A molding device includes a color inkjet head that ejects a color ink, and a clear inkjet head that ejects a clear ink. The color ink is ejected from the color inkjet head and layered to color and form a molded object, and the clear ink is ejected from the clear inkjet head to compensate the layering amount of the color ink. The molding device includes an input part that inputs the compensation amount of the clear ink such that the impact frequency of the clear ink becomes low at a place where the impact frequency of the color ink in coloring and forming the molded object is high, and the impact frequency of the clear ink becomes high at a place where the impact frequency of the color ink is low for each layer forming the molded object.

A molding device includes a color inkjet head that ejects a color ink, and a clear inkjet head that ejects a clear ink. The color ink is ejected from the color inkjet head and layered to color and form a molded object, and the clear ink is ejected from the clear inkjet head to compensate the layering amount of the color ink. The molding device includes an input part that inputs the compensation amount of the clear ink such that the impact frequency of the clear ink becomes low at a place where the impact frequency of the color ink in coloring and forming the molded object is high, and the impact frequency of the clear ink becomes high at a place where the impact frequency of the color ink is low for each layer forming the molded object.

A method of operating a direct-to-object printer adjusts a pixel density of a portion of contone image data for an image to be printed on a surface of a tapered object. The contone image data is also filtered with a stochastic halftone filer to produce binary image data for the image to be printed on the tapered object. The adjustment in the pixel density for the portion of the image to be printed on the portion of the object having a circumference that is different than another portion of the surface at the uppermost portion of the image produces a more uniform appearance in the resulting printed image.

A method of operating a direct-to-object printer adjusts a pixel density of a portion of contone image data for an image to be printed on a surface of a tapered object. The contone image data is also filtered with a stochastic halftone filer to produce binary image data for the image to be printed on the tapered object. The adjustment in the pixel density for the portion of the image to be printed on the portion of the object having a circumference that is different than another portion of the surface at the uppermost portion of the image produces a more uniform appearance in the resulting printed image.

Systems and methods for lens creations are disclosed. The method includes initiating light transmission from a light source through a diffuser into a container holding resin and a substrate. The light transmission is performed according to an irradiation pattern wherein each point in the resin is illuminated by at least 10% of the diffuser. This causes a lens to be formed. To achieve this illumination, at least 15% of the diffuser receives light from the light source. Further, a diameter of the diffuser is greater than or equal to a diameter of the substrate. The system performing the methods includes a polymerization apparatus and may include a resin conditioning and reservoir apparatus, a metrology unit, a resin drainage apparatus and an optional postcuring apparatus.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for 3D printing using a stationary build platform. Resin (e.g., a photopolymer) may be dosed into a vat in volumes required to create one layer at a time. An image projector may cure the top-most layer of the resin in the vat to create one layer at a time to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) object from the bottom up, right side up, and/or layer-by-layer over the build plate.

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are described for 3D printing using a stationary build platform. Resin (e.g., a photopolymer) may be dosed into a vat in volumes required to create one layer at a time. An image projector may cure the top-most layer of the resin in the vat to create one layer at a time to fabricate a three-dimensional (3D) object from the bottom up, right side up, and/or layer-by-layer over the build plate.

A 3-dimensional shaping apparatus manufactures a 3-dimensional shaped object. The 3-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a beam irradiation unit, a spatial light modulator, a splitting optical system, and a scanning unit. The beam irradiation unit emits a light beam. The spatial light modulator spatially modulates the light beam emitted by the beam irradiation unit at least on the first axis. The splitting optical system includes at least one lens array having a plurality of lenses arranged along the first axis and splits the light beam modulated by the spatial light modulator into a plurality of light beams by the lens array. The scanning unit scans the shaping material with the plurality of light beams from the splitting optical system.

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a stage configured to hold a component. A radiant energy device is operable to generate and project radiant energy in a patterned image. An actuator is configured to change a relative position of the stage relative to the radiant energy device. A resin management system includes a material deposition assembly upstream configured to deposit a resin on a resin support. The material deposition assembly includes a reservoir configured to retain a first volume of the resin and define a thickness of the resin on the resin support as the resin support is translated in an X-axis direction. The material deposition assembly further includes a vessel positioned above the reservoir in a Z-axis direction and configured to store a second volume of the resin. In addition, the material deposition assembly includes a conduit configured to direct the resin from the vessel to the reservoir.

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a stage configured to hold a component. A radiant energy device is operable to generate and project radiant energy in a patterned image. An actuator is configured to change a relative position of the stage relative to the radiant energy device. A resin management system includes a material deposition assembly upstream configured to deposit a resin on a resin support. The material deposition assembly includes a reservoir configured to retain a first volume of the resin and define a thickness of the resin on the resin support as the resin support is translated in an X-axis direction. The material deposition assembly further includes a vessel positioned above the reservoir in a Z-axis direction and configured to store a second volume of the resin. In addition, the material deposition assembly includes a conduit configured to direct the resin from the vessel to the reservoir.