Patent ID: 11919229
Assignee: LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL SECURITY, LLC
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. An area projection micro stereolithography method for producing a product from a three dimensional computer aided design model of the product, the method comprising the following steps:
provide an addressable spatial light modulator;
provide an optical system;
provide a beam steering system;
provide a curable resin bath;
provide a build plane;
provide an elevator system;
generate a multiplicity of two-dimensional computer generated slices of the product from said three dimensional computer aided design model of the product, each one of said multiplicity of two-dimensional (2D) computer generated slices being further subdivided into a plurality of discrete but contiguous regions;
for each said 2D computer generated slice, produce a plurality of unique images each corresponding uniquely to an associated one of said discrete regions of its associated said 2D computer generated slice;
for a first one of said 2D computer generated slices:
send said images of said discrete regions associated therewith to said spatial light modulator and said optical system and said beam steering system;
use said spatial light modulator, said optical system and said beam steering system to optically steer said images to said corresponding locations in the build plane and create a continuous image on the build plane;

wherein said continuous image is created by said beam steering system optically sending said images to said build plane without physically translating any one of said spatial light modulator, said optical system, said beam steering system, or said build plane, along an X axis or a Y axis of the build plane;
use said elevator system to lower said build plane with said continuous image into said curable resin bath to provide a first completed slice of the product; and repeating sending the images for each one of said 2D generated computer slices to said spatial light modulator, in a layer-by-layer approach, to form additional completed ones of the 2D computer generated slices in a sequential fashion to complete the product.