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

Claim 1:
2. A method for using projection micro stereolithography to produce a product, using a three dimensional computer aided design model of the product and a photo-curable resin residing within a resin bath, the method comprising:
generating a multiplicity of two-dimensional (2D) computer generated slices of the product from said three dimensional computer aided design model of the product;
dividing each one of said multiplicity of 2D slices into a plurality of discrete but contiguous regions 1-n formed along X and Y axes of a build plane;
for a first one of said multiplicity of 2D slices performing operations “a” through “d” as follows:
a) performing a first operation including generating a first image uniquely associated with a first one of said contiguous regions, to be projected only to said first one of said contiguous regions;
b) performing a second operation including using a spatial light modulator to receive the first image and to generate an optical signal in accordance therewith;
c) performing a third operation including transmitting the optical signal to a beam steering system;
d) performing a fourth operation using the beam steering system to steer a beam including the optical signal to only the first one of the contiguous regions, to project the first image into a first subquantity of the resin and over only the first region, without translating movement of the beam steering system or the spatial light modulator along the X or Y axes of the build plane, and without translating movement of the build plane along the X or Y axes of the build plane, to preferentially cure at least a portion of the resin within only the first region; and
repeating the operations a-d using unique additional images 2-n to sequentially generate, project and steer additional optical signals each being generated in accordance with an associated one of the unique additional images, in the resin and onto associated ones of the remaining discrete regions of the first 2D slice, such that the optical signals and the additional optical signals sequentially cure at least portions of the resin in each one of said discrete regions 2-n as the beam is steered to each of the regions 2-n, and without translating movement of the beam steering system or the spatial light modulator along the X or Y axes of the build plane, and without translating movement of the build plane along either one of the X or Y axes, to form a first layer of the product;
covering the first layer with an additional quantity of the resin in the resin bath; and
repeating said first through fourth operations for a plurality of regions of each subsequent one of said multiplicity of 2D slices to form corresponding additional layers of the product without translating movement of the beam steering system or the spatial light modulator along the X or Y axes, and without translating movement of the build plane along the X or Y axes.