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System and method for decreasing time for printing layers in three-dimensional objects and for enhancing color fidelity at the surface of three-dimensional objects

  • US 10,457,034 B2
  • Filed: 02/16/2017
  • Issued: 10/29/2019
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2017
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system comprising:

  • a first plurality of ejectors configured to eject drops of a first material having a first color;

    a second plurality of ejectors configured to eject drops of a second material having a second color, the first color being different than the second color;

    a third plurality of ejectors configured to eject drops of a third material having a third color, the third color being different than the second color and the first color;

    at least one actuator operatively connected to the first plurality of ejectors, the second plurality of ejectors, and the third plurality of ejectors; and

    a controller operatively connected to the at least one actuator, the first plurality of ejectors, the second plurality of ejectors, and the third plurality of ejectors, the controller being configured to;

    identify an average number of material drops per voxel for each material in each layer of an object to be manufactured;

    convert image data for the object to material drop data for each voxel of each layer to identify a number of material drops for the first material, a number of material drops for the second material, and a number of material drops for the third material in each voxel of each layer, the conversion to the material drop data being performed using a first function of (1) a distance between each voxel in each layer and a closest surface of the object, (2) a sum of the average number of first material drops per voxel in each layer, the average number of second material drops per voxel in each layer, and the average number of third material drops per voxel in each layer, and (3) a target value for the sum of the average number of first material drops, the average number of the second material drops, and the average number of the third material drops per voxel in each layer; and

    operate the first plurality of ejectors, the second plurality of ejectors, and the third plurality of ejectors using the converted material drop data to eject a number of drops of the first material, a number of drops of the second material, and a number of drops of the third material identified by the converted material drop data to form the voxels of each layer of the object.

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