Procedures for rapid build and improved surface characteristics in layered manufacture

• US 20050131570A1
• Filed: 01/20/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Charles J. Gasdaska, Milton Ortiz, Vikram R. Jamalabad
• Original Assignee: Charles J. Gasdaska, Milton Ortiz, Vikram R. Jamalabad
• Inventors: Jamalabad, Vikram R., Gasdaska, Charles J., Ortiz, Milton
• Application Number:
  US10/762,449
• Publication Number:
  US 20050131570A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/119
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 3/10 each charge of material being compressed against previously formed body
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof

Abstract

Methods for improving layered manufacturing techniques to improve an objects'"'"' surface properties and shorten manufacturing time for support structures. One aspect of the invention forms surfaces having reduced or no concavities between layers having improved crack resistance. One method deposits alternate, surface improvement material on each layer near the future location of the main material surface, followed by deposition of the main material, the edges of which conform to the previously deposited and solidified alternate material. In this method, the center of the main material layers can be concave rather than the interlayer regions. Another aspect of the invention provides removable structures to support the deposition of main material. The support structures provide support over main material cavities for depositing the material to form the cavity ceilings, while minimizing the time and material required to build the support structures. Minimized support structures include structures formed as columns supported by the cavity floor and angle braces to supported by the cavity walls. Some supports are supported by the side wall but not the floor, and other by the floor and not the side walls.

Claims

1-35. -35. (canceled)

36. A program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for improving layer side surfaces of structural layer areas filled by layered manufacturing, the method steps comprising:

obtaining first curve data defining at least one layer area to be filled with a first material and to thereby create said structural layer, including said layer side surfaces; and

generating second curve data defining a second layer area to be filled with a second material, said second layer area, when filled, having at least one side surface that has an overall convex shape and abuts at least a portion of said structural layer side surfaces.

37. A program storage device as in claim 36, wherein said obtain and generating steps are executed at least once for each of a plurality of stacked layers for which said layer side surface improving is desired.

38. A program storage device readable by a machine tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for providing support, using first and second materials by layered manufacturing, underneath a material layer area having an unsupported portion, the method steps comprising:

obtaining a first data set having a plurality of first layer data sets representing said layer area to be filled with said first material by layered manufacturing, along with first support layer areas underneath said layer area, said first support layer areas to also be filled with said first material by layered manufacturing; and

generating a second data set having a plurality of second layer data sets representing second support layer areas underneath said unsupported portion of said layer area, said second support layer areas to be filled with said second material by layered manufacturing,

wherein said layer area and said first support layer areas, when filled with said first material, define a void volume underneath said unsupported portion of said layer area, wherein said second support layer areas, when filled with said second material, define a support structure inside said void volume, the support structure having a support structure volume that is substantially less than said void volume.

39. A program storage device as in claim 38, wherein said generating step includes:

(a) selecting a pair of layers having an upper layer and an immediately lower layer;

(b) reducing the area of said pair upper area by an increment;

(c) determining any portion of said upper layer unsupported by said lower layer;

(d) creating a new support area for said pair lower layer;

(e) adding said new support area to said lower layer; and

(f) repeating steps (a) through (e) for a plurality of said layer pairs by setting said pair lower layer to be said pair upper layer in the next iteration.

40. (canceled)