Continuous liquid interface production with force monitoring and feedback

Abstract

A method of making a three-dimensional object is carried out by: (a) providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, the carrier and the build surface defining a build region therebetween, the optically transparent member carrying a polymerizable liquid; (b) advancing the carrier and the optically transparent member away from one another to draw the polymerizable liquid into the build region; then (c) optionally, partially retracting the carrier and the optically transparent member back towards one another; and then (d) irradiating the build region with light to form a growing three-dimensional object from the polymerizable liquid; and then (e) cyclically repeating steps (b) to (d) while maintaining a continuous liquid interface between the growing three-dimensional object and the optically transparent member until at least a portion of the three-dimensional object is formed, while during at least some of the cyclically repeatings: (i) monitoring a transient increase in tension between the carrier and the build surface through the growing three-dimensional object during the advancing step (b), and optionally monitoring a transient increase in compression between the carrier and the build surface through the growing three dimensional object during the partially retracting step (c); and then, when the transient increase in tension has substantially subsided, (ii) initiating the partially retracting step (c) when present, or initiating the irradiating step (d).

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method of making a three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a carrier and an optically transparent member having a build surface, said carrier and said build surface defining a build region therebetween, said optically transparent member carrying a polymerizable liquid;   (b) advancing said carrier and said optically transparent member away from one another to draw said polymerizable liquid into said build region; then   (c) optionally, partially retracting said carrier and said optically transparent member back towards one another; and then   (d) irradiating said build region with light to form a growing three-dimensional object from said polymerizable liquid; and then   (e) cyclically repeating steps (b) to (d) while maintaining a continuous liquid interface between said growing three-dimensional object and said optically transparent member until at least a portion of said three-dimensional object is formed, while during at least some of said cyclically repeatings:
 (i) monitoring a transient increase in tension between said carrier and said build surface through said growing three-dimensional object during said advancing step (b), and optionally monitoring a transient increase in compression between said carrier and said build surface through said growing three dimensional object during said partially retracting step (c); and then, when said transient increase in tension has substantially subsided, 
 (ii) initiating said partially retracting step (c) when present, or initiating said irradiating step (d).