Method for optimizing spatial orientations of computer-aided design models

• US 7,403,833 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Holzwarth, Donald J., Heide, Erik K.
• Primary Examiner(s): VON BUHR, MARIA N
• Application Number:
  US11/396,792
• Publication Number:
  US 20070233298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 700 95- 98, 700117-120, 700/182, 700/194, 700/251, 706/919, 715/964, 708/442, 345649-659
• US Class Current: 700/119
• 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: G06F 2113/10 Additive manufacturing, e.g. 3D printing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/20 Design optimisation, verification or simulation optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30

Abstract

A method and system for building one or more three-dimensional objects, where the method includes providing a computer-aided design model of a three-dimensional object having an initial spatial orientation in a coordinate system, and determining an optimal spatial orientation of the computer-aided design model in the coordinate system based on one or more criteria.

Claims

1. A method for building a three-dimensional object, the method comprising:

aligning a plurality of primary axes of a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the three-dimensional object with a vertical axis of a coordinate system, thereby positioning the CAD model in a plurality of axially-aligned orientations in the coordinate system;

positioning the CAD model from the plurality of axially-aligned orientations to second spatial orientations in the coordinate system, wherein the CAD model is positionably stable in each of the second spatial orientations;

analyzing the CAD model in the second spatial orientations based on one or more criteria to provide analyzed results; and

comparing the analyzed results to identify a final spatial orientation of the CAD model for building the three-dimensional object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein positioning the CAD model to the second spatial orientations comprises determining whether the CAD model is positionably stable at the axially-aligned orientations.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein positioning the CAD model to the second spatial orientations further comprises rotating the CAD model from at least one of the axially-aligned orientations to one of the second spatial orientations.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein positioning the CAD model at the second spatial orientations further comprises:

calculating a center of mass of the CAD model;

calculating a pivot axis for the CAD model positioned at one of the axially-aligned orientations based in part on the center of mass of the CAD model; and

rotating the center of mass of the CAD model around the pivot axis.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group consisting of reducing build time, minimizing a required volume of support material to build the three-dimensional object, improving surface finish of the three-dimensional object, increasing part strength of the three-dimensional object, reducing footprint size, reducing a height of the three-dimensional object, improving fill patterns, obtaining user-specified orientations, improving material selections, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the analyzing comprises calculating a required volume of support material for each of the second spatial orientations.

7. A system for building a three-dimensional object based on a computer-aided design (CAD) model of the 3D object, the system comprising:

a computer configured to retain the CAD model in a coordinate system, wherein the computer is further configured to calculate a plurality of primary axes of the CAD model, to align the plurality of primary axes of the CAD model with a vertical axis of the coordinate system, to position the CAD model at second spatial orientations in the coordinate system in which the CAD model is positionably stable, to analyze the CAD model in the second spatial orientations based on one or more criteria, and to identify a final spatial orientation of the CAD model for building the three-dimensional object based at least in part on the analysis of the CAD model in the second spatial orientations; and

a rapid manufacturing system configured to communicate with the computer and to build the three-dimensional object based on the final spatial orientation of the CAD model.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is further configured to slice the CAD model in the final spatial orientation into a plurality of sliced layers, and to generate build paths for the sliced layers.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group consisting of reducing build time, minimizing a required volume of support material to build the three-dimensional object, improving surface finish of the three-dimensional object, increasing part strength of the three-dimensional object, reducing footprint size, reducing a height of the three-dimensional object, improving fill patterns, obtaining user-specified orientations, improving material selections, and combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is configured to determine the final spatial orientation by calculating a required volume of support material for the CAD model in the second spatial orientations.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the computer is further configured to assign one or more factors to the one or more criteria, the one or more factors being selected from the group consisting of a relative weight, a threshold, and a combination thereof.

12. A method for building one or more three-dimensional objects, the method comprising:

providing a computer-aided design (CAD) model of a three-dimensional object in a coordinate system, the coordinate system comprising a vertical axis;

calculating a plurality of primary axes of the CAD model;

positioning the CAD model at a first spatial orientation in which a first primary axis of the plurality of primary axes is aligned with the vertical axis of the coordinate system;

repositioning the CAD model from the first spatial orientation to a second spatial orientation in which the CAD model is positionably stable;

analyzing the CAD model in the second spatial orientation based on one or more criteria; and

identifying a final spatial orientation of the CAD model for building the three-dimensional object based at least in part on the analysis of the CAD model in the second spatial orientation.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of primary axes of the CAD model are each calculated as a function of one or more variables selected from the group consisting of a center of mass of the CAD model and an inertial tensor of the CAD model.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising assigning one or more factors to the one or more criteria, the one or more factors being selected from the group consisting of a relative weight, a threshold, and a combination thereof.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more criteria are selected from the group consisting of reducing build time, minimizing a required volume of support material to build the three-dimensional object, improving surface finish of the three-dimensional object, increasing part strength of the three-dimensional object, reducing footprint size, reducing a height of the three-dimensional object, improving fill patterns, obtaining user-specified orientations, improving material selections, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein analyzing the CAD model in the second spatial orientation comprises calculating a required volume of support material for the CAD model in the second spatial orientation.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the vertical axis of the coordinate system has a positive vector and a negative vector, wherein positioning the CAD model at the second spatial orientation aligns the first primary axis with the positive vector of the vertical axis, and wherein the method further comprises:

positioning the CAD model at a third spatial orientation in which the first primary axis is aligned with the negative vector of the vertical axis;

repositioning the CAD model from the third spatial orientation to a fourth spatial orientation in which the CAD model is positionably stable; and

analyzing the CAD model in the fourth spatial orientation based on the one or more criteria, wherein identifying the final spatial orientation is further based at least in part on the analysis of the CAD model in the fourth spatial orientation.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

positioning the CAD model at a third spatial orientation in which a second primary axis of the plurality of primary axes is aligned with the vertical axis of the coordinate system;

repositioning the CAD model from the third spatial orientation to a fourth spatial orientation in which the CAD model is positionably stable; and

analyzing the CAD model in the fourth spatial orientation based on the one or more criteria, wherein identifying the final spatial orientation is further based at least in part on the analysis of the CAD model in the fourth spatial orientation.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein repositioning the CAD model from the first spatial orientation to the second spatial orientation comprises:

calculating a center of mass of the CAD model;

calculating a pivot axis for the CAD model positioned at the first spatial orientation based in part of the center of mass of the CAD model; and

rotating the center of mass of the CAD model around the pivot axis.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

positioning the CAD model in the spatial orientation for building the three-dimensional object;

slicing the CAD model into a plurality of sliced layers while the CAD model is positioned in the spatial orientation for building the three-dimensional object;

generating build paths for the sliced layers; and

building the three-dimensional object with a rapid manufacturing system based on the build paths.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the CAD model is a first CAD model, and wherein the method further comprises:

providing a second CAD model of a second three-dimensional object in the coordinate system;

positioning the second CAD model in a third spatial orientation in which the second CAD model is positionably stable;

analyzing the second CAD model in the third spatial orientation based on the one or more criteria; and

determining an updated spatial orientation of the first CAD model in the coordinate system based at least in part on the final spatial orientation of the first CAD model and on the analysis of the second CAD model in the third spatial orientation.