Method for building three-dimensional objects containing embedded inserts

• US 7,917,243 B2
• Filed: 01/08/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Inventors: Kozlak, David M., Holzwarth, Donald J., Batchelder, J. Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Shechtman; Sean P
• Application Number:
  US12/006,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20090174709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,176 Days
• Field of Search: 700/98, 700118-120, 700/182, 264/510, 264/512, 345419-420
• 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: 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 2111/12 Symbolic schematics
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/00 Manipulating 3D models or images for computer graphics

Abstract

A method for generating build sequence data for a computer-aided design model of a three-dimensional object, the method comprising identifying a location of an insert data representation in the computer-aided design model, slicing the computer-aided design model into a plurality of sliced layers, generating a plurality of support layers for at least a portion of the plurality of sliced layers, and generating an unfilled region in the computer-aided design model at the identified location of the insert data representation.

Claims

1. A method for generating build sequence data for a computer-aided design model of a three-dimensional object, with the use of a computer configured to communicate with a layer-based, additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

identifying a location of an insert data representation in the computer-aided design model;

slicing the computer-aided design model and the insert data representation into a plurality of sliced layers;

generating support layers for at least a portion of the plurality of sliced layers; and

subtracting, by said computer, a geometry of the insert data representation from the plurality of sliced layers at the identified location to generate an unfilled region in the computer-aided design model after generating the support layers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the unfilled region extends into the support layers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein slicing the computer-aided design model comprises generating at least one polyline for each of the plurality of sliced layers, and wherein subtracting the geometry of the insert data representation comprises modifying at least a portion of the polylines of plurality of sliced layers.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a geometry of the unfilled region.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising orienting the computer-aided design model in a spatial coordinate system prior to slicing the computer-aided design model.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a second location of a second insert data representation in the computer-aided design model; and

subtracting a geometry of the second insert data representation from the plurality of sliced layers at the identified second location to generate a second unfilled region in the computer-aided design model after the support layers are generated.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the insert data representation comprises a first data representation of a first insert and a second data representation of a crown insert configured to be placed vertically over at least a portion of the first insert.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating build paths for the plurality of sliced layers and the support layers, wherein the build paths do not enter the unfilled region.

9. A method for generating build sequence data with the use of a computer configured to communicate with a layer-based, additive manufacturing system, the method comprising:

receiving a computer-aided design model comprising an object data representation to the computer;

identifying a location of at least one insert data representation in the object data representation;

slicing the object data representation and the at least one insert data representation into a plurality of sliced layers;

generating support layers for at least a portion of the plurality of sliced layers; and

subtracting, by said computer, the at least one insert data representation from the object data representation at the identified location of the at least one insert data representation after generating the support layers.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising orienting the object data representation and the at least one insert data representation in a spatial coordinate system before slicing the object data representation and the at least one insert data representation.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one insert data representation comprises:

a first insert data representation having at least one non-planar surface; and

a second insert data representation having a first surface and a second surface,

wherein the first surface has dimensions that substantially match at least a portion of the at least one non-planar surface of the first insert data representation, and wherein the second surface is substantially planar.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising subtracting a geometry of a separate data representation from the geometry of the first insert data representation.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein subtracting the at least one insert data representation from the object data representation generates an unfilled region that extends partially into the object data representation and partially into the support layers.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising generating build paths for the plurality of sliced layers and the plurality of support layers after subtracting the at least one insert data representation from the object data representation.

15. A method for building a three-dimensional object from a computer-aided design model, the method comprising:

identifying a location of an insert data representation in the computer-aided design model;

slicing the computer-aided design model and the insert data representation into a plurality of sliced layers;

generating support layers for at least a portion of the plurality of sliced layers;

subtracting a geometry of the insert data representation from the computer-aided design model after the support layers are generated, thereby forming an unfilled region in the computer-aided design model;

forming a plurality of layers using a layer-based additive technique, the plurality of layers being based on at least one of the plurality of sliced layers and the support layers; and

placing an insert corresponding to insert data representations on at least one of the plurality of formed layers at a location corresponding to the unfilled region.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising orienting the computer-aided design model in a spatial coordinate system before slicing the computer-aided design model.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising modifying a geometry of the unfilled region prior to forming the plurality of layers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein modifying the geometry of the unfilled region comprises reducing a geometry of the insert data representation prior to subtracting the geometry of the insert data representation from the computer-aided design model.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

identifying a location of a second insert data representation in the computer-aided design model; and

subtracting a geometry of the second insert data representation from the computer-aided design model after the support layers are generated, thereby forming a second unfilled region in the computer-aided design model.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating build paths for the plurality of sliced layers and the support layers, wherein the build paths do not enter the unfilled region.