Patents by Inventor Shane Wighton
Shane Wighton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20190369566Abstract: Techniques for force sensing in additive fabrication are provided. According to some aspects, an additive fabrication device may include a force sensor configured to measure a force applied to a build platform during fabrication. A length of time taken for a layer of material to separate from a surface other than the build platform to which it is adhered may be determined based on measurements from the force sensor. Subsequent additive fabrication operations, such as subsequent motion of the build platform, may be adapted based on the determined length of time.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2019Publication date: December 5, 2019Applicant: Formlabs, Inc.Inventors: Maxim Lobovsky, Shane Wighton, Dmitri Megretski, Adam Damiano
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TECHNIQUES FOR PRODUCING A FLAT FILM SURFACE IN ADDITIVE FABRICATION AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Publication number: 20190366623Abstract: Techniques for producing a flat film surface in additive fabrication are provided. According to some aspects, a movable stage may be arranged beneath a container having a base that includes a flexible film. The movable stage may include a segmented member in which a number of segments are aligned along a common axis. The segmented member may maintain contact with the flexible film as the movable stage moves beneath the container, with the segmented member producing a flat surface of the flexible film, at least within a region above the movable stage. According to some embodiments, multiple segmented members may be provided within the movable stage, such as in parallel with one another.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 31, 2019Publication date: December 5, 2019Applicant: Formlabs, Inc.Inventors: Shane Wighton, Maxim Lobovsky, Robert Joachim, Jack Moldave, Adam Damiano, Christian Reed, Dmitri Megretski, Benjamin FrantzDale -
Patent number: 10471659Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method of optimizing an additive fabrication process for an object is provided, the method comprising obtaining a representation of an intermediate form of the object, the intermediate form being an expected shape of the object when partially fabricated by the additive fabrication process, simulating one or more forces expected to be applied to the intermediate form of the object during the additive fabrication process, evaluating one or more results of the simulating step against one or more criteria, and adapting the additive fabrication process based at least in part on a result of the evaluating.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2018Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignee: Formlabs, Inc.Inventor: Shane Wighton
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Publication number: 20190070782Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method of optimizing an additive fabrication process for an object is provided, the method comprising obtaining a representation of an intermediate form of the object, the intermediate form being an expected shape of the object when partially fabricated by the additive fabrication process, simulating one or more forces expected to be applied to the intermediate form of the object during the additive fabrication process, evaluating one or more results of the simulating step against one or more criteria, and adapting the additive fabrication process based at least in part on a result of the evaluating.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2018Publication date: March 7, 2019Applicant: Formlabs, Inc.Inventor: Shane Wighton
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Publication number: 20180319081Abstract: Techniques for producing removable build modules for additive fabrication devices are described. According to some aspects, a removable build module may comprise an enclosure having an open top, a fabrication platform arranged in an interior of the enclosure, and at least one actuator incorporated into the enclosure and configured to move the fabrication platform towards and away from the open top of the enclosure.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2018Publication date: November 8, 2018Applicant: Formlabs, Inc.Inventors: Eduardo Torrealba, Luke Plummer, Brian Chan, Maxim Lobovsky, Shane Wighton, Ian Ferguson
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Publication number: 20180297291Abstract: Techniques for generating a support structure for an object are provided. In some embodiments, one or more regions of the object are identified as one or more regions to which mechanical support is to be provided and one or more support points within at least a first region of the one or more regions are identified. A support structure may be generated for the object that comprises one or more support tips coupled to the object at the one or more support points, where the support tips being generated based at least in part on a direction normal to the surface of the object at the respective support point. Techniques for providing visual feedback to a user relating to an amount of support that a support structure is expected to provide during fabrication are also provided.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2018Publication date: October 18, 2018Applicant: Formlabs, Inc.Inventors: Shane Wighton, Maxim Lobovsky, Peter Schmidt-Nielsen
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Patent number: 10011079Abstract: Some aspects provide a method of generating a support structure for an object, the support structure and the object to be fabricated via one or more additive fabrication techniques, comprising identifying one or more regions of the object as one or more regions to which mechanical support is to be provided, identifying one or more support points within at least a first region of the one or more regions, and generating the support structure for the object, the support structure comprising one or more support tips coupled to the object at the one or more support points, the support tips being generated based at least in part on a direction normal to the surface of the object at the respective support point.Type: GrantFiled: October 2, 2015Date of Patent: July 3, 2018Assignee: Formlabs, Inc.Inventors: Shane Wighton, Maxim Lobovsky, Matthew Keeter, Akimitsu Hogge
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Patent number: 9987800Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method of optimizing an additive fabrication process for an object is provided, the method comprising obtaining a representation of an intermediate form of the object, the intermediate form being an expected shape of the object when partially fabricated by the additive fabrication process, simulating one or more forces expected to be applied to the intermediate form of the object during the additive fabrication process, evaluating one or more results of the simulating step against one or more criteria, and adapting the additive fabrication process based at least in part on a result of the evaluating.Type: GrantFiled: November 17, 2014Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignee: Formlabs, Inc.Inventor: Shane Wighton
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Publication number: 20160136896Abstract: According to some embodiments, a method of optimizing an additive fabrication process for an object is provided, the method comprising obtaining a representation of an intermediate form of the object, the intermediate form being an expected shape of the object when partially fabricated by the additive fabrication process, simulating one or more forces expected to be applied to the intermediate form of the object during the additive fabrication process, evaluating one or more results of the simulating step against one or more criteria, and adapting the additive fabrication process based at least in part on a result of the evaluating.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 17, 2014Publication date: May 19, 2016Applicant: Formlabs, Inc.Inventor: Shane Wighton
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Publication number: 20160129645Abstract: Some aspects provide a method of generating a support structure for an object, the support structure and the object to be fabricated via one or more additive fabrication techniques, comprising identifying one or more regions of the object as one or more regions to which mechanical support is to be provided, identifying one or more support points within at least a first region of the one or more regions, and generating the support structure for the object, the support structure comprising one or more support tips coupled to the object at the one or more support points, the support tips being generated based at least in part on a direction normal to the surface of the object at the respective support point.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 2, 2015Publication date: May 12, 2016Applicant: Formlabs, Inc.Inventors: Shane Wighton, Maxim Lobovsky, Matthew Keeter, Akimitsu Hogge
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Patent number: 9183325Abstract: Some aspects provide a method of generating a support structure for an object, the support structure and the object to be fabricated via one or more additive fabrication techniques, comprising identifying one or more regions of the object as one or more regions to which mechanical support is to be provided, identifying one or more support points within at least a first region of the one or more regions, and generating the support structure for the object, the support structure comprising one or more support tips coupled to the object at the one or more support points, the support tips being generated based at least in part on a direction normal to the surface of the object at the respective support point.Type: GrantFiled: May 12, 2014Date of Patent: November 10, 2015Assignee: Formlabs, Inc.Inventors: Shane Wighton, Maxim Lobovsky, Matthew Keeter, Akimitsu Hogge
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Publication number: 20140300017Abstract: Some aspects provide a method of generating a support structure for an object, the support structure and the object to be fabricated via one or more additive fabrication techniques, comprising identifying one or more regions of the object as one or more regions to which mechanical support is to be provided, identifying one or more support points within at least a first region of the one or more regions, and generating the support structure for the object, the support structure comprising one or more support tips coupled to the object at the one or more support points, the support tips being generated based at least in part on a direction normal to the surface of the object at the respective support point.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2014Publication date: October 9, 2014Applicant: FormlabsInventors: Shane Wighton, Maxim Lobovsky, Matthew Keeter, Akimitsu Hogge
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Publication number: 20140303942Abstract: Some aspects provide a method for evaluating a support structure associated with a three-dimensional object, the support structure and object to be fabricated via one or more additive fabrication techniques, comprising obtaining a representation of the support structure, wherein the support structure is configured to provide mechanical support to at least a first region of the object, calculating a supportedness value for the first region of the object, the supportedness value being indicative of a degree of support that the support structure provides to the first region, depicting the support structure and/or the object via a graphical user interface, and indicating the supportedness value for the first region of the object by coloring a portion of the graphical user interface using one or more colors, at least one of the one or more colors being based at least in part on the supportedness value.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 4, 2014Publication date: October 9, 2014Applicant: Formlabs, Inc.Inventors: Shane Wighton, Maxim Lobovsky, Peter Schmidt-Nielsen