Three-Dimensional Object Fabrication Using Multiple Extruders

• US 20190033827A1
• Filed: 07/25/2017
• Published: 01/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Tran, Khai Nguyen, Lalish, Emmett Walter
• Granted Patent: US 10,452,056 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• 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

Abstract

Described herein is a system and method system for fabricating a three-dimensional object using a plurality of extruders. Information including two-dimensional segments of a layer of a three-dimensional object to be fabricated using the plurality of extruders is received. Closed contour, two-dimensional polygons are computed based on the two-dimensional segments. Tool path(s) are generated based on the computed closed contour two-dimensional polygons. The generated tool path(s) are provided to a fabrication apparatus.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a processor;

a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereupon which, when executed by the processor, cause the computing device to;

receive information including two-dimensional segments of a layer of a three-dimensional object to be fabricated using the plurality of extruders;

compute closed contour two-dimensional polygons based on the two-dimensional segments, wherein each computed closed contour two-dimensional polygon comprises at least one of the two-dimensional segments;

generate a tool path based on the computed closed contour two-dimensional polygons, the tool path comprising instructions to control movement of a component of a fabrication apparatus; and

provide the generated tool path to the fabrication apparatus.

2. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the closed contour two-dimensional polygons are computed using a straight skeleton technique.

3. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the received information further includes at least one of a particular color or a particular material associated with a particular extruder of the plurality of extruders.

4. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the tool path is further generated based upon a material associated with a particular extruder of the plurality of extruders.

5. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the closed contour two-dimensional polygons are computed with each two-dimensional segment being associated with a particular computed two-dimensional polygon.

6. The computing device of claim 1, wherein each two-dimensional polygon is associated with a particular extruder of the plurality of extruders.

7. The computing device of claim 1, wherein the received information comprises a 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF) file.

8. A method of generating a toolpath using closed contours for a fabrication device comprising a plurality of extruders in three-dimensional object fabrication, comprising:

receiving information including two-dimensional segments of a layer of a three-dimensional object to be fabricated using the plurality of extruders;

computing closed contour two-dimensional polygons based on the two-dimensional segments, wherein each computed closed contour two-dimensional polygon comprises at least one of the two-dimensional segments;

generating a tool path based on the computed closed contour two-dimensional polygons, the tool path comprising instructions to control movement of a component of a fabrication apparatus; and

providing the generated tool path to the fabrication apparatus.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the closed contour two-dimensional polygons are computed using a straight skeleton technique.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the received information further includes at least one of a particular color or a particular material associated with a particular extruder of the plurality of extruders.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the tool path is further generated based upon a material associated with a particular extruder of the plurality of extruders.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the closed contour two-dimensional polygons are computed with each two-dimensional segment being associated with a particular computed two-dimensional polygon.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein each two-dimensional polygon is associated with a particular extruder of the plurality of extruders.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the received information comprises a 3D Manufacturing Format (3MF) file.

15. A computer storage media storing computer-readable instructions that when executed cause a computing device to:

receive information including two-dimensional segments of a layer of a three-dimensional object to be fabricated using the plurality of extruders;

compute closed contour two-dimensional polygons based on the two-dimensional segments, wherein each computed closed contour two-dimensional polygon comprises at least one of the two-dimensional segments;

generate a tool path based on the computed closed contour two-dimensional polygons, the tool path comprising instructions to control movement of a component of a fabrication apparatus; and

provide the generated tool path to the fabrication apparatus.

16. The computer storage media of claim 15, wherein the closed contour two-dimensional polygons are computed using a straight skeleton technique.

17. The computer storage media of claim 15, wherein the received information further includes at least one of a particular color or a particular material associated with a particular extruder of the plurality of extruders.

18. The computer storage media of claim 15, wherein the tool path is further generated based upon a material associated with a particular extruder of the plurality of extruders.

19. The computer storage media of claim 15, wherein the closed contour two-dimensional polygons are computed with each two-dimensional segment being associated with a particular computed two-dimensional polygon.

20. The computer storage media of claim 15, wherein each two-dimensional polygon is associated with a particular extruder of the plurality of extruders.