Perforated Build Platform for Multi-Material Stereolithography
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for manufacturing dental restorations using build-up processes face challenges in achieving high automation, quality, and cost-effectiveness while ensuring mechanical stability and aesthetic requirements such as color shading and translucency.
Innovation Solution
A device with a perforated build platform and computer-controlled light source allows for progressive building of objects from light-hardenable materials, enabling the use of different colors, material strengths, and translucencies, and facilitating rapid production of dental restorations with enhanced optical quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If stereolithography systems use a single resin and standard build platform, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the ability to produce color graded and multi-material dental restorations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The build platform is segmented into multiple independently controllable nozzles, each capable of dispensing different light-hardenable materials. This allows the system to handle multiple materials simultaneously while maintaining a relatively simple overall architecture, resolving the contradiction between material versatility and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The build platform is designed with multi-functional nozzles that can dispense various types of light-hardenable materials including different colors, translucencies, and viscosities. This universal design enables a single device to perform multiple material deposition tasks, achieving high adaptability without proportionally increasing system complexity.
2Manufacturing precision
If build-up processes are used to create individual dental restorations, then customization and aesthetic quality are improved, but manufacturing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables continuous build-up processing by maintaining constant material supply through gravity-fed reservoirs and automated nozzle positioning. Multiple materials can be deposited in continuous succession without interrupting the build process, allowing high aesthetic quality to be achieved while maintaining efficient manufacturing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
Materials are pre-loaded into reservoirs and the build platform is pre-positioned before the actual build process begins. This preliminary preparation eliminates setup time during manufacturing, allowing the system to maintain high productivity while delivering precise aesthetic quality through controlled material deposition.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple light hardenable materials are supplied through the build platform, then color graded and multi-material restorations can be produced, but material supply control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The material supply system utilizes gravity-fed reservoirs that automatically feed materials to the nozzles without requiring complex pumping or pressurization systems. The system serves itself by leveraging natural gravity flow, enabling multi-material supply while keeping the material delivery mechanism simple and reliable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs fluid dynamic principles where material flow is controlled through nozzle geometry and positioning rather than complex pneumatic or hydraulic systems. By optimizing the fluid flow characteristics and nozzle design, the system achieves precise material deposition with minimal auxiliary complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables rapid, high-quality production of customized dental restorations with improved mechanical stability and aesthetics, suitable for chairside use, by allowing for the precise control of light-hardenable material supply and layering.
Implementation Method 1
Stereolithography generally uses light (typically a UV laser) for hardening a light hardenable or photopolymer resin. The photosensitive resin typically solidifies in consequence of the exposure of the light so that a layer of solidified resin according to the pattern is formed.
Data Source
AI summary
A device for progressively building up an object from a light hardenable material. The device has a perforated build platform for the object. The build platform forms a build surface that faces a light source. The build platform and the light source are positionable relative to each other by computer control. The device is further configured for supplying the light hardenable material through the perforation of the build platform for building up the object. The invention enables the making of colored objects by stereolithography.