| CPC B29C 64/124 (2017.08) [B22F 12/33 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] | 20 Claims |
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1. A three-dimensional (3D) printing system comprising:
a build vessel including a transparent sheet, the build vessel configured to contain a column of photocurable liquid having a lower bound upon the transparent sheet and an upper bound at an interface with a gaseous atmosphere above the column of photocurable liquid;
a build platform including a build plate having an upper surface and a lower surface;
a vertical movement mechanism configured to vertically position the upper and lower surfaces of the build plate;
a lower light engine configured to define a lower build plane above the transparent sheet;
an upper light engine configured to define an upper build plane at the upper bound of the column of photocurable liquid; and
a controller configured to operate the vertical movement mechanism, the lower light engine, and the upper light engine to fabricate:
a lower 3D article upon the lower surface of the build platform by selective solidification of the photocurable liquid at the lower build plane; and
an upper 3D article upon the upper surface of the build platform by selective solidification of the photocurable liquid at the upper build plane.
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11. A method of manufacturing the lower 3D article and the upper 3D article using the 3D printing system of claim 1 comprising:
providing a column of photocurable liquid in the build vessel
operating the vertical movement mechanism to position a lower face of the build plate or the 3D article at the lower build plane;
operating the lower light engine to selectively solidify a layer of the photocurable resin at the lower build plane;
operating the vertical movement mechanism to position an upper face of the build plate or the 3D article within a layer thickness of the upper build plane; and
operating the upper light engine to selectively solidify a layer of the photocurable resin at the upper build plane.
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16. A method of manufacturing a lower 3D article and an upper 3D article comprising:
providing a build vessel including a transparent sheet at a lower side;
filling the build vessel with a column of photocurable liquid having a lower bound at the transparent sheet and an upper bound at a liquid to air interface;
reciprocally translating a build plate between two vertical positions within the photocurable liquid including:
a lower position at which a lower face of the build plate or 3D article is positioned at a lower build plane within one millimeter of the transparent sheet; and
an upper position at which an upper face of the build plate or 3D article is positioned within a layer thickness of an upper build plane at the upper bound of the column;
movement of reciprocal translations monotonically decreasing as the lower 3D article and the upper 3D article are being fabricated;
operating a lower light engine to selectively cure a layer of the photocurable resin at the lower build plane when the lower face is at the lower build plane; and
operating an upper light engine to selectively cure a layer of photocurable resin at the upper build plane when the upper face is at the upper build plane.
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