Vacuum Assisted Laser 3D Printing with Intermediate Substrate Transfer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 3D fabrication techniques face limitations in speed, material versatility, and efficiency due to the need for sequential layer formation in a liquid resin bath, which complicates the process and results in mechanical distortions and material constraints.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for printing viscous materials where printing and curing occur sequentially at different locations, using an intermediate substrate that allows for multiple materials to be printed and cured in a vacuum chamber, enabling high-resolution and high-speed production without the need for a resin bath.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional 3D fabrication techniques use sequential layer formation in a liquid resin bath, then layer-by-layer construction is achieved, but the process becomes complex and results in mechanical distortions
Solution Approach 1:
The fabrication process is segmented into two distinct locations: a printing location where viscous material is deposited layer-by-layer, and a curing location where UV irradiation solidifies the material. This segmentation eliminates the need for a deep resin bath and complex separation mechanisms, reducing device complexity while maintaining manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The curing function is extracted from the printing location and placed in a separate curing location. This extraction removes the harmful liquid resin bath from the printing process, eliminating mechanical distortions and simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Productivity
If top down techniques submerge the growing object in a deep pool of liquid resin, then new layers can be formed at the top surface, but the need for a deep well and reconstitution of precise overlayer complicates the apparatus
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of submerging the object in a deep resin pool (top-down approach), the invention inverts the approach by building layers at the bottom surface and lifting the object out of a shallow well. This inversion eliminates the need for deep wells and complex resin reconstitution mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The viscous material is pre-deposited in a shallow well before curing, eliminating the need for continuous resin supply and reconstitution during the fabrication process. This preliminary action simplifies the apparatus while maintaining productivity.
3Device complexity
If bottom up techniques lift the object out of a shallow well, then the need for a deep well is eliminated, but extreme care and additional mechanical elements are needed when separating the solidified layer from the bottom plate
Solution Approach 1:
The material viscosity is changed to a higher state, allowing the material to remain stationary during printing and be easily separated after curing without requiring complex mechanical separation elements. This parameter change simplifies both the apparatus and the separation process.
Solution Approach 2:
A release layer is introduced as an intermediary between the solidified material and the bottom plate, enabling easy separation without requiring extreme care or additional complex mechanical elements. This intermediary layer resolves the separation difficulty while maintaining simplicity.
4Adaptability or versatility
If conventional techniques use a single material formulation, then the process is simple, but the physical properties of the produced article are dramatically limited
Solution Approach 1:
The printing location is designed to handle multiple material formulations simultaneously, with each material having different physical properties. This multi-functionality increases adaptability and versatility without significantly impacting production rate, as the system can switch between materials efficiently.
5Manufacturing precision
If conventional techniques immerse the article in a resin bath during fabrication, then layer-by-layer construction is possible, but cleaning of residuals is needed at the end of the fabrication process
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid resin bath is extracted and replaced with a shallow well containing viscous material. This extraction eliminates the need for post-fabrication cleaning of resin residuals, saving time while maintaining layer construction accuracy through the viscous material's stability.
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
This approach significantly enhances the speed and versatility of 3D object formation by allowing multiple materials to be used in each layer, reducing production time, and eliminating the need for post-processing cleaning, while maintaining high resolution and diversity of materials.
Implementation Method 1
The vacuum chamber 434 has an important role in the formation of a full contact without the formation of voids between the intermediate substrate and the sample
Implementation Method 2
Layer formation is performed through solidification of photo curable resin under the action of visible or ultraviolet ("UV") light irradiation
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods in which a material or materials (e.g., a viscous material) are printed or otherwise transferred onto an intermediate substrate at a printing unit(s). The intermediate substrate having an image of material printed thereon is subsequently transferred to a sample building unit, and the image of material is transferred from the intermediate substrate to a sample at the sample building unit. Optionally, the printing unit(s) includes a coating system that creates a uniform layer of the material on a donor substrate, and the material is transferred from the donor substrate onto the intermediate substrate at the printing unit(s). Each of the printing units may employ a variety of printing or other transfer technologies. The system may also include material curing, heating, sintering, ablating, material filling, imaging and cleaning units to aid in the overall process.