Abstract: A device is provided for cleaning and/or replacement of a laser window of a process chamber, enclosed by an outer wall, containing a modified atmosphere, in particular a process chamber for layered printing of a 3D object by a technique such as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), where this device features an opening in the outer wall that is fitted with the laser window and where this laser window allows a laser beam from a laser source located outside of the process chamber into the process chamber, where an external sealing ring is provided that extends between the outer wall and this laser window. A method is also provided for cleaning and/or replacement of the laser window in the opening of the outer wall of the enclosed process chamber.

Abstract: In one aspect, inks for use with a three-dimensional printing system are described herein. In some embodiments, an ink described herein comprises a thiol monomer component and an ene monomer component. Moreover, in some cases, an ink described herein further comprises an additional (meth)acrylate monomer component differing from the ene monomer component. In some such cases, the additional (meth)acrylate monomer component can be polymerized separately from the thiol and ene monomers of the ink.

Abstract: In one aspect, methods of post-processing an object made by additive manufacturing are described herein. In some embodiments, a method of post-processing an object described herein comprises providing the object in a microwave absorptive state and exposing the object in the absorptive state to a field of microwave radiation. In some cases, providing an object in a microwave absorptive state comprises heating the object, including by non-microwave heating. Moreover, in some embodiments, the object is exposed to a uniform or substantially uniform field of microwave radiation in a microwave cavity. In addition, in some instances, exposing an object to a field of microwave radiation in a manner described herein comprises increasing the density of the object and/or reducing the volume of the object, including in an isotropic or substantially isotropic manner.

Abstract: A three dimensional printing system for manufacturing a three dimensional article includes a movement mechanism, a support tray, a resin vessel, a light engine, a sensor, and a controller. The support tray is mounted to the movement mechanism and has a lower surface for supporting the three dimensional article. The resin vessel includes a transparent sheet defining a lower bound for resin contained therein. The light engine projects pixelated light through the transparent sheet and to a build plane. The controller is configured to (a) receive a start indication for a build process, (b) operate the sensor, (c) determine if polymerized build material is in a flag region from the sensor signal, and (d) if polymerized build material is determined to be in the flag region, halt the build process.

Abstract: A three dimensional (3D) printer enables the continuous manufacture of 3D articles of manufacture. The 3D printer includes a 3D print engine for generating articles of manufacture through a layer by layer solidification of a print medium, a transport mechanism, a receiving station, and a controller. The controller is configured to (a) operate the 3D print engine to generate a continuous build platform, (b) concurrently with (a), operate the print engine to generate a plurality of 3D articles of manufacture that are attached to the continuous build platform; and operate the transport mechanism to engage the continuous build platform to transport the continuous build platform along a path that extends between the 3D print engine and the receiving station.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional article includes a resin vessel, a light engine, a support scaffold, and a positioning actuator. The resin vessel includes an opening closed by a transparent sheet with opposed upper and lower surfaces. The light engine is disposed below the transparent sheet and is configured to transmit or project radiation up through the transparent sheet for selectively curing layers of the resin over a build plane. The support scaffold includes at least one ridge having an upper surface that contacts the lower surface of the transparent sheet to reduce an unsupported width. At a first lateral position the scaffold blocks the radiation from reaching a first blocked region of the build plane. The positioning actuator is configured to laterally move the scaffold from the first position to a second position to allow radiation to reach the first blocked region of the build plane.

Abstract: A method and system for calibrating a three dimensional printing system includes a specialized sensor. The three dimensional printing system forms a three dimensional article of manufacture through a layer-by-layer process. Layers are formed by the operation of a light engine selectively curing photocure resin onto a face of the three dimensional article of manufacture. The sensor includes a photodetector overlaid by an optical element. The optical element simulates a “dense portion” of an optical path between the light engine and the face of the three dimensional article of manufacture being formed. The “dense portion” of the optical path includes a layer of photocure resin that is disposed between the light engine and the face of the three dimensional article of manufacture.

Abstract: A three dimensional printing system includes a resin vessel, a light engine, a movement mechanism, a support fixture, and a controller. The resin vessel is for containing a photocurable resin and has a lower portion with a transparent sheet. The light engine is configured to selectively project radiation up through the transparent sheet and over a build plane. The support fixture is coupled to the movement mechanism and has a lower rim that surrounds a central opening and faces the transparent sheet. The controller is configured to: (1) operate the movement mechanism to position the rim at an operating distance from the transparent sheet, (2) operate the light engine and the movement mechanism to form a particle trapping sheet that spans the central opening, and (3) operate the light engine and the movement mechanism to form the three dimensional article.

Abstract: A three dimensional printing system includes a print engine, a storage system, and a controller. The controller is configured to (1) receive a build order defining a plurality of three dimensional articles to be manufactured, (2) allocate partitions for receiving the plurality of the three dimensional articles within the storage system, (3) operate the print engine to fabricate the three dimensional articles, and (4) transfer the three dimensional articles to the partitions as they are built.

Abstract: A three dimensional printing system includes a laser system, a beam splitter, a pinhole, a sensor, and a controller. The laser system emits a light beam of varying diameter carrying at least 100 watts of optical power along an optical path. The laser has an imaging plane along the optical path which can be coincident or close to a focal plane at which the beam has a minimum diameter. The beam splitter is positioned along the optical path to receive the beam and to transmit most of the optical power and to reflect remaining optical power. The pinhole is positioned along the optical path at the imaging plane to receive the reflected beam having a minimal diameter. The controller is configured to analyze a signal from the sensor to determine intensity and distribution parameters for the light beam.

Abstract: A custom device and method for fabricating the custom device includes marking a body with reference points and/or other indicators. Multiple images of the body from multiple angles are then obtained. The images are used to determine the contours of the body and the other markings are located and used to design a brace having an inner surface that corresponds to the contours of the body. The custom modular brace is fabricated as multiple pieces that are releasably coupled together and sequentially removed as the patient heals.

Abstract: A three dimensional printing system includes a vertical support, a support plate, a resin vessel, a fluid spill containment vessel, and a light engine. The support plate is affixed to the vertical support at a proximal end. The support plate has an inner surface defining a first central opening. The resin vessel is supported above the support plate and has an inner edges surrounding a second central opening. The resin vessel includes a transparent sheet that closes the second central opening. The fluid spill containment vessel is supported below the support plate and includes a transparent window. The light engine is supported below the fluid spill containment vessel. The first central opening, the second central opening, and the window laterally overlap to provide an optical path whereby the light engine can project light upwardly to a build plane in the resin vessel.

Abstract: A composition and method of infiltrating an article of manufacture prepared by a laser sintering process is disclosed. The infiltration process maintains the dimensions and flexibility of the article, increases the strength of the article, and improves the physic& and esthetic properties of the article.

Abstract: In an aspect of the disclosure, a three dimensional (3D) printing system includes a printhead and an ink supply subsystem. The printhead is for ejecting drops of phase change ink to define a three dimensional article of manufacture. The ink supply subsystem includes an ink tube, a helical resistor, a return conductor, and an outer tube. The ink tube has an inside surface for contacting and transporting the phase change ink and an outer tubular surface. The resistor is helically wound around the outer tubular surface of the ink tube. The return conductor is helically wound around the resistor and has a resistance that is lower than that of the resistor. The outer tube surrounds and protects the resistor and the return conductor and provides insulation to the heated ink transport component.

Abstract: A three dimensional printing system includes a resin vessel, a light engine, a movement mechanism, a fixture, and a controller. The resin vessel is for containing a photocurable resin and has a lower portion with a transparent sheet. The light engine is configured to selectively project radiation up through the transparent sheet and over a build plane. The fixture is coupled to the movement mechanism and has a lower face that faces the transparent sheet. The controller is configured to operate the light engine to solidify a particle trapping sheet proximate to the build plane thereby trapping particles that extend upwardly from the transparent sheet into the build plane.

Abstract: A kit enables an efficient and contamination-free method of changing a resin used in a three dimensional printer from a first resin to a second resin. The three dimensional printer includes a print engine and a receptacle. The kit includes a conduit assembly and a resin container. The conduit assembly includes a fluid inlet configured to be affixed in the receptacle in an upward orientation, a pump head configured to be coupled to a motorized pump actuator in the receptacle, a first conduit coupling the fluid inlet to the pump head, a fluid outlet configured to supply resin to the print engine, and a second conduit coupling the pump head to the fluid outlet.

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.

Abstract: A three dimensional printing system for producing a three dimensional article of manufacture includes a build platform, a powder dispensing apparatus, a light emitting device head, a drop ejecting head, a movement mechanism, and a controller. The light emitting device head may be a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) head that has a columnar arrangement of VCSELs that emit light having a defined spectral distribution. The drop ejecting head is configured to separately eject a plurality of different inks having correspondingly different absorption coefficients for the defined spectral distribution. The controller operates the powder dispensing apparatus to dispense powder, move and operate the drop ejecting head to define an array of inked pixels, and move and operate the VCSEL head to fuse the inked pixels. The controller varies an energy output of the VCSELs in correspondence with a variation of an absorption coefficient of the inked pixels.

Abstract: Powder compositions and articles and methods of forming articles from powder compositions are provided. In one embodiment the powder compositions include at least one polyester polymer powder and an amount of reinforcing particles having an aspect ratio of preferably at least about 5:1. In another embodiment the powder compositions include at least one medium-high melting temperature, aromatic and crystalline polyester polymer powder. In a preferred embodiment, the powder composition is capable of being formed, via a laser sintering process, into a three-dimensional article that exhibits one or more desirable mechanical properties in an elevated temperature environment.

Abstract: An automated mechanism for measuring the amount of accuracy loss attributable to reverse engineering processes that use 3D scan data is discussed. The embodiments provide a mechanism that displays to a user the effect scan data editing and CAD remodeling operations have on scan data accuracy. Additionally, the user can choose the way the graphical display illustrates the error distribution on the model such as by color mapping and whisker mapping. The accuracy loss may be displayed to the user after finishing an editing/modeling command or during the previewing of the command thereby allowing a user to take appropriate action. Parameters may also be adjusted programmatically based on the amount of accuracy loss determined to be attributable to scan data editing or CAD remodeling operations.