• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    A system and method is provided for altering features in designing objects to physically enable them to be produced using additive production techniques and machines.
    公开号:BE1024204B1
    申请号:E2016/5653
    申请日:2016-08-25
    公开日:2017-12-15
    发明作者:Manuel Michiels；Gert Claes
    申请人:Materialise Nv；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    SELF-CARRYING IN ADDITIVE PRODUCTION
    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
    This application generally relates to techniques for additive production (eg three-dimensional printing). In particular, this application relates to the automatic design of self-supporting articles for additive production.
    Additive production techniques that use an energy source to process building materials tend to create thermal and mechanical stresses and loads during the production process. These stresses and loads can, for example, be caused by heating and cooling of the building materials, which leads to expansion and shrinkage of the material during production. During or after production, the stresses and loads on the object can deform the object, or they can even prevent the building process from continuing during production.
    In some cases, supports can be used to support the article being produced during the production process. These supports can make direct contact with the object and prevent stresses and loads from distorting or distorting the object, acting as a heat sink, and / or providing vertical support (eg against gravity) to hold the object in a certain place. However, the addition of these supports can increase production cost price and time due to the additional material required for the supports, additional time required to place supports in the design of the article, and additional post-processing necessary to remove the supports . Accordingly, there is a need for better techniques to support objects during additive production.
    SUMMARY
    In one embodiment, a system for additive production is provided. The system comprises a computer control system comprising one or more computers with a memory and a processor. The computer control system is configured to determine whether one or more surfaces of the object have a surface angle that is less than a threshold value. The computer control system is further configured to indicate one or more edges comprising a first edge, the first edge being located between a first surface of the one or more surfaces and a second surface of the one or more surfaces, the first surface having a has a surface angle that is smaller than the threshold value and the second surface has a surface angle that is equal to or greater than the threshold value. One or more additional surfaces are then generated along the one or more edges in the design file. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an example of a system for designing and producing 3D objects.
    Figure 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of an example of the computer shown in Figure 1.
    Figure 3 shows in broad outline a process for producing a 3D object using the system of Figure 1.
    Figure 4 is a flow chart illustrating a process that allows a computer to change designs of objects to be produced with additive production.
    Figure 5A illustrates an example of an object.
    Figure 5B illustrates an example of the object of Figure 5A with added edges. Figure 5C illustrates an example of the object of Figure 5B with added surfaces along the edges.
    Figure 6 illustrates an example of the volume difference between supports built along different edges of an object.
    Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating another process that allows a computer to change designs of objects to be produced with additive production.
    DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF CERTAIN EMBODIMENTS OF
    THE INVENTION
    The following description and the accompanying figures are directed to certain specific embodiments. The embodiments described in a particular context are not intended to limit this description to the specified embodiment or to a particular use. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the described embodiments, aspects and / or features are not limited to particular embodiments.
    The systems and methods described herein can be implemented using various systems and techniques for additive production and / or three-dimensional (3D) printing. Additive production techniques typically start from a digital representation of the 3D object to be formed. In general, the digital representation is divided into a series of cross-sections so that layers, or "cuts", are created that are superposed to form the entire object. The layers represent the 3D object, and can be generated using modeling software for additive production performed by a computer. The software may, for example, include computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD / CAM) software. Information about the cross-sectional layers of the 3D object can be stored as cross-sectional data. An additive production machine or system (eg 3D printing) uses the cross-sectional data to build up the 3D object layer by layer. Accordingly, additive production allows to produce 3D objects directly from computer-generated data of the objects, such as CAD files (Computer Aided Design) and in particular STL files. Additive production provides the ability to quickly produce both simple and complex parts without tools and without the need to assemble different parts.
    Stereolithography (SLA) is an additive production technique that is used to "print" 3D objects layer by layer. An SLA device can, for example, use a laser to cure a photo-reactive substance under the emitted radiation. In some embodiments, the SLA device directs the laser over a surface of a photo-reactive substance such as, for example, a curable photopolymer ("resin"), to build up an item layer by layer. For each layer, the laser beam follows a cross-section of the object on the surface of the liquid resin, whereby the cross-section hardens and solidifies and is adhered to the layer below. After a layer has been completed, the SLA device lowers the production platform by a distance equal to the thickness of one layer, and then lays a new surface of uncured resin (or a similar photoactive material) on the previous layer. A new pattern is followed on this surface, forming a new layer. By repeating this process layer by layer, a complete 3D component can be formed.
    Selective laser sintering (LS) is another additive production technique that is used for 3D printing of objects. LS devices often use a high-power laser (e.g. a carbon dioxide laser) to "sinter" (i.e. fuse) small particles of plastic, metal, ceramic or glass powder into a 3D object. Similarly to SLA, the LS device can use a laser to track cross-sections on the surface of a powder bed in accordance with a CAD design. Also similar to SLA, the LS device can lower a production platform over the thickness of one layer after a layer has been completed and add a new layer of material so that a new layer can be formed. In some embodiments, an LS device can pre-heat the powder so that it is easier for the laser to raise the temperature during the sintering process.
    Selective laser melting (LM - Laser Melting) is yet another additive production technique that is used for 3D printing of objects. As with LS, an LM device typically uses a high-power laser to selectively melt thin layers of a metal powder to form solid metal objects. Although it is similar, LM differs from LS because it typically uses materials with a much higher melting point. When objects are built up with LM, thin layers of metal powder can be distributed using different coating mechanisms. As with SLA and LS, a production surface moves up and down to allow layers to be formed individually.
    Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is another additive production technique in which a 3D object is produced by extruding small wires from, for example, thermoplastic material through an extrusion nozzle to form layers. In a typical arrangement, the extrusion nozzle is heated to melt the raw material as it is extruded. The raw material then hardens immediately after extrusion from a nozzle. The extrusion nozzle can be moved in one or more directions by means of suitable machines. Similar to the aforementioned additive production techniques, the extrusion nozzle follows a path that is driven by CAD or CAM software. Similarly, the part is built up from the bottom, layer by layer.
    Electron beam melting (EBM - Electron Beam Melting) and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) are other examples of additive production techniques for 3D printing of objects.
    With additive production devices, objects can be formed using various materials such as (but not limited to): polypropylene, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyurethane, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), PC-ABS, PLA, polystyrene, lignin , polyamide, polyamide with additives such as glass or metal particles, methyl methacrylate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, resorbable materials such as polymer-ceramic composites, and other similar suitable materials. In some embodiments, commercially available materials can be used. These materials can include the following: the DSM Somos® range of materials 7100, 8100, 9100, 9420, 10100, 11100, 12110, 14120 and 15100 from DSM Somos; Stratasys materials ABSplus-P430, ABSi, ABS-ESD7, ABS-M30, ABS-M30Î, PC-ABS, PC-ISO, PC, ULTEM 9085, PPSF and PPSU; the 3-Systems Accura Plastic, DuraForm, CastForm, Laserform and VisiJet materials; Aluminum, Cobalt Chrome and Stainless steel materials; Maranging Steel; Nickel alloy; Titanium; PA, PrimeCast and PrimePart materials and Alumide and CarbonMide from EOS GmbH. Articles formed using the additive production techniques described above tend to deform relative to the design dimensions of the article due to, for example, high stresses and / or loads occurring during the production of the 3D article. For example, thermal and / or mechanical stresses and / or loads may occur during an LM process due to a high temperature of an energy source, such as a laser, used in generating the 3D object. More specifically, large temperature gradients may be present by melting the powders used in the LM process, and these large gradients may cause thermal stresses and / or loads on the article during production. Furthermore, internal mechanical stresses and / or loads can be caused by the properties of the particular material used. These mechanical stresses and / or loads may include, for example, the shrinking or expansion of the material used to form the object when the material is scanned by the energy source.
    Large tensions and / or loads on the object can cause certain parts of the object to deform during construction, which can lead to a failed or “collapsed” structure, or an inaccurate and / or defective object. For example, a powder coater in an LM machine may hit a deformed portion of a lower layer of an object that is built if that portion curved or curved upward during the processing of one of the layers.
    Object supports (also referred to herein as "supports") can be used to hold an object or part of an object in place and to prevent deformation of the object during the building process. In general, an "article support" is a structure that forms a connection between, for example, a base plate, an internal article structure (e.g., another part of the front whey), or an external article structure (e.g., another article produced during the same building process as the object), and the object being produced. Object supports can be just about any shape and size that can be made together with the object. And a given article can be supported during additive production by a variety of article supports with different shapes and sizes based on the design of the article and the chosen additive production process. The provisional patent application U.S. For example, 61/816 313 and the patent application PCT / EP2014 / 058484, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference, describe the use of "hybrid supports" that can be used during additive production processes.
    Object supports can improve the accuracy of the resulting object after additive production by imposing its design dimensions on each layer. Additionally, object supports can direct heat away from the article layer and to a support structure and / or base plate to reduce thermal stresses and loads caused by the additive manufacturing process.
    However, adding such supports in producing the article requires additional material to be used to build the support and requires the supports to be removed from the article. The process of removing the supports can be time-consuming and difficult. In particular, methods for removing the supports as compared to those described herein include the use of pliers, hammer and chisel to break off the supports from the article. Such breaking of the supports may require that a large force is applied to the support with the tongs, hammer and bit and also requires accuracy.
    Accordingly, systems and methods described herein may render unnecessary any or all of the supports required for producing an article by altering the design of the article to be produced using additive manufacturing techniques and machines. In particular, the design of the article can be changed so that it becomes self-supporting and requires no additional supports. In some embodiments, a wall thickness of parts of the article in the design can be selectively adjusted to ensure that the article is self-supporting. For example, systems and methods described herein can cause the wall thickness of any surface of an object in a design file (e.g., an STL file) to be above a certain minimum threshold threshold value for the thickness. For each surface whose thickness is determined to be below the threshold value, the design file can be adjusted such that for each surface whose thickness is below the threshold value, the thickness is set to the minimum threshold value. Furthermore, for each surface (e.g., a triangle of an STL file) describing the object, the systems and methods described herein can determine whether a surface angle of the surface indicates whether or not the surface at that location is self-supporting ( eg the surface angle is above a minimum threshold to be self-supporting). The surface angle of a surface, as is known in the art, can be calculated as being the angle between the perpendicular to the surface of the surface, and the perpendicular to the building surface on which the object is to be built. For any surface that is determined to have a surface angle below the minimum threshold value, and that is therefore not self-supporting, the design file can be modified in such a way that any non-self-supporting surface is connected to a self-supporting surface. The connection can be formed by connecting an edge (e.g., a line) between the non-self-supporting surface and a self-supporting surface on the object and building a surface along that edge. The surface can be built along the edge using a marching cubes algorithm, in some embodiments, or by other suitable methods. Furthermore, the self-supporting surface can be selected based on a number of criteria such as minimizing the volume that an edge would add between the non-self-supporting surface and the self-supporting surface when a surface is built along that edge.
    In some cases, adding edges for each non-self-supporting surface to a self-supporting surface in accordance with certain criteria may result in a suboptimal choice of edges on which surfaces are built for the objects. Accordingly, systems and methods herein can further adjust the selected edges before surfaces for the article are built along the edges. For example, if in a certain area of the object most edges go in one direction but one or more edges go in the opposite direction, the orientation of the one or more edges in the opposite direction can be changed so that they are in the same direction like the other edges, and can be connected accordingly to another self-supporting surface. For example, if a certain percentage (e.g., above a threshold percentage) of the edges in a given area all go in one direction, then the orientation of each edge going in the opposite direction can be changed to one direction. Additionally, any edge that does not fit within the surface, or any edge that has no other edges (or no minimum number of additional edges) within a threshold distance, can be removed.
    A person skilled in the art will recognize that the systems and methods described herein to make designs self-supporting can be used during any number of parts of the design process. The systems and methods may, for example, be implemented during a hollowing process in designing an object, during perforating the object, or during any other suitable process or operation.
    Although some embodiments described herein are described with regard to stereolithography techniques using resin as a building material, the described system and methods may also be used with certain other additive production techniques and / or certain other building materials, as one skilled in the art will appreciate.
    Embodiments of the invention can be applied within a design and production system for 3D objects. Figure 1 shows an example of a computing environment suitable for implementing the design and production of 3D objects. The environment includes a system 100. The system 100 includes one or more computers 102a-102d, which may, for example, be any workstation, server, or other computer equipment capable of processing information. In some aspects, each computer 102a-102d may be connected to a network 105 (e.g., the Internet) via any suitable communication technology (e.g., an internet protocol). Accordingly, the computers 102a-102d can exchange data (e.g., software, digital representations of 3D objects, commands or instructions to control an additive production device, etc.) with each other via the network 105.
    The system 100 further comprises one or more additive production devices (e.g., 3D printers) 106a-106b. As shown, the additive production device 106a is directly connected to a computer 102d (and via computer 102d connected to computers 102a-102c via the network 105) and additive production device 106b is connected to the computers 102a-102d via the network 105. Accordingly, a person skilled in the art will understand that an additive production device 106 can be directly connected to a computer 102, can be connected to a computer 102 via a network 105, and / or can be connected to a computer 102 via another computer 102 and the network 105.
    It should be noted that although the system 100 is described with respect to a network and one or more computers, the techniques described herein also apply to a single computer 102, which may be directly connected to an additive production device 106.
    Figure 2 illustrates a functional block diagram of one example of a computer of Figure 1. The computer 102a includes a processor 210 that is in data communication with a memory 220, an input device 230, and an output device 240. In some embodiments, the processor is furthermore in data communication with an optional network interface card 260. Although described separately, it is to be understood that functional blocks described with respect to computer 102a should not be separate structural elements. The processor 210 and memory 220 may, for example, be designed on a single chip.
    The processor 210 may be a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an integrated circuit for a specific application (ASIC - Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA - Field Programmable Gate Array) or a another programmable device, a processing unit with separate ports or transistors, individual hardware components, or any suitable combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A processor can also be implemented as a combination of computer equipment, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors together with a DSP core, or any other similar configuration.
    The processor 210 can be connected, via one or more buses, to a memory 220 to read or write information. The processor may additionally or alternatively contain a memory such as processor registers. The memory 220 may include a processor cache comprising a hierarchical multi-level cache with different levels having different capacities and access speeds. The memory 220 may also include a random access memory (RAM), other volatile storage units, or non-volatile storage units.
    The processor 210 may also be connected to an input device 230 and an output device 240 to respectively receive input from and provide output to a user of the computer 102a. Suitable input devices include, but are not limited to, a keyboard, buttons, keys, switches, a pointing device, a mouse, a joystick, a remote control, an infrared detector, a barcode reader, a scanner, a video camera (optionally coupled to image processing software, e.g. ., hand or face movements to be detected), a motion detector, or a microphone (optionally coupled to sound processing software to, for example, detect voice commands). Suitable output devices include, but are not limited to, visual output devices, including screens and printers, audio output devices, including speakers, headphones, earphones, and alarms, additive production devices, and haptic output devices.
    The processor 210 may further be connected to a network interface card 260. The network interface card 260 prepares data generated by the processor 210 for transfer via a network in accordance with one or more data transfer protocols. The network interface card 260 also decodes data received over a network in accordance with one or more data transfer protocols. The network interface card 260 may include a sender, a receiver, or both. In other embodiments, the transmitter and the receiver can be two separate parts. The network interface card 260 can be implemented as a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an integrated circuit for a specific application (ASIC - Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA - Field Programmable Gate Array) or another programmable device, a processing unit with separate ports or transistors, separate hardware components, or any suitable combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.
    Figure 3 illustrates a method 300 for producing a 3D object or component. As shown, in step 305, a digital representation of the object is designed using a computer, such as the computer 102a. For example, 2D or 3D data may be entered into the computer 102a to assist in designing the digital representation of the 3D object. In step 310, information is sent from the computer 102a to an additive production device, such as additive production device 106, and the device 106 starts the production process in accordance with the received information. In step 315, the additive production device 106 continues to produce the 3D object using suitable materials, such as a polymer or metal powder. Furthermore, the 3D object is generated in step 320.
    Figure 4 illustrates a method by which a computer, such as computer 102 of Figure 1, can modify designs of pre-whey to be produced using additive production. The computer 102 may execute software that causes the computer processor to execute the steps of the method 400. The method 400 starts at block 405 in which the computer 102 receives a design file of an object to be produced with additive production. The design file may have an STL format (or other suitable file format) as used in the additive manufacturing field. If the design file does not have a suitable file format, the computer 102 may be configured to convert the design file to another format using standard software. For example, the computer may include conversion software that converts a CAD file to an STL file.
    Further, with block 410, the computer 102 may be configured to examine the design file (e.g., area by area or triangle by triangle) on surfaces that have a surface angle less than a threshold value. If in block 410 no area has a surface angle smaller than the threshold value, the process may stop. If in block 410 one or more surfaces have a surface angle smaller than the threshold value, the process may proceed to block 415. For example, as shown in Figure 5A, surfaces on the object 500, within frame 510, have a surface angle smaller than one threshold value. The remaining surfaces of the object 500 are determined to be self-supporting.
    Further, in block 415, the computer 102 determines for each surface that has a surface angle smaller than the threshold value (and therefore is determined to be a non-self-supporting surface) an edge between the non-self-supporting surface and a surface that is determined to be self-supporting, to connect the surfaces together. In some embodiments, the self-supporting surface selected to connect to a particular non-self-supporting surface is selected according to criteria. In some embodiments, the criteria may include factors that minimize the volume that an edge would add between the non-self-supporting surface and the self-supporting surface selected between the self-supporting surfaces. For example, the self-supporting surface that is closest to the non-self-supporting surface can be selected based on the distance. For example, as shown in Figure 5B, edges 515 are drawn between non-self-supporting surfaces and self-supporting surfaces.
    Furthermore, Figure 6 illustrates how the volume that an edge would add may differ depending on the edge that is chosen to build a support along. As shown, line 605 sets the non-self-supporting surface of an object. Each of the lines 610 and 615 represent potential edges along which the supports can be built. As shown, edge 610 is more in the same general direction as the surface 605 than the edge 615, or in other words, the angle between the surface 605 and the edge 610 is smaller than the angle between the surface 605 and the edge 615. When a support is built along an edge, it can further contact the surface over a fixed or selected surface. Accordingly, if the same contact surface of the support with the surface 605 is used to build a support along each of the edges 610 and 615, the volume of a support 612 built along the edge 610 is smaller than the volume of a support 617 that is built along edge 615, due to the angular difference, as shown. Therefore, in some embodiments, minimizing the volume that an edge would add may be based on selecting an edge that is in the same general direction as or minimizes an angle with the non-self-supporting surface.
    Referring again to Figure 4, the selected edges, in optional block 420, are adjusted. For example, the computer 102 can determine for each edge whether, in a certain volume of the object around the edge, a percentage of the edges runs in one general direction, and whether that percentage is above a threshold value. If the percentage is above a threshold value, and if a certain edge runs in an approximately opposite direction compared to the edges running in one general direction, then the defined edge can be laid in the same direction as the other edges, and connected accordingly be with a different self-supporting surface. Additionally or alternatively, any edges that do not fit within the surface can be removed. Additionally or alternatively, the computer 102 can determine for each edge whether there is a minimum number of additional edges in a certain volume of the object around the edge, and if there is no minimum number of additional edges, the particular edge can be removed.
    Further, in block 425, a surface is created on each of the edges. For example, the surface can be created using a marching cubes algorithm. In other embodiments, other techniques can be used to create surfaces on edges. For example, analytical cylinders or cones can be created along the edges and then converted to triangle models and combined using boolean operations. In still other embodiments, non-uniform rational B-spline surfaces (NURBS) can be used. Accordingly, the design of the article can now be self-supporting and additional supports are not required. For example, Figure 5C illustrates the object 500 that has been modified with additional surfaces 520 to be self-supporting.
    After the process ends, the design can be produced using additive production techniques such as the ones described here.
    Figure 7 illustrates another method by which a computer, such as the computer 102 of Figure 1, can modify designs of objects to be produced with additive production. The method 700 can be used in addition to or as an alternative to method 400, as one skilled in the art will appreciate. For example, method 700 can first be used to change design of objects, and then method 400 to make additional changes.
    The method 700 starts at block 705 where the computer 102 receives a design file of an object to be produced with additive production. The design file may have an STL format (or other suitable file format) as used in the additive manufacturing field. If the design file does not have a suitable file format, the computer 102 may be configured to convert the design file to another format using standard software (e.g., converting a CAD file to an STL file).
    Further, with block 710, the computer 102 may be configured to examine the design file (e.g., using known image or feature recognition techniques) for features of the object (e.g., round holes, etc., generally or above a threshold size / diameter) that are known / predetermined to be non-self-supporting. If it is determined in block 710 that no feature of the article is known to be non-self-supporting, the process may stop. If in block 710 one or more features are known as being non-self-supporting, the process may proceed to block 715. For example, a circular hole in the object (e.g. above a threshold size) may be determined as being a feature that is non-self-supporting .
    In block 715, all features that are determined to be non-self-supporting are replaced by a corresponding predefined self-supporting feature. For example, a circular hole, as shown in Figure 5A, can be replaced with a drop-shaped hole, as shown in Figure 5C. The computer 102 may include a library and / or a database of features that are known to be non-self-supporting and corresponding features that are self-supporting to replace such non-self-supporting features. The library may include general shape information of such features and replacements, and the computer 102 may be able to scale or transform the stored features and replacement information to match the object of the design file. After the process ends, the design can be produced using additive production techniques such as those described here.
    Various embodiments described herein provide for the use of a computer control system. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that these embodiments can be implemented using numerous different types of computer systems, including both computer system environments or configurations for general use and / or for specific applications. Examples of well-known computer systems, environments, and / or configurations that may be suitable for use in connection with the embodiments set forth above may include, but are not limited to, personal computers, servers, portable devices, or laptops, multi-processor systems, microprocessor-based systems, programmable consumer electronics, network PCs, mini-computers, mainframes, distributed computing environments comprising any of the aforementioned systems or devices, and the like. These devices may contain stored instructions which, when executed by a microprocessor in the computer device, cause the computer to perform the specified actions to execute the instructions. As used herein, instructions refer to computer-implemented steps for processing information in the system. Instructions can be implemented in software, firmware or hardware and include any type of programmed step performed by system components. A microprocessor can be any conventional general purpose microprocessor with one or more chips such as a Pentium® processor, a Pentium® Pro processor, an 8051 processor, an MIPS® processor, a Power PC® processor, or an Alpha® processor. Additionally, the microprocessor can be any conventional microprocessor for specific applications such as a digital signal processor or a graphics processor. The microprocessor typically has conventional address lines, conventional data lines, and one or more conventional control lines.
    Aspects and embodiments of the inventions described herein can be implemented in the form of a method, device, or production item using standard programming or design techniques to produce software, firmware, hardware, or any combination thereof. The term "production item" as used herein refers to code or logic implemented in hardware or in non-perishable computer-readable media such as optical storage units, and volatile or non-volatile memory devices or perishable computer-readable media such as signals, carriers etc. Such hardware may include, but is not limited to, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), CPLDs (complex programmable logic devices), PLAs (programmable logic arrays), microprocessors, or other similar processing devices.
    TRANSLATION OF THE DRAWINGS
    Figure 2 210 Processor 220 Memory 230 Input device 240 Output device 260 Network interface card
    Figure 4 405 Receive design file
    410 Is the surface angle of any surface smaller than a threshold value NO / YES 415 Determine edges between self-supporting and non-self-supporting surfaces 420 Adjust edges 425 Create surfaces along edges
    END
    Figure 7 705 Receive design file 710 Is a feature known as being non-self-supporting
    NO YES
    715 Replace non-self-supporting characteristics with predefined self-supporting characteristics END
    权利要求:
    Claims (8)
    [1]
    CONCLUSIONS
    A system file modification design for an additive production article, comprising: a computer control system comprising one or more computers with a memory and a processor, the computer control system being configured to: determine whether one or more surfaces of the article are an have a surface angle that is smaller than a threshold value; designate one or more edges comprising a first edge, the first edge being located between a first surface of the one or more surfaces and a second surface of the one or more surfaces, the first surface having a surface angle smaller than the threshold value and the second surface has a surface angle that is equal to or greater than the threshold value; and generate one or more additional surfaces along the one or more edges in the design file.
    [2]
    The system of claim 1, wherein the computer control system is further configured to change a wall thickness of one or more parts of the object in the design file based on a minimum threshold for the wall thickness.
    [3]
    The system of claim 1, wherein the pointing of the first edge comprises selecting the second surface based on the position of the first surface and a criterion.
    [4]
    The system of claim 3, wherein the criterion comprises minimizing a volume of the surface created along the first edge.
    [5]
    The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more additional surfaces are generated using a marching cubes algorithm.
    [6]
    The system of claim 1, wherein the computer control system is further configured to determine whether the first edge fits within the object, and if the edge does not fit within the object, the computer control system is configured to remove the first edge.
    [7]
    The system of claim 1, wherein the computer control system is further configured to determine whether the first edge is within a threshold distance to another edge, and if the first edge is not within the threshold distance to another edge, the computer control system is configured to remove the border.
    [8]
    The system of claim 1, wherein the computer control system is further configured to determine whether the first edge extends in an opposite direction compared to a plurality of adjacent edges, and if the first edge extends in the opposite direction compared to the plurality of neighboring edges, the computer control system is configured to change the edge so that it extends in the same direction as the plurality of neighboring edges.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    BE1024204A1|2017-12-08|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    WO2014174090A2|2013-04-26|2014-10-30|Materialise N.V.|Hybrid support systems and methods of generating a hybrid support system using three dimensional printing|
    WO2015040410A2|2013-09-19|2015-03-26|3T Rpd Limited|Manufacturing method|
    US20150151492A1|2013-12-03|2015-06-04|Autodesk, Inc.|Generating support material for three-dimensional printing|
    法律状态:
    2018-02-15| FG| Patent granted|Effective date: 20171215 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    US201562511546P| true| 2015-08-28|2015-08-28|
    US62511546|2015-08-28|
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