defects have been successfully corrected before forming the next portion of the object 304. For example, additional image data of the object portion 342 can be acquired using the imaging device 338 and / or another imaging device (e.g., a second imaging device positioned on the same side of the printer assembly 302 as the material removal device 340). The additional image data can be transmitted to the controller 334, and the controller 334 can analyze the additional image data to determine whether any defects still exist in the object portion 342 (e.g., by comparing the additional image data with a digital representation of the target geometry of the object portion 342). If the comparison indicates that excess material still exists, the controller 334 can instruct the material removal device 340 to apply additional energy 348 to remove the excess material. This process can be repeated until all excess material has been successfully removed. If multiple attempts to correct the defects are unsuccessful, the controller 334 can terminate the printing of the object 304, pause or terminate the entire printing operation, and / or alert the operator that manual intervention is required.

[0114] FIGS. 3A-3CThe construction of the system 300 shown can be modified in many different ways. For example, although FIGS. 3A-3C A single imaging device 338 is shown, but the system 300 may also include multiple imaging devices 338 (e.g., two, three, four, five, or more imaging devices 338), which may be positioned relative to the printer assembly 302 at any suitable corresponding location. In embodiments using multiple imaging devices 338, some or all of the imaging devices 338 may generate different types of image data (e.g., images captured at different wavelengths). Furthermore, the defect correction component of the system 300 may alternatively or additionally include other types of sensors, such as those configured to detect quality changes via mechanical disturbances as described herein.

[0115] Furthermore, although the material removal device 340 is depicted as an ablation mechanism, other types of material removal devices 340 may also be used, such as any other embodiments described herein. Although FIGS. 3A-3C A single material removal device 340 is shown, but the system 300 may also include multiple material removal devices 340 (e.g., two, three, four, five, or more material removal devices 340), which may be positioned relative to the printer assembly 302 at any suitable corresponding location. In embodiments using multiple material removal devices 340, some or all of the material removal devices 340 may implement different types of material removal techniques as described herein. Furthermore, although FIGS. 3A-3C The material removal device 340 is depicted as being located on the side of the printer assembly 302 opposite to the imaging device 338, but the material removal device 340 may also be located on the same side as the imaging device 338. In this embodiment, the material removal device 340 can be operated as the printer assembly 302 moves in the first direction of arrow 344.

[0116] Optionally, some or all components of the defect correction assembly (e.g., imaging device 338 and / or material removal device 340) may be detachable from the printer assembly 302, rather than integrated into and / or otherwise carried therein. In this embodiment, the defect correction assembly can operate independently of the printer assembly 302. When a defect is detected in the object 304, operation of the printer assembly 302 can be paused, and the defect correction assembly can be guided to the location of the defect. The defect correction assembly can remain at that location until correction is complete and / or a predetermined time period has elapsed. If multiple defects are detected, the defect correction assembly can be moved sequentially to each defect location until all defects in the current portion of the object 304 have been corrected. The printer assembly 302 can then resume operation to print the next portion of the object 304.

[0117] In addition to or as an alternative to using the material removal device 340, system 300 may use other types of defect correction techniques. For example, as discussed elsewhere herein, other types of defect correction techniques that may be used include: reprinting portions of object 304 where material was missed or insufficiently cured; adjusting the digital representation of object 304 to compensate for defects (e.g., changing the geometry and / or energy parameters of subsequent object layers); adjusting the digital representation of other objects printed simultaneously with object 304 to compensate for defects (e.g., changing the geometry and / or energy parameters of other objects); adjusting the alignment of printer assembly 302, etc. Optionally, if the defect is too severe to be corrected, the defect correction technique may include stopping the printing of object 304 and / or other objects near object 304.

[0118] FIG. 4A This is a flowchart illustrating a method 400a for manufacturing an object according to an embodiment of the present technology. Method 400a can be implemented through any embodiment of the systems and apparatus described herein (such as...). FIGS. 3A-3C The system 300 is used to execute the process. In some embodiments, part or all of the process of method 400a is implemented as computer-readable instructions (e.g., program code) configured to be executed by one or more processors of a computing device (such as system 300). FIGS. 3A-3C The controller 334) executes.

[0119] Method 400a can be used at box 402 to utilize the printer component (e.g., FIGS. 3A-3C The additive manufacturing process implemented by the printer assembly 302 begins by forming an object portion. The object portion can be a layer, cross-section, or any other geometrically shaped portion of the additively manufactured object. The object portion can be formed using any suitable additive manufacturing technique described herein. For example, the object portion can be formed by instructing the printer assembly to apply energy to a layer of curable material according to a digital representation of the target geometry of the object portion. The energy can selectively cure the curable material, thereby forming a cured material layer on a previously formed portion of the building platform or object, as described herein.

[0120] At block 404, method 400a may include acquiring sensor data of the object portion. In some embodiments, the sensor data includes image data, which may be acquired using one or more imaging devices (e.g., FIGS. 3A-3CThe imaging device 338 acquires, and may include, 2D and / or 3D data representing the actual geometry of the object portion. Image data may include one or more images of the object portion at any suitable wavelength, such as infrared, visible, ultraviolet, or combinations thereof. Alternatively or in combination, the process at block 404 may include acquiring other types of sensor data, as disclosed elsewhere herein. For example, the sensor data acquired at block 404 may include sensor data indicating the response of the object portion to mechanical disturbances, and / or sensor data representing the velocity, acceleration, force, and / or torque of movable parts of the printer assembly.

[0121] At block 406, method 400a may continue to determine whether a defect exists in the object portion based on the sensor data. For example, image data may be analyzed using computer vision algorithms, machine learning algorithms, and / or other suitable techniques to detect the presence of a defect. In some embodiments, the process at block 406 involves comparing the image data with a digital representation of the target geometry of the object portion (e.g., a 3D model and / or 2D image of the object portion) to determine whether there is a difference between the actual geometry of the object portion and the target geometry that indicates a defect (e.g., missing or excessive material). Optionally, the process at block 406 may also include identifying the coordinate location of the defect within the object portion.

[0122] At box 408, if no defect is found, method 400a may proceed to box 402 to form the next portion of the object. If a defect is determined to exist (e.g., the object portion includes material in an undesirable location), method 400a may proceed to box 410 to correct the defect by removing a region of the object portion. The removed region may simply be the region containing the defect, may include other regions adjacent to the region containing the defect (e.g., within 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, or 1 cm of the defect location), or may be the entire object portion. Any suitable material removal technique described herein may be used to correct the region of the object portion. For example, in some embodiments, the process at box 408 involves instructing a material removal device (e.g., FIGS. 3A-3C The material removal device 340) applies energy to the object portion to selectively ablate material at one or more specific locations, or non-selectively ablate the entire object portion.

[0123] Once the defect is corrected, method 400a can return to box 402 to form the next object part. Then, method 400a can be repeated until the entire object is formed.

[0124] Method 400a can be modified in many different ways. For example, method 400a may include FIG. 4AAdditional processes are not shown in the diagram. In some embodiments, depending on the type of defect, method 400a may use processes other than those in block 410 to correct the defect. For example, if the defect involves a lack of material at a particular location on an object portion, method 400a may correct the defect by manipulating the printer assembly to reapply material to that location. Furthermore, method 400a may involve confirming that the defect has been successfully corrected (e.g., based on additional image data and / or other sensor data) before proceeding to block 402 to form the next object portion, as described herein.

[0125] FIG. 4B This is a flowchart illustrating a method 400b for manufacturing an object according to an embodiment of the present technology. Method 400b can be implemented through any embodiment of the systems and apparatus described herein (such as...). FIGS. 3A-3C The system 300 is used to execute the process. In some embodiments, part or all of the process of method 400b is implemented as computer-readable instructions (e.g., program code) configured to be executed by one or more processors of a computing device (such as system 300). FIGS. 3A-3C The controller 334) executes.

[0126] Method 400b may include: forming an object portion (box 412), acquiring sensor data of the object portion (box 414), and determining whether a defect exists in the object portion (box 416). The processes in boxes 412, 414, and 416 can be combined with... FIG. 4A The processes in methods 400a, 402, 404, and 406 are the same or largely similar.

[0127] At box 418, if no defect is found, method 400b may proceed to box 412 to form the next part of the object. If a defect is determined to exist, method 400b may proceed to box 420 to determine whether the defect is correctable. This determination may be based on the size of the defect (e.g., an excessively large defect may be considered uncorrectable), the location of the defect (e.g., a defect occurring at a critical location on the object may be considered uncorrectable), the type of defect (e.g., whether the defect involves missing material, excessive material deposition, insufficient material curing, or over-curing), and / or other relevant considerations. In some embodiments, a defect is considered correctable if the additive manufacturing system includes defect correction capabilities suitable for resolving the defect (e.g., a material removal device for removing improperly deposited material), and is considered uncorrectable if the additive manufacturing system does not include defect correction capabilities suitable for resolving the defect and / or it is determined that manual intervention by a human operator is required to correct the defect.

[0128] If the defect is correctable, method 400b can proceed to box 422 to correct the defect. Defects can be corrected in various ways, such as by removing a portion of the object to compensate for improperly deposited material (e.g., as previously discussed regarding...). FIG. 4A As described in block 410 of method 400a, additional material is deposited to compensate for material omissions, additional energy is applied to compensate for insufficient curing, the digital representation of the object is adjusted (e.g., changing the geometry and / or energy parameters of the current or subsequent object slices), the digital representation of other objects nearby is adjusted, or appropriate combinations thereof. The defect correction techniques used may depend on the size, location, and / or type of defects that occur, and the defect correction capabilities available to the additive manufacturing system. Once the defects are corrected, method 400b can return to block 412 to form the next object portion. Method 400b can then be repeated until the entire object is formed.

[0129] If the defect is uncorrectable, method 400b may proceed to block 424 to terminate the additive manufacturing of the object containing the defect, while continuing the additive manufacturing of other objects being manufactured simultaneously on the same build platform. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to continue printing other objects unaffected by the defect to maintain high manufacturing throughput, while selectively terminating the printing of the defective object to save material that might be consumed when attempting to print that object and / or reduce the likelihood that the defect will affect the printing of other objects. Optionally, the process in block 424 may also include terminating the additive manufacturing of one or more objects close to the affected object (e.g., objects located in the same region or quadrant of the build platform as the affected object), while continuing the additive manufacturing of one or more objects sufficiently far from the affected object (e.g., objects located in a different region or quadrant of the build platform than the affected object).

[0130] The process in box 424 can be implemented in various ways. For example, the additive manufacturing of these objects can be terminated by removing one or more objects from manufacturing instructions used to control the additive manufacturing system (e.g., a file containing object slices or other digital representations). Removal can be performed via a masking process, for example, in conjunction with the following. FIGS. 8A-9B Further discussion is needed. As another example, in an embodiment where the additive manufacturing system includes multiple energy sources (each configured to apply energy to a corresponding area of ​​the build platform to manufacture one or more objects within that area), additive manufacturing of the defect-affected object and / or objects near the affected object can be terminated by disabling the energy source associated with the area of ​​the affected object. Subsequently, the process of method 400b can be repeated for the remaining objects on the build platform to complete the additive manufacturing of the remaining objects.

[0131] Method 400b can be modified in many different ways. For example, method 400b may include FIG. 4B Additional processes, not shown in the document, such as confirming that the defect has been successfully corrected (e.g., based on additional sensor data), are then performed before proceeding to box 412 to form the next object portion, as described herein.

[0132] FIGS. 5A-7B Other representative examples of additive manufacturing systems and related methods with defect correction capabilities according to embodiments of the present technology are provided. Specifically, FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B This is a partial schematic diagram providing an overall overview of hybrid additive manufacturing processes. FIGS. 6A-6E It is feasible. FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B A partial schematic side view of an additive manufacturing system for the process. FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B It shows that it can be used FIGS. 6A-6E The flowchart shows the system's execution of methods to correct defects. FIGS. 5A-7B The embodiments can be incorporated FIG. 1A System 100A, FIG. 1B System 100B and / or FIG. 1C In system 100C, and / or in combination with any other embodiments described herein.

[0133] First refer to FIG. 5A The hybrid additive manufacturing process of this technology may include manufacturing an object 502 on a build platform 504 using two or more materials, such as a first curable material 506 and a second curable material 508. The first curable material 506 may be a different material from the second curable material 508, and / or may be deposited using an additive manufacturing technique different from that used for the second curable material 508. The object 502 may be constructed from one or more first object portions 510 formed of the first curable material 506 and one or more second object portions 512 formed of the second curable material 508. The first object portion 510 may differ from the second object portion 512 in at least one material property, such as one or more of the following: modulus (e.g., elastic modulus, flexural modulus, storage modulus), glass transition temperature, elongation at break, elongation at yield, strength, solubility, hardness, scratch resistance, roughness, degradability, color, refractive index, energy absorption, energy dissipation, energy reflection, energy scattering, transparency, diffusion, pH value, porosity, morphology, chemical composition, molecular recognition, molecular absorption, molecular release, phase separation, morphology, or durability.

[0134] For example, in some embodiments, the first curable material 506 is a polymerizable resin, provided as a layer (e.g., on a carrier film), and energy is selectively applied to the layer (e.g., using SLA or DLP technology) to cure the first curable material 506, thereby forming the first object portion 510. The process of forming the first object portion 510 can be related to... FIG. 2 The described processes are the same or largely similar.

[0135] The second curable material 508 may be a polymerizable fluid (e.g., a resin or liquid) suitable for material jetting processes (e.g., inkjet 3D printing). In some embodiments, the second curable material 508 is deposited using at least one nozzle 514, which generates a plurality of droplets 516 of the second curable material 508. The droplets 516 may be deposited on the surface of the build platform 504 or may be deposited on a previously formed portion of the object 502 (e.g., a previously formed first object portion 510 or a previously formed second object portion 512). Depending on the characteristics of the droplets 516 (e.g., surface energy, rheological properties) and placement, the droplets 516 may coalesce with other deposited droplets 516 to form a uniform layer of the second curable material 508 (e.g., as shown in the image). FIG. 5A (as shown), or can remain as discrete droplets 516. For example, if the second curable material 508 is a relatively viscous and / or thixotropic material, the droplets 516 of the second curable material 508 can maintain the same or similar shape once deposited.

[0136] Next reference FIG. 5B After droplets 516 of the second curable material 508 are deposited, energy 518 (e.g., light) from an energy source 520 (e.g., a projector, light engine, lamp) is subsequently applied to the second curable material 508 to cure it into a new second object portion 512. In the illustrated embodiment, the energy source 520 applies energy 518 to a region larger than the area of ​​the second object portion 512, while in other embodiments, the energy source 520 may selectively apply energy 518 only to the area of ​​the second object portion 512. The energy 518 may be the same type of energy used to cure the first curable material 506, or it may be a different type of energy (e.g., a different wavelength). The energy source 520 may be the same as the energy source used to cure the first curable material 506, or it may be a different energy source.

[0137] Object 502 can be manufactured by sequentially or simultaneously depositing a first curable material 506 and a second curable material 508 to form a first object portion 510 and a second object portion 512, respectively. In some embodiments, object 502 is constructed as a multilayer, wherein each layer is formed entirely of the first curable material 506, entirely of the second curable material 508, or a combination of the first curable material 506 and the second curable material 508. If the droplet size of the second curable material 508 is smaller than the expected thickness of a single layer of object 502 (e.g., the thickness may be the same as or similar to the thickness of a single layer of the first curable material 506), multiple layers of droplets 516 can be sequentially applied and cured until the height of the corresponding second object portion 512 reaches the expected layer thickness. For example, the size of a single droplet 516 of the second curable material 508 can be in the range of 5 micrometers to 20 micrometers (e.g., 10 micrometers to 15 micrometers), and the thickness of a single layer of object 502 and / or a single layer of the first curable material 506 can be in the range of 100 micrometers to 500 micrometers (e.g., 200 micrometers to 300 micrometers).

[0138] FIGS. 6A-6E A system 600 for additive manufacturing configured according to an embodiment of the present technology is shown. Specifically, FIG. 6A This is a partial schematic side view of System 600. FIGS. 6B-6E This is a partial schematic side view of system 600 at various operational stages. System 600 is configured to manufacture one or more objects 602 using a hybrid additive manufacturing process (for simplicity, FIGS. 6A-6E Only a single object 602 is shown in the diagram. The hybrid additive manufacturing process implemented by system 600 and its combination... FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B The described processes are broadly similar. As detailed below, system 600 can detect and / or correct defects that may occur in the hybrid additive manufacturing process. In some embodiments, detection and / or correction are performed automatically by system 600 with little or no human intervention, thereby improving the reliability and scalability of the hybrid additive manufacturing process.

[0139] First refer to FIG. 6A The system includes a first printer assembly 302 configured to manufacture at least a first portion (“first object portion 604”) of an object 602 from a first curable material 306 (e.g., a polymerizable resin) using a first additive manufacturing process. The operation of the first printer assembly 302 is related to… FIGS. 3A-3C The described embodiments operate largely similarly, therefore FIGS. 3A-3C and FIGS. 6A-6EThe same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts. For example, the first printer assembly 302 may include a carrier film 310 that moves on rollers 312a to 312d to circulate a first curable material 306 through a deposition zone 318, a pre-printing zone 322, a printing zone 324, and a post-printing zone 336. Energy 328 may be applied to the first curable material 306 at the printing zone 324 to cure the first curable material 306 into a first object portion 604, as described elsewhere herein.

[0140] Also refer to FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B System 600 also includes a second printer assembly configured to manufacture at least a second portion (“second object portion 606”) of object 602 from a second curable material 608 (e.g., a polymerizable fluid) using a second additive manufacturing process (e.g., inkjet printing or other material jetting process). The second curable material 608 may differ from the first curable material 306, and / or the second additive manufacturing process may differ from the first additive manufacturing process. The second object portion 606 may differ from the first object portion 604 in at least one material property, such as one or more of the following: modulus, glass transition temperature, elongation at break, elongation at yield, strength, solubility, hardness, scratch resistance, roughness, degradability, color, refractive index, energy absorption, energy dissipation, energy reflection, energy scattering, transparency, diffusion, pH value, porosity, morphology, chemical composition, molecular recognition, molecular absorption, molecular release, phase separation, or durability.

[0141] The second printer assembly may include at least one nozzle 610 and a second energy source 614. The at least one nozzle 610 deposits a second curable material 608 according to a desired geometry of the second object portion 606, and the second energy source 614 applies energy to cure the second curable material 608 of the second object portion 606, as will be described in further detail below. The nozzle 610 may be fluidly coupled to a source of the second curable material 608 (e.g., a reservoir, tank, or other container – not shown). The nozzle 610 may output the second curable material 608 as a plurality of discrete droplets 612. The size of the droplets 612 may be varied as needed; for example, the droplet diameter may be in the range of 5 micrometers to 50 micrometers (e.g., 10 micrometers to 15 micrometers).

[0142] In the illustrated embodiment, nozzle 610 is positioned on one side of the first printer assembly 302, such as near the rear print area 336, and oriented toward the upper surface of the build platform 308. Second energy source 614 may be positioned on one side of the first printer assembly 302, such as the side opposite to the side including nozzle 610. For example, second energy source 614 may be near the front print area 322 and oriented toward the upper surface of the build platform 308. In other embodiments, nozzle 610 and second energy source 614 may be positioned on the same side of the first printer assembly 302, or at any other suitable location relative to the first printer assembly 302.

[0143] The second printer assembly (including nozzle 610 and second energy source 614) can be mechanically coupled to the first printer assembly 302, such that the second printer assembly moves together with the first printer assembly 302. For example, components of the second printer assembly can be configured as a "backpack" type unit carried by the first printer assembly 302. Alternatively, the second printer assembly can be mechanically coupled to different components of the system 600 (e.g., a housing that houses the first printer assembly 302, or a separate movable carriage within the housing - not shown), such that the second printer assembly can move independently of the first printer assembly 302 or remain stationary.

[0144] In some embodiments, system 600 further includes a defect correction component configured to monitor printing defects of object 602 and take measures, where appropriate, to correct or otherwise mitigate any detected defects. The defect correction component may include an imaging device 616 that acquires image data of at least a portion of object 602 (e.g., a first object portion 604 and / or a second object portion 606). Imaging device 616 may be or include a camera, scanner, or other means adapted to capture 2D and / or 3D image data depicting the geometry of at least a portion of object 304 for defect detection, as will be described in more detail below. Imaging device 616 may be positioned on one side of the first printer assembly 302, such as near the rear printing area 336, and oriented toward the upper surface of the build platform 308. In the illustrated embodiment, nozzle 610 is positioned between imaging device 616 and the first printer assembly 302, while in other embodiments, imaging device 616 may be positioned between nozzle 610 and the first printer assembly 302, or imaging device 616 may be located in the same lateral position as nozzle 610.

[0145] The defect correction assembly may also include a material removal device 618 (shown schematically), which includes a vacuum mechanism that removes part or all of the imaged portion of the object 602 via suction to correct the defect, as will be described in further detail below. In some embodiments, the material removal device 618 includes an inlet (e.g., a nozzle, hose, or other suction component) fluidly coupled to a vacuum pump to allow material to be extracted from the surface of the object 602. The material removal device 618 may also include a container for collecting the material between the inlet and the vacuum pump. The collected material may be discarded or reused in subsequent additive manufacturing operations.

[0146] The material removal device 618 may be positioned on one side of the first printer assembly 302, such as the side opposite to the side including the imaging device 616. For example, the material removal device 618 may be close to the front printing area 322 and oriented toward the upper surface of the build platform 308. Although the material removal device 618 is shown positioned between the second power source 614 and the first printer assembly 302, in other embodiments, the second power source 614 may be positioned between the material removal device 618 and the first printer assembly 302. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the second power source 614 and the material removal device 618 may be positioned on the same side of the first printer assembly 302, or at any other suitable location relative to the first printer assembly 302.

[0147] The defect correction assembly, including the imaging device 616 and the material removal device 618, can be mechanically coupled to the first printer assembly 302 and / or the second printer assembly, such that the defect correction assembly moves together with the first printer assembly 302 and / or the second printer assembly. For example, components of the defect correction assembly can be configured as a "backpack" type unit carried by the first printer assembly 302. Alternatively, the defect correction assembly can be mechanically coupled to different components of the system 600 (e.g., a housing that houses the first printer assembly 302 and the second printer assembly, or a separate movable carriage within the housing - not shown), such that the defect correction assembly can move independently of the first printer assembly 302 and / or the second printer assembly, or remain stationary. The imaging device 616 can have a fixed position and / or orientation such that the field of view of the imaging device 616 remains constant, or it can have an adjustable position and / or orientation such that the field of view of the imaging device 616 can be changed. Similarly, the material removal device 618 may have a fixed position and / or orientation such that the working area of ​​the material removal device 618 remains constant, or it may have an adjustable position and / or orientation such that the working area of ​​the material removal device 618 can be changed.

[0148] refer to FIG. 6ASystem 600 includes a controller 620 (schematically shown) operatively coupled to a first printer assembly 302, a second printer assembly (e.g., coupled to a nozzle 610 and a second energy source 614), and a defect correction assembly (e.g., coupled to an imaging device 616 and a material removal device 618) to control their operation. The controller 620 may be or includes a computing device including one or more processors and memory storing instructions for performing the additive manufacturing, defect detection, and defect correction operations described herein.

[0149] For example, controller 620 may receive a digital representation of an object 602 to be manufactured, including a first digital representation of a first object portion 604 and a second digital representation of a second object portion 606. Controller 620 may transmit instructions to first printer assembly 302, causing first energy source 326 to apply energy 328 to first curable material 306 according to the first digital representation to form the first object portion 604. Controller 620 may simultaneously or sequentially transmit instructions to second printer assembly, causing nozzle 610 to deposit a second curable material 608 according to the second digital representation to form the second object portion 606, and second energy source 614 to cure the second object portion 606. Controller 334 may control various operating parameters of the first energy source 326 and / or the second energy source 614, such as exposure time, exposure pattern, exposure wavelength, energy density, power density, and / or other parameters affecting the printing process.

[0150] Optionally, the controller 620 may also determine and control other operating parameters, such as the positioning of the first printer assembly 302 relative to the build platform 308 (e.g., vertical and / or horizontal position), the moving speed and / or direction of the carrier film 310, the rotational speed and / or direction of the rollers 312a to 312d, the amount of the first curable material 306 deposited by the material source 316, the thickness of the first curable material 306 on the carrier film 310, the amount of heat applied to the first curable material 306, the amount of the second curable material 608 deposited by the nozzle 610, the droplet size of the second curable material 608, and / or the placement position of the second curable material 608. The controller 620 may also be operable to detect and / or correct defects in the object 602 via a defect correction component, as described in detail below.

[0151] FIGS. 6B-6E The illustration shows the operation of a system 600 according to an embodiment of the present technology performing a second additive manufacturing process and detecting and correcting defects in an object 602. This is for simplicity only. FIGS. 6B-6E Selected components of system 600 (e.g., controller 620) are omitted.

[0152] FIG. 6BA first operational phase of system 600 is illustrated, wherein nozzle 610 deposits a second curable material 608. This first phase may occur after the first object portion 604 has been formed by the first curable material 306. As described herein, the first printer assembly 302 may be a movable component that translates laterally relative to the build platform 308 (e.g., along a first direction indicated by arrow 622), such that the carrier film 310 remains stationary relative to the build platform 308 during printing, and / or increases the surface area in the build platform 308 that can access the first printer assembly 302. In some embodiments, a second printer assembly and a defect correction assembly are coupled to the first printer assembly 302 such that these components, together with the first printer assembly 302, translate laterally relative to the build platform 308.

[0153] The nozzle 610 of the second printer assembly can move laterally, allowing the object 602 to enter the working area of ​​the nozzle 610. The nozzle 610 can deposit one or more droplets 612 of the second curable material 608 onto a previously formed portion of the object 602 (or directly onto the build platform 308). For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the second curable material 608 is deposited onto the object 602 after the first printer assembly 302 has formed a first object portion 604 from the first curable material 306.

[0154] FIG. 6C The second operational phase of system 600 is illustrated, wherein imaging device 616 generates image data of a second object portion 606. After the second object portion 606 is formed by a second curable material 608, the first printer assembly 302 may continue to move laterally relative to the build platform 308 (e.g., in a first direction indicated by arrow 622). Imaging device 616 may move laterally with the first printer assembly 302 such that the newly formed second object portion 606 enters the field of view of imaging device 616. Imaging device 616 may generate image data including one or more images of the second object portion 606, such as one or more still images, video image streams, etc.

[0155] Image data can be transmitted to controller 620 for processing and analysis. For example, controller 620 can analyze the image data (e.g., using computer vision algorithms and / or machine learning algorithms) to determine whether any defects exist in the second object portion 606. In some embodiments, the image data shows both the second object portion 606 and the first object portion 604, but the second object portion 606 has different optical properties than the first object portion 604, making it possible to distinguish the second object portion 606 from the first object portion 604 in the image data. For example, the second object portion 606 may have different colors, opacities, transmittance, reflectance, etc., than the first object portion 604 (e.g., due to the presence of dyes or other additives in the second curable material 608 that are not present in the first curable material 306, due to the different inherent material properties of different curable materials, etc.). Alternatively or in combination, the image data generated by imaging device 616 can be obtained at wavelengths where the visibility of the second object portion 606 is enhanced relative to the first object portion 604, or at wavelengths where only the second object portion 606 is visible.

[0156] In some embodiments, the controller 620 detects the presence of a defect by comparing image data with a second digital representation of the target geometry of the second object portion 606 (e.g., a 3D model and / or 2D image of the second object portion 606). If the comparison indicates that the actual geometry of the second object portion 606 represented in the image data differs from the target geometry, this may indicate the presence of a defect, such as a location where the second curable material 608 should not be present in the second object portion 606 and / or a location where the second curable material 608 is missing from the second object portion 606. In some embodiments, the controller 620 determines both the type of defect (e.g., missing or excessive material) and the location of the defect (e.g., pixel or voxel coordinates of the defect in the second object portion 606). Alternatively, the controller 620 may make a determination about the presence and / or absence of a defect in the second object portion 606 without identifying the exact location of the defect.

[0157] FIG. 6DThe third operational phase of system 600 is illustrated, wherein material removal device 618 removes at least a portion of the second object portion 606 to correct defects. The first printer assembly 302 may be laterally translated relative to the build platform 308 (e.g., in the second opposite direction indicated by arrow 624) to return the first printer assembly 302 to its starting position to form the next layer of object 602. The material removal device 618 may move laterally with the first printer assembly 302 such that the second object portion 606 enters the working area of ​​the material removal device 618. If the controller 620 has previously determined that the second object portion 606 includes incorrectly deposited material, the controller 620 may instruct the material removal device 618 to apply a vacuum to remove the incorrectly deposited material 626 from the second object portion 606 via suction.

[0158] In embodiments where the specific location of the defect is known, the material removal device 618 can selectively apply a vacuum only to the area of ​​the second object portion 606 containing the defect, while leaving the remaining areas of the second object portion 606 intact. Alternatively, the entire second object portion 606 can be removed, for example, if the specific location of the defect is unknown, and / or if droplets 612 of the second curable material 608 in the second object portion 606 have coalesced into a continuous fluid layer.

[0159] In embodiments where the second curable material 608 is a viscous material (e.g., resin), the object 602 may optionally be agitated (e.g., vibrated) to reduce its viscosity via shear thinning, thereby making it easier for the material removal device 618 to remove the second curable material 608 via suction. In this embodiment, an agitator (e.g., a piezoelectric transducer, acoustic transducer, vibration motor) may be coupled to the build platform 308 to generate mechanical disturbances that are transmitted to the second object portion 606, thereby reducing its viscosity. Alternatively or in combination, one or more heat sources (e.g., lamps, heating plates, thermoelectric heaters) may apply heat to the second object portion 606 to reduce its viscosity. The heat source may be coupled to and / or located within the build platform 308 to generate heat that is transferred to the second object portion 606. Optionally, the heat source may be a separate component oriented toward the second object portion 606 to apply heat thereto.

[0160] Optionally, after the vacuum removal process is complete, system 600 can confirm whether the defect has been successfully corrected before proceeding to the next stage of operation. For example, additional image data of the second object portion 606 can be acquired using imaging device 616 and / or another imaging device (e.g., a second imaging device positioned on the same side as the material removal device 618 on the first printer assembly 302). The additional image data can be transmitted to controller 620, and controller 620 can analyze the additional image data to determine whether any defects still exist in the second object portion 606 (e.g., by comparing the additional image data with a digital representation of the target geometry of the second object portion 606). If the comparison indicates that excess material still exists, controller 620 can instruct material removal device 618 to reapply suction to remove the excess material. This process can be repeated until all excess material has been successfully removed. If multiple attempts to correct the defect are unsuccessful, controller 620 can terminate printing of object 602, pause or terminate the entire printing operation, and / or alert the operator that manual intervention is required.

[0161] FIG. 6E The fourth operational phase of system 600 is illustrated, in which a second energy source 614 applies energy to cure the remaining area of ​​the second object portion 606. After removing the incorrectly deposited material 626 from the second object portion 606, the first printer assembly 302 can continue to move laterally relative to the build platform 308 (e.g., in a second direction indicated by arrow 624). The second energy source 614 can move laterally with the first printer assembly 302 such that the remaining area of ​​the second object portion 606 enters the working area of ​​the second energy source 614. The second energy source 614 can output energy to cure the remaining area of ​​the second object portion 606. If the entire second object portion 606 is removed, system 600 can skip the curing process and instead reform the second object portion 606 by depositing an additional second curable material 608 via nozzle 610.

[0162] After the curing process is complete, the system 600 can then continue to form the next part of the object 602 using the first printer assembly 302 and / or the second printer assembly. The process of forming the object part, checking for defects in the object part, and correcting any existing defects can be repeated until the entire object 602 is formed.

[0163] FIGS. 6A-6E The construction of the system 600 shown can be modified in many different ways. For example, although FIGS. 6A-6EA single nozzle 610 is shown, but the second printer assembly may also include multiple nozzles 610 (e.g., two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, or more nozzles 610), which may be arranged in a linear array, a 2D array, or any other suitable configuration. In embodiments using multiple nozzles, each nozzle may be fluidly coupled to a corresponding material source to deposit a different, corresponding curable material, allowing the second printer assembly to deposit multiple different types of curable materials. For example, the system may include one or more nozzles configured to deposit a second curable material 608, one or more nozzles configured to deposit a third curable material, and so on. In these embodiments, a defect correction component may be modified to detect and correct defects in some or all of the curable material deposited by the second printer assembly.

[0164] Furthermore, despite FIGS. 6A-6E A single imaging device 616 is shown, but the system 600 may also include multiple imaging devices 616 (e.g., two, three, four, five, or more imaging devices 616), which may be positioned at any suitable corresponding location relative to the first printer assembly 302. In embodiments using multiple imaging devices 616, some or all of the imaging devices 616 may generate different types of image data (e.g., images captured at different wavelengths). Furthermore, the defect correction component of the system 600 may alternatively or additionally include other types of sensors, such as sensors configured to detect quality changes via mechanical disturbances as described herein.

[0165] Although the material removal device 618 is depicted as a vacuum mechanism, other types of material removal devices 618, such as any other embodiments described herein, may be used. For example, the material removal device 618 may alternatively or additionally be configured to remove erroneously deposited material 626 via electrostatic interaction. In such an embodiment, the material removal device 618 may include a chargeable component (e.g., a roller, drum, or screen). A charge opposite to the charge of the second curable material 608 may be applied to a portion or the entire surface of the chargeable component. The charged surface may then be brought close to the material to remove the erroneously deposited material 626 from the second object portion 606. The material may then be removed from the charged surface (e.g., by scraping, washing, or solvent removal of the charge from the charged surface) and collected for disposal or reuse.

[0166] Furthermore, despite FIGS. 6A-6EA single material removal device 618 is shown, but the system 600 may also include multiple material removal devices 618 (e.g., two, three, four, five, or more material removal devices 618), which may be positioned at any suitable corresponding location relative to the first printer assembly 302. In embodiments using multiple material removal devices 618, some or all of the material removal devices 618 may implement different types of material removal techniques as described herein. For example, a first material removal device 618 may be used to correct defects in a first object portion 604 (e.g., via ablation), while a second material removal device 618 may be used to correct defects in a second object portion 606 (e.g., via suction and / or electrostatic interaction).

[0167] In some embodiments, system 600 may be modified such that after energy is applied by second energy source 614 to solidify second object portion 606, erroneously deposited material 626 is removed. For example, second energy source 614 may be a projector, light engine, or other device configured to selectively apply energy only to locations corresponding to the target geometry of second object portion 606. Thus, any erroneously deposited material 626 can remain unsolidified and can subsequently be removed via material removal device 618.

[0168] The arrangement of the nozzle 610, the second energy source 614, the imaging device 616, and the material removal device 618 can also be varied as needed. For example, in some embodiments, some or all of these components are located on the same side of the first printer assembly 302 (e.g., near the rear printing area 336 or the front printing area 322), such that these components operate as the first printer assembly 302 moves in the same direction.

[0169] Optionally, some or all components of the defect correction assembly (e.g., imaging device 616 and / or material removal device 618) may be detached from and / or carried by the first printer assembly 302 and / or the second printer assembly. In this embodiment, the defect correction assembly can operate independently of the first printer assembly 302 and / or the second printer assembly. When a defect is detected, operation of the first printer assembly 302 and / or the second printer assembly can be paused, and the defect correction assembly can be guided to the location of the defect. The defect correction assembly can remain at that location until correction is completed and / or a predetermined time period has elapsed. If multiple defects are detected, the defect correction assembly can be moved sequentially to each defect location until all defects in the current portion of the object 602 have been corrected. Then, the first printer assembly 302 and / or the second printer assembly can resume operation to print the next portion of the object 602.

[0170] In addition to using the material removal device 618 or as an alternative, system 600 may use other types of defect correction techniques. For example, as discussed elsewhere herein, other types of defect correction techniques that may be used include: reprinting portions of object 602 where material was missed or insufficiently cured; adjusting the digital representation of object 602 to compensate for defects (e.g., changing the geometry and / or energy parameters of subsequent object layers); adjusting the digital representation of other objects printed simultaneously with object 602 to compensate for defects (e.g., changing the geometry and / or energy parameters of other objects); adjusting the alignment of the first printer assembly 302 and / or the second printer assembly, etc. Optionally, if the defect is too severe to be corrected, the defect correction technique may include interrupting the printing of object 602 and / or other objects adjacent to object 602.

[0171] FIG. 7A This is a flowchart illustrating a method 700a for manufacturing an object according to an embodiment of the present technology. Method 700a can be implemented through any embodiment of the systems and apparatus described herein (such as...). FIGS. 6A-6E The system 600 is used to execute the process. In some embodiments, part or all of the process of method 700a is implemented as computer-readable instructions (e.g., program code) configured to be executed by one or more processors of a computing device (such as a system 600). FIGS. 6A-6E The controller 620) executes.

[0172] Method 700a may begin at block 702 with the formation of a first object portion from a first material. This can be achieved using a first printer assembly (e.g., FIGS. 6A-6E A first additive manufacturing process implemented by a first printer assembly 302 forms a first object portion. The first object portion can be an entire layer, a portion of a layer, an entire cross-section, a portion of a cross-section, or any other part of the geometry of an additively manufactured object. The first object portion can be formed using any suitable additive manufacturing technique described herein. For example, the first object portion can be formed by instructing the first printer assembly to apply energy to a first material layer according to a digital representation of the target geometry of the first object portion. The energy can selectively cure the first material, thereby forming a cured material layer on a build platform or a previously formed portion of the object, as described herein.

[0173] At box 704, method 700a may include forming a second object portion from a second material. A second additive manufacturing component (e.g., including...) may be used. FIGS. 6A-6EThe second object portion is formed by the nozzle 610 and the second printer assembly (the second energy source 614). The second object portion can be an entire layer, a portion of a layer, an entire cross-section, a portion of a cross-section, or any other part of the geometry of the additively manufactured object. The second object portion can be formed using any suitable additive manufacturing technique described herein. For example, the second object portion can be formed by instructing the second printer assembly to selectively deposit a second material at one or more locations corresponding to the target geometry of the second object portion.

[0174] At block 706, method 700a may include acquiring sensor data of the second object portion. In some embodiments, the sensor data includes image data, which may be acquired using one or more imaging devices (e.g., FIGS. 6A-6E The imaging device 616 acquires, and may include, 2D and / or 3D data representing the actual geometry of the second object portion. Image data may include one or more images of the second object portion at any suitable wavelength, such as infrared, visible, ultraviolet, or combinations thereof. Alternatively or in combination, the process at block 706 may include acquiring other types of sensor data, as disclosed elsewhere herein. For example, the sensor data acquired at block 706 may include sensor data indicating the response of the second object portion to mechanical disturbances, and / or sensor data representing the velocity, acceleration, force, and / or torque of movable parts of the printer assembly.

[0175] At block 708, method 700a can continue to determine whether a defect exists in the second object portion based on the sensor data. For example, computer vision algorithms, machine learning algorithms, and / or other suitable techniques can be used to analyze the image data to detect the presence of a defect. In embodiments where the image data displays both the first and second object portions, the process at block 708 can involve identifying the second object portion in the image data, for example, based on a color and / or other optical properties that differ from the optical properties of the first object portion. Optionally, the process at block 708 can include processing the image data such that only the second object portion is visible (e.g., by extracting pixels corresponding to the second object portion from the image data and / or by deleting pixels corresponding to the first object portion from the image data).

[0176] In some embodiments, the process at block 708 involves comparing image data of the second object portion with a digital representation of the second object portion. The digital representation may be a 3D model and / or a 2D image of the second object portion depicting a target geometry. The comparison may be used to identify any discrepancies between the actual geometry of the second object portion and the target geometry that indicate defects (e.g., missing or excessive material). Optionally, the process at block 708 may also include identifying the coordinate locations of defects within the second object portion.

[0177] At box 710, if no defects are found, method 700a can proceed to box 714 to apply energy to solidify the second object portion (e.g., using...). FIGS. 6A-6E The second energy source 614). If a defect is determined to exist (e.g., the second object portion includes material in an undesirable location), method 700a may proceed to block 712 to correct the defect by removing at least one region of the second object portion. The removed region may simply be the region containing the defect, may include other regions adjacent to the region containing the defect (e.g., within 1 mm, 2 mm, 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, or 1 cm of the location of the defect), or may be the entire second object portion. Any suitable material removal technique described herein may be used to correct the region of the second object portion. For example, in some embodiments, the process at block 712 involves instructing a material removal device (e.g., FIGS. 6A-6E The material removal device 618) corrects defects by suctioning part or all of the second material forming the second object portion.

[0178] Once the defect is corrected, method 700a can proceed to block 714 to apply energy to solidify the remaining area of ​​the second object portion. If the entire second object portion is removed in block 712, method 700a can then repeat the processes of blocks 704 to 710 to reform the second object portion and inspect for defects. Once the second object portion has been successfully formed and solidified, method 700a can continue to form the next part of the object, such as another first object portion formed of the first material or another second object portion formed of the second material. Method 700a can then be repeated until the entire object is formed.

[0179] Method 700a can be modified in many different ways. For example, it can be changed. FIG. 7A The sequence of processes shown in the diagram, for example, could allow processes 704 through 714 to be performed before the process in block 702, such that the second object portion is formed before the first object portion. As another example, method 700a could include... FIG. 7AAdditional processes are not shown in the diagram. In some embodiments, depending on the type of defect, method 700a may use processes other than those in block 712 to correct the defect. For example, if the defect involves a lack of material at a specific location on the second object portion, method 700a may correct the defect by operating the second printer assembly to redeposit the second material at that location. Furthermore, method 700a may involve confirming that the defect has been successfully corrected (e.g., based on additional image data and / or other sensor data) before proceeding to block 714 to solidify the second object portion.

[0180] Method 700a can be combined with any other method described herein. For example, in some embodiments, method 700a can be combined with... FIG. 4A Method 400a and / or FIG. 4B Method 400b is combined to detect and / or correct defects in the first object portion. In this embodiment, some or all of the processes of methods 400a and / or 400b may be performed after the first object portion is formed in block 702, and simultaneously or sequentially with the processes in blocks 704 to 714.

[0181] FIG. 7B This is a flowchart illustrating a method 700b for manufacturing an object according to an embodiment of the present technology. Method 700b can be implemented through any embodiment of the systems and apparatus described herein (such as...). FIGS. 6A-6E The system 600 is used to execute the process. In some embodiments, part or all of the process of method 700b is implemented as computer-readable instructions (e.g., program code) configured to be executed by one or more processors of a computing device (such as system 600). FIGS. 6A-6E The controller 620) executes.

[0182] Method 700b may include: forming a first object portion from a first material (box 712), forming a second object portion from a second material (box 714), acquiring sensor data of the second object portion (box 716), and determining whether a defect exists in the second object portion (box 718). The processes in boxes 712, 714, 716, and 718 can be combined with… FIG. 7A The processes in methods 700a, 702, 704, 706, and 708 are the same or largely similar.

[0183] At box 720, if no defects are found, method 700b can proceed to box 726 to apply energy to solidify the second object portion (e.g., using...). FIGS. 6A-6E(Second energy source). If a defect is determined to exist, method 700b may proceed to block 722 to determine whether the defect is correctable. This determination may be based on the size of the defect (e.g., excessively large defects may be considered uncorrectable), the location of the defect (e.g., defects occurring at critical locations on an object may be considered uncorrectable), the type of defect (e.g., whether the defect involves missing material, excessive material deposition, insufficient material curing, or over-curing), and / or other relevant considerations. In some embodiments, a defect is considered correctable if the additive manufacturing system includes defect correction capabilities suitable for resolving the defect (e.g., a material removal device for removing improperly deposited material), and is considered uncorrectable if the additive manufacturing system does not include defect correction capabilities suitable for resolving the defect and / or it is determined that manual intervention by a human operator is required to correct the defect.

[0184] If the defect is correctable, method 700b can proceed to box 724 to correct the defect. Defects can be corrected in various ways, such as by removing a portion of the object to compensate for improperly deposited material (e.g., as mentioned above regarding...). FIG. 7A As described in block 712 of method 700a, additional material is deposited to compensate for material omissions, the digital representation of the object is adjusted (e.g., by changing the geometry and / or energy parameters of the current or subsequent object slices), the digital representation of other objects nearby is adjusted, or appropriate combinations thereof. The defect correction techniques used may depend on the size, location, and / or type of the defects that occurred, and the defect correction capabilities available to the additive manufacturing system. Once the defects are corrected, method 700b may proceed to block 726 to apply energy to solidify a second object portion, and then form the next portion of the object, such as another first object portion formed from the first material or another second object portion formed from the second material. Method 700b may then be repeated until the entire object is formed.

[0185] If the defect is uncorrectable, method 700b may proceed to block 728 to terminate the additive manufacturing of the object containing the defect, while continuing the additive manufacturing of other objects being manufactured simultaneously on the same build platform. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to continue printing other objects unaffected by the defect to maintain high manufacturing throughput, while selectively terminating the printing of the defective object to save material that might be consumed when attempting to print that object and / or reduce the likelihood that the defect will affect the printing of other objects. Optionally, the process in block 728 may also include terminating the additive manufacturing of one or more objects close to the affected object (e.g., objects located in the same region or quadrant of the build platform as the affected object), while continuing the additive manufacturing of one or more objects sufficiently far from the affected object (e.g., objects located in a different region or quadrant of the build platform than the affected object).

[0186] The process in box 728 can be implemented in various ways. For example, the additive manufacturing of these objects can be terminated by removing one or more objects from manufacturing instructions used to control the additive manufacturing system (e.g., a file containing object slices or other digital representations). Removal can be performed via a masking process, for example, in conjunction with the following. FIGS. 8A-9B Further discussion is needed. As another example, in an embodiment where the additive manufacturing system includes multiple energy sources (each configured to apply energy to a corresponding area of ​​the build platform to manufacture one or more objects within that area), additive manufacturing of the defect-affected object and / or objects near the affected object can be terminated by disabling the energy source associated with the area of ​​the affected object. Subsequently, the process of method 700b can be repeated for the remaining objects on the build platform to complete the additive manufacturing of the remaining objects.

[0187] Method 700b can be modified in many different ways. For example, it can be changed. FIG. 7B The sequence of processes is shown in the diagram. For example, processes 714 through 726 may be performed before the process in block 712, such that the second object portion is formed before the first object portion. As another example, method 700b may include... FIG. 7B Additional processes not shown. In some embodiments, method 700b involves confirming that the defect has been successfully corrected (e.g., based on additional sensor data) before proceeding to block 726 to solidify the second object portion.

[0188] Method 700b can be combined with any other method described herein. For example, in some embodiments, method 700b can be combined with... FIG. 4A Method 400a and / or FIG. 4BMethod 400b is combined to detect and / or correct defects in the first object portion. In this embodiment, some or all of the processes of methods 400a and / or 400b may be performed after the first object portion is formed in block 712, and simultaneously or sequentially with the processes in blocks 714 to 726.

[0189] The additive manufacturing systems, apparatus, and methods of this technology can be used to manufacture multiple objects, such as two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, fifty, or more objects. The objects can be formed simultaneously on the same build platform during a single additive manufacturing operation. These objects can differ from one another in geometry (e.g., shape, size) and material composition (e.g., type and location of the material used). For example, any object can be made from a single curable material (e.g., as per...). FIGS. 2-4B (as described) or multiple curable materials (e.g., as per [reference]). FIGS. 5A-7B As described herein, this technique can be used to detect and correct defects that may occur during the manufacture of any single object among multiple objects. For example, the defects described herein... FIGS. 1A-7B The described technique can be used to identify and remove any erroneously deposited material in any of multiple objects, as well as to identify and reapply missing material to any of multiple objects.

[0190] In some cases, correcting certain types of defects may be difficult or impossible. Therefore, it may be advantageous to terminate the printing of the affected object to save material that might have been consumed in attempting to print that object, and to reduce the likelihood that the defect will affect the printing of other objects on the build platform. In some embodiments, it is desirable to continue printing other objects rather than terminating and restarting the entire printing operation to avoid wasting the material and time already spent printing other objects.

[0191] FIG. 8A This is a flowchart illustrating a method 800a for manufacturing multiple objects according to an embodiment of the present technology. Method 800a can be used to selectively terminate the printing of objects containing defects while continuing to print the remaining objects that do not contain defects. Method 800a can be implemented through any embodiment of the systems and apparatus described herein (such as...). FIG. 1A System 100A, FIG. 1B System 100B FIG. 1C System 100C FIGS. 3A-3C System 300 or FIGS. 6A-6E The system 600 is executed. In some embodiments, part or all of the process of method 800a is implemented as computer-readable instructions (e.g., program code) configured to be executed by one or more processors of a computing device (e.g., system 600). FIG. 1A Controller 106 FIGS. 3A-3CController 334 or FIGS. 6A-6E The controller 620) executes the method. Furthermore, method 800a can be used with any other method described herein (e.g., FIG. 4A Method 400a FIG. 4B Method 400b FIG. 7A Method 700a and / or FIG. 7B Method 700b) combination.

[0192] Method 800a may begin at block 802 with receiving a digital representation of multiple objects to be manufactured. The digital representation may represent a single batch of objects planned to be manufactured during the same additive manufacturing operation and / or on a single build platform. For example, the objects may be a group of devices for treating a single patient according to a prescribed treatment plan. The digital representation may be any suitable dataset, file, etc., representing the target geometry of each object. For example, the digital representation may be or include a 3D model depicting the 3D shape of each object, and / or a set of 2D images depicting the 2D geometry of multiple individual layers of each object. In some embodiments, the digital representation includes a series of slices for additively manufacturing objects from multiple consecutive layers.

[0193] At box 804, method 800a may continue to form a portion of each object based on the digital representation. Each object portion may be a layer or part of a layer of the corresponding object, a section or part of a section, or other suitable portion. Object portions may be formed using any suitable additive manufacturing process described herein. For example, each object portion may be formed by depositing one or more materials at the location indicated by the digital representation using one or more printer assemblies.

[0194] FIG. 9A This is a partial schematic diagram of a digital representation 900 for manufacturing a portion of each of a plurality of objects according to an embodiment of the present technology. The digital representation 900 can be any suitable dataset providing information about the location and geometry of the objects. In some embodiments, the digital representation is an image with any suitable image file type, such as a black and white bitmap file. The layout of the objects in the digital representation 900 can correspond to the desired layout of the objects on the building platform. FIG. 9AAs shown, digital representation 900 depicts the target geometry of a single portion (e.g., layer) of each object (such as first object 902a and second object 902b). The position and value of each pixel in digital representation 900 can be used to identify where material should be placed to form that object portion. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, non-white (e.g., black) pixels indicate where material should be placed, while white pixels indicate where material should not be placed. In other embodiments, the representation can be reversed, where white pixels indicate where material should be placed, and non-white pixels indicate where material should not be placed. Optionally, pixels can be grayscale pixels instead of black and white pixels, where the grayscale value of each pixel represents an energy parameter (e.g., exposure time and / or energy intensity) of the material to be applied at that pixel location. Digital representation 900 can be part of a series of digital representations (e.g., a series of object slices) that collectively depict the complete target geometry of each object, thereby providing instructions for sequentially constructing each object in a layer-by-layer manner.

[0195] Refer again FIG. 8A At block 806, method 800a may include making a determination regarding the presence and / or absence of defects in at least one part of the formed object. The presence of defects may be determined using any techniques described herein. For example, the process at block 806 may include acquiring image data of each object part using one or more imaging devices, such as a camera, scanner, etc. The image data may be compared with a digital representation of the object part to determine whether there are any discrepancies between the actual geometry of each object part and the target geometry, such as excess material, missing material, etc. Alternatively or in combination, other types of sensor data may be used to determine the presence of defects, such as sensor data indicating the response of a second object part to mechanical disturbances, and / or sensor data representing the velocity, acceleration, force, and / or torque of movable parts of a printer assembly.

[0196] At box 808, method 800a can modify the numerical representation of multiple objects to remove the objects affected by the defect. Modifications can include masking, extracting, or deleting portions of the numerical representation describing the affected objects. Modifications can be selectively applied so that portions of the numerical representation corresponding to other objects remain unaffected.

[0197] For example, refer to again FIG. 9AEach object in the digital representation 900 can be associated with a corresponding boundary (such as a first boundary 904a of the first object 902a and a second boundary 904b of the second object 902b). A boundary can be a set of coordinates representing the location associated with a specific object in the layout. In some embodiments, the boundary is implemented as metadata associated with the digital representation 900. Therefore, each object in the layout can be mapped to a corresponding boundary, allowing the location of each object to be determined from the digital representation 900 based on the boundary. In the illustrated embodiment, the boundary is larger than the actual geometry of the corresponding object. For example, the area within the boundary can be large enough to cover the maximum extent of each portion of the object in the layout. However, in other embodiments, the size of the boundary can be the same as the actual geometry of the corresponding object.

[0198] If a defect is detected in the first object 902a, the digital representation 900 can be modified to remove the first object 902a by modifying some or all of the pixels within the first boundary 904a. For example, FIG. 9B A digital representation 900 is shown after the removal of the first object 902a. In some embodiments, a digital mask is applied to some or all of the pixels contained by the first boundary 904a to restore these pixels to baseline values. In the illustrated embodiment, the mask has converted the pixels within the first boundary 904a to white pixels, thereby indicating that material should not be deposited at any location defined by the first boundary 904a. Furthermore, in embodiments where the digital representation 900 is part of a series of digital representations that collectively depict the entire target geometry of the object, the mask may also be applied to pixels within the first boundary 904a in some or all of the other digital representations (e.g., all digital representations representing subsequent layers of the first object 902a). FIG. 9B As can be seen, pixels corresponding to other objects (e.g., the second object 902b) can remain unaffected.

[0199] Refer again FIG. 8A At box 810, method 800a can continue forming a portion of each remaining object based on the modified digital representation. The object portion formed in box 810 can be the next layer, section, etc., of each remaining object. Since the object containing the defect has been removed from the digital representation, the process in box 810 can be performed without forming any additional portions of that object, thus selectively terminating the printing of that object while continuing to print other objects. Therefore, many objects can still be completed even if a defect exists that affects other objects in the same layout.

[0200] Method 800a can be modified in a variety of different ways. For example, the process in box 808 can alternatively or additionally include other types of modifications. For example, instead of removing the object affected by the defect, the digital representation can be modified to change the geometry (e.g., size and / or shape) and / or the energy parameters (e.g., grayscale values) of the affected object. This modification can be made to the entire object or only to a specific region of the object affected by the defect. As another example, the modification can include modifications to other objects in the digital representation, such as removing or otherwise modifying objects near the affected object if the detected defect may also affect them. Any modifications described herein can be made to the digital representation corresponding to the current layer of the object, one or more digital representations corresponding to one or more subsequent layers of the object, or suitable combinations thereof.

[0201] In addition, method 800a may also include FIG. 8A Additional processes are not shown in the diagram. In some embodiments, if a defect is detected in block 806, method 800a may assess whether the defect is correctable before proceeding to block 808. This assessment can be performed, for example, using a combination of... FIGS. 1A-7B The described technique attempts to correct defects. Alternatively or in combination, method 800a may attempt to correct defects by generating a corrected shape for the object portion using an algorithm and then printing that corrected shape. A suitable shape may be determined based on the observed defect type and may be generated using simulation, rule-based algorithms, machine learning algorithms, or any other suitable method. If the defect is successfully corrected, printing of the object can continue without modifying the digital representation. If the defect is not successfully corrected after one or more attempts, method 800a may proceed to box 808 to terminate printing of the object by removing the object from the digital representation, as described herein. Alternatively, evaluation may be performed without actually attempting to correct the defect. For example, based on characteristics such as size, location, type, etc., a particular type of defect may be automatically considered too severe to correct, and if such a defect is detected, method 800a may proceed to box 808 to terminate printing of the object.

[0202] also, FIG. 9A and FIG. 9BThe boundaries shown in the embodiments can be varied as needed. For example, while the boundary is depicted as having a square shape, in other embodiments, the boundary can be defined using any suitable geometry (e.g., rectangle, circle, ellipse, polygon, U-shape, shape matching the perimeter of the object, etc.). In some embodiments, the boundary is defined to include multiple objects (e.g., multiple objects in the same region or quadrant of a building platform), such that the modifications described herein can be applied to multiple objects simultaneously. For example, this method may be beneficial if a defect detected in a single object is likely to affect the manufacturing of other nearby objects. As another example, boundaries can be defined for smaller areas of a single object to allow for independent modifications to each area. Alternatively, a single numerical representation can include multiple types of boundaries (e.g., a boundary including multiple objects, a boundary including a single object, and / or a boundary including a smaller area of ​​a single object), which can provide greater flexibility for different types of modifications to compensate for defects during the additive manufacturing process.

[0203] FIG. 8B This is a flowchart illustrating a method 800b for manufacturing multiple objects according to an embodiment of the present technology. Method 800b can be used to dynamically modify the digital representation of one or more objects to compensate for any detected defects. Method 800b can be implemented through any embodiment of the systems and apparatus described herein (such as...). FIG. 1A System 100A, FIG. 1B System 100B FIG. 1C System 100C FIGS. 3A-3C System 300 or FIGS. 6A-6E The system 600b is used to execute the process. In some embodiments, part or all of the process of method 800b may be implemented as computer-readable instructions (e.g., program code) configured to be executed by one or more processors of the computing device (e.g., controller 106 of FIG. 1). FIGS. 3A-3C Controller 334 or FIGS. 6A-6E The controller 620) executes the method. Furthermore, method 800b can be used with any other method described herein (e.g., FIG. 4A Method 400a FIG. 4B Method 400b FIG. 7A Method 700a and / or FIG. 7B Method 700b) combination.

[0204] Method 800b may include: receiving digital representations of a plurality of objects to be manufactured (box 812), forming a portion of each object based on the digital representations (box 814), and making a determination regarding the presence and / or absence of defects in the formed portion of at least one object (box 816). The processes in boxes 812, 814, and 816 may be related to... FIG. 8AThe processes in blocks 802, 804, and 806 of method 800a are the same or largely similar.

[0205] At box 818, method 800b may include determining whether a defect is correctable. This determination may be based on the size of the defect (e.g., excessively large defects may be considered uncorrectable), the location of the defect (e.g., defects occurring at critical locations on an object may be considered uncorrectable), the type of defect (e.g., whether the defect involves missing material, excessive material deposition, insufficient material curing, or over-curing), and / or other relevant considerations. In some embodiments, a defect is considered correctable if the additive manufacturing system includes defect correction capabilities suitable for resolving the defect (e.g., a material removal device for removing improperly deposited material), and uncorrectable if the additive manufacturing system does not include defect correction capabilities suitable for resolving the defect and / or it is determined that manual intervention by a human operator is required to correct the defect.

[0206] If the defect is correctable, method 800b can proceed to block 820, modifying the numerical representation to correct the defect. As previously discussed (e.g., in conjunction with...) FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B The digital representation of an object may include information about the location and geometry of each object, and in some cases, the location and geometry of a smaller region within a single object, thereby allowing modification of a particular object, a specific region within an object, a specific group of objects, or any suitable combination thereof. In some embodiments, modifications to the digital representation include one or more of the following: changing the geometry of a portion of the object affected by the defect (e.g., the size and / or shape of a current object slice), changing the geometry of a subsequent portion of the affected object (e.g., the size and / or shape of a subsequent object slice), changing the energy parameters of the portion of the affected object (e.g., the exposure time, energy intensity, and / or grayscale value of the current object slice), changing the energy parameters of a subsequent portion of the affected object (e.g., the exposure time, energy intensity, and / or grayscale value of a subsequent object slice), changing the geometry of a portion of another object (e.g., another object adjacent to the affected object), changing the geometry of a subsequent portion of another object, changing the energy parameters of a portion of another object, and / or changing the energy parameters of a subsequent portion of another object. Method 800b may then proceed to block 822, forming a portion of each object (including the defective object) based on the modified digital representation.

[0207] If the defect is uncorrectable, method 800b can proceed to box 824 to modify the numerical representation to remove the object affected by the defect, and then proceed to box 826 to form a portion of each remaining object based on the modified numerical representation. The processes in boxes 824 and 826 can be combined with...FIG. 8A The processes in blocks 808 and 810 of method 800a are the same or largely similar.

[0208] Method 800b can be modified in many different ways. For example, in addition to modifying the digital representation, method 800b may include other types of corrections, such as generating instructions for areas containing defects in the formed portion of the object to be removed by the material removal device. The type of correction process to be used can be selected based on the size, location, and / or type of the defect, as well as the defect correction capability of the additive manufacturing system.

[0209] FIG. 13 Elements of a process 1300 for correcting printing defects in an additive manufacturing system according to an embodiment of the present technology are shown. Process 1300 and / or any operation thereof can be performed by any machinery, hardware, and / or software described herein. At operation 1310, the printing system is shown as additively manufacturing a curable material into a 3D printed article. The printing system includes one or more printheads (e.g., DLP printheads and inkjet printheads), a print bed, curable materials (shown as material A and material B), a monitoring unit (e.g., a machine vision unit), and a correction unit (e.g., a material removal mechanism). The material is deposited onto the print bed via one or more material delivery systems and cured using one or more printheads. At operation 1320, a zoomed-in view shows uncured material and green layers of different cured materials deposited and fused together using light, temperature, and / or other curing radiation and / or other curing mechanisms. Cured and / or uncured material remains on the build plate. At operation 1330, an incorrectly deposited layer (e.g., layer B) is shown. At operation 1340, the monitoring unit's camera can capture one or more images of incorrectly deposited material during the printhead's travel. At operation 1350, the monitoring unit's computer provides the correction unit with the appropriate defect correction location. The correction unit can be guided to the appropriate location and perform the correction. At operation 1360, the correction unit can remove excess material associated with the printing defect; the system can be agitated to reduce viscosity or modify other properties of the uncured material. At operation 1370, the printhead performs correction measures on the same layer on a pixel-by-pixel or voxel-by-voxel basis. II. Dental appliance and associated methods

[0210] FIG. 10AA representative example of a tooth repositioning appliance 1000 configured according to embodiments of the present technology is shown. The appliance 1000 can be manufactured using any of the systems, methods, and apparatus described herein. The appliance 1000 (also referred to herein as an "orthodontic appliance") can be worn by a patient to achieve incremental repositioning of individual teeth 1002 in the jaw. The appliance 1000 may include a housing (e.g., a continuous polymer housing or a segmented housing) having a tooth-receiving cavity that accommodates and resiliently repositions the teeth. The appliance 1000 or portions thereof can be fabricated indirectly using a physical model of the teeth. For example, an appliance (e.g., a polymer appliance) can be formed using a physical model of the teeth and suitable polymer material sheets. In some embodiments, for example, a physical appliance is fabricated directly from a digital model of the appliance using additive manufacturing techniques.

[0211] The appliance 1000 can be adapted to all teeth present in the maxilla or mandible, or to fewer than all teeth. The appliance 1000 can be specifically designed to accommodate a patient's teeth (e.g., the morphology of the tooth-accommodating cavity matches the morphology of the patient's teeth) and can be manufactured based on a positive or negative mold of the patient's teeth generated by impression, scanning, etc. Alternatively, the appliance 1000 can be a general-purpose appliance configured to accommodate teeth, but not necessarily shaped to match the morphology of the patient's teeth. In some cases, only certain teeth accommodated by the appliance 1000 are repositioned by the appliance 1000, while other teeth can provide a base or anchoring area to hold the appliance 1000 in place when the appliance 1000 applies force to one or more teeth that are the repositioning targets. In some cases, some, most, or even all teeth can be repositioned at some point during treatment. The moved teeth can also be used as a base or anchor for holding the appliance in place while the patient wears it. In a preferred embodiment, no thread or other means is provided for holding the appliance 1000 in proper position on the tooth. However, in some cases, it may be desirable or necessary to provide a separate attachment 1004 or other anchoring element on the tooth 1002, having a corresponding receiving portion 1006 or hole in the appliance 1000, so that the appliance 1000 can apply selected forces on the tooth. Representative examples of appliances, including those used in the Invisalign® system, are described in numerous patents and patent applications of Alain Technologies, Inc. (including, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,450,807 and 5,975,893) and on the company’s website accessible on the World Wide Web (e.g., see link “invisalign.com”). Examples of attachments mounted on the teeth suitable for use with orthodontic appliances are also described in the patents and patent applications of Alain Technologies, Inc., including, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 6,309,215 and 6,830,450.

[0212] FIG. 10BA tooth repositioning system 1010 comprising multiple appliances 1012, 1014, 1016, according to an embodiment of the present technology, is illustrated. Any appliance described herein may be designed and / or provided as part of a group of multiple appliances for use in a tooth repositioning system. Each appliance may be configured such that the tooth receiving cavity has a geometry corresponding to an intermediate or final tooth arrangement intended for use with that appliance. By placing a series of incremental position adjustment appliances on a patient's teeth, the patient's teeth can be progressively repositioned from an initial tooth arrangement to a target tooth arrangement. For example, tooth repositioning system 1010 may include: a first appliance 1012 corresponding to an initial tooth arrangement; one or more intermediate appliances 1014 corresponding to one or more intermediate arrangements; and a final appliance 1016 corresponding to a target arrangement. The target tooth arrangement may be a planned final tooth arrangement selected for the patient's teeth at the end of all planned orthodontic treatment. Alternatively, the target alignment can be one of several intermediate alignments used for the patient's teeth during orthodontic treatment, and can include a variety of different treatment scenarios, including but not limited to cases where surgery is recommended, where interproximal reduction (IPR) is appropriate, where progress checks are scheduled, where anchor placement is optimal, where palatal expansion is desired, and where restorative dentistry is involved (e.g., inlays, onlays, crowns, bridges, implants, veneers, etc.). Therefore, it should be understood that the target tooth alignment can be the result of any planned alignment of the patient's teeth following one or more incremental repositioning phases. Similarly, the initial tooth alignment can be any initial alignment of the patient's teeth followed by one or more incremental repositioning phases.

[0213] FIG. 10CA method 1020 for orthodontic treatment using multiple appliances according to an embodiment of the present technology is illustrated. Method 1020 can be practiced using any of the appliances or groups of appliances described herein. In block 1022, a first orthodontic appliance is applied to the patient's teeth to reposition the teeth from a first dental alignment to a second dental alignment. In block 1024, a second orthodontic appliance is applied to the patient's teeth to reposition the teeth from the second dental alignment to a third dental alignment. Method 1020 can be repeated as needed using any suitable number of sequential appliances and combinations of sequential appliances to incrementally reposition the patient's teeth from an initial alignment to a target alignment. Appliances can be manufactured all at once, in groups, or in batches (e.g., at the beginning of a treatment phase), or appliances can be manufactured one at a time, and the patient can wear each appliance until pressure from each appliance on the teeth is no longer felt or until the maximum amount of expressed tooth movement for that given phase has been achieved. Multiple different appliances (e.g., a group) can be designed or even manufactured before the patient wears any of the appliances in the multiple appliances. After wearing an appliance for an appropriate period of time, the patient can replace the current appliance with the next appliance in the series until no more appliances are needed. Appliances are typically not fixed to the teeth, and the patient can place and change appliances at any time during the procedure (e.g., patient-removable appliances). The final appliance or multiple appliances in the series may have one or more geometries selected for overcorrecting tooth alignment. For example, one or more appliances may have geometries that will (if fully realized) move individual teeth beyond the alignment that has been selected as “final.” Such overcorrection may be desirable to counteract potential regression after the repositioning method has been terminated (e.g., allowing individual teeth to move back towards their pre-correction positions). Overcorrection can also be beneficial to accelerate the correction rate (e.g., an appliance with a geometry positioned beyond the desired intermediate or final position can move individual teeth toward that position at a greater rate). In this case, the use of the appliance can be terminated before the teeth reach the position defined by the appliance. Furthermore, overcorrection may be intentionally applied to compensate for any inaccuracies or limitations of the appliance.

[0214] FIG. 11 A method 1100 for designing orthodontic appliances according to embodiments of the present technology is illustrated. Method 1100 can be applied to any embodiment of the orthodontic appliances described herein. Some or all of the steps of method 1100 can be performed by any suitable data processing system or apparatus (e.g., one or more processors configured with suitable instructions).

[0215] In box 1102, a movement path is determined to move one or more teeth from an initial alignment to a target alignment. The initial alignment can be determined, for example, using wax bite method, direct contact scanning, X-ray imaging, tomography, ultrasound imaging, and other techniques for obtaining information about the position and structure of teeth, jaws, gingiva, and other orthodontic-related tissues from a mold or scan of the patient's teeth or oral tissues. A digital dataset representing the initial (e.g., pre-treatment) alignment of the patient's teeth and other tissues can be obtained from the acquired data. Optionally, the initial digital dataset is processed to segment the tissue components to each other. For example, a data structure digitally representing the individual crowns can be generated. Advantageously, a digital model of the entire tooth can be generated, including the measured or inferred hidden surfaces and root structures, as well as the surrounding bone and soft tissue.

[0216] The target alignment of teeth (e.g., the desired and expected end result of orthodontic treatment) can be received from the clinician in the form of a prescription, calculated based on fundamental orthodontic principles, and / or inferred from the clinical prescription. By specifying the desired final position of the teeth and a digital representation of the teeth themselves, the final position and surface geometry of each tooth can be specified to form a complete model of the tooth alignment at the desired end of treatment.

[0217] Having both an initial position and a target position for each tooth, a movement path can be defined for the movement of each tooth. In some embodiments, the movement path is configured to move the tooth from its initial position to its desired target position in the fastest manner with the least amount of round trips. The tooth path can optionally be segmented (partitioned), and the segments can be computed such that the movement of each tooth within a segment remains within threshold limits for linear translation and rotational translation. In this way, the endpoints of each path segment can constitute a clinically feasible repositioning, and the set of segment endpoints can constitute a clinically feasible sequence of tooth positions such that moving from one point to the next in the sequence does not result in tooth collision.

[0218] In box 1104, a force system for generating movement of one or more teeth along the movement path is defined. The force system may include one or more forces and / or one or more torques. Different force systems can produce different types of tooth movement, such as tilting, translation, rotation, extrusion, intrusion, root movement, etc. Biomechanical principles, modeling techniques, force calculation / measurement techniques, etc. (including knowledge and methods commonly used in orthodontics) can be used to determine the appropriate force system to be applied to the teeth to achieve tooth movement. Sources may be considered when determining the force system to be applied, including literature, force systems determined through experimental or virtual modeling, computer-based modeling, clinical experience, minimization of unwanted forces, etc.

[0219] The determination of the force system can be performed in a variety of ways. For example, in some embodiments, the force system is determined on a patient-by-patient basis, such as using patient-specific data. Alternatively or in combination, the force system can be determined based on a generalized model of tooth movement (e.g., based on experimental, modeling, clinical data, etc.), making it not necessarily necessary to use patient-specific data. In some embodiments, the determination of the force system involves calculating a specific force value to be applied to one or more teeth to produce a specific movement. Alternatively, the determination of the force system can be performed at a high level without calculating specific force values ​​for the teeth. For example, block 1104 may involve determining a specific type of force to be applied (e.g., compressive force, invasive force, translational force, rotational force, tilting force, torsional force, etc.) without calculating the specific magnitude and / or direction of the force.

[0220] Determining the force system can include constraints on permissible forces, such as permissible direction and magnitude, and the desired movement resulting from the applied forces. For example, different patients may require different mobilization strategies when fabricating a palatal expander. For instance, the amount of force required to separate the palate can depend on the patient's age, as very young patients may not have a fully formed suture. Therefore, in adolescent patients and others with incompletely closed palatal sutures, palatal expansion can be accomplished with a lower force. Slower palatal movement can also help bone growth to fill the expanding suture. For other patients, a faster expansion may be required, which can be achieved by applying greater forces. The structure and materials of the appliance can be selected based on these requirements; for example, by selecting a palatal expander capable of applying large forces to open the palatal suture and / or induce rapid expansion of the palate. Subsequent appliance stages can be designed to apply varying amounts of force, such as initially applying large forces to break the suture, followed by smaller forces to maintain suture separation or gradually expand the palate and / or dental arch.

[0221] Determining the force system may also involve modeling the patient's facial structures, such as the skeletal structure of the jaw and palate. For example, scan data of the palate and dental arch (such as X-ray data or 3D optical scan data) can be used to determine parameters of the skeletal and muscular systems of the patient's oral cavity in order to determine the force sufficient to provide the desired expansion of the palate and / or dental arch. In some embodiments, the thickness and / or density of the palatal suture may be measured or entered by a treatment professional. In other embodiments, the treatment professional may select appropriate treatment based on the patient's physiological characteristics. For example, the characteristics of the palate may also be estimated based on factors such as the patient's age; for instance, a young adolescent patient may require less force to expand the suture than an older patient because the suture has not yet fully formed.

[0222] In box 1106, the design for an orthodontic appliance configured to generate a force system is defined. This design may include appliance geometry, material composition, and / or material properties, and may be determined in various ways, such as using a treatment or force application simulation environment. The simulation environment may include, for example, a computer modeling system, a biomechanical system, or a device. Optionally, a digital model of the appliance and / or teeth, such as a finite element model, may be generated. The finite element model can be created using computer program application software available from various vendors. To create the solid geometry model, computer-aided engineering (CAE) or computer-aided design (CAD) programs, such as AutoCAD® software products available from Autodesk, Inc., San Rafael, California, can be used. To create and analyze the finite element model, program products from multiple vendors can be used, including the finite element analysis package from ANSYS, Inc., Fort Cannons, Pennsylvania, and the SIMULIA (Abaqus) software product from Dassault Systèmes, Waltham, Massachusetts.

[0223] Optionally, one or more designs can be selected for testing or force modeling. As described above, the desired tooth movement and the required or desired force system to induce the desired tooth movement can be identified. Using a simulation environment, candidate designs can be analyzed or modeled to determine the actual force system generated by using the candidate apparatus. Optionally, one or more modifications can be made to the candidate apparatus, and force modeling can be further analyzed as described, for example, to iteratively determine the apparatus design that produces the desired force system.

[0224] In block 1108, instructions for manufacturing orthodontic appliances incorporating the design are generated. The instructions may be configured to control a manufacturing system or apparatus to produce orthodontic appliances having the specified design. In some embodiments, the instructions are configured to manufacture the orthodontic appliance using direct manufacturing methods (e.g., stereolithography, selective laser sintering, fused deposition modeling, 3D printing, continuous direct manufacturing, multimaterial direct manufacturing, etc.) according to the various methods presented herein. In alternative embodiments, the instructions may be configured to indirectly manufacture the appliance, such as by thermoforming.

[0225] While the steps described above illustrate a method 1100 for designing orthodontic appliances according to some embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize some variations based on the teachings described herein. Some steps may include sub-steps. Some steps may be repeated frequently as needed. One or more steps of method 1100 can be performed using any suitable manufacturing system or apparatus, such as the embodiments described herein. Some steps may be optional; for example, the process in box 1104 may be omitted, such that the orthodontic appliance is designed based on desired tooth movement and / or determined tooth movement paths rather than on a force system. Furthermore, the order of the steps may be changed as needed.

[0226] FIG. 12 A method 1200 for orthodontic treatment and / or design or manufacture of a digital planning appliance according to an embodiment is shown. Method 1200 can be applied to any treatment procedure described herein and can be performed by any suitable data processing system.

[0227] In box 1202, a digital representation of the patient's teeth is received. The digital representation may include surface topography data of the patient's oral cavity (including teeth, gingival tissue, etc.). The surface topography data can be generated by directly scanning the oral cavity, a physical model (positive or negative mold) of the oral cavity, or an impression of the oral cavity using a suitable scanning device (e.g., a handheld scanner, a desktop scanner, etc.).

[0228] In box 1204, one or more treatment phases are generated based on the digital representation of the teeth. A treatment phase can be an incremental repositioning phase in the orthodontic treatment process, designed to move one or more of the patient's teeth from an initial tooth arrangement to a target arrangement. For example, a treatment phase can be generated by determining the initial tooth arrangement indicated by the digital representation, determining the target tooth arrangement, and determining the movement path for one or more teeth in the initial arrangement required to achieve the target tooth arrangement. The movement path can be optimized based on minimizing the total distance of movement, preventing collisions between teeth, avoiding more difficult tooth movements, or any other suitable criteria.

[0229] In box 1206, at least one orthodontic appliance is manufactured based on the generated treatment phase. For example, a set of appliances can be manufactured, each appliance shaped according to a tooth alignment specified by one of the treatment phases, such that the appliances can be worn sequentially by the patient to incrementally reposition the teeth from the initial alignment to the target alignment. The appliance set may include one or more of the orthodontic appliances described herein. The manufacture of the appliances may involve creating a digital model of the appliance to serve as input to a computer-controlled manufacturing system. Direct manufacturing methods, indirect manufacturing methods, or a combination thereof may be used to form the appliances, as needed.

[0230] In some cases, the phased division of various arrangements or treatment stages may not be necessary for the design and / or manufacture of the device. For example... FIG. 12 As shown by the dashed lines, the design and / or manufacture of orthodontic appliances and possible specific orthodontic treatments may include using a representation of the patient's teeth (e.g., including receiving a digital representation of the patient's teeth (box 1202)), and then designing / or manufacturing orthodontic appliances based on the representation of the patient's teeth in the arrangement represented by the received representation.

[0231] As described herein, the techniques described herein can be used to directly manufacture dental appliances, such as orthodontic appliances and / or a series of appliances having tooth-accommodating cavities, which are configured to move a person’s teeth from an initial alignment toward a target alignment according to a treatment plan. Orthodontic appliances may include mandibular repositioning elements, such as those described in the following documents: U.S. Patent No. 10,912,629, filed November 30, 2015, entitled “Dental Appliances with Repositioning Jaw Elements”; U.S. Patent No. 10,537,406, filed September 19, 2014, entitled “Dental Appliances with Repositioning Jaw Elements”; and U.S. Patent No. 9,844,424, filed February 21, 2014, entitled “Dental Appliances with Repositioning Jaw Elements”; the entire disclosure of these U.S. patents is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0232] The techniques used in this article can also be used to manufacture attachment templates, such as appliances for positioning prefabricated attachments on a person's teeth according to one or more aspects of a treatment plan. Examples of attachment placement devices (also known as “attachment placement devices” or “attachment manufacturing templates”) can be found in at least the following: U.S. Application No. 17 / 249,218, filed February 24, 2021, entitled “Flexible 3D Printed Orthodontic Device”; U.S. Application No. 16 / 366,686, filed March 27, 2019, entitled “Dental Attachment Placement Structure”; U.S. Application No. 15 / 674,662, filed August 11, 2017, entitled “Devices and Systems for Creation of Attachments”; U.S. Patent No. 11,103,330, filed June 14, 2017, entitled “Dental Attachment Placement Structure”; and U.S. Application No. 16 / 366,686, filed December 9, 2015, entitled “Dental Attachment Placement”. U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 963,527 entitled “Dental Attachment Placement Structure”, filed November 12, 2015; U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 939,246 entitled “Dental Attachment Placement Structure”, filed November 12, 2015; U.S. Patent Application No. 14 / 939,252 entitled “Dental Attachment Formation Structures”, filed November 12, 2015; and U.S. Patent No. 9,700,385 entitled “Attachment Structure”, filed August 22, 2014; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0233] The techniques described herein can be used to manufacture incremental palatal expanders and / or a series of incremental palatal expanders for expanding a person's palate from an initial position toward a target position according to one or more aspects of a treatment plan. Examples of incremental palatal expanders can be found in at least the following: U.S. Application No. 16 / 380,801, filed April 10, 2019, entitled "Releasable Palatal Expanders"; U.S. Application No. 16 / 022,552, filed June 28, 2018, entitled "Devices, Systems, and Methods for Dental Arch Expansion"; U.S. Patent No. 11,045,283, filed June 8, 2018, entitled "Palatal Expander with Skeletal Anchorage Devices"; U.S. Application No. 15 / 831,159, filed December 4, 2017, entitled "Palatal Expanders and Methods of Expanding a Palate"; and U.S. Application No. 16 / 380,801, filed December 4, 2017, entitled "Methods..." U.S. Patent No. 10,993,783, entitled "Methods and Apparatuses for Customizing a Rapid Palatal Expander"; and U.S. Patent No. 7,192,273, filed August 7, 2003, entitled "System and Method for Palatal Expansion"; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Examples

[0234] The following examples are included to further describe some aspects of this technology, and these examples are not intended to limit the scope of this technology.

[0235] Example 1. A system comprising: The printer assembly is configured to perform additive manufacturing processes using curable materials; At least one sensor; Material removal device; A processor, operatively coupled to a printer assembly, at least one sensor, and a material removal device; and Memory, operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations including: Using printer components to form parts of an object from a curable material; Use at least one sensor to acquire sensor data for the object portion; Determining whether defects exist in a part of an object based on sensor data; and In response to the determination that a defect exists in a part of the object, the area containing the defect is removed using a material removal device.

[0236] Example 2. Based on the system of Example 1, the printer component includes: The nozzle is configured to form a portion of the object by depositing one or more droplets of a curable material. An energy source is configured to apply energy to cure curable materials.

[0237] Example 3. According to the system of Example 2, the operation further includes applying energy to solidify the remaining area of ​​the object portion after the area of ​​the object portion has been removed.

[0238] Example 4. A system according to Example 2 or 3, wherein the material removal device includes a vacuum mechanism configured to remove a region of the object portion via suction.

[0239] Example 5. A system according to any one of Examples 2 to 4, wherein the material removal device includes a charged surface configured to remove a region of an object portion via electrostatic interaction with a curable material.

[0240] Example 6. A system according to any one of Examples 2 to 5 further includes a heat source configured to heat the curable material.

[0241] Example 7. The system according to any one of Examples 2 to 6 further includes an agitator configured to apply mechanical disturbance to the curable material.

[0242] Example 8. The system according to any one of Examples 2 to 7 further includes a second printer assembly configured to perform a second additive manufacturing process using a second curable material.

[0243] Example 9. The system according to Example 8, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes material jetting, and the second additive manufacturing process includes stereolithography or digital light processing.

[0244] Example 10. A system according to Example 8 or 9, wherein the second printer component includes: A carrier membrane is configured to support a second curable material layer, and The second energy source is configured to apply a second energy to solidify the second curable material.

[0245] Example 11. A system according to any one of Examples 8 to 10, wherein the operation further includes forming a second object portion from a second curable material using a second printer assembly, wherein the object portion is in proximity to the second object portion.

[0246] Example 12. A system according to any one of Examples 1 to 11, wherein at least one sensor includes an imaging device, and the sensor data includes image data generated by the imaging device.

[0247] Example 13. The system according to Example 12, wherein the imaging device is configured to selectively image portions of an object.

[0248] Example 14. A system according to Example 12 or 13, wherein image data shows an object portion and a second object portion, and the operation further includes identifying the location of the object portion in the image data.

[0249] Example 15. A system according to any one of Examples 1 to 14, wherein at least one sensor is configured to measure one or more of the velocity, acceleration, force, or torque of a movable part of a printer assembly.

[0250] Example 16. A system according to any one of Examples 1 to 15, wherein the printer component includes: A carrier membrane is configured to support a curable material layer, and An energy source is configured to form parts of an object by applying energy to solidify a curable material.

[0251] Example 17. According to the system of Example 16, the operation further includes applying energy to solidify the object portion before determining whether a defect exists.

[0252] Example 18. A system according to Example 15 or 16, wherein the material removal device includes a laser configured to remove an area of ​​an object via ablation.

[0253] Example 19. A system based on any one of Examples 1 to 18, wherein determining whether a defect exists includes: A digital representation of the target geometry of the receiving object portion. Determining the actual geometry of a part of an object based on sensor data, and Indicate whether there is a difference between the actual geometry and the target geometry.

[0254] Example 20. Based on the system of Example 19, the operation further includes: The location of defects in the identified object section, and The selective material removal device targets the location of the defect.

[0255] Example 21. A system based on any of Examples 1 through 20, wherein the area removed from the object portion is smaller than the entire object portion.

[0256] Example 22. A system based on any of Examples 1 through 21, wherein the region removed from the object portion is the entire object portion.

[0257] Example 23. A system according to any one of Examples 1 to 22, wherein a printer component is configured to perform an additive manufacturing process to simultaneously manufacture multiple objects, and wherein the operation further includes: Determine whether the defect is correctable. In response to determining that the defect is correctable, the area containing the defect in the object portion is removed using a material removal device, and In response to determining that a defect is uncorrectable, manufacturing of the object that includes part of the object is terminated, while manufacturing of one or more remaining objects among the multiple objects continues.

[0258] Example 24. A system comprising: The first printer component includes: A carrier membrane is configured to support the first material, and The first energy source is configured to output first energy to solidify the first material; The second printer component includes: The nozzle is configured to deposit a second material, and The second energy source is configured to output second energy to solidify the second material; At least one sensor; Material removal device; The processor is operatively coupled to the first printer assembly, the second printer assembly, at least one sensor, and a material removal device; and Memory, operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations including: The first object portion is formed from the first material using the first printer assembly; The second object portion is formed from the second material using the second printer assembly; Use at least one sensor to acquire sensor data for the second object portion; Determine whether a defect exists in the second object portion based on sensor data; and In response to determining that a defect exists in the second object portion, the defect is corrected by removing the defective area of ​​the second object portion using a material removal device.

[0259] Example 25. A method comprising: Using additive manufacturing processes to form parts of an object from a curable material; Acquire sensor data for the object portion; Determining whether defects exist in a part of an object based on sensor data; and In response to the determination that a defect exists in a part of the object, the area of ​​the object containing the defect is removed.

[0260] Example 26. The method of Example 25, wherein the curable material comprises a polymerizable fluid, and the additive manufacturing process comprises a material spraying process.

[0261] Example 27. According to the method of Example 26, forming an object portion includes depositing one or more droplets of a polymerizable fluid onto a construction platform or a previously formed object portion.

[0262] Example 28. According to the method of Example 26 or 27, wherein removing the area of ​​the object portion includes aspirating the polymerizable fluid from the area of ​​the object portion.

[0263] Example 29. A method according to any one of Examples 26 to 28, wherein the region of the object portion to be removed includes a polymerizable fluid that brings the charged component into contact with the region of the object portion.

[0264] Example 30. The method according to any one of Examples 26 to 29 further includes: after removing a region of the object portion, solidifying the polymerizable fluid of the remaining region of the object portion.

[0265] Example 31. The method according to any one of Examples 26 to 30 further includes: reducing the viscosity of the polymerizable fluid by heating the polymerizable fluid or by applying mechanical perturbation to the polymerizable fluid.

[0266] Example 32. The method according to any one of Examples 26 to 31 further includes: forming the second object portion from the second curable material using a second additive manufacturing process.

[0267] Example 33. The method of Example 32, wherein the second curable material comprises a polymerizable resin, and the second additive manufacturing process comprises stereolithography or digital light processing.

[0268] Example 34. According to the method of Example 33, the object portion is formed on or near the second object portion.

[0269] Example 35. The method according to any one of Examples 25 to 34, wherein at least one sensor includes an imaging device, and the sensor data includes image data generated by the imaging device.

[0270] Example 36. According to the method of Example 35, image data is acquired at wavelengths in which the object portion is selectively visible.

[0271] Example 37. According to the method of Example 35 or 36, wherein the image data shows an object portion and a second object portion, and the method further includes: distinguishing the object portion from the second object portion in the image data.

[0272] Example 38. A method according to any one of Examples 25 to 37, wherein at least one sensor is configured to measure one or more of the velocity, acceleration, force, or torque of a movable part of a printer assembly.

[0273] Example 39. The method of any one of Examples 25 to 38, wherein the curable material comprises a polymerizable resin, and the additive manufacturing process comprises stereolithography or digital light processing.

[0274] Example 40. The method according to Example 39 further includes: curing the polymerizable resin of the object portion before determining whether a defect exists in the object portion.

[0275] Example 41. According to the method of Example 40, wherein the area of ​​the object portion to be removed includes the cured polymerizable resin of the area of ​​the object portion to be ablated.

[0276] Example 42. According to the method of any one of Examples 25 to 41, determining whether a defect exists includes: A digital representation of the target geometry of the receiving object portion. Determining the actual geometry of a part of an object based on sensor data, and Determine whether there is a difference between the actual geometry and the target geometry.

[0277] Example 43. The method according to any one of Examples 25 to 42, wherein the defect includes an excess of curable material in the object portion.

[0278] Example 44. According to any of Examples 25 to 43, a region of the object is selectively removed.

[0279] Example 45. Based on any of Examples 25 through 44, remove the entire object portion.

[0280] Example 46. The method according to any one of Examples 25 through 45 also includes: Acquire second sensor data for the object portion, and The second sensor data is used to determine whether defects still exist in the object portion.

[0281] Example 47. According to the method of Example 46, wherein the second sensor data includes second image data.

[0282] Example 48. A method according to any one of Examples 25 to 47, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes simultaneously manufacturing multiple objects, and wherein the method further includes: Determine whether the defect is correctable. In response to determining that the defect is correctable, the area containing the defect in the object portion is removed, and In response to determining that a defect is uncorrectable, manufacturing of the object that includes part of the object is terminated, while manufacturing of one or more remaining objects among the multiple objects continues.

[0283] Example 49. According to the method of Example 48, multiple objects are manufactured based on digital representations of multiple objects, and terminating the manufacture of objects includes removing objects from the digital representations.

[0284] Example 50. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations including: Generate instructions configured to enable printer components to form object portions from curable materials using additive manufacturing processes; Receive sensor data from the target area; Determining whether defects exist in a part of an object based on sensor data; and In response to the determination that a defect exists in a part of the object, an instruction is generated that is configured to cause the material removal device to remove the area containing the defect from the part of the object.

[0285] Example 51. A method comprising: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; Using additive manufacturing processes, the first part of each of multiple objects is formed based on digital representations; Acquire sensor data for the first part of each object; Determine whether a defect exists in the first part of an object among multiple objects based on sensor data; In response to the discovery of a defect in the first part of an object, the numerical representation is modified to remove the defective object; and Using additive manufacturing processes, a second part of each remaining object in a plurality of objects is formed based on a modified digital representation.

[0286] Example 52. According to the method of Example 51, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes building each object in multiple layers, and the digital representation includes multiple images of each object, the multiple images representing the corresponding multiple layers of each object.

[0287] Example 53. According to the method of Example 51 or 52, wherein the defect includes one or more of the following: depositing material in an incorrect location, failing to deposit material in the correct location, depositing an incorrect amount of material, curing material in an incorrect location, failing to cure material in the correct location, incorrect degree of curing, changes in the geometry of the material after deposition, or changes in the geometry of the material after curing.

[0288] Example 54. According to the method of any one of Examples 51 to 53, determining whether a defect exists includes: The target geometry of the first part of each object is identified by a numerical representation. The actual geometry of the first part of each object is determined based on sensor data, and Determine whether there is a difference between the actual geometry of the first part of each object and the target geometry.

[0289] Example 55. The method according to any one of Examples 51 through 54 also includes: In response to determining the existence of a defect, determining whether the defect is correctable, and In response to determining that a defect is uncorrectable, the numerical representation is modified to remove the object.

[0290] Example 56. Following the method of Example 55, if one or more attempts to correct the defect are unsuccessful, the defect is determined to be uncorrectable.

[0291] Example 57. The method of Example 55 or 56, wherein the defect is determined to be uncorrectable based on one or more characteristics of the defect.

[0292] Example 58. According to any one of Examples 51 to 58, the modification of the numeric representation includes: In digital representation, the boundaries associated with objects are identified, and Mask or delete the portion of the number representation that is within the boundary.

[0293] Example 59. The method according to any one of Examples 51 to 58, wherein the numerical representation includes a plurality of pixels representing the geometry of each object, and modifying the numerical representation includes modifying a plurality of pixels representing the geometry of the object containing the defect.

[0294] Example 60. Following the method of Example 59, multiple pixels are modified by converting each pixel to a baseline value.

[0295] Example 61. The method according to any one of Examples 51 to 60, wherein the additive manufacturing process uses a single curable material.

[0296] Example 62. The method according to any one of Examples 51 to 60, wherein the additive manufacturing process uses two or more different curable materials.

[0297] Example 63. The method according to any one of Examples 51 to 62, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes a high-temperature photolithography process.

[0298] Example 64. The method according to any one of Examples 51 to 63, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes a material spraying process.

[0299] Example 65. The method according to any one of Examples 51 to 64, wherein the sensor data includes image data.

[0300] Example 66. A system comprising: The printer assembly is configured to perform an additive manufacturing process; At least one sensor; A processor, operatively coupled to a printer assembly and at least one sensor; and Memory, operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations including: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; Using a printer component, the first part of each of multiple objects is formed based on a digital representation; Acquire sensor data for the first part of each object from at least one sensor; Determine whether a defect exists in the first part of an object among multiple objects based on sensor data; In response to the discovery of a defect in the first part of an object, the numerical representation is modified to remove the defective object; and Using the printer component, a second part of each remaining object in a plurality of objects is formed based on the modified numerical representation.

[0301] Example 67. A system according to Example 66, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes building each object in multiple layers, and the digital representation includes multiple images of each object, the multiple images representing the corresponding multiple layers of each object.

[0302] Example 68. A system according to Example 66 or 67, wherein the defect includes one or more of the following: depositing material in an incorrect location, failing to deposit material in the correct location, depositing an incorrect amount of material, curing material in an incorrect location, failing to cure material in the correct location, incorrect degree of curing, alteration of the geometry of the material after deposition, or alteration of the geometry of the material after curing.

[0303] Example 69. A system based on any one of Examples 66 to 68, wherein determining whether a defect exists includes: The target geometry of the first part of each object is identified by a numerical representation. The actual geometry of the first part of each object is determined based on sensor data, and Determine whether there is a difference between the actual geometry of the first part of each object and the target geometry.

[0304] Example 70. A system based on any one of Examples 66 through 69 further includes: In response to determining the existence of a defect, determining whether the defect is correctable, and In response to determining that a defect is uncorrectable, the numerical representation is modified to remove the object.

[0305] Example 71. A system based on Example 70, wherein if one or more attempts to correct a defect are unsuccessful, the defect is determined to be uncorrectable.

[0306] Example 72. A system based on Example 70 or 71, wherein a defect is determined to be uncorrectable based on one or more characteristics of the defect.

[0307] Example 73. A system based on any one of Examples 66 to 72, wherein modifying the numeric representation includes: In digital representation, the boundaries associated with objects are identified, and Mask or delete the portion of the number representation that is within the boundary.

[0308] Example 74. A system according to any one of Examples 66 to 73, wherein the digital representation includes a plurality of pixels representing the geometry of each object, and modifying the digital representation includes modifying a plurality of pixels representing the geometry of an object containing a defect.

[0309] Example 75. A system based on Example 74, wherein multiple pixels are modified by converting each pixel to a baseline value.

[0310] Example 76. A system according to any one of Examples 66 to 75, wherein the additive manufacturing process uses a single curable material.

[0311] Example 77. A system according to any one of Examples 66 to 75, wherein the additive manufacturing process uses two or more different curable materials.

[0312] Example 78. A system according to any one of Examples 66 to 77, wherein the printer component includes: A carrier membrane is configured to support a polymerizable resin, and The energy source is configured to output energy to selectively cure polymerizable resins.

[0313] Example 79. A system according to any one of Examples 66 to 78, wherein the printer component includes: The nozzle is configured to deposit polymerizable fluid, and An energy source is configured to output energy to solidify polymerizable fluids.

[0314] Example 80. A system according to any one of Examples 66 to 79, wherein at least one sensor includes an imaging device, and the sensor data includes image data generated by the imaging device.

[0315] Example 81. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations including: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; The printer component is instructed to form the first part of each of multiple objects based on a digital representation. Receive sensor data for the first part of each object; Determine whether a defect exists in the first part of an object among multiple objects based on sensor data; In response to the discovery of a defect in the first part of an object, the numerical representation is modified to remove the defective object; and The printer component is instructed to form a second part of each remaining object among multiple objects based on the modified digital representation.

[0316] Example 82. A system comprising: The printer assembly is configured to perform an additive manufacturing process; At least one sensor; A processor, operatively coupled to a printer assembly and at least one sensor; and Memory, operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations including: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; Using a printer component, parts of each of multiple objects are formed based on numerical representations; Acquire sensor data for a portion of each object from at least one sensor; Determining whether defects exist in parts of an object among multiple objects based on sensor data; and In response to the discovery of a defect in a part of the object, a defect correction process is executed.

[0317] Example 83. The system according to Example 82, wherein the defect correction process includes modifying the numerical representation.

[0318] Example 84. A system according to Example 83, wherein the numerical representation is modified to remove defective objects, and the operation further includes using a printer component to form subsequent portions of each remaining object of a plurality of objects based on the modified numerical representation.

[0319] Example 85. A system based on Example 84, wherein a defective object is removed by masking or deleting the portion of the object that is represented by a number.

[0320] Example 86. A system based on Example 84 or 85, wherein a defective object is removed in response to the determination that the defect is uncorrectable.

[0321] Example 87. A system according to Example 83, wherein the number represents being modified by one or more of the following: changing the geometry of a part of an object, changing the energy parameter of a part of an object, changing the geometry of a subsequent part of an object, changing the energy parameter of a subsequent part of an object, changing the geometry of a part of another object, changing the energy parameter of a part of another object, changing the geometry of a subsequent part of another object, or changing the energy parameter of a subsequent part of another object.

[0322] Example 88. A system according to Example 86, wherein the operation further includes using a printer component to form a portion of each of a plurality of objects based on a modified numerical representation.

[0323] Example 89. A system according to any one of Examples 83 to 87, wherein the defect correction process includes removing the area containing the defective portion of an object using a material removal device.

[0324] Example 90. A system according to any of Examples 83 to 89, wherein a printer component is configured to form multiple objects from a single material.

[0325] Example 91. A system according to any of Examples 83 to 89, wherein a printer component is configured to form multiple objects from a variety of different materials.

[0326] Example 92. A system according to any one of Examples 83 to 91, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes one or more of stereolithography, digital light processing, or material jetting.

[0327] Example 93. A system according to any one of Examples 83 to 92, wherein at least one sensor includes an imaging device, and the sensor data includes image data generated by the imaging device.

[0328] Example 94. A system according to any one of Examples 83 to 93, wherein at least one sensor is configured to measure one or more of the velocity, acceleration, force, or torque of a movable part of a printer assembly.

[0329] Example 95. A method comprising: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; Using additive manufacturing processes, parts of each of multiple objects are formed based on digital representations; Acquire partial sensor data for each object; Determining whether defects exist in parts of an object among multiple objects based on sensor data; and In response to the discovery of a defect in a part of the object, a defect correction process is executed.

[0330] Example 96. According to the method of Example 95, the defect correction process includes modifying the numerical representation.

[0331] Example 97. A method according to Example 96, wherein the numerical representation is modified to remove defective objects, and the method further includes: using an additive manufacturing process to form a subsequent portion of each remaining object among a plurality of objects based on the modified numerical representation.

[0332] Example 98. The method of Example 97, wherein a defective object is removed by masking or deleting the part of the object that corresponds to the number.

[0333] Example 99. According to the method of Example 97 or 98, in response to determining that the defect is uncorrectable, the object with the defect is removed.

[0334] Example 100. According to the method of Example 96, wherein the numerical representation is modified by one or more of the following: changing the geometry of a part of an object, changing the energy parameter of a part of an object, changing the geometry of a subsequent part of an object, changing the energy parameter of a subsequent part of an object, changing the geometry of a part of another object, changing the energy parameter of a part of another object, changing the geometry of a subsequent part of another object, or changing the energy parameter of a subsequent part of another object.

[0335] Example 101. The method according to Example 100 further includes: forming a portion of each of a plurality of objects based on a modified digital representation using an additive manufacturing process.

[0336] Example 102. A method according to any of Examples 95 to 101, wherein the defect correction process includes removing the region of the object containing the defect.

[0337] Example 103. A method according to any one of Examples 95 to 102, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes forming multiple objects from a single material.

[0338] Example 104. The method according to any one of Examples 95 to 102, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes forming multiple objects from multiple different materials.

[0339] Example 105. The method according to any one of Examples 95 to 104, wherein the additive manufacturing process includes one or more of stereolithography, digital light processing, or material jetting.

[0340] Example 106. The method according to any one of Examples 95 to 106, wherein the sensor data includes image data.

[0341] Example 107. The method according to any one of Examples 95 to 106, wherein sensor data indicates one or more of the velocity, acceleration, force, or torque of a movable part of a printer assembly configured to perform an additive manufacturing process. Conclusion

[0342] Although numerous embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods for manufacturing dental appliances have been described above, this technology is applicable to other applications and / or other methods, such as manufacturing other types of objects. Furthermore, other embodiments besides those described herein are also within the scope of this technology. Additionally, several other embodiments of this technology may have different configurations, components, or procedures than those described herein. Therefore, those skilled in the art will accordingly understand that this technology may have other embodiments with additional elements, or that the technology may have embodiments without the above references. FIGS. 1A-13 Other embodiments of several features shown and described.

[0343] The various processes described herein can be implemented, partially or completely, using program code comprising instructions executable by one or more processors of a computing system to implement specific logical functions or steps within the process. The program code can be stored on any type of computer-readable medium, such as storage devices including disks or hard disk drives. Computer-readable media including code or portions thereof can include any suitable medium known in the art, such as non-transitory computer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media can include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented using any method or technology for storing and / or transmitting information, including, but not limited to, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies; compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), digital video disc (DVD) or other optical storage devices; magnetic tape cassettes, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices; solid-state drives (SSDs) or other solid-state storage devices; or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and can be accessed by system devices.

[0344] The description of embodiments of the present technology is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the technology to the precise forms disclosed above. Singular or plural terms may also include plural or singular terms, respectively, where the context permits. Although specific embodiments and examples of the present technology have been described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the present technology, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art. For example, while the steps are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform the steps in a different order. The various embodiments described herein may also be combined to provide further embodiments.

[0345] As used herein, the terms “generally,” “basically,” “about,” and similar terms are used as approximate terms rather than terms of degree and are intended to explain the inherent variations in measured or calculated values ​​that would be recognized by one of ordinary skill in the art.

[0346] Furthermore, unless the word “or” is explicitly limited to referring only to a single item that excludes other items in a list of two or more items, its use in such a list should be interpreted as including (a) any single item in the list, (b) all items in the list, or (c) any combination of items in the list. As used herein, the phrase “and / or” in “A and / or B” refers to A alone, B alone, and both A and B. Additionally, the term “including” is used throughout to indicate that at least one or more of the stated features are included, such that no further number of the same features and / or additional features of the same type are excluded.

[0347] In the event of any conflict between this disclosure and any material incorporated herein by reference, this disclosure shall prevail.

[0348] It should also be understood that specific embodiments have been described herein for illustrative purposes, but various modifications may be made without departing from the present technology. Furthermore, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of the present technology have been described in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments must exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the present technology. Therefore, this disclosure and associated technologies may cover other embodiments not explicitly shown or described herein.

Claims

1. A system comprising: The printer assembly is configured to perform additive manufacturing processes using curable materials; At least one sensor; Material removal device; The processor is operatively coupled to the printer assembly, the at least one sensor, and the material removal device; as well as A memory, operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations, including: The object portion is formed from the curable material using the printer assembly; Sensor data of the object portion is acquired using the at least one sensor; Based on the sensor data, determine whether there is a defect in the object portion; and In response to determining that the defect exists in the object portion, the material removal device is used to remove the area of ​​the object portion containing the defect.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein, The printer component includes: The nozzle is configured to form the object portion by depositing one or more droplets of the curable material. An energy source is configured to apply energy to cure the curable material.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein, The operation further includes applying the energy to solidify the remaining area of ​​the object portion after removing the area of ​​the object portion.

4. The system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein, The material removal device includes a vacuum mechanism configured to remove the region of the object portion via suction.

5. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, The material removal device includes a charged surface configured to remove the region of the object portion via electrostatic interaction with the curable material.

6. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 5 further includes a heat source configured to heat the curable material.

7. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 6 further includes an agitator configured to apply mechanical disturbance to the curable material.

8. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 7, further comprising a second printer assembly configured to perform a second additive manufacturing process using a second curable material.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes material spraying, and the second additive manufacturing process includes stereolithography or digital light processing.

10. The system according to claim 8 or 9, wherein, The second printer component includes: A carrier film, configured as a layer to support the second curable material, and A second energy source is configured to apply a second energy to solidify the second curable material.

11. The system according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein, The operation further includes: forming a second object portion from the second curable material using the second printer assembly, wherein the object portion is located in the vicinity of the second object portion.

12. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein, The at least one sensor includes an imaging device, and the sensor data includes image data generated by the imaging device.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein, The imaging device is configured to selectively image portions of the object.

14. The system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein, The image data shows the object portion and the second object portion, and the operation further includes identifying the location of the object portion in the image data.

15. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein, The at least one sensor is configured to measure one or more of the velocity, acceleration, force, or torque of a movable part of the printer assembly.

16. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, The printer component includes: A carrier film, configured as a layer to support the curable material, and An energy source is configured to form the object portion by applying energy to cure the curable material.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein, The operation further includes applying the energy to solidify the object portion before determining whether the defect exists.

18. The system according to claim 15 or 16, wherein, The material removal device includes a laser configured to remove the area of ​​the object via ablation.

19. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein, Determining whether the defect exists includes: Receive a digital representation of the target geometry of the object portion. The actual geometry of the object portion is determined based on the sensor data, and Indicate whether there is a difference between the actual geometry and the target geometry.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein, The operation also includes: Identify the location of the defect in the object portion, and The material removal device is selectively aimed at the location of the defect.

21. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 20, wherein, The area removed from the object portion is smaller than the entire object portion.

22. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein, The area removed from the object portion is the entire object portion.

23. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein, The printer assembly is configured to perform the additive manufacturing process to simultaneously manufacture multiple objects, and wherein the operation further includes: Determine whether the defect is correctable. In response to determining that the defect is correctable, the material removal device is used to remove the area of ​​the object portion containing the defect, and In response to determining that the defect is uncorrectable, manufacturing of the object comprising the portion of the plurality of objects is terminated, while manufacturing of one or more remaining objects among the plurality of objects continues.

24. A system comprising: The first printer component includes: A carrier membrane is configured to support the first material, and A first energy source is configured to output first energy to solidify the first material; The second printer component includes: The nozzle is configured to deposit a second material, and A second energy source is configured to output second energy to solidify the second material; At least one sensor; Material removal device; A processor, operatively coupled to the first printer assembly, the second printer assembly, the at least one sensor, and the material removal device; and A memory, operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations, including: The first object portion is formed from the first material using the first printer assembly; The second object portion is formed from the second material using the second printer assembly; Sensor data of the second object portion is acquired using the at least one sensor; Based on the sensor data, determine whether a defect exists in the second object portion; and In response to determining that the defect exists in the second object portion, the defect is corrected by removing the area containing the defect from the second object portion using the material removal device.

25. A method comprising: Using additive manufacturing processes to form parts of an object from a curable material; Acquire sensor data for the object portion; Based on the sensor data, determine whether there are defects in the object portion; as well as In response to determining that the defect exists in the object portion, the region of the object portion containing the defect is removed.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein, The curable material includes a polymerizable fluid, and the additive manufacturing process includes a material spraying process.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein, Forming the object portion includes depositing one or more droplets of the polymerizable fluid onto the construction platform or a previously formed object portion.

28. The method according to claim 26 or 27, wherein, Removing the region of the object portion includes: aspirating the polymerizable fluid from the region of the object portion.

29. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein, Removing the region of the object portion includes bringing a charged component close to the region of the object portion with a polymerizable fluid.

30. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 29, further comprising: After removing the area of ​​the object portion, the polymerizable fluid of the remaining area of ​​the object portion is solidified.

31. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 30, further comprising: The viscosity of the polymerizable fluid is reduced by heating the polymerizable fluid or by applying mechanical perturbation to the polymerizable fluid.

32. The method according to any one of claims 26 to 31, further comprising: The second object portion is formed from a second curable material using a second additive manufacturing process.

33. The method according to claim 32, wherein, The second curable material includes a polymerizable resin, and the second additive manufacturing process includes stereolithography or digital light processing.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein, The object portion is formed on or near the second object portion.

35. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 34, wherein, The at least one sensor includes an imaging device, and the sensor data includes image data generated by the imaging device.

36. The method according to claim 35, wherein, The image data is acquired at wavelengths that are selectively visible to the object portion.

37. The method according to claim 35 or 36, wherein, The image data shows the object portion and the second object portion, and the method further includes: distinguishing the object portion and the second object portion in the image data.

38. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 37, wherein, The at least one sensor is configured to measure one or more of the velocity, acceleration, force, or torque of a movable part of the printer assembly.

39. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 38, wherein, The curable material includes a polymerizable resin, and the additive manufacturing process includes stereolithography or digital light processing.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising: Before determining whether the defect exists in the object portion, the polymerizable resin of the object portion is cured.

41. The method according to claim 40, wherein, Removing the area of ​​the object portion includes: ablating the area of ​​the object portion with a cured polymerizable resin.

42. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 41, wherein, Determining whether the defect exists includes: Receive a digital representation of the target geometry of the object portion. The actual geometry of the object portion is determined based on the sensor data, and Determine whether there is a difference between the actual geometry and the target geometry.

43. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 42, wherein, The defect includes an excessive amount of curable material in the object portion.

44. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 43, wherein, Selectively remove the region of the object portion.

45. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 44, wherein, Remove the entire portion of the object.

46. ​​The method according to any one of claims 25 to 45, further comprising: Acquire second sensor data for the object portion, and Based on the data from the second sensor, determine whether the defect still exists in the object portion.

47. The method according to claim 46, wherein, The second sensor data includes second image data.

48. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 47, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes the simultaneous fabrication of multiple objects, and the method further includes: Determine whether the defect is correctable. In response to determining that the defect is correctable, the region containing the defect in the object portion is removed, and In response to determining that the defect is uncorrectable, manufacturing of the object comprising the portion of the plurality of objects is terminated, while manufacturing of one or more remaining objects among the plurality of objects continues.

49. The method according to claim 48, wherein, The plurality of objects are manufactured based on digital representations of the plurality of objects, wherein terminating the manufacture of the objects comprises: removing the objects from the digital representations.

50. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations including: Generate instructions configured to enable printer components to form object portions from curable materials using additive manufacturing processes; Receive sensor data from the object portion; Based on the sensor data, determine whether there are defects in the object portion; as well as In response to determining that the defect exists in the object portion, an instruction is generated that is configured to cause the material removal device to remove the area of ​​the object portion containing the defect.

51. A method comprising: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; Using an additive manufacturing process, a first part of each of the plurality of objects is formed based on the digital representation; Acquire the sensor data for the first portion of each object; Based on the sensor data, determine whether there is a defect in the first part of one of the plurality of objects; In response to determining that the defect exists in a first portion of the object, the numerical representation is modified to remove the object having the defect; as well as Using the additive manufacturing process, a second part of each remaining object in the plurality of objects is formed based on the modified numerical representation.

52. The method according to claim 51, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes building each object with multiple layers, and the digital representation includes multiple images of each object, the multiple images representing the corresponding multiple layers of each object.

53. The method according to claim 51 or 52, wherein, The defects include one or more of the following: depositing material in the wrong location, failing to deposit material in the correct location, depositing the wrong amount of material, curing material in the wrong location, failing to cure material in the correct location, incorrect curing degree, changes in the geometry of the material after deposition, or changes in the geometry of the material after curing.

54. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 53, wherein, Determining whether the defect exists includes: The target geometry of the first part of each object is identified based on the numerical representation. Based on the sensor data, the actual geometry of the first part of each object is determined, and Determine whether there is a difference between the actual geometry of the first part of each object and the target geometry.

55. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 54, further comprising: In response to determining the existence of the defect, determining whether the defect is correctable, and In response to determining that the defect is uncorrectable, the numerical representation is modified to remove the object.

56. The method according to claim 55, wherein, If one or more attempts to correct the defect are unsuccessful, the defect is determined to be uncorrectable.

57. The method according to claim 55 or 56, wherein, The defect is determined to be uncorrectable based on one or more characteristics of the defect.

58. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 58, wherein, Modifying the numerical representation includes: The boundaries associated with the object are identified in the digital representation, and Mask or delete the portion of the number represented within the boundary.

59. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 58, wherein, The digital representation includes a plurality of pixels representing the geometry of each object, and modifying the digital representation includes modifying a plurality of pixels representing the geometry of the object containing the defect.

60. The method according to claim 59, wherein, The multiple pixels are modified by converting each pixel to a baseline value.

61. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 60, wherein, The additive manufacturing process uses a single curable material.

62. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 60, wherein, The additive manufacturing process uses two or more different curable materials.

63. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 62, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes high-temperature photolithography.

64. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 63, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes a material spraying process.

65. The method according to any one of claims 51 to 64, wherein, The sensor data includes image data.

66. A system comprising: The printer assembly is configured to perform an additive manufacturing process; At least one sensor; A processor is operatively coupled to the printer assembly and the at least one sensor; as well as A memory, operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations, including: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; Using the printer component, a first portion of each of the plurality of objects is formed based on the digital representation; Sensor data of the first portion of each object is acquired from the at least one sensor; Based on the sensor data, determine whether there is a defect in the first part of one of the plurality of objects; In response to determining that the defect exists in a first portion of the object, the numerical representation is modified to remove the object having the defect; and Using the printer component, a second part of each remaining object among the plurality of objects is formed based on the modified numerical representation.

67. The system according to claim 66, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes building each object with multiple layers, and the digital representation includes multiple images of each object, the multiple images representing the corresponding multiple layers of each object.

68. The system according to claim 66 or 67, wherein, The defects include one or more of the following: depositing material in the wrong location, failing to deposit material in the correct location, depositing the wrong amount of material, curing material in the wrong location, failing to cure material in the correct location, incorrect curing degree, changes in the geometry of the material after deposition, or changes in the geometry of the material after curing.

69. The system according to any one of claims 66 to 68, wherein, Determining whether the defect exists includes: The target geometry of the first part of each object is identified based on the numerical representation. Based on the sensor data, the actual geometry of the first part of each object is determined, and Determine whether there is a difference between the actual geometry of the first part of each object and the target geometry.

70. The system according to any one of claims 66 to 69, further comprising: In response to determining the existence of the defect, determining whether the defect is correctable, and In response to determining that the defect is uncorrectable, the numerical representation is modified to remove the object.

71. The system according to claim 70, wherein, If one or more attempts to correct the defect are unsuccessful, the defect is determined to be uncorrectable.

72. The system according to claim 70 or 71, wherein, The defect is determined to be uncorrectable based on one or more characteristics of the defect.

73. The system according to any one of claims 66 to 72, wherein, Modifying the numerical representation includes: The boundaries associated with the object are identified in the digital representation, and Mask or delete the portion of the number represented within the boundary.

74. The system according to any one of claims 66 to 73, wherein, The digital representation includes a plurality of pixels representing the geometry of each object, and modifying the digital representation includes modifying a plurality of pixels representing the geometry of the object containing the defect.

75. The system according to claim 74, wherein, The multiple pixels are modified by converting each pixel to a baseline value.

76. The system according to any one of claims 66 to 75, wherein, The additive manufacturing process uses a single curable material.

77. The system according to any one of claims 66 to 75, wherein, The additive manufacturing process uses two or more different curable materials.

78. The system according to any one of claims 66 to 77, wherein, The printer component includes: A carrier membrane is configured to support a polymerizable resin, and An energy source is configured to output energy to selectively cure the polymerizable resin.

79. The system according to any one of claims 66 to 78, wherein, The printer component includes: The nozzle is configured to deposit polymerizable fluid, and An energy source is configured to output energy to solidify the polymerizable fluid.

80. The system according to any one of claims 66 to 79, wherein, The at least one sensor includes an imaging device, and the sensor data includes image data generated by the imaging device.

81. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to perform operations, the operations including: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; Instruct the printer components to form a first portion of each of the plurality of objects based on the digital representation; Receive sensor data from the first portion of each object; Based on the sensor data, determine whether there is a defect in the first part of one of the plurality of objects; In response to determining that the defect exists in a first portion of the object, the numerical representation is modified to remove the object having the defect; as well as The printer component is instructed to form a second portion of each remaining object among the plurality of objects based on the modified digital representation.

82. A system comprising: The printer assembly is configured to perform an additive manufacturing process; At least one sensor; A processor is operatively coupled to the printer assembly and the at least one sensor; as well as A memory, operatively coupled to the processor and storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the system to perform operations, including: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; Using the printer component, a portion of each of the plurality of objects is formed based on the digital representation; Sensor data for each part of each object is acquired from the at least one sensor; Based on the sensor data, determine whether a defect exists in a portion of one of the plurality of objects; and In response to determining that the defect exists in the portion of the object, a defect correction process is performed.

83. The system according to claim 82, wherein, The defect correction process includes modifying the numerical representation.

84. The system according to claim 83, wherein, The numerical representation is modified to remove objects with the defect, and the operation further includes: using the printer component to form a subsequent portion of each remaining object of the plurality of objects based on the modified numerical representation.

85. The system according to claim 84, wherein, Objects with the aforementioned defects are removed by masking or deleting the portion of the number representing the object.

86. The system according to claim 84 or 85, wherein, An object with the defect is removed in response to the determination that the defect is uncorrectable.

87. The system according to claim 83, wherein, The number represents being modified by one or more of the following: changing the geometry of the portion of the object, changing the energy parameter of the portion of the object, changing the geometry of a subsequent portion of the object, changing the energy parameter of a subsequent portion of the object, changing the geometry of the portion of another object, changing the energy parameter of the portion of another object, changing the geometry of a subsequent portion of another object, or changing the energy parameter of a subsequent portion of another object.

88. The system according to claim 86, wherein, The operation also includes: using the printer component to form a portion of each of the plurality of objects based on the modified numerical representation.

89. The system according to any one of claims 83 to 87, wherein, The defect correction process includes: using a material removal device to remove the area of ​​the object containing the defect.

90. The system according to any one of claims 83 to 89, wherein, The printer assembly is configured to form the plurality of objects from a single material.

91. The system according to any one of claims 83 to 89, wherein, The printer assembly is configured to form the plurality of objects from a variety of different materials.

92. The system according to any one of claims 83 to 91, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes one or more of stereolithography, digital light processing, or material jetting.

93. The system according to any one of claims 83 to 92, wherein, The at least one sensor includes an imaging device, and the sensor data includes image data generated by the imaging device.

94. The system according to any one of claims 83 to 93, wherein, The at least one sensor is configured to measure one or more of the velocity, acceleration, force, or torque of a movable part of the printer assembly.

95. A method comprising: Receives a digital representation of multiple objects; Using additive manufacturing processes, a portion of each of the plurality of objects is formed based on the digital representation; Acquire sensor data for the specified portion of each object; Based on the sensor data, determine whether there is a defect in the portion of one of the plurality of objects; as well as In response to determining that the defect exists in the portion of the object, a defect correction process is performed.

96. The method according to claim 95, wherein, The defect correction process includes modifying the numerical representation.

97. The method according to claim 96, wherein, The method further includes modifying the numerical representation to remove objects with the defects, and using the additive manufacturing process, forming a subsequent portion of each remaining object among the plurality of objects based on the modified numerical representation.

98. The method according to claim 97, wherein, The defective object is removed by masking or deleting the portion of the number that corresponds to the object.

99. The method according to claim 97 or 98, wherein, In response to determining that the defect is uncorrectable, the object having the defect is removed.

100. The method according to claim 96, wherein, The digital representation can be modified by one or more of the following: changing the geometry of the portion of the object, changing the energy parameter of the portion of the object, changing the geometry of a subsequent portion of the object, changing the energy parameter of a subsequent portion of the object, changing the geometry of the portion of another object, changing the energy parameter of the portion of another object, changing the geometry of a subsequent portion of another object, or changing the energy parameter of a subsequent portion of another object.

101. The method of claim 100, further comprising: Using the additive manufacturing process, a portion of each of the plurality of objects is formed based on a modified numerical representation.

102. The method according to any one of claims 95 to 101, wherein, The defect correction process includes removing the region of the object that contains the defect.

103. The method according to any one of claims 95 to 102, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes forming the plurality of objects from a single material.

104. The method according to any one of claims 95 to 102, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes forming the plurality of objects from a variety of different materials.

105. The method according to any one of claims 95 to 104, wherein, The additive manufacturing process includes one or more of stereolithography, digital light processing, or material jetting.

106. The method according to any one of claims 95 to 106, wherein, The sensor data includes image data.

107. The method according to any one of claims 95 to 106, wherein, The sensor data indicates one or more of the speed, acceleration, force, or torque of a movable part of a printer assembly configured to perform the additive manufacturing process.

Images