Method for building three-dimensional objects with extrusion-based layered deposition systems

• US 7,899,569 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2009
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Holzwarth, Donald J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Paul L
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAUGHLIN, NATHAN L
• Application Number:
  US12/487,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20090299517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 620 Days
• Field of Search: 700118-119, 700/184, 700/98, 264219-220, 264/401
• US Class Current: 700/119
• 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: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

A method of forming a three-dimensional object using an extrusion-based layered deposition system, the method comprising generating a build path for building a layer of the three-dimensional object, where the build path defines a void region. The method further comprising generating at least one intermediate path in the void region, and generating a remnant path based at least in part on the at least one intermediate path.

Claims

1. A method of forming a three-dimensional object using an extrusion-based layered deposition system, the method comprising:

providing a generated build path for building at least a portion of a layer of the three-dimensional object, the build path being generated based on a first road width resolution, wherein the build path defines a region of the layer;

determining dimensions of the region based on a second road width resolution that is higher than the first road width resolution; and

generating a deposition path in the region, wherein the deposition path comprises deposition rates that are configured to vary based on the determined dimensions of the region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first road width resolution ranges from 250 micrometers, to 1,020 micrometers, and wherein the second road width resolution ranges from 50 micrometers to 200 micrometers.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising generating at least one raster, path in the region based on the second road width resolution, wherein the dimensions of the region are determined based at least in part on the at least one raster path.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one raster path comprises a first raster path and a second raster path, wherein the first raster path is offset at a rotational angle from the second raster path.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the deposition path is free of raster patterns.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the deposition path generated in the region is a first deposition path, and wherein the method further comprises generating a second deposition path in the region, wherein the second deposition path comprises deposition rates that are configured to vary based on the dimensions of the region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the deposition path comprises a plurality of vertices, and wherein each of the plurality of vertices includes data comprising a coordinate location and one of the deposition rates.

8. The method of claim 1, and further comprising:

depositing first deposition roads according to the generated build path to form at least the portion of the layer of the three-dimensional object having a cavity corresponding to the defined region; and

depositing a second deposition road in at least part of the cavity according to the generated deposition path.

9. A method of forming a three-dimensional object using an extrusion-based layered deposition system, the method comprising:

providing a build path for building at least a portion of a layer of the three-dimensional object, the build path being generated based on a first road width resolution, and wherein the build path defines a region of the layer having varying dimensions;

determining the dimensions of the region based on a second road width resolution that is higher than the first road width resolution; and

generating a deposition path in the region based at least in part on the determined dimensions, wherein the deposition path comprises deposition rates that vary with the varying dimensions of the region.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first road width resolution ranges from 250 micrometers to 1,020 micrometers, and wherein the second road width resolution ranges from 50 micrometers to 200 .

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the dimensions of the region comprises:

generating a plurality of raster legs in the region based on the second road width resolution;

determining a center point for each of the plurality of raster legs; and

determining one of the dimensions of the region at each of the center points.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the dimensions of the region comprises generating at least one raster path in the region based on the second road width resolution, and wherein the deposition path is generated based at least in part on the at least one raster path, and wherein the deposition path comprises vertices located at different coordinates from vertices of the at least one raster path.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the deposition path comprises a plurality of vertices, and wherein each of the plurality of vertices includes data comprising a coordinate location and one of the deposition rates.

14. The method of claim 9, and further comprising:

depositing first deposition roads according to the generated build path to form at least the portion of the layer of the three-dimensional object having a cavity corresponding to the defined region; and

depositing a second deposition road in at least part of the cavity according to the generated deposition path.

15. A method of forming a three-dimensional object using an extrusion-based layered deposition system, the method comprising:

providing a build path based on a first road width resolution, the build path defining a region having dimensions that are smaller than the first road width resolution along at least one axis;

determining the dimensions of the region based on a second road width resolution that is higher than the first road width resolution; and

generating a plurality of vertices for a deposition path in the region, wherein each of the plurality of vertices includes data comprising a coordinate location and a deposition rate, the deposition rate being based on the determined dimensions of the region at the coordinate location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dimensions of the region vary along the at least one axis.

17. The method of claim 15, the plurality of vertices define a non-raster pattern.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the dimensions of the region comprises generating at least one raster path in the region based on the second road width resolution, wherein the plurality of vertices are generated based at least in part on the at least one raster path, and wherein the plurality of vertices are located at different coordinates from vertices of the at least one raster path.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first road width resolution ranges from 250 micrometers to 1,020 micrometers, and wherein the second road width resolution ranges from 50 micrometers to 200 micrometers.