A method of designing and manufacturing a replica composite object based on an original object. The method identifies the structure and physical properties of an original object. Base materials, bodies, and structural templates, each of which includes associated physical properties, are utilized to generate a 3-dimensional model. The 3-dimensional model is discretized and tested to determine if the selected combination of base materials and bodies have physical properties that substantially equal the physical properties of the original object. If the physical properties do not equate, the 3-dimensional model is optimized by adjusting the combination of base materials, bodies, and structural templates. When the difference between the measured physical properties of the 3-dimensional model and the identified physical properties of the original object is less than a tolerance value, the method instructs an additive manufacturing system to generate a replica composite object based on the original object.

A method for providing control data for manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object by means of a layer-wise solidification of a building material in an additive manufacturing apparatus is provided. The method includes at least the following steps: a) determining the locations corresponding to the cross section of the at least one object, b) determining at least two different regions to be solidified in said at least one layer, wherein said at least two regions are chosen from the group of: sandwiched region, down-facing region and up-facing region, c) defining a scanning sequence for the beam so as to solidify the building material at least at the locations corresponding to said portion of the cross section of the object, wherein at an interface between a first and a second region differing from each other a scan line of the beam is continuous and at least one beam parameter value is changed.

An SLA-type 3D printer includes a processor, a laser scanning unit, a power detecting unit and a printing platform. The power detecting unit is configured to detect an output power value of each of a plurality of areas upon the printing platform provided by the LSU. The processor is configured to calculate a gain needed by each area according to the output power value of a working area of each of the plurality of areas. The processor further obtains a standard irradiation amount corresponding to the currently adopted material, and calculates a compensated irradiation amount of each area according to the standard irradiation amount and each area's gain. Next, the processor is able to control the LSU to perform scanning on each area of the printing platform according to each area's compensated irradiation amount for printing a 3D object thereon.

A method, computing system, and one or more computer-readable storage media for fabricating full color three-dimensional objects are provided herein. The method includes transforming a three-dimensional model into instructions for a fabrication device by slicing the three-dimensional model into layers with color information preserved, generating two-dimensional polygons for each layer based on colors on faces, colors on textures, and/or gradient colors, and determining a tool path for fabricating an object from colored materials based on the two-dimensional polygons for each layer. Determining the tool path includes generating instructions that direct the fabrication device to apply colored material for all two-dimensional polygons of a same color before switching colors, smooth an exterior of the object by switching colors at an internal vertex of each two-dimensional polygon within each layer, and deposit transitional material within an infill area, a support structure, and/or an area outside the object when switching colors.

Methods and apparatus to identify additively manufactured parts are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a body, formed of layers layered substantially parallel to a base layer, composed of a first material having a first density, a first indicium embedded internally in the body as a void, and a second indicium on an external surface of the body, the second indicium aligning with the first indicium.

The invention relates to a computer-assisted method for generating a control data set for an additive layer manufacturing device. In a first step, a layer data set is accessed, wherein points are marked in the data model which correspond to an object cross-section and at which the bid-up material should be solidified. In a second step, the layer data set is modified in such a way that for at least a portion of the object cross-section, the number of beams required for solidifying the build-up material inside said portion is determined preferably automatically, according to quality specifications of the portion and/or a manufacturing time of the object. In a third step, the modified layer data set is provided as a control data set for the additive layer manufacturing device.

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, systems and/or software to form one or more complex three-dimensional objects. The three-dimensional object may be formed by three-dimensional printing one or more methodologies. The three-dimensional object may comprise an overhang portion and/or cavity ceiling with diminished deformation and/or auxiliary support structures.

A method for 3D printing a patient-specific bone implant having variable density, in various aspects, comprises: (1) providing a thermoplastic polymer composition comprising: (A) between about 20% and about 50% bioactive agent by weight; (B) between about 0.5% and about 10% chemical foaming agent by weight; and (C) balance structural polymer by weight; (2) receiving, by computing hardware, a scan of a bone, the scan comprising at least a 3D image of the bone and radiodensity data for the bone; and (3) causing, by the computing hardware, a 3D printer to form the patient-specific bone implant from the 3D image using the thermoplastic polymer by modifying a 3D printing temperature of the 3D printer during printing of the patient-specific bone implant such that each portion of the patient-specific bone implant is produced at a temperature that corresponds to a desired density defined by the radiodensity data for the bone.

A method of manufacturing customized ceramic labial/lingual orthodontic brackets by digital light processing, said method comprises measuring dentition data of a profile of teeth of a patient, wherein measuring dentition data is performed using a CT scanner or intra-oral scanner, based on the dentition data, creating a three dimensional computer-assisted design (3D CAD) model of the patient's teeth using reverse engineering, and saving the 3D CAD model on a computer, designing a 3D CAD bracket structure model for a single labial or lingual bracket structure, importing the 3D CAD bracket structure model into a Digital Light Processing (DLP) machine, directly producing the bracket by layer manufacturing.

Described herein are three-dimensional (3D) printer systems and methods, which may provide for continuous pull 3D printing. An illustrative 3D printer includes: a resin container, a base plate, a light source arranged below the resin container and operable to cure resin in the resin container; and a control system operable to: (a) receive model data specifying a 3D structure; (b) determine 2D images corresponding to layers of the 3D object; and (c) generate control signals to operate the light source and the base plate to sequentially form the layers of the 3D object onto the base plate, wherein the base plate moves a formed portion of the 3D object upward after formation of each layer, and wherein at least a surface of a formed portion of the 3D object remains in contact with the resin in the resin container throughout the formation of the layers of the 3D object.