Provided herein according to some embodiments is a method of forming a three-dimensional intermediate object with a polymerizable liquid, said polymerizable liquid comprising a mixture of (i) a microwave absorbing material, (ii) a light polymerizable liquid first component, and (iii) a second solidifiable component that is different from said first component. Optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, the method includes supporting the three-dimensional intermediate with a separate support media prior to solidifying and/or curing the second solidifiable component in the three-dimensional intermediate to form the three-dimensional object; and then optionally separating said support media when present from said three-dimensional object.

Provided herein according to some embodiments is a method of forming a three-dimensional intermediate object with a polymerizable liquid, said polymerizable liquid comprising a mixture of (i) a microwave absorbing material, (ii) a light polymerizable liquid first component, and (iii) a second solidifiable component that is different from said first component. Optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, the method includes supporting the three-dimensional intermediate with a separate support media prior to solidifying and/or curing the second solidifiable component in the three-dimensional intermediate to form the three-dimensional object; and then optionally separating said support media when present from said three-dimensional object.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object includes providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface. The carrier and the build surface define a build region therebetween. The method further includes filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid; continuously or intermittently irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid; applying a reduced pressure and/or polymer inhibitor-enriched gas to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member to thereby reduce a gas content of the polymerizable liquid; and continuously or intermittently advancing (e.g., sequentially or concurrently with said irradiating step) said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer.

A method of forming a three-dimensional object includes providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface. The carrier and the build surface define a build region therebetween. The method further includes filling said build region with a polymerizable liquid; continuously or intermittently irradiating said build region with light through said optically transparent member to form a solid polymer from said polymerizable liquid; applying a reduced pressure and/or polymer inhibitor-enriched gas to the polymerizable liquid through the optically transparent member to thereby reduce a gas content of the polymerizable liquid; and continuously or intermittently advancing (e.g., sequentially or concurrently with said irradiating step) said carrier away from said build surface to form said three-dimensional object from said solid polymer.

A printing apparatus for printing a three-dimensional object. The printing apparatus includes an operative surface and a plurality of supply hoppers configured for dispensing a powder. The powder is configured to be melted by an energy beam. The supply hoppers are configured to form a plurality of vertically-aligned powder beds adjacent to one another on the operative surface simultaneously. An energy source is configured to emit an energy beam onto each powder bed simultaneously to melt or fuse a topmost layer of the powder bed onto an underlying powder bed layer or substrate.

An irradiation system includes: a first beam source configured to output a first laser beam and a second beam source configured to output a second laser beam, in which the second laser beam has a higher beam quality higher than that of the first laser beam;

optics arranged to focus the first and second laser beams; and a beam guiding system including a first beam path along which the first laser beam is guided, and a second beam path along which the second laser beam is guided, in which the beam guiding system includes a beam combiner to superimpose the first and second laser beams, the first beam source is a pump laser, the second beam source is a laser resonator, and the beam guiding system further includes a beam switch adapted to feed the first laser beam into a pump laser beam path and/or into the first beam path.

In one example, a lighting device for an additive manufacturing machine includes an array of light sources each to emit monochromatic light within a band of wavelengths that includes a peak light absorption of a liquid coalescing agent to be dispensed on to a build material.

An apparatus and method for production of three-dimensional objects are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a reflective chamber (10), a plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources (35) adapted for providing electromagnetic radiation inside the reflective chamber (10), the plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources (35) mounted on inner walls of the reflective chamber (10). The method comprises the steps of placing a UV material on a model template or a transparent plate (51,52), setting of time value and light intensity of ultra violet light emitted from a plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources (35) and allowing the reflection of ultra violet light between a plurality of reflective layers inside the reflective chamber (10), solidifying the material inside the reflective chamber (10) after a period of time set out by control means and forming a three-dimensional object from the UV activated material on a model template or transparent plate (51,52).

An apparatus and method for production of three-dimensional objects are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a reflective chamber (10), a plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources (35) adapted for providing electromagnetic radiation inside the reflective chamber (10), the plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources (35) mounted on inner walls of the reflective chamber (10). The method comprises the steps of placing a UV material on a model template or a transparent plate (51,52), setting of time value and light intensity of ultra violet light emitted from a plurality of electromagnetic radiation sources (35) and allowing the reflection of ultra violet light between a plurality of reflective layers inside the reflective chamber (10), solidifying the material inside the reflective chamber (10) after a period of time set out by control means and forming a three-dimensional object from the UV activated material on a model template or transparent plate (51,52).

The present invention relates to a method and device for layer-wise instruction of a shaped body by stereolithography in subsequent layers.