THREE DIMENSIONAL PRINTING ON THREE DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

• US 20200130299A1
• Filed: 12/25/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shmuel Ur Innovations Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Shmuel Ur Innovations Ltd.
• Inventors: UR, Shmuel
• Granted Patent: US 11,207,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/176 Sequentially
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 73/02 using liquid or paste-like material B29C73/16 takes precedence
• 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 50/00 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention allow performing an additive manufacturing process using a base object. Some embodiments enable placement of a three-dimensional base object inside a three-dimensional printer and print on the base object to produce a three-dimensional product. One exemplary embodiment is a method including: obtaining a representation of a three-dimensional physical object as a base object; obtaining a representation of a three-dimensional physical object as a product producible by adding layers of material on the base object. A representation of a support structure configured to retain the base object position within an additive manufacturing apparatus is determined, and the support structure is produced using an additive manufacturing process. Alternatively, a representation of an on-object structure determined and the on-object structure is produced using an additive manufacturing process by adding one or more layers of material on the base object.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

producing, using an additive manufacturing apparatus, a first object;

after completion of said producing, modifying operation of the additive manufacturing apparatus;

producing, using the additive manufacturing apparatus, a second object, wherein the second object is produced by adding material by the additive manufacturing apparatus on the first object, whereby the second object comprises, as a part thereof, the first object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying operation of the additive manufacturing apparatus comprises:

replacing a first material cartridge comprising a first material with a second material cartridge comprising a second material, whereby the additive manufacturing apparatus is modified to emit the second material instead of the first material.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said modifying operation of the additive manufacturing apparatus comprises:

replacing a first print-head unit with a second print-head unit, whereby the additive manufacturing apparatus is modified to utilize a different print-head unit when performing an additive manufacturing process.

4. A method comprising:

scanning a base object that is placed in a location in a work area of an additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein the base object is pre-existing, whereby obtaining a digital representation of the base object; and

adding material to the base object that is placed in the location by the additive manufacturing apparatus so as to produce a product, wherein the product comprises, as a part thereof, the base object, wherein said adding is performed based on the digital representation of the base object.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

comparing the base object with a product to determine additional material to be added to the base object so as to produce the product; and

wherein said adding material is performed based on said comparing.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said adding material comprises adding material in one or more locations in the base object so as to fix deformation of the base object and thereby provide the product, whereby a deformed product is fixed.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprises:

obtaining from a user an indication of a bad surface in the base object; and

wherein the one or more locations correspond to the bad surface.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprises obtaining from the user an indication of a good surface in the base object;

and wherein said adding material is performed so as to modify the bad surface to become similar to the good surface.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprises:

automatically locating, using the digital representation, a bad surface to be fixed in the base object.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a scanner,

a processor; and

wherein said apparatus is coupled to a 3D printer having a work area;

wherein said processor is configured to;

instruct said scanner to scan a base object that is placed in the work area of the 3D printer, wherein the base object is a physical object, whereby obtaining a digital representation of the base object;

determine, based on the digital representation of the base object a printing scheme for the 3D printer, wherein the printing scheme comprises printing instructions that are configured to add material to the base object in an additive manufacturing process so as to produce a product, wherein the product comprises, as a part thereof, the base object; and

instruct to 3D printer to implement the printing scheme.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the printing scheme is determined by:

comparing the digital representation of the base object with a digital representation of the product to determine additional material to be added to the base object so as to produce the product.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the printing scheme comprises instructions to add material in the base object so as to fix deformation of the base object and thereby provide the product, whereby a deformed product is fixed.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the printing scheme is determined based on a user an indication of a bad surface in the base object;

and wherein the one or more locations correspond to the bad surface.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the printing scheme is determined based on an indication of the user of a good surface in the base object;

and wherein the printing scheme is determined to modify the bad surface to become similar to the good surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said processor is configured to automatically locate a bad surface in the base object to be fixed in the base object, wherein the automatic location of the bad surface is performed using the digital representation of the base object, wherein the printing scheme is configured to add material at the bad surface to fix deformation of the base object.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the base object is a deformed product, whereby the apparatus is configured to repair the base object to yield the product.