SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPROVED 3D PRINTING

• US 20150266244A1
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Published: 09/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
• Inventors: Page, James Sherwood
• Granted Patent: US 10,005,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/47 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/53 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• 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 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• 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: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A system for fabricating an object includes an extruder for one or more deposition materials. The extruder has at least one nozzle with a nozzle tip that includes an exit orifice and has a width that is equal to or larger than a width of the exit orifice. The system also includes a controller coupled with the extruder, the controller configured to apply a correction factor that has been calculated for a path of the nozzle based on a slope of a surface of an object to be fabricated. The correction factor for a positive slope is different from that for a negative slope. The extruder is configured to cause movement of the nozzle along the path to deposit material on the slope of the surface of the object, and the correction factor removes differences in thickness of the deposited material caused by the slope in relation to the path.

Claims

1. A system for fabricating an object, the system comprising:

an extruder for one or more deposition materials, the extruder comprising at least one nozzle having a nozzle tip that includes an exit orifice, the tip having a width that is equal to or larger than a width of the exit orifice; and

a controller coupled with the extruder, the controller configured and arranged to apply a correction factor that has been calculated for a path of the nozzle based on a slope of a surface of an object to be fabricated, the correction factor for a positive slope being different from the correction factor for a negative slope;

wherein the extruder is configured and arranged to cause movement of the nozzle along the path to deposit a material on the slope of the surface of the object, and the correction factor removes differences in thickness of the deposited material caused by the slope in relation to the path.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein based on the slope being negative, the correction factor causes the path of the nozzle to become farther from the surface of the object for all path points along the path that correspond to the negative slope.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein based on the slope being negative, the correction factor moves the path of the nozzle vertically upward by an amount equal to a half width of the nozzle tip multiplied by the absolute value of the slope.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein based on the slope being positive, the correction factor causes the path of the nozzle to become closer to the surface of the object for all path points along the path that correspond to the positive slope.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein based on the slope being positive, the correction factor moves the path of the nozzle vertically downward by an amount equal to a half width of the exit orifice multiplied by the absolute value of the slope.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein based on the slope being negative, the correction factor causes the path of the nozzle to become farther from the surface of the object, wherein based on the slope being positive, the correction factor causes the path of the nozzle to become closer to the surface of the object, and wherein the controller is configured to apply the correction factor after the correction factor has been calculated for all path points along the path.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the path forms at least a portion of a first layer of the object to be fabricated, the first layer defining a first gap, and wherein the controller is configured and arranged to direct the nozzle to form a second and a third layer above the first layer, the second layer defining a second gap that overlaps with the first gap, the third layer including a protruded portion that at least partially fills the first and second gaps to thereby interlock the first, second, and third layers.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the path forms at least a portion of a first layer of the object to be fabricated, the controller is configured and arranged to direct the nozzle to form a second layer after the first layer, and a portion of the first layer extends vertically upward past the second layer.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein a portion of the second layer extends vertically upward, and the vertically extended portions of the first and second layers contact and become connected to each other.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to direct the nozzle to form a second layer after the first layer, and the vertically extended portion of the first layer is bent over on top of the second layer.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to direct the nozzle to form a third layer on top of second layer and the bent portion of the first layer.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is configured and arranged to direct the nozzle to push and bend the vertically extended portion of the first layer.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the path forms at least a portion of a non-horizontal layer of the object to be fabricated on a separate core.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least a portion of the non-horizontal layer of the object is formed on the separate core that was made using at least one of selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography (SLA), direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), or material jet techniques.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the path forms at least a portion of a non-planar layer of the object to be fabricated, and the controller is configured and arranged to dynamically adjust a flow rate of deposition material while creating the non-planar layer to vary a thickness of the non-planar layer.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the path forms at least a portion of a first layer of the object to be fabricated, and the controller is configured and arranged to define one or more paths for one or more layers of the object to be fabricated based on a reference angle for an upper surface of the object where material is to be deposited.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a path planning system that is configured to calculate the correction factor to be applied by the controller, and to generate machine control instructions corresponding to the movement path of the nozzle; and

a data transfer system configured to transfer the generated machine control instructions from the path planning system to the controller.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the operations further include calculating the correction factor to be applied.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing software comprising instructions executable by one or more computers, which, upon such execution, cause the one or more computers to perform operations for controlling a 3D printer, the 3D printer comprising an extruder for one or more deposition materials, the extruder comprising at least one nozzle having a nozzle tip that includes an exit orifice, the tip having a width that is equal to or larger than a width of the exit orifice, the operations comprising:

applying a correction factor that has been calculated for a path of the nozzle based on a slope of a surface of an object to be fabricated, wherein the correction factor for a positive slope is different from the correction factor for a negative slope; and

causing movement of the nozzle along the path to deposit a material on the slope of the surface of the object, wherein the correction factor removes differences in thickness of the deposited material caused by the slope in relation to the path.

19. The medium of claim 18, wherein applying the correction factor comprises:

based on the slope being negative, applying the correction factor that causes the path of the nozzle to become farther from the surface of the object;

based on the slope being positive, applying the correction factor that causes the path of the nozzle to become closer to the surface of the object; and

applying the correction factor based on the corrector factor having been calculated for all path points along the path.