Nova Patents
CA1334052C

Stereolithographic beam profiling

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for profiling the intensityof a beam and thus measuring the overall intensity andpower of a beam are disclosed that have particular use instereolithography. A beam sensor comprising a pinhole ina plate and a photodetector behind the pinhole measuresthe intensity of portions of a beam as the beam is movedover the beam sensor. Software associated with thesensors in a computer controls the scanning mechanism forthe beam so that the beam is shifted to find the pinholeand move across it in order to develop the intensityprofile. The invention can be used to detect drift in thescanning mechanism, determine the focus of the beam, andpredict the depth and width of photopolymer cured by thebeam. A related apparatus and method for calibrating andnormalizing a stereolithographic apparatus is described,and a related apparatus and method for correcting fordrift in production of objects by stereolithography, isalso described.

CA1334052C, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 55

Term

Term ended

Expired 24 January 2012, 14.7 years ago.

  1. Priority
  2. Filed
  3. Granted
  4. Expired
  5. Today

56 claims: 10 independent, 46 dependent

  1. 1
    THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:1. A method for calibrating and normalizing a stereolithography apparatus for the production of a threedimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation when exposed to a reaction means operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium defining a working region of the apparatus to form successive laminae of the object, the improvement comprising the steps of: defining a plurality of known locations near the working surface with known spatial relationships between each location;directing the reaction means using desired positioner information to a plurality of locations near said working surface;recording positioner information used to direct the reaction means;sensing positions of the plurality of locations to which the reaction means is directed;using the sensed positions, the known locations, the known spatial relationships and the recorded positioner information to calibrate and normalize the apparatus.
  2. 14
    In a stereolithography machine for the production of a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation when exposed to a reaction means operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium defining a working region of the machine to form successive laminae of the object, the improvement of an apparatus for calibrating and normalizing the machine prior to operation of the machine to make the three-dimensional object, comprising:means for defining a number of known locations near the working surface with desired spatial relationships between each location;means for directing the reaction means using desired positioner information to a plurality of locations near said working surface;means for storing positioner information used to direct the reaction means;means for sensing positions of the plurality of locations to which the reaction means is directed;and means for using the sensed position, the known locations, the desired spatial relationships and the recorded positioner information to calibrate and normalize the apparatus.
  3. 27
    A method for calibrating and normalizing a stereolithography apparatus for the production of a threedimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation when exposed to a reaction means operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium 96 defining a working region of the machine to form successive laminae of the object, the improvement comprising the steps of:defining a number of known locations near the working surface with known spatial relationships between each location;directing the reaction means to a plurality of desired locations near said working surface using desired positioner information;sensing the locations where the reaction means is directed;causing said plurality of known locations and said desired locations to be substantially coincident;receiving data representing a cross-section of the threedimensional object to be formed wherein the data represents desired spatial relationships between a plurality of points to be transformed;and using said known spatial relationships and said desired positioner information to map the data which represents desired spatial relationships between the plurality of points to be exposed to derive necessary positioner information to accurately position the reaction means onto the working surface.
  4. 29
    In a stereolithography machine for the production of a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation when exposed to a reaction means operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium defining a working region of the machine to form successive laminae forming the object, the improvement of an apparatus for calibrating and normalizing the machine prior to operation of the machine to make the three-dimensional object, comprising:means for defining a number of known locations near the working surface with known spatial relationships between each location;means for directing the reaction means to a plurality of desired locations near said working surface using desired positioner information;means for sensing the locations where the reaction means is directed;means for causing said plurality of known locations and said desired locations to be substantially coincident;means for receiving data representing a cross-section of the three-dimensional object to be formed wherein the data represents desired spatial relationships between a plurality of points to be transformed;and means for using said known spatial relationships and said desired positioner information to map the data which represents desired spatial relationships between the plurality of points to be 98 exposed to derive necessary positioner information to accurately position the reaction means onto the working surface.
  5. 31
    In a machine for the production of a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation when exposed to a reaction means operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium defining a working region of the machine to form successive laminae of the object, the improvement of an apparatus for calibrating and normalizing the machine prior to operation of the machine to make the threedimensional object, comprising:at least one sensor located at a plurality of predetermined locations within the working region prior to forming the three-dimensional object, for sensing when the reaction means is pointed at each predetermined location;a positioner for positioning the reaction means in response to positioner information;a first memory for receiving selected positioner information and corresponding predetermined location information for each of the plurality of predetermined locations, the selected 99 positioner information for a predetermined location corresponding to the positioner information when the positioner directs the reaction means on to the at least one sensor when the at least one sensor is located at the predetermined location;a second memory for receiving data representing a laminae of the three-dimensional object to be formed wherein the data represents desired spatial relationships between a plurality of points to be transformed;and a processor connected to the at least one sensor, the positioner, and the first and second memories and programmed to use the selected positioner information and the corresponding predetermined location information to map the data which represents desired spatial relationships between the plurality of points to be exposed to calibrate the positioner information to accurately position the reaction means on the working surface.
  6. 36
    A method for calibrating and normalizing an apparatus for the production of a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation when exposed to a reaction means operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium defining a working region of the machine to form successive laminae of the object, the improvement comprising the steps of:temporarily locating at least one sensor at a plurality of predetermined locations within the working region prior to forming the three-dimensional object to sense when the reaction means is pointed at each predetermined location;positioning the reaction means in response to positioner information;receiving in a first memory selected positioner information and corresponding predetermined location information for each of the plurality of predetermined locations, the selected positioner information for a predetermined location corresponding to the positioner information when the positioner directs the reaction means on to the at least one sensor when the at least one sensor is located at the predetermined location;101 receiving in a second memory data representing a laminae of the three-dimensional object to be formed wherein the data represents desired spatial relationships between a plurality of points to be transformed;and using selected positioner information and the corresponding predetermined location information to map the data which represents desired spatial relationships between the plurality of points to be exposed to calibrate the positioner information to accurately position the reaction means on the working surface.
  7. 40
    In a stereolithographic machine for the production of a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation when exposed to a reaction means operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium defining a working region of the machine to form successive laminae of the object, the improvement of an apparatus for calibrating and normalizing the machine, comprising:(a) at least one sensor located at a plurality of predetermined locations within the working region prior to forming the three-dimensional object, for sensing when the reaction means is pointed at each predetermined location;(b) means for removing said at least one sensor from the working region prior to forming the three-dimensional object;(c) a positioner for positioning the reaction means in response to positioner information;(d) a memory for recording and storing selected positioner information and corresponding predetermined location information for each of the plurality of predetermined locations, 103 the selected positioner information for a predetermined location corresponding to the positioner information when the positioner directs the reaction means on to the at least one sensor when the at least one sensor is located at the predetermined location;and (e) a controller linked to the positioner and memory and supplied with uncalibrated data corresponding to a plurality of desired points on the working surface to be transformed and having a desired spatial relationship, said controller having means for making positioner control computations using selected positioner information, corresponding predetermined location information, and uncalibrated data to determine calibrated positioner information for directing the positioner to direct the reaction means to the plurality of desired points on the working surface wherein the calibrated positioner information produces the desired spatial relationship of the plurality of desired points as the reaction means transforms the medium at the plurality of desired points.
  8. 46
    A method for calibrating and normalizing a stereolithographic machine for production of a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation when exposed to a reaction means operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium defining a working region of the machine to form successive laminae forming the object, comprising the steps of:(a) locating at least one sensor at a plurality of predetermined locations within the working region prior to forming the three-dimensional object, to sense when the reaction means is pointed at each predetermined location;(b) positioning the reaction means by use of a positioner responsive to positioner information;(c) recording in a memory selected positioner information and corresponding predetermined location information for each of a plurality of predetermined location, said selected positioner information for a predetermined location corresponding 105 to the positioner information when the positioner directs the reaction means on to the at least one sensor when the at least one sensor is located at the predetermined location;(d) computing calibrated positioner information from uncalibrated data corresponding to a plurality of desired points on the working surface to be transformed having a desired spatial relationship using the selected positioner information, corresponding predetermined location information, and said uncalibrated data, and providing the calibrated positioner information to the positioner to direct the reaction means to the plurality of desired points on the working surface to achieve the desired spatial relationship of the desired points upon transformation;and (e) removing said at least one sensor from the working region prior to forming the three-dimensional object.
  9. 51
    In a stereolithographic machine for the production of a three-dimensional object from a medium capable of selective physical transformation when exposed to a beam of radiation operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium defining a working region of the machine to form successive laminae of the object, the improvement of an apparatus for calibrating and normalizing the machine, comprising:(a) a positioner for positioning the beam in response to positioner information;(b) at least one sensor located at a plurality of predetermined locations within the working region prior to forming the three-dimensional object, for sensing at least a portion of an intensity value of the beam when at least a portion of the beam is pointed at each predetermined location;(c) means for removing said at least one sensor from the working region prior to forming the three-dimensional object;(d) a first memory for receiving particular positioner information, corresponding predetermined location information, and intensity value information for each portion of the beam for each of the plurality of predetermined locations;107 (e) a processor programmed to calculate a centroid-like function from the particular positioner information and the intensity information for each portion of the beam for each predetermined location to determine best positioner information corresponding to each predetermined location;(f) a second memory linked to the first memory and processor, for receiving data representing a laminae of a threedimensional object to be formed wherein the data represents desired spatial relationships between a plurality of points to be transformed;and (g) the processor including means for using the best positioner information and the corresponding predetermined location information from the plurality of predetermined locations to map the data, which represents desired spatial relationships between the plurality of points to be transformed, to calibrate positioner information to accurately position the beam onto the working surface.
  10. 54
    A method for calibrating and normalizing a stereolithographic machine for the production of a threedimensional object from a medium capable of selected physical transformation when exposed to a beam of radiation operating in a prescribed manner upon a designated working surface of the medium defining a working region of the machine to form successive laminae of the object, comprising:(a) positioning the beam in response to positioner information;(b) using at least one sensor located at a plurality of predetermined locations within the working region prior to formation of a three-dimensional object, for sensing an intensity value of at least a portion of the beam when at least a portion of the beam is pointed at each predetermined location;(c) receiving particular positioner information, corresponding predetermined location information, and intensity value information for each portion of the beam for each of the plurality of predetermined locations;109 (d) determining best positioner information corresponding to each predetermined location by calculating a centroid-like function from the particular positioner information and the intensity information for each portion of the beam for each predetermined location;(e) receiving data representing a laminae of a threedimensional object to be formed wherein the data represents desired spatial relationships between a plurality of points to be transformed;(f) using the best positioner information and the corresponding predetermined location information from the plurality of predetermined locations to map the data, which represents desired spatial relationships between the plurality of points to be transformed, to calibrated positioner information to accurately position the beam onto the working surface;and (g) removing said at least one sensor from the working region prior to forming the three-dimensional object.