Device, system and method for accurate printing of three dimensional objects

• US 20060206227A1
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Published: 09/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Objet Geometries
• Inventors: Kritchman, Eliahu M., Gothait, Hanan, Rodin-Entin, Tatyana, Chechik, Dani
• Granted Patent: US 7,209,797 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/119
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 37/005 Compensating volume or shape change during moulding, in general
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/48 Compensating volume change, e.g. retraction
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 41/52 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/00 Component parts of measuring arrangements not specially adapted for a specific variable G01D13/00, G01D15/00 take precedence

Abstract

A system and method for building three dimensional objects may adjust data used to build the objects to, for example, improve quality or correct for defects. A printer may, for example, accept data representing the object and modify the data according to an adjustment parameter; the printer may build the object according to the parameter. The parameter may be, for example, fixed in the printer, user entered, and/or calculated by the printer. In one embodiment, a support pedestal may be built of deposited material before the object is built.

Claims

1. A method for building a three-dimensional object by depositing materials onto a printing surface, layer upon layer, within a printing system, the method comprising:

providing data representing a three-dimensional object, the data comprising X, Y and Z coordinates;

calculating at least one adjustment parameter to compensate for inaccuracies of the three-dimensional object, the adjustment parameter being selected from the group consisting of;

(a) at least one scale adjustment for at least one of the X, Y and Z coordinates;

(b) an adjustment in an X-Y slice plane to compensate for inaccuracies caused by diffusion of materials into one another; and

(c) an adjustment to compensate for a height error caused by material rounding at a top surface of thin walls or structures;

modifying the data representing the three dimensional-object based on the adjustment parameter; and

printing at least one layer of the three-dimensional object according to modified data.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein printing comprises depositing at least one build material and one support material.

3. A method according to claim 1, comprising applying inaccuracy data provided by a user to calculate the adjustment parameter.

4. A method according to claim 1, comprising calculating the adjustment parameter based on a material type.

5. A method according to claim 1, comprising calculating the adjustment parameter based on expected shrinkage of materials.

6. A method according to claim 1, comprising calculating the adjustment parameter based on a temperature within the system during a printing process.

7. A method according to claim 1, comprising multiplying by the adjustment parameter at least one of the X, Y and Z coordinates defining the three-dimensional object.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein an adjustment in an X-Y slice plane to compensate for inaccuracies caused by diffusion of materials into one another comprises calculating the adjustment for a section of the object, based on whether a support material is to be dispensed adjacent to said section of the object.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein the adjustment comprises a surface modification.

10. A method according to claim 8, wherein the adjustment comprises a surface offset compensating for enlargement or shrinkage at a surface of the three-dimensional object in the X-Y directions.

11. A method according to claim 8, comprising calculating the adjustment based on diffusion characteristics of the materials used in building the three-dimensional object.

12. A method according to claim 8, comprising calculating the adjustment based on an expected diffusion of the materials.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein an adjustment to compensate for a height error caused by material rounding at a top surface of thin walls or structures includes a set of non-printed pixels in the interior of said thin walls or structures.

14. A method according to claim 13, comprising applying the set of non-printed pixels to prevent thin walls or structures from being built higher than thicker walls or structures.

15. A method according to claim 13, wherein the number of said non-printed pixels is a function of thickness of walls or structures.

16. A method according to claim 13, comprising calculating the number of the non-printed pixels based on whether a support material is to be dispensed adjacent to a section of the object, the non-printed pixels being for the section of the object.

17. A system for building a three-dimensional object, the system comprising:

a controller capable of accepting data representing a three-dimensional object;

a printing head connected to the controller, capable of depositing materials onto a surface, according to the data to form the three-dimensional object; and

a curing unit,

wherein the controller is to calculate at least one adjustment parameter to compensate for inaccuracies of the three-dimensional object, said adjustment parameter being selected from the group consisting of;

(a) a scale adjustment;

(b) an adjustment in an X-Y slice plane to compensate for inaccuracies caused by diffusion of materials into one another; and

(c) an adjustment to compensate for a height error caused by material rounding at a top surface of thin walls or structures,

and modifies the data representing the three dimensional-object according to the adjustment parameter; and

wherein the printing bead deposits the materials according to the modified data.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein the deposited materials comprise at least one build material and one support material.

19. A system according to claim 17, wherein the calculation is based on inaccuracy data provided by a user.

20. A system according to claim 17, wherein the adjustment parameter is calculated based on a material type.

21. A system according to claim 17, wherein the adjustment parameter is calculated based on an expected shrinkage of material.

22. A system according to claim 17, wherein the adjustment parameter is calculated based on a temperature within the system during the printing process.

23. A system according to claim 17, wherein the data includes X, Y and Z coordinates, and wherein the calculation comprises multiplying by the adjustment parameter at least one of the X, Y and Z coordinates defining the three-dimensional object.

24. A system according to claim 17, wherein said adjustment in an X-Y slice plane to compensate for inaccuracies caused by diffusion of materials into one another is based on whether a support material is to be dispensed adjacent to a section of the three-dimensional object, the adjustment parameter being for the section of the three-dimensional object.

25. A system according to claim 17, wherein said adjustment parameter comprises a surface modification.

26. A system according to claim 17, wherein the adjustment parameter comprises a surface offset compensating for enlargement or shrinkage at a surface of the three-dimensional object in X-Y directions.

27. A system according to claim 17, wherein the adjustment parameter is calculated based on diffusion characteristics of materials used in building the three-dimensional object.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein the adjustment parameter is based on an expected diffusion of the materials.

29. A system according to claim 17, wherein said adjustment to compensate for a height error caused by material rounding at a top surface of thin walls or structures the adjustment parameter includes a set of non-printed pixels in the interior of said thin walls or structures.

30. A system according to claim 29, wherein the set of non-printed pixels is used to prevent thin walls or structures from being printed higher than thicker walls or structures.

31. A system according to claim 29, wherein the number of non-printed pixels is a function of wall thickness.

32. A system according to claim 29, wherein the number of non-printed pixels is based on whether a support material is to be dispensed adjacent to a section of the three-dimensional object.