Apparatus and method for solid freeform fabrication
A Solid Freeform Fabrication system, apparatus and method is provided, that includes a movable fabrication tray adapted to hold an object being fabricated; a depositing surface to hold deposited materials, and ink jet printing heads to selectively deposit a plurality of building materials on the depositing surface; wherein the deposited materials are merged to the object being fabricated, when said fabrication tray moves said object being fabricated to be in contact with said deposited materials.
1. A method of fabricating 3-D objects, comprising:
selectively depositing two or more different building materials, in layers, on a depositing surface, using two or more inkjet printing heads, each of said layers corresponding to a cross section of a three-dimensional object to be fabricated, wherein at least one of the layers includes at least two of said two or more different building materials; and
transferring, layer by layer, a deposited layer from the depositing surface to a fabrication tray prior to depositing a subsequent layer by providing relative movement between the object being fabricated on the fabrication tray and said deposited layer, until said deposited layer and a previously transferred layer make contact and are merged,
wherein a time interval between depositing the deposited layer and merging the deposited layer with the previously transferred layer is selectively configured in accordance with the three-dimensional object being fabricated and desired degree of solidification of the deposited layer such that the time interval is larger if the deposited layer is required to be self-supporting and smaller if the deposited layer is not required to be self-supporting.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said object is suspended from the fabrication tray.
3. The method of claim 1 , comprising at least partially curing said deposited layer prior to transferring.
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising at least partially curing said deposited layer using a curing mechanism selected from the group comprising UV radiation, I-R radiation, other sources of electromagnetic radiation, electron beam, natural light, heating and cooling.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the depositing surface is a rotating belt and further comprising exerting counter pressure against the depositing surface, using a backing plate or impression roller.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said two or more building materials is photopolymer or wax.
7. The method of claim 1 , including cooling said deposited layer.
8. The method of claim 1 , including heating said deposited layer.
9. The method of claim 1 , comprises applying a release layer on the deposition surface to enable easy release of said deposited materials.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said depositing surface is a rotating belt.