A method includes curing a photopolymer resin disposed between a first build surface and a flexible film layer to form a print layer of a printed part. Here, the print layer of the printed part defines a second build surface attached to the flexible film layer. The method also includes translating a peeling mechanism between the second build surface and the flexible film layer to detach the flexible film layer from the second build surface.

The present invention concerns an apparatus for 3D printing of bottom-up photo-curing type, comprising a light source (26) above which a tank (10) containing a photo-curing liquid material (24) is placed inside which it is immersed an extraction plate (25), which is equipped with moving means with alternating rectilinear motion, along a direction perpendicular to the bottom of said tank (10) from a position at a distance from the bottom of said tank (10) equal to the thickness of a layer obtainable by photo-curing of said photo-curing liquid material (24), the bottom (14) of said tank (10) being constituted by an elastic membrane (23) transparent to the radiation of said light source (26), said tank (10) being positioned in correspondence with a hole (13) of a support plate (12), said hole being provided with a rigid support (11), transparent to the radiation of said light source (26), wherein said rigid support (11) is provided with means for displacing with respect to said hole (13), from a position in which said rigid support (11) occupies said hole (13), and is in contact with elastic membrane (23), to a position in which said rigid support (11) deviates from said hole (13) and from said elastic membrane (23), characterised in that between said elastic membrane (23) and said rigid support (11) means are placed apt to increase adherence between said elastic membrane (23) and said rigid support (11). The invention additionally concerns a method of use of said apparatus for 3D printing.

A three dimensional printing apparatus includes a carrier, a glass plate and a film. The glass plate is disposed on the carrier. The film covers the glass plate and is folded over an edge of the carrier. An interface between the glass plate and the film is in communication with the external space via a channel between the edge and the sidewall of the glass plate.

A three dimensional printing apparatus includes a carrier, a glass plate and a film. The glass plate is disposed on the carrier. The film covers the glass plate and is folded over an edge of the carrier. An interface between the glass plate and the film is in communication with the external space via a channel between the edge and the sidewall of the glass plate.

Systems and methods for constructing 3-dimensional (3D) parts are disclosed. A printing system may include a deposition system configured to print a plurality of 2-dimensional (2D) layers onto a plurality of carrier sheets. The printing system also includes a transferring system configured to transfer a 2D layer from a carrier sheet of the plurality of carrier sheets, onto the 3D part. The 3D part may be located on a base substrate. The printing system further includes a feed system configured to provide the plurality of carrier sheets from the deposition system to the transfer system in a successive fashion while maintaining the directionality of printing in the deposition and transferring systems.

A 3-D printer includes a development station positioned to electrostatically transfer layers of material to an intermediate transfer surface, and a transfuse station adjacent the intermediate transfer surface. The transfuse station is positioned to receive the layers as the intermediate transfer surface moves past the transfuse station. Also, a platen is included that moves relative to the intermediate transfer surface. The intermediate transfer surface transfers a layer of the material to the platen each time the platen contacts one of the layers on the intermediate transfer surface at the transfuse station to successively form a freestanding stack of the layers on the platen. A curing station is positioned to apply ultraviolet light to each layer, after each layer is transferred from the transfuse station to the platen. The curing station selectively applies the ultraviolet light to crosslink polymers only in a portion of the material within the layer.

Three-dimensional objects are formed by photo-curing a liquid polymer by exposure to a radiation in a space between a sheet transparent to the radiation and a supporting plate. On a side of the sheet facing towards the photo-curing liquid polymer, a membrane is arranged. The membrane is transparent to the radiation and covered by a layer of liquid lubricant. The membrane is displaceable with respect to an area in which said liquid polymer is undergoing curing by exposure to the radiation, which radiation (e.g., at 410 nm) may be provided by a collimated light source composed of an array of light emitting diode (LED) sources, an array of baffles, and an array of lenses. The baffles limit beam widths of each individual LED source in the array of LED, and the array of lenses is located one focal length from said array of LED sources.

Three-dimensional objects are formed by photo-curing a liquid polymer by exposure to a radiation in a space between a sheet transparent to the radiation and a supporting plate. On a side of the sheet facing towards the photo-curing liquid polymer, a membrane is arranged. The membrane is transparent to the radiation and covered by a layer of liquid lubricant. The membrane is displaceable with respect to an area in which said liquid polymer is undergoing curing by exposure to the radiation, which radiation (e.g., at 410 nm) may be provided by a collimated light source composed of an array of light emitting diode (LED) sources, an array of baffles, and an array of lenses. The baffles limit beam widths of each individual LED source in the array of LED, and the array of lenses is located one focal length from said array of LED sources.

A three-dimensional (3D) inkjet printer is configured to build up an object by printing a series of layers and stacking them to form the object. In order to speed printing, drying of each layer is accelerated by using a pressure differential to extract liquid vehicle from the ink, and by moving the printed layer away from the inkjet print heads before drying so that the inkjet print heads may print the next layer. The dried printed layer may also be conditioned and/or cured. Dried printed layers are stacked at a build station to assemble the finished object.

A device for the lithography-based additive manufacturing of three-dimensional structures may comprise a building platform defining a building plane, a light engine designed for the dynamic patterning of light in an exposure field of said light engine, a material transport unit comprising a first drive mechanism for transporting a material layer across the exposure field, a second drive mechanism for causing relative movement of the light engine and the building platform along a displacement path extending parallel to the building plane, a linear encoder for sensing a position and/or a velocity of the light engine relative to the building platform, and/or one or more control units configured to adjust the feeding rate of a pattern data feeder based on the position or the velocity sensed by the linear encoder.