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

• US 20070173967A1
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Objet Geometries
• Inventors: Gothait, Hanan, Rodin-Entin, Tatyana, Kritchman, Eliahu, Chechik, Dani
• Granted Patent: US 7,369,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/118
• 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, calculating an adjustment parameter in an X-Y slice plane to compensate for inaccuracies caused by diffusion of materials into one another.

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

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

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

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

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

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein calculating the adjustment parameter 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.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein calculating the adjustment parameter comprises calculating a surface modification.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein calculating the adjustment parameter comprises calculating a surface offset compensating for enlargement or shrinkage at a surface of the three-dimensional object in the X-Y directions.

9. The method according to claim 1 comprising calculating the adjustment parameter based on diffusion characteristics of the materials used in building the three-dimensional object.

10. The method according to claim 1 comprising calculating the adjustment based on an expected diffusion of the materials.

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

a controller capable of accepting data representing a three-dimensional object, calculating at least one adjustment parameter in an X-Y slice plane to compensate for inaccuracies of the three-dimensional object caused by diffusion of materials into one another, and modifying the data representing the three dimensional-object according to the adjustment parameter;

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.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the deposited materials comprise at least one build material and one support material.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the calculation is based on inaccuracy data provided by a user.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the adjustment parameter is calculated based on a material type.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the adjustment parameter is calculated based on an expected shrinkage of material.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein said adjustment parameter is calculated for a section of the three-dimensional object, based on whether a support material is to be dispensed adjacent to said section of the three-dimensional object.

17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said adjustment parameter comprises a surface modification.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said adjustment parameter comprises a surface offset compensating for enlargement or shrinkage at a surface of the three-dimensional object in X-Y directions.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein said adjustment parameter is calculated based on diffusion characteristics of materials used in building the three-dimensional object.

20. The system according to claim 11, wherein said adjustment parameter is based on an expected diffusion of the materials.