Abstract: A method of reducing performance deviation in at least one additive manufacturing apparatus during production of parts is provided. Each apparatus has a light source configured for polymerizing a light polymerizable resin with sequential doses of patterned light to produce a 3D object. The light source has an assigned nominal emission data, such as an expected or preset standard emission data, and actual emission data. The method includes modifying at least some of said light doses in said at least one apparatus during production of parts therein to compensate for a deviation of said actual light source emission data from the assigned nominal emission data.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing apparatus (10) includes (a) a light polymerizable resin unit comprising a surface on which a light polymerizable resin can be supported; (b) a light engine (17) configured to illuminate a region of the light polymerizable resin unit; (c) a carrier platform on which an object can be produced; (d) a drive assembly operatively associated with the carrier platform for advancing said carrier platform (12) and said light polymerizable resin unit away from one another as said object is produced; (e) a purge chamber (300) surrounding at least a portion of said light engine (17); and (f) a purge gas in said purge chamber, or a purge gas supply operatively associated with said purge chamber (300).

Abstract: A method of making an object on a bottom-up stereolithography apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a light source, a drive assembly, and a controller operatively associated with the light source and the drive assembly, with the light source and/or the drive assembly having at least one adjustable parameter that is adjustable by the controller. The method includes installing a removable window cassette on the apparatus in a configuration through which the light source projects, the window cassette comprising an optically transparent member having a build surface on which an object can be produced, and with the optically transparent member having and at least one variable property therein; and then modifying the at least one adjustable parameter by the controller based on the at least one variable optical property of the window; and then producing the object on the build surface from a light-polymerizable liquid by bottom-up stereolithography.

Abstract: A bottom-up stereolithography apparatus includes a frame; a light-transmissive window the window having a top surface portion; a drive assembly connected to the frame (and in some embodiments positioned above the light-transmissive window); a micro-LED or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) source array to the frame and positioned below the light-transmissive window; and a controller operatively associated with the drive assembly and the source array, the controller configured for producing an object on the elevator assembly from a polymerizable resin on the window by bottom-up stereolithography.

Abstract: A method of making an object on a bottom-up stereolithography apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a light source (11), a drive assembly (14), and a controller (15) operatively associated with the light source and the drive assembly, with the light source and/or the drive assembly having at least one adjustable parameter that is adjustable by the controller. The method includes installing a removable window cassette (12) on the apparatus in a configuration through which the light source projects, the window cassette comprising an optically transparent member, provided as a window (12a), having a build surface on which an object can be produced, and with the optically transparent member having and at least one variable property therein; and then modifying the at least one adjustable parameter by the controller based on the at least one variable optical property of the window; and then producing the object on the build surface from a light-polymerizable liquid by bottom-up stereolithography.

Abstract: A plasma cell for use in a laser-sustained plasma light source includes a plasma bulb configured to contain a gas suitable for generating a plasma. The plasma bulb is transparent to light from a pump laser, wherein the plasma bulb is transparent to at least a portion of a collectable spectral region of illumination emitted by the plasma. The plasma bulb of the plasma cell is configured to filter short wavelength radiation, such as VUV radiation, emitted by the plasma sustained within the bulb in order to keep the short wavelength radiation from impinging on the interior surface of the bulb.

Abstract: A cassette includes a light transmissive window through which a temporally and spatially modulated image is passed. The window has a bottom surface, as part of the cassette, or as a separate component which may be separately interchangeable in the apparatus, or a part of the apparatus. In some embodiments: (i) the window bottom surface comprises a convex surface or consists essentially of a convex surface (e.g., without additional optical structure associated therewith); (ii) the window bottom surface comprises a concave surface or consists essentially of a concave surface (e.g., without additional optical structure associated therewith); (iii) the window bottom surface has a diffraction grating or Fresnel lens thereon or operatively associated therewith; (iv) a combination of (i) and (iii); or (v) a combination of (ii) and (iii).

Abstract: A plasma cell for use in a laser-sustained plasma light source includes a plasma bulb configured to contain a gas suitable for generating a plasma. The plasma bulb is transparent to light from a pump laser, wherein the plasma bulb is transparent to at least a portion of a collectable spectral region of illumination emitted by the plasma. The plasma bulb of the plasma cell is configured to filter short wavelength radiation, such as VUV radiation, emitted by the plasma sustained within the bulb in order to keep the short wavelength radiation from impinging on the interior surface of the bulb.

Abstract: A stereolithography apparatus includes a light transmissive window defining a build region in which a polymerizable resin can be supported, the window characterized by a transmission spectra curve having a low transmissivity region between first and second high transmissivity regions; a carrier platform positioned above the window; a drive operatively associated with the carrier platform and the window and configured for advancing the window and the carrier platform away from one another; an ultraviolet light source positioned beneath the window; at least one infrared heat source positioned beneath the window; at least one temperature sensor operatively associated with the build region and configured to sense (directly or indirectly) the temperature of a polymerizable resin in the build region; and a temperature controller operatively associated with the temperature sensor and the infrared heat source, the controller configured to intermittently activate the infrared heat source to an elevated temperature at

Abstract: A bottom-up stereolithography apparatus includes a frame; a light-transmissive window the window having a top surface portion; a drive assembly connected to the frame (and in some embodiments positioned above the light-transmissive window); a micro-LED or a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) source array to the frame and positioned below the light-transmissive window; and a controller operatively associated with the drive assembly and the source array, the controller configured for producing an object on the elevator assembly from a polymerizable resin on the window by bottom-up stereolithography.

Abstract: A method of making an object on a bottom-up stereolithography apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes a light source (11), a drive assembly (14), and a controller (15) operatively associated with the light source and the drive assembly, with the light source and/or the drive assembly having at least one adjustable parameter that is adjustable by the controller. The method includes installing a removable window cassette (12) on the apparatus in a configuration through which the light source projects, the window cassette comprising an optically transparent member, provided as a window (12a), having a build surface on which an object can be produced, and with the optically transparent member having and at least one variable property therein; and then modifying the at least one adjustable parameter by the controller based on the at least one variable optical property of the window; and then producing the object on the build surface from a light-polymerizable liquid by bottom-up stereolithography.

Abstract: A laser-sustained plasma light source includes a plasma lamp configured to contain a volume of gas and receive illumination from a pump laser in order to generate a plasma. The plasma lamp includes one or more transparent portions transparent to illumination from the pump laser and at least a portion of the broadband radiation emitted by the plasma. The one or more transparent portions are formed from a transparent material having elevated hydroxide content above 700 ppm.

Abstract: A laser-sustained plasma lamp includes a gas containment structure configured to contain a volume of gas. The gas containment structure is configured to receive pump illumination from a pump laser for generating a plasma within the volume of gas. The gas containment structure includes one or more transmissive structures being at least partially transparent to the pump illumination from the pump laser and at least a portion of the broadband radiation emitted by the plasma. The one or more transmissive structures have a graded absorption profile so as to control heating of the one or more transmissive structures caused by the broadband radiation emitted by the plasma.

Abstract: An illumination pump source is disclosed. The illumination pump source includes a set of power sources configured to generate a set of laser beams, with at least some of the set of laser beams configured to include illumination having different wavelengths. The illumination pump source also includes an optical fiber. The illumination pump source also includes one or more optical elements, the one or more optical elements configured to couple the illumination from at least some of the laser beams to one or more regions of the optical fiber.

Abstract: An illumination source for igniting and sustaining a plasma in a plasma lamp of a laser-sustained plasma (LSP) broadband source includes one or more ignition lasers configured to ignite the plasma within a gas contained within the plasma lamp. The illumination sources also include one or more sustaining lasers configured to sustain the plasma. The illumination sources include a delivery optical fiber, one or more optical elements configured to selectively optically couple an output of the one or more ignition lasers, and an output of the one or more sustaining lasers to the delivery optical fiber.

Abstract: A laser-sustained plasma light source includes a plasma lamp configured to contain a volume of gas and receive illumination from a pump laser in order to generate a plasma. The plasma lamp includes one or more transparent portions transparent to illumination from the pump laser and at least a portion of the broadband radiation emitted by the plasma. The one or more transparent portions are formed from a transparent material having elevated hydroxide content above 700 ppm.

Abstract: In a method of making a three dimensional object from a polymerizable liquid by stereolithography including irradiating the liquid with light projected from a light source through or across a patterning array and through an optically transparent build plate to the polymerizable liquid, as improvement includes employing as the light source (i) at least one or a plurality of laser diode array(s) or (ii) a light-sustained plasma.

Abstract: A laser-sustained plasma light source includes a plasma lamp configured to contain a volume of gas and receive illumination from a pump laser in order to generate a plasma. The plasma lamp includes one or more transparent portions transparent to illumination from the pump laser and at least a portion of the broadband radiation emitted by the plasma. The one or more transparent portions are formed from a transparent material having elevated hydroxide content above 700 ppm.

Abstract: A plasma cell for use in a laser-sustained plasma light source includes a plasma bulb configured to contain a gas suitable for generating a plasma. The plasma bulb is transparent to light from a pump laser, wherein the plasma bulb is transparent to at least a portion of a collectable spectral region of illumination emitted by the plasma. The plasma bulb of the plasma cell is configured to filter short wavelength radiation, such as VUV radiation, emitted by the plasma sustained within the bulb in order to keep the short wavelength radiation from impinging on the interior surface of the bulb.

Abstract: A system for generating high power broadband light includes multiple light-sustained plasma light sources. Each one of the light-sustained sources includes a pumping source, a gas containment structure for containing gas and configured to receive pumping illumination from the pumping source and a parabolic reflector element arranged to collect at least a portion of the broadband radiation emitted by the generated plasma and form a collimated broadband radiation output. The system also including a set of optical elements configured to combine the collimated broadband outputs from the parabolic reflector elements of the multiple light-sustained plasma light sources into an aggregated broadband beam.