Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for additive manufacturing of objects are provided. In some embodiments, a system for fabricating an object includes a flexible substrate, a carriage coupled to the flexible substrate, an actuator, at least one recoater supported by the carriage, and an energy source. The flexible substrate can be configured to carry a precursor material. The carriage can vertically displace an active region of the flexible substrate away from a remaining region of the flexible substrate and toward a build platform. The actuator can be configured to move the carriage relative to the flexible substrate. The at least one recoater can be configured to apply the precursor material to the flexible substrate. The energy source can be configured to output energy toward the precursor material at the active region of the flexible substrate to form a portion of an object on the build platform.

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for additive manufacturing of objects are provided. In some embodiments, a device for supporting an object during an additive manufacturing process includes a build platform having a surface, and a plurality of support structures extending above the surface of the build platform. Each support structure can be configured to couple to a portion of an additively manufactured object. The device can also include a plurality of actuators, each actuator being configured to adjust a position of a corresponding support structure relative to the build platform.

Abstract: The present application relates to components, such as dental apparatuses, having geometrical features to facilitate post-fabrication cleaning, including methods of fabricating the same. In one embodiment, a dental apparatus, such as a retainer, an aligner, or a dental attachment placement appliance, comprises one or more concave surfaces for which one or more apertures is formed therethrough at or near a maximum depth of a given concave surface.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices for additive manufacturing are provided. In some embodiments, a method includes: coupling a plurality of build platforms to a carrier; forming a plurality of 3D objects on the plurality of build platforms using an additive manufacturing process, where each build platform receives at least one 3D object thereon; removing the plurality of build platforms from the carrier; performing post-processing of the plurality of 3D objects while the 3D objects remain on the respective build platforms; and separating the plurality of 3D objects from the respective build platforms.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a range of printed materials comprising discrete layers or segment with distinct compositions, and which can collectively lend to high levels of strength, toughness, and break resistance, and these printed materials may contain thin, ductile layers interspersed between thicker, harder layers, thus in printing such materials, the present disclosure further provides a range of compositions and methods, including low viscosity, air stable, and rapidly solutions amenable to thin layer inkjet printing.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing objects are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a dental appliance formed using an additive manufacturing process, the dental appliance including a plurality of appliance portions. The method can include identifying, based on sensor data, a location of a subset of the appliance portions on the dental appliance. The method can further include applying energy to a subset of the appliance portions to selectively modify one or more material properties of the subset of the appliance portions.

Abstract: Methods for manufacturing objects are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method includes receiving a digital data set representing an object, and applying energy to a curable material based on the digital data set to form the object. The object can include at least two object portions formed from the curable material using different energy application parameters. The method can further include removing residual curable material from the object. A different amount of the residual curable material can be removed from each of the at least two object portions. After the residual curable material is removed, the at least two object portions can each have different material properties.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are dental attachment placement devices generated from curable compositions by additive manufacturing. The curable compositions contain a high crosslinker content, and after curing, yield tough and color neutral materials suitable for dental attachment placement devices.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are curable compositions containing a plurality of polymerizable monomers comprising at least 80 wt % of a crosslinker for additive manufacturing. The curable compositions comprise high-crosslinker content, and yield tough, lightweight polymeric materials suitable for dental appliances, including but not limited to aligners, attachment placement devices, incremental palatal expanders, dentures, crowns, etc.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are curable compositions containing an initiator and two or more crosslinkers for additive manufacturing. The curable compositions comprise high-crosslinker content, and yield tough, lightweight polymeric materials suitable for dental appliances, including but not limited to aligners, attachment placement devices, incremental palatal expanders, dentures, crowns, etc.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods for manufacturing medical devices, such as implants, joint replacements, graft materials, augmentation materials, prosthetic materials, etc., from solid material reinforced curable resins. Methods of repositioning a patient's teeth using such medical devices are also provided.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are curable resins comprising solid reinforcement materials and solid material reinforced polymeric materials formed by curing the curable resins using additive manufacturing. In various implements, the solid material reinforced polymeric materials may be used in medical devices such as implants, joint replacements, graft materials, augmentation materials, prosthetic materials, etc. to treat a patient.

Abstract: This disclosure provides low-viscosity resins for producing polymers with properties suitable for use in various mechanical appliances, such as orthodontic appliances (e.g., aligners). The low-viscosity resins may be photo-curable and can be used with direct fabrication methods and equipment. In various embodiments, the polymeric materials produced from the low-viscosity resins described herein have high toughness while remaining resistant to stress relaxation. Low-viscosity, photo-curable resins described herein have reduced hydrogen bonding in comparison to traditional materials (e.g., materials having high urethane content) used in orthodontic appliances.

Abstract: A method of 3D printing comprises extruding one or more photo-curable materials from a nozzle to form a first layer that has a first shape specified by the one or more digital files, wherein the first shape corresponds to a first minimum line width that is based on, and narrower than, a diameter of the nozzle. The method further includes directing a light beam onto the first layer according to the one or more digital files to cure a portion of the first layer to create a first cured layer, wherein the first cured layer corresponds to a second shape of a first layer of a 3D printed orthodontic aligner, wherein the light beam has a beam diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the nozzle, and wherein the second shape has a second minimum line width that is smaller than the first minimum line width.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems and processes to control multiple temperatures in additive manufacturing. Such temperature control adjusts polymer properties and facilitates processing of materials to form 3D objects. The systems and processed disclosed herein also facilitate the processing of typically difficult-to-process materials and deliver such materials to a photocuring zone configured to photopolymerize materials into 3 dimensional objects with a layer-by-layer process. Such processes can include the steps of heating a resin to a flowable temperature, applying the resin to a carrier, cooling the film to increase viscosity or to solidify the resin, and applying the film containing the resin onto an area being printed, then photocuring the film. Also provided herein are resins and related polymer materials having properties that are tunable with exposure to more than one temperature zone. The formed polymers can include multiple regions of polymer material, each independently having distinct properties.

Abstract: A 3D printer comprises a platform, a dispenser and a light source. A heating element heats a material and a nozzle extrudes the heated material onto the platform to form a first layer, having a first shape specified by one or more digital files. The first shape corresponds to a first minimum line width based on a diameter of the nozzle. The light source emits a light beam that is directed onto the first layer according to the one or more digital files to cure a portion of the first layer to create a first cured layer that corresponds to a second shape of a 3D object specified by the one or more digital files. The light beam has a beam diameter that is smaller than the diameter of the nozzle, and the second shape has a second minimum line width that is smaller than the first minimum line width.

Abstract: Provided herein are curable compositions for use in a high temperature lithography-based photopolymerization process, a method of producing crosslinked polymers using said curable compositions, crosslinked polymers thus produced, and orthodontic appliances comprising the crosslinked polymers.

Abstract: Provided herein are systems and processes to control multiple temperatures in additive manufacturing. Such temperature control adjusts polymer properties and facilitates processing of materials to form 3D objects. The systems and processes disclosed herein also facilitate the processing of typically difficult-to-process materials and deliver such materials to a photocuring zone configured to photopolymerize materials into 3 dimensional objects with a layer-by-layer process. Such processes can include the steps of heating a resin to a flowable temperature, applying the resin to a carrier, cooling the film to increase viscosity or to solidify the resin, and applying the film containing the resin onto an area being printed, then photocuring the film. Also provided herein are resins and related polymer materials having properties that are tunable with exposure to more than one temperature zone. The formed polymers can include multiple regions of polymer material, each independently having distinct properties.

Abstract: A system includes a partial enclosure configured to hold resin. The system further includes one or more structures configured to at least partially cover the resin. The one or more structures are configured to prevent evaporation of the resin. The system further includes a build platform configured to support an object that is being formed from layers of the resin. A first blade is configured to provide the layers of the resin to form the object on the build platform.

Abstract: A system includes a build platform configured to support an object that is being formed from layers of resin. The system further includes one or more blades configured to provide the layers of resin to form the object on the build platform. At least a first blade of the one or more blades is configured to vibrate to reduce viscosity of the layers of resin.