FABRICATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND FABRICATION MANAGEMENT CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20180257304A1
• Filed: 09/08/2017
• Published: 09/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: HAGIWARA, Hiroshi, TOMITA, Satoshi, ONISHI, Kazunori
• Application Number:
  US15/698,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20180257304A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/176 Sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/20 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• 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

Abstract

A fabrication management system includes a fabrication control apparatus and a fabrication management server. The fabrication control apparatus includes a composite fabrication unit that fabricates a fabricated component over a previously fabricated component to fabricate a finished fabricated object, and a controller that controls fabrication performed by the composite fabrication unit. The fabrication management server includes an instructing section that, by use of fabrication information about each of multiple fabricated components to be assembled into the finished fabricated object and positional information identifying a position onto which each fabricated component is assembled upon completion of the finished fabricated object, instructs fabrication to be performed by using the composite fabrication unit in accordance with fabrication procedure information used to sequentially perform fabrication in the height direction.

Claims

1. A fabrication management system comprising:

a fabrication control apparatus including

a composite fabrication unit that fabricates a fabricated component over a previously fabricated component to fabricate a finished fabricated object, and

a controller that controls fabrication performed by the composite fabrication unit; and

a fabrication management server including an instructing section that, by use of fabrication information about each of a plurality of fabricated components to be assembled into the finished fabricated object and positional information identifying a position onto which each fabricated component is assembled upon completion of the finished fabricated object, instructs fabrication to be performed by using the composite fabrication unit in accordance with fabrication procedure information used to sequentially perform fabrication in a height direction.

2. The fabrication management system according to claim 1,

wherein the fabrication control apparatus is placed in each of a plurality of fabricated object manufacturers, and

wherein the fabrication management server selects a fabricated object manufacturer by taking a fabrication method, delivery time, and price for each fabricated component into consideration in a comprehensive manner.

3. The fabrication management system according to claim 1,

wherein the composite fabrication unit includes

a holding section that holds, in a predetermined arrangement, a plurality of fabricators that employ different fabrication methods, and

a fabrication stage that supports a fabricated object fabricated by each of the fabricators, and

wherein the fabrication control apparatus moves at least one of the holding section and the fabrication stage in accordance with the fabrication procedure information to position a specific fabricator and the fabrication stage with respect to each other.

4. The fabrication management system according to claim 1,

wherein data that identifies each of the fabricated components comprises voxel data saved in a fabricatable voxel (FAV) format.

5. A fabrication management control apparatus comprising:

a generator that generates, for a composite fabrication unit that fabricates a fabricated component over a previously fabricated component to fabricate a finished fabricated object, fabrication procedure information used to sequentially perform fabrication in a height direction, by use of fabrication information about each of a plurality of fabricated components to be assembled into the finished fabricated object and positional information identifying a position onto which each fabricated component is assembled upon completion of the finished fabricated object; and

an instructing section that instructs a control apparatus that controls fabrication performed by the composited fabrication unit to perform fabrication in accordance with the fabrication procedure information by use of the composite fabrication unit.