A multi-material 3-D printing system and method including at least two printing heads each with a transparent window circumscribed by an ejection nozzle. Each ejection nozzle is coupled to a respective pump that pumps resin from a respective vat onto a respective window. The resin is cured from below the window by exposure to a digital image displayed by a micro display chip. To switch resins, the sample is moved across a plurality of suction nozzles towards a second printing head. A respective one of the suction heads is coupled to a vacuum that effectuates the intake of residual resin from the underside of the sample.

A multi-material 3-D printing system and method including at least two printing heads each with a transparent window circumscribed by an ejection nozzle. Each ejection nozzle is coupled to a respective pump that pumps resin from a respective vat onto a respective window. The resin is cured from below the window by exposure to a digital image displayed by a micro display chip. To switch resins, the sample is moved across a plurality of suction nozzles towards a second printing head. A respective one of the suction heads is coupled to a vacuum that effectuates the intake of residual resin from the underside of the sample.

An additive manufacturing system has a light permeable base, a build carrier for holding a workpiece and a light source which is arranged to emit light through the light permeable base. The light permeable base and the build carrier are positionable relative to each other in a build dimension in which the workpiece is built up. The system further has a resin vat in which the light permeable base forms a wall portion thereof. The system further comprises a plurality of resin supplies for supplying different light hardenable resins in direct contact with each other in said vat. The system facilitates the rapid manufacturing of a dental restoration having a color gradation.

An additive manufacturing system has a light permeable base, a build carrier for holding a workpiece and a light source which is arranged to emit light through the light permeable base. The light permeable base and the build carrier are positionable relative to each other in a build dimension in which the workpiece is built up. The system further has a resin vat in which the light permeable base forms a wall portion thereof. The system further comprises a plurality of resin supplies for supplying different light hardenable resins in direct contact with each other in said vat. The system facilitates the rapid manufacturing of a dental restoration having a color gradation.

Four dimensional (4D) energy-field package assembly for projecting energy fields according to a 4D coordinate function. The 4D energy-field package assembly includes an energy-source system having energy sources capable of providing energy to energy locations, and energy waveguides for directing energy from the energy locations from one side of the energy waveguide to another side of the energy waveguide along energy propagation paths.

Four dimensional (4D) energy-field package assembly for projecting energy fields according to a 4D coordinate function. The 4D energy-field package assembly includes an energy-source system having energy sources capable of providing energy to energy locations, and energy waveguides for directing energy from the energy locations from one side of the energy waveguide to another side of the energy waveguide along energy propagation paths.

According to some aspects, calibration techniques are provided that allow an optics module of an additive fabrication device to be installed and operated in a stereolithography device by a user. In particular, the calibration techniques enable the optics module to be calibrated in a way that only depends on the characteristics of the optics module, and not upon any other components of the stereolithography device. As a result, the techniques enable a user of a stereolithography device to remove one optics module and replace it with another, without it being necessary to repair or replace the whole device. In some cases, the calibration techniques may include directing light onto one or more fiducial targets within the stereolithography device and measuring light scattered from said targets.

The present disclosure discloses a conformal manufacture method for 3D printing with high-viscosity material. The method comprises the steps: using 3D design software to design a 3D model of a component and a conformal contactless support; importing the 3D model data of the component and the conformal contactless support into slice software; importing multiple slice data of the component and the conformal contactless support into a 3D printing device, and sequentially scanning a high-viscosity material by laser till completing the printing; and removing the support and the uncured materials to finally obtain the component. The support and the component to be manufactured are easy to be separated, and no trace is left on the surface of the component. The present disclosure provides a conformal contactless support method for manufacturing a component having a complex bottom surface structure by using a 3D printing technology, and has a wide application prospect in the field of 3D manufacture.

The present disclosure discloses a conformal manufacture method for 3D printing with high-viscosity material. The method comprises the steps: using 3D design software to design a 3D model of a component and a conformal contactless support; importing the 3D model data of the component and the conformal contactless support into slice software; importing multiple slice data of the component and the conformal contactless support into a 3D printing device, and sequentially scanning a high-viscosity material by laser till completing the printing; and removing the support and the uncured materials to finally obtain the component. The support and the component to be manufactured are easy to be separated, and no trace is left on the surface of the component. The present disclosure provides a conformal contactless support method for manufacturing a component having a complex bottom surface structure by using a 3D printing technology, and has a wide application prospect in the field of 3D manufacture.

Herein disclosed is a method of treating a component of a fuel cell, which includes the step of exposing the component of the fuel cell to a source of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The component comprises a first material. The EMR has a wavelength ranging from 10 to 1500 nm and the EMR has a minimum energy density of 0.1 Joule/cm2. Preferably, the treatment process has one or more of the following effects: heating, drying, curing, sintering, annealing, sealing, alloying, evaporating, restructuring, foaming. In an embodiment, the substrate is a component in a fuel cell. Such component comprises an anode, a cathode, an electrolyte, a catalyst, a barrier layer, a interconnect, a reformer, or reformer catalyst. In an embodiment, the substrate is a layer in a fuel cell or a portion of a layer in a fuel cell or a combination of layers in a fuel cell or a combination of partial layers in a fuel cell.