Volumetric 3D Printing Resin Temperature Control
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 3D printing techniques face challenges in producing high-quality objects with complex geometries due to limitations in resin viscosity and light penetration, particularly with materials that scatter light, which restricts the use of volumetric additive manufacturing methods.
Innovation Solution
A 3D printing system with a temperature control system that modulates the temperature of the resin to constrain polymer chain movement, allowing for the use of high viscosity resins and improving accuracy by eliminating errors caused by gravitational and fluid dynamics issues, while using actinic radiation to achieve precise photopolymerization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional vat polymerization techniques (SLA, DLP, CLIP) are used to rapidly cure objects from liquid resin, then rapid deposition rates and spatial-temporal resolution are achieved, but resin replenishment is required and viscosity must be kept low (less than 10 Pa·s)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter of the resin from ambient to cryogenic ranges, which fundamentally alters the resin's physical state and properties. This enables the resin to maintain structural integrity without continuous replenishment while still allowing for rapid photopolymerization when exposed to actinic radiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of the resin between solid and liquid states through temperature modulation. The resin is maintained in a solid or semi-solid state during storage and positioning, then transitions to a liquid state during photopolymerization, enabling both rapid curing and elimination of replenishment requirements.
2Ease of manufacture
If VAM techniques use holography or tomography to project 3D photopattern in single exposure step, then resin replenishment is eliminated and viscosity requirements are removed, but materials must exhibit unique photo-chemical behavior with sufficient light penetration depth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the temperature parameter to cryogenic ranges, which fundamentally alters the resin's optical properties. This enables conventional scattering materials to achieve sufficient light penetration depth for VAM techniques by modifying molecular motion and reducing light scattering at low temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions to change the resin from a liquid state with high light scattering to a solid or semi-solid state with reduced scattering. This phase change enables conventional materials to achieve the necessary optical properties for volumetric additive manufacturing without requiring specialized photo-chemical formulations.
3Manufacturing precision
If temperature is reduced to very low ranges (4°C to -269°C) to constrain polymer chain movement and increase accuracy, then manufacturing precision and object strength are improved, but system complexity and energy requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical positioning and stabilization systems with a temperature control system. By using thermal fields to constrain polymer chains and eliminate fluid dynamics issues, the system achieves high precision without requiring sophisticated mechanical intervention or active stabilization mechanisms.
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
Enables the rapid manufacture of high-strength objects with increased accuracy and quality by controlling resin viscosity and light penetration, enabling the use of high viscosity resins and improving the precision of photopolymerization processes.
Implementation Method 1
a temperature control system that is configured to modulate a temperature of the 3D printer system. By modulating the temperature of the 3D printer system, a very low temperature is achieved (e.g., from about 4° C. to about-269° C.)
Implementation Method 2
one or more sources of actinic radiation that, in some embodiments, activate a photopolymerization effect of a resin
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides systems for 3D printing. A 3D printer system includes one or more sources of actinic radiation characterized at least by a powered state and an unpowered state. A resin enclosure is transmissive to the actinic radiation. A temperature control system thermally communicates with the resin enclosure and maintains the resin enclosure at a predetermined sub-ambient chilled state. A control circuit is in electrical communication with the sources of actinic radiation and the temperature control system. The control circuit includes first non-transitory logic to switch the sources of actinic radiation to the powered state when one or more threshold criteria is satisfied including a requirement the temperature control system is in a predetermined state causing the resin enclosure to be below a temperature. A second non-transitory logic switches the sources of actinic radiation to the unpowered state when one or more threshold criteria is not satisfied.