Process of and apparratus for three-dimensional printing

Abstract

A process of, and apparatus for, three-dimensional printing of an object ( 200 ) from modeling material ( 220 ) including a printing tray ( 170 ) having a surface coating ( 202 ), a carpet ( 210 ), a support material ( 215 ), a support pedestal ( 210 ), a barrier layer ( 230 ) and a temperature control unit ( 204 ).

1 - 125 . (canceled)  
   
   
       126 . A three-dimensional printing system, comprising: 
 a printing head to print three-dimensional objects; and    a printing tray with selected characteristics to prevent deformation during printing of said three dimensional objects.    
   
   
       127 . The printing system of  claim 126 , wherein said tray includes a high adhesion surface coating.  
   
   
       128 . The printing system of  claim 127 , wherein said tray comprises aluminium and said surface coating comprises an anodized layer.  
   
   
       129 . The printing system of  claim 128 , wherein said anodized coating includes at least pores containing a material to act to adhere to said objects.  
   
   
       130 . The printing system of  claim 128 , wherein said anodized coating includes pores containing water to act to adhere to said objects.  
   
   
       131 . The printing system of  claim 126 , wherein said printing tray comprises organic material or a material substantially similar to a material included in said objects, said material having a thermal coefficient similar to that of said three-dimensional objects being printed.  
   
   
       132 . The printing system of  claim 126 , wherein said printing tray includes at least one cooling tunnel.  
   
   
       133 . A printing sub-system for three-dimensional printing, comprising: 
 a printing head to deposit material for a three-dimensional object;    a printing tray; and    a temperature control unit to control the temperature in the apparatus.    
   
   
       134 . The printing sub-system of  claim 133 , wherein said temperature control unit includes a heating source.  
   
   
       135 . The printing sub-system of  claim 133 , wherein said temperature control unit includes a cooling source.  
   
   
       136 . The printing sub-system of  claim 133 , wherein said temperature control unit is integrated into said printing tray  
   
   
       137 . The printing sub-system of  claim 133 , wherein said temperature control unit includes a temperature-sensing unit.  
   
   
       138 . The printing sub-system of  claim 133 , comprising an upper heating element to heat upper layers of an object being printed.  
   
   
       139 . The printing sub-system of  claim 133 , comprising a radiation source.  
   
   
       140 . The printing sub-system of  claim 133 , comprising a blowing unit to cool said three-dimensional object.  
   
   
       141 . The printing sub-system of  claim 133 , comprising a air sucking unit to cool the air in the printing apparatus.  
   
   
       142 . A three-dimensional printing apparatus comprising a printing head to print a three-dimensional object; and 
 at least two printing trays.    
   
   
       143 . A printing apparatus for three-dimensional printing, comprising a controller to control construction of building material at the base of an object to be printed, and print the object on said construction.  
   
   
       144 . The printing apparatus of  claim 143 , wherein said construction is to provide a soft barrier layer between said object and said printing tray.  
   
   
       145 . The printing apparatus of  claim 143 , wherein said construction is to provide a carpet for said object.  
   
   
       146 . The printing apparatus of  claim 143 , wherein said construction is to raise said object being built to within the leveling range of a leveling device.  
   
   
       147 . A printing apparatus for three-dimensional printing, comprising a controller to position a printing tray at a relatively high level prior to printing, said level enabling compensation for shrinkage in a previously printed and cured layer.  
   
   
       148 . A printing apparatus for printing three-dimensional objects, comprising a controller to control adjustment of printing coordinates with a shift algorithm, to improve the quality of said three-dimensional objects.  
   
   
       149 . The printing apparatus of  claim 148 , wherein said controller is to control adjustment parameters selected from the group consisting of print head shifting, print head movement, and input data conversion.  
   
   
       150 . The printing apparatus of  claim 148 , wherein said controller is to detect defective nozzles and to adjust printing coordinates to compensate for said defective nozzles.  
   
   
       151 . The printing apparatus of  claim 148 , wherein said controller is to enable moving a printing head in a forward passage when printing an object, and adjusting the height of a printing tray prior to the reverse passage of said printing head.  
   
   
       152 . The printing apparatus of  claim 148 , wherein said controller controls shifting the step of a nozzle array, where said nozzle array includes a large nozzle step.  
   
   
       153 . The printing apparatus of  claim 148 , wherein said controller is to enable printing additional layers in a first direction, and lowering the printing tray for each additional layer printed in said first direction.  
   
   
       154 . The printing apparatus of  claim 153 , wherein said controller is to enable printing additional layers in a second direction, said number of additional layers being related to said nozzle step divided by the size of the nozzle droplet stain.  
   
   
       155 . A method of three-dimensional object printing comprising printing an object on a printing tray with a selected surface characteristics.  
   
   
       156 . The method of  claim 156  wherein the tray comprises aluminium and an anodized coating for high adhesion of said three-dimensional object to said printing tray.  
   
   
       157 . The method of  claim 156  wherein the tray includes pores that include material that attracts modeling material.  
   
   
       158 . The method of  claim 157  comprising introducing water into said pores.  
   
   
       159 . The method of  claim 156  comprising pre-treating said printing tray with water.  
   
   
       160 . The method of  claim 156  wherein said printing tray has a thermal coefficient substantially similar to the thermal coefficient of said object.  
   
   
       161 . The method of  claim 156  wherein said printing tray is made of organic material or material substantially similar to the material of a printed object.  
   
   
       162 . A three-dimensional object printing method comprising: 
 printing a construction of building material at the base of an object to be printed; and    printing the object on said construction.    
   
   
       163 . The printing method of  claim 162 , wherein said construction is to provide a barrier layer between said object and said printing tray.  
   
   
       164 . The printing method of  claim 162 , wherein said construction is to provide a carpet for said object.  
   
   
       165 . The printing method of  claim 162 , wherein said construction is to raise said object being built to within the leveling range of a leveling device.  
   
   
       166 . A three-dimensional object printing method, comprising controlling the temperature of an object being printed.  
   
   
       167 . The method of  claim 166  comprising exposing a printing tray holding said object to a cold source, wherein said cold source is selected from the group consisting of cold water, a blowing unit, an air sucking unit, and a temperature control unit.  
   
   
       168 . The method of  claim 166 , comprising heating a printing tray to a selected temperature.  
   
   
       169 . The method of  claim 166 , comprising cooling said object.  
   
   
       170 . The method of  claim 166 , comprising heating said printing tray to substantially the glass transition point of said object.  
   
   
       171 . The method of  claim 166 , comprising: 
 depositing support material; and    heating said printing tray to substantially the glass transition point of said support material.    
   
   
       172 . The method of  claim 166 , comprising controlling the temperature of an upper layer of material of said object.  
   
   
       173 . The method of  claim 172 , comprising controlling said temperature of said upper layer to be above the glass phase transition of said material.  
   
   
       174 . The method of  claim 172 , comprising controlling said temperature of said upper layer by a mechanism selected from the group consisting of electromagnetic radiation, exothermic chemical curing, a heating element, and a cooling element.  
   
   
       175 . The method of  claim 172 , comprising heating the material of said upper layer before depositing said material.  
   
   
       176 . A three-dimensional object printing method, comprising controlling the temperature in a printing sub-system during a printing process.  
   
   
       177 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein said controlling uses temperature control mechanisms selected from the group consisting of a heating element, a cooling element, a curing unit, a radiation unit, and an insulated printing sub-system.  
   
   
       178 . The method of  claim 177 , comprising controlling cooling of said printing sub-system.  
   
   
       179 . The method of  claim 177 , comprising moving a printing tray to an insulation area.  
   
   
       180 . The method of claim  54 , wherein said insulation area is a removable structure.  
   
   
       181 . A three-dimensional object printing method comprising printing consecutive layers of material and positioning a printing tray at a relatively high level prior to printing, said level enabling compensation for the shrinkage in the previously printed and cured layer.  
   
   
       182 . A three-dimensional object printing method, comprising printing a support construction on a printing tray prior to printing an object, said support construction including one or more layers of modeling material and of support material.  
   
   
       183 . The method of claim  57 , wherein said support material protrudes outside the boundaries of said object.  
   
   
       184 . The method of claim  57 , wherein the support construction comprises one or more pillars of modeling material interspersed with support material.  
   
   
       185 . A method for printing three-dimensional objects, comprising: 
 controlling adjustment of printing coordinates with a shift algorithm to improve the quality of said three-dimensional objects.    
   
   
       186 . The method of  claim 185 , where said adjustment includes controlling adjustment parameters selected from the group consisting of print head shifting, print head movement, and input data conversion.  
   
   
       187 . The method of  claim 185 , comprising adjusting said printing coordinates to compensate for defective nozzles.  
   
   
       188 . A method for 3-D printing, comprising: 
 printing a first layer of an object to be printed by a printing head having a certain reference frame; and    printing a second layer of an object to be printed by said printing head, said printing head having a second reference frame, said second reference flame being different from said first reference frame.    
   
   
       189 . The method of  claim 188 , wherein each of said first layer and said second layer includes a portion of required pixels.  
   
   
       190 . The method of  claim 188 , wherein said first layer and said second layer have different height values.  
   
   
       191 . The method of  claim 188 , comprising printing a subsequent layer over said second layer.  
   
   
       192 . The method of  claim 188 , comprising performing said printing according to a shift algorithm.  
   
   
       193 . A method for 3-D printing, comprising: 
 moving a printing head in a forward passage when printing an object; and    adjusting the height of a printing tray prior to the reverse passage of said printing head.    
   
   
       194 . A method of three-dimensional object printing comprising shifting the step of a nozzle array, where said nozzle array includes a large nozzle step.  
   
   
       195 . The method of  claim 194 , wherein said shifting the step includes printing additional layers in a first direction, and lowering the printing tray for each additional layer printed in said first direction.  
   
   
       196 . The method of  claim 194 , wherein said shifting the step includes printing additional layers in a second direction, said number of additional layers being related to said nozzle step divided by the size of the nozzle droplet stain