Abstract: An additive manufacturing system for producing a three-dimensional article includes a print engine, a post-fabrication powder removal apparatus, a transport mechanism, and a controller. The post fabrication removal apparatus includes a rotary frame defining an internal receptacle cavity, a plurality of clamps coupled to a corresponding plurality of actuators, a clamping plate coupled to a lift apparatus, and an agitation device mounted to the clamping plate. The controller is configured to perform the following steps: (1) Operate the transport mechanism to transport the build box to the internal receptacle cavity. (2) Operate the plurality of actuators to engage the build box with the plurality of clamps to secure the build box to the rotary frame. (3) Operate the rotary frame to rotate the build box until unfused powder begins to exit the build box. (4) Operate the agitation device to facilitate pouring of the unfused powder from the build box.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system for fabricating or manufacturing a three-dimensional article includes a support plate, a resin containment structure, an actuator, a light engine, a support tray coupled to a movement mechanism, and a controller. The resin containment structure is supported by the support plate and includes a lower substructure that is moveably coupled to an upper substructure. The upper substructure defines an upper central opening that is closed by a transparent sheet. The lower substructure defines a lower central opening that is closed by a transparent plate. The actuator is affixed to the support plate and configured to rotate the upper substrate about the hinge between a (1) a raised position in which the transparent plate contacts and supports the transparent sheet and (2) a lowered position in which the transparent plate is out of contact with the transparent sheet.

Abstract: A three dimensional printing system includes a light engine having a spatial light modulator for curing individual layers of a photocure resin to form a three dimensional article of manufacture. The light engine is configured to: (1) receive a slice image that defines an array of energy values for curing a layer, (2) process the slice image to define an image frame compatible with the spatial light modulator, (3) receive an on signal, (4) activate the first light source in response to the on signal; (5) repeatedly send the first defined image frame to the first spatial light modulator during a defined cure time for the single layer of resin; (6) receive an off signal; (7) deactivate the first light source in response to the off signal; and (8) repeat steps (1)-(7) until the three dimensional article of manufacture is formed.

Abstract: Build materials for 3D printing applications are described herein which, in some embodiments, comprise monomeric species operable for producing articles with high Tg and/or high heat deflection temperature while maintaining shelf stability. In one aspect, a polymerizable liquid comprises at least 20 weight percent isocyanurate polyacrylate; a photoinitiator component; and a crystallization inhibitor component comprising monomeric curable material, oligomeric curable material or mixtures thereof, wherein the polymerizable liquid does not exhibit crystallization over a period of 28 days at a storage temperature of 5-10° C.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printer includes a light engine, a support plate, and a resin vessel. The light engine is configured to selectively harden photocurable resin at a build plane in the resin vessel. The support plate is formed from cast metal and is in a fixed vertical relation to the light engine. The support plate includes an upper side with an upstanding ridge. The upstanding ridge has an upper datum surface that has been machined to a controlled height. The support plate also includes a separately formed ring disposed upon the upper datum surface. The separately formed ring defines a crest of the upstanding ridge. The resin vessel includes a transparent sheet that defines a lower bound for resin contained in the resin vessel. The transparent sheet impinges upon the crest to define a vertical location of the build plane in relation to the light engine.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional article includes a controller configured to: receive an input file defining a geometry of the three-dimensional article; receive information specifying an interface surface of the article over which the article will fit against a three-dimensional body; slice the geometry; identify intersecting slices that intersect the interface surface; and for the intersecting slices, alter a halftone range along the interface surface. Along the interface surface, the article slidingly engages the three-dimensional body. The sliding engagement can be sufficient to provide a fluid seal along the interface surface.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional (3D) article includes: (1) receiving a solid model defining a 3D article, (2) receiving information defining an information bearing image which can includes machine and/or human readable indicia, (3) defining a solid model of a 3D tag to be attached to the article, the 3D tag having thick sections and thin sections that define the information bearing image, (4) merging the solid model of the 3D article with the solid model of the 3D tag to provide a composite solid model defining the 3D article integral with the 3D tag, (5) sending the composite solid model to an additive manufacturing system, and (6) operating the additive manufacturing print engine to integrally fabricate the 3D article and 3D tag from a single material.

Abstract: The present disclosure is directed towards systems and methods for controlling three-dimensional bioprinters. In some embodiments, a server system may provide a user interface that can be used by a user may able to provide three-dimensional bioprinter specifications. The server system may then be configured to generate command instructions compatible with a particular bioprinter and then transmit the command instructions to the indicated bioprinter. In some embodiments the disclosed systems and methods may eliminate the need for downloading drivers or bioprinter specific software onto a user computing device. In some embodiments the disclosed systems and methods may be configured for use in restricted internet access settings.

Abstract: In the context of an extrusion deposition modeling to form three-dimensional objects, adhesion of extruded materials to a build surface is achieved by preparing the build surface using an intermediary coating that substantially adheres to the build surface, and a bondable particulate material, applied to the intermediary coating, that becomes affixed to the intermediary coating and provides a surface to which the extruded materials may attach.

Abstract: A method is provided for manufacturing a complex hollow article from a flexible polymer material. The method includes using an additive manufacturing system to form a precursory structure that is formed from a build material and phase change material, melting and removing the phase change material, injecting uncured liquid flexible polymer material into a cavity defined by the build material, curing and solidifying the flexible polymer material, and cracking and removing the build material from the flexible polymer material to provide the hollow article.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system is configured to selectively solidify a build material at a build plane in a layer-by-layer manner. The three-dimensional printing system includes a laser module, a scan module, and a controller. The laser module is for emitting a light beam along a main optical path from the laser module to the build plane. The scan module includes a motorized mirror and a sensor. The motorized mirror includes a substrate having an optical coating that reflects at least 90% of incoming beam power such that the mirror transmits no more than 10% of the incoming beam power. The sensor is positioned to receive transmitted light from the mirror. The controller is configured to operate the laser module to emit the light beam along the main optical path, analyze a signal from the sensor, and based upon the analysis, to estimate a calibration error for the laser module.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional article includes a resin vessel, a vertical movement mechanism, and a light engine. The resin vessel includes a lower opening closed by a transparent sheet. The vertical movement mechanism is for positioning a support tray which supports the three-dimensional article. The light engine is disposed below the transparent sheet and is configured to selectively harden layers of resin over a build plane above the transparent sheet. The light engine includes a light bar coupled to a lateral movement mechanism. The light bar includes an array of light emitting devices and a device for impinging upon the transparent sheet. The impingement maintains a proper operating distance H between the transparent sheet and the build plane.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a three-dimensional article by additive manufacturing includes a processor and an information storage device storing software instructions. In response to execution by the processor, the software instructions cause the apparatus to: receive initial data defining the three-dimensional article having an outer surface, define a shell having the outer surface of the three-dimensional article and an opposing inner surface that defines an inner cavity, define a transition zone between the inner surface of the shell and a boundary that is inside the inner cavity and generally follows the inner surface of the shell, define a lattice of arrayed unit cells that fill the inside of the boundary, the lattice is defined by connected lattice segments, and define transition segments that couple the lattice to the inner surface of the shell.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system for manufacturing three-dimensional articles includes an apparatus, a filtration system, and a controller. The apparatus is a fabrication system that generates ignitable powder dust in an inert atmosphere fluid stream. The filtration system receives the fluid stream and has a plurality of filter units in a parallel arrangement including at least a first filter unit and a second filter unit. The controller is configured to control the filtration unit and to thereby individually operate the plurality of filter units in two states including a filtration state and an oxidation state. When one of the plurality of filter units is operating in the filtration state another of the plurality of filter units is operating in the oxidation state.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system includes a print engine and a controller. The controller in turn includes a processor coupled to a non-transient memory. The non-transient memory stores software instructions that when executed by the processor cause the controller to operate the print engine to fabricate a body. The body includes a three-dimensional arrangement of 3D articles that are pairwise coupled together. An individual pair of the arrangement of 3D articles includes a first article and a second article. A curved body couples a first surface of the first article to the second article. The curved body intersects the first surface to define a closed intersection curve that bounds a break surface. Along the closed intersection curve a surface of the curved body subtends an acute angle with the first surface.

Abstract: In one aspect, inks for use with a three-dimensional printing system are described herein. In some embodiments, an ink described herein comprises up to about 90 wt. % monofunctional curable material, up to about 10 wt. % difunctional curable material, and up to about 10 wt. % liquid rubber, based on the total weight of the ink, wherein the liquid rubber comprises one or more curable moieties. In some cases, the liquid rubber comprises one or more ethylenically unsaturated moieties. For example, in some instances, the liquid rubber comprises a butadiene acrylonitrile copolymer.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system for fabricating a three-dimensional article includes a resin vessel, a motorized platform, an imaging bar, a movement mechanism, a servicing module, and a controller. The motorized platform has an upper surface for supporting the three-dimensional article. The imaging bar has an array of light emitters arranged along a transverse axis which emitting light downwardly from an exit surface. The controller is configured to: operate the motorized build plate, the movement mechanism, and the imaging module to complete fabrication, and periodically during fabrication operate the movement mechanism to position the imaging bar in the servicing module to clean resin residue from the imaging bar.

Abstract: In one aspect, build materials and support materials for use with a 3D printer are described herein. Such materials include a phosphor component in combination with other components. In some embodiments, the phosphor component of a build material or support material is present in the material in an amount of 0.001-0.5 wt. % and has a peak photoluminescence (PL) emission wavelength of 430-750 nm and a photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) of 0.10-1.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for improving registration of AR (augmented reality) units at a surgery scene. Systems comprise augmented reality (AR) unit(s) comprising and/or in communication with head mounted display(s) (HMDs) used by a user, and physical device(s) made of sterilizable biocompatible material and configured as a registration template. The AR unit and/or segmentation software associated therewith may be configured to align a device representation of the physical device onto an imaging model of a patient, and the AR unit and/or the HMD may be configured to register, on the HMD, the device representation with the aligned imaging model onto the physical device, which is positioned with respect to the patient and is viewed through the HMD—to display the imaging model or parts thereof in a corresponding spatial relation to the patient. Registration using the physical device simplifies the coordination among real and virtual devices.

Abstract: A three dimensional printing system includes a print engine, a fluid processing station, a fixture, a transport mechanism, and a controller. The fluid processing station includes a fluid injector port coupled to a fluid source. The fixture has a lower portion with a lower face and a first fluid conduit coupled to the lower face. The controller is configured to: (a) Operate the print engine to form a three dimensional article of manufacture onto the lower face and thereby defining an internal cavity and an inlet port that couples the internal cavity to the first fluid conduit of the fixture. (c) Transfer the fixture to the fluid processing station. (d) Couple the fluid injector port of the fluid processing station to the first fluid conduit of the fixture. (e) Operate the fluid source to inject fluid out of the fluid injector port and into the internal cavity.