WEIGHT-BASED IDENTIFICATION OF THREE DIMENSIONAL PRINTED PARTS

• US 20130310965A1
• Filed: 12/07/2012
• Published: 11/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shapeways Incorporated (Shapeways Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Shapeways Incorporated (Shapeways Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schouwenburg, Robert D.
• Granted Patent: US 9,245,061 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/119
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• 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: G01G 17/00 Apparatus for or methods of weighing material of special form or property determining weight by measuring volume G01F
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/414 using electronic computing means only
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35134 3-D cad-cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]

Abstract

Methods and systems for weight-based identification of three dimensional (3D) printed parts. Various embodiments disclosed herein may permit reliable processing of 3D printed parts to effectively scale a 3D printing service to large volumes of orders for 3D printed parts.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for weight-based identification of a three dimensional (3D) printed part, the 3D printed part being printed from a 3D model using a preselected material, the method comprising acts of:

receiving, by a computer system, an indication of a weight of the 3D printed part;

calculating, by the computer system, a plurality of theoretical weights for a plurality of 3D models, each theoretical weight being calculated for a respective 3D model based on a volume of the respective 3D model and a density of the preselected material;

comparing the indication of the weight to the plurality of theoretical weights; and

selecting a subset of the plurality of 3D models based on a result of the comparing act, the subset having a size less than a total number of the plurality of 3D models.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising acts of:

outputting the subset; and

receiving a selection of the 3D model corresponding to the 3D printed part from the subset.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising an act of generating a label for the 3D printed part based on the selection of the 3D model.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the label includes at least one of a barcode, a model number of the 3D model and an order number for the 3D printed part.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising acts of:

receiving a selection of a tray, the 3D printed part being one of a plurality of 3D printed parts built inside the tray; and

selecting the plurality of 3D models based on the selection of the tray.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising an act of removing a 3D model corresponding to an identified 3D printed part from the plurality of 3D models.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of selecting a subset further includes an act of selecting a 3D model to include in the subset responsive to an act of determining that a deviation of the theoretical weight of the 3D model from the indication of the weight of the 3D printed part does not exceed a predetermined threshold value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising an act of sorting the subset based on a respective value of deviation of a respective theoretical weight of each 3D model within the subset from the indication of the weight of the 3D printed part.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising an act of receiving the size of the subset.

10. A system for weight-based identification of a three dimensional (3D) printed part, the 3D printed part being printed from a 3D model using a preselected material, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processing unit coupled to the memory, wherein the processing unit is operative to;

receive an indication of a weight of the 3D printed part;

calculate a plurality of theoretical weights for a plurality of 3D models, each theoretical weight being calculated for a respective 3D model based on a volume of the respective 3D model and a density of the preselected material;

compare the indication of the weight to the plurality of theoretical weights; and

select a subset of the plurality of 3D models in response to comparing the indication of the weight to the plurality of theoretical weights, the subset having a size less than a total number of the plurality of 3D models.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

output the subset; and

receive a selection of the 3D model corresponding to the 3D printed part from the subset.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a printer configured to print a label for the 3D printed part based on the selection of the 3D model.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

receive a selection of a tray, the 3D printed part being one of a plurality of 3D printed parts built inside the tray; and

select the plurality of 3D models based on the selection of the tray.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processing unit is further operative to:

remove a 3D model corresponding to an identified 3D printed part from the plurality of 3D models.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit being operative to select a subset further includes the processing unit being operative to select a 3D model for inclusion in the subset responsive to a determination that a deviation of the theoretical weight of the 3D model from the indication of the weight of the 3D printed part does not exceed a predetermined threshold value.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processing unit is further operative to sort the subset based on a respective value of deviation of a respective theoretical weight of each 3D model within the subset from the indication of the weight of the 3D printed part.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the processing unit is further operative to receive the size of the subset.

18. A computer-readable storage medium that stores a set of instructions which when executed perform a method for weight-based identification of a three dimensional (3D) printed part, the 3D printed part being printed from a 3D model using a preselected material, the method executed by the set of instructions comprising:

receiving an indication of a weight of the 3D printed part;

calculating a plurality of theoretical weights for a plurality of 3D models, each theoretical weight being calculated for a respective 3D model based on a volume of the respective 3D model and a density of the preselected material;

comparing the indication of the weight to the plurality of theoretical weights; and

selecting a subset of the plurality of 3D models based on a result of comparing, the subset having a size less than a total number of the plurality of 3D models.

19. A method for weight-based identification of a three dimensional (3D) printed part, the 3D printed part being printed from a 3D model using a preselected material, the method comprising acts of:

weighing the 3D printed part to generate an indication of a weight of the 3D printed part;

calculating a plurality of theoretical weights for a plurality of 3D models, each theoretical weight being calculated for a respective 3D model based on a volume of the respective 3D model and a density of the preselected material;

comparing the indication of the weight to the plurality of theoretical weights; and

selecting a subset of the plurality of 3D models based on a result of the comparing act, the subset having a size less than a total number of the plurality of 3D models.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising an act of identifying the 3D model corresponding to the 3D printed part from the subset of the plurality of 3D models.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the identifying act further includes an act of visually comparing at least one 3D model in the subset to the 3D printed part.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising an act of adding a label to the 3D printed part following the identifying act.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising an act of routing the 3D printed part to one or more locations in response to the identifying act.

24. The method of claim 19, further comprising an act of cleaning the 3D printed part prior to the weighing act.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the 3D printed part is one of a plurality of 3D printed parts built inside a tray, the plurality of 3D models corresponding to the plurality of 3D printed parts built inside the tray.

26. The method of claim 19, wherein the selecting act further includes an act of selecting the subset responsive to an act of determining that a deviation of a theoretical weight of a 3D model from the indication of the weight of the 3D printed part does not exceed a predetermined threshold value.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising an act of sorting the subset based on a respective value of deviation of a respective theoretical weight of each 3D model within the subset from the indication of the weight of the 3D printed part.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising an act of selecting the size of the subset.