Method for optimizing spatial orientations of computer-aided design models

• US 20070233298A1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Holzwarth, Donald, Heide, Erik
• Granted Patent: US 7,403,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/98
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2113/10 Additive manufacturing, e.g. 3D printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

A method and system for building one or more three-dimensional objects, where the method includes providing a computer-aided design model of a three-dimensional object having an initial spatial orientation in a coordinate system, and determining an optimal spatial orientation of the computer-aided design model in the coordinate system based on one or more criteria.

Claims

1. A method for building one or more three-dimensional objects, the method comprising:

providing a computer-aided design (CAD) model of a three-dimensional object, the CAD model having an initial spatial orientation in a coordinate system;

determining an optimal spatial orientation of the CAD model in the coordinate system based on one or more criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the one or more criteria.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning one or more criteria selected from the group consisting of a relative weight, a threshold, and a combination thereof.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group consisting of reducing build time, minimizing a required volume of support material to build the three-dimensional object, improving surface finish of the three-dimensional object, increasing part strength of the three-dimensional object, reducing footprint size, reducing a height of the three-dimensional object, improving fill patterns, obtaining user-specified orientations, improving material selections, and combinations thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the optimal spatial orientation comprises calculating a required volume of support material for a plurality of spatial orientations of the CAD model in the coordinate system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the optimal spatial orientation comprises analyzing one or more alternative spatial orientations of the CAD model in the coordinate system based on the one or more criteria.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more alternative spatial orientations are obtained by rotating the CAD around at least one axis of the coordinate system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the optimal spatial orientation comprises

rotating the CAD model to a plurality of spatial orientations within the coordinate system;

analyzing each of the plurality of spatial orientations based on the one or more criteria to provide analyzed results; and

comparing the analyzed results to identify the optimal spatial orientation.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

slicing the CAD model in the optimal spatial orientation into a plurality of sliced layers;

generating build paths for the sliced layers; and

building the three-dimensional object with a rapid manufacturing system based on the build paths.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a second CAD model of a second three-dimensional object, the second CAD model having an initial spatial orientation in the coordinate system;

determining an optimal spatial orientation of the second CAD model in the coordinate system based on the one or more criteria; and

determining updated optimal spatial orientations of the first and the second CAD models in the coordinate system based at least in part on the one or more criteria.

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

aligning a plurality of primary axes of a CAD model of the three-dimensional object with a vertical axis of a coordinate system, thereby positioning the CAD model in a plurality of axially-aligned orientations in the coordinate system;

positioning the CAD model at stable orientations in the coordinate system;

analyzing the CAD model in the stable orientations based on one or more criteria to provide analyzed results.

comparing the analyzed results to identify an optimal spatial orientation of the CAD model for the one or more criteria.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein positioning the CAD model at stable orientations comprises determining whether the CAD model is stable at the axially-aligned orientations.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein positioning the CAD model at stable orientations further comprises rotating the CAD model from at least one of the axially-aligned orientations to one of the stable orientations.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein positioning the CAD model at stable orientations further comprises:

calculating a center of mass of the CAD model;

calculating a pivot axis based in part of the center of mass for at least one of the axially-aligned orientations; and

rotating the center of mass of the CAD model around the pivot axis.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group consisting of reducing build time, minimizing a required volume of support material to build the three-dimensional object, improving surface finish of the three-dimensional object, increasing part strength of the three-dimensional object, reducing footprint size, reducing a height of the three-dimensional object, improving fill patterns, obtaining user-specified orientations, improving material selections, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the analyzing comprises calculating a required volume of support material for each of the one or more alternative spatial orientations.

17. A system for building a three-dimensional object based on a CAD model of the 3D object, the system comprising:

a computer configured to retain the CAD model in an initial spatial orientation in a coordinate system, wherein the computer is further configured to determine an optimal spatial orientation of the CAD model in the coordinate system based on one or more criteria; and

a rapid manufacturing system configured to communicate with the computer and to build the three-dimensional object based on the optimal spatial orientation of the CAD model.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer is further configured to slice the CAD model in the optimal spatial orientation into a plurality of sliced layers, and to generate build paths for the sliced layers.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group consisting of reducing build time, minimizing a required volume of support material to build the three-dimensional object, improving surface finish of the three-dimensional object, increasing part strength of the three-dimensional object, reducing footprint size, reducing a height of the three-dimensional object, improving fill patterns, obtaining user-specified orientations, improving material selections, and combinations thereof.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer is configured to determine the optimal spatial orientation by calculating a required volume of support material for a plurality of spatial orientations of the CAD model in the coordinate system.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer is configured to determine the optimal spatial orientation by analyzing one or more alternative spatial orientations of the CAD model in the coordinate system based on the one or more criteria.