US 12,403,531 B2
Radiation source assembly and apparatus for layer-by-layer formation of three-dimensional objects
Christopher Noble, London (GB); Adam Ellis, London (GB); and George Darmanin, London (GB)
Assigned to Stratasys Powder Production Ltd., Nottingham (GB)
Appl. No. 17/616,979
Filed by STRATASYS POWDER PRODUCTION LTD., London (GB)
PCT Filed Jun. 5, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/051367
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 6, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/245600, PCT Pub. Date Dec. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1908186 (GB), filed on Jun. 7, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0241867 A1, Aug. 4, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/277 (2017.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 12/13 (2021.01); B22F 12/42 (2021.01); B22F 12/45 (2021.01); B29C 64/188 (2017.01); B29C 64/295 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01)
CPC B22F 12/45 (2021.01) [B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 12/13 (2021.01); B22F 12/42 (2021.01); B29C 64/188 (2017.08); B29C 64/277 (2017.08); B29C 64/295 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional object from a particulate material, the apparatus comprising:
a piston configured to support a build bed of particulate material, the build bed having a build bed surface of particulate material;
a distribution sled comprising a particulate material distribution device for distributing each layer of particulate material across the build bed;
a printing sled comprising one or more droplet deposition heads operable to deposit a pattern of radiation-absorbing material (RAM) onto the layer, to define the cross-section of the three-dimensional object in said layer;
a pre-heat source arranged to move across the build bed surface so as to preheat said layer, and
a consolidation source arranged to move across the build bed surface so as to consolidate build material onto which RAM has been deposited while moving over the build bed surface;
wherein the pre-heat source and the consolidation source each span a width, in a direction orthogonal to the direction of movement, of the build bed surface; and
one or more radiation source assemblies for pre-heating and/or for consolidating particulate material on the build bed surface, the or each radiation source assembly comprising:
a plurality of light-emitting diodes arranged in an array comprising a plurality of individually addressable groups, each light-emitting diode being operable to emit a respective beam of radiation towards the build bed surface; and
one or more collimators, arranged to collimate the beams of radiation of the plurality of light-emitting diodes to produce one or more collimated beams of radiation, and to direct said collimated beams of radiation towards the particulate material on the build bed surface;
wherein at least one of the pre-heat source and the consolidation source comprises one of said radiation source assemblies; and
wherein the apparatus is configured to move the distribution sled while distributing each layer, the pre-heat source while pre-heating, the printing sled while depositing RAM, and the consolidation source while consolidating, in the same direction.