3D object fabrication methods and systems

• US 8,155,774 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/04/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Wu, Jeng-Feng, Chen, Chia-Chen, Lin, Hsien-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): Decady, Albert
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, DOUGLAS S
• Application Number:
  US11/982,857
• Publication Number:
  US 20090012640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,618 Days
• Field of Search: 700/98, 700/118, 700/119, 235/462.42, 235/462.43, 235/454, 433/213, 264/308
• US Class Current: 700/119
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/00 Additive manufacturing, i.e. manufacturing of three-dimensional [3D] objects by additive deposition, additive agglomeration or additive layering, e.g. by 3D printing, stereolithography or selective laser sintering
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/147 using sheet material, e.g. laminated object manufacturing [LOM] or laminating sheet material precut to local cross sections of the 3D object
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

A 3D object fabrication method implemented in a fabrication system includes the following steps. A digital object model is retrieved. Sections of the digital object model are respectively printed on plural pieces of plane material. The pieces of plane material are combined to form a physical 3D object of the digital object model.

Claims

1. A 3D object fabrication method, implemented in a 3D fabrication system comprising a printing device, comprising:

providing a plurality of pieces of plane material;

retrieving a digital object model;

generating a plurality of sections of the digital object model on a plurality of planes perpendicular to a vector;

printing each of the sections of the digital object model on a respective one of the plurality of pieces of plane material using the printing device; and

superposing the pieces of plane material on each other to form a physical 3D object of the digital object model, wherein each of the sections is composed of point data, and the printing step further comprises printing a color of a color pigment of the point data on the respective one of the pieces of plane material according to a color of a point data of a section.

2. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sections are respectively printed on the pieces of plane material using color pigments.

3. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pieces of plane material are transparent.

4. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

respectively projecting each of the sections onto each of a plurality of layouts; and

in the printing step, printing the layouts to the pieces of plane material.

5. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a section projected onto a layout comprises point data, further comprising:

forming an outline line of the digital object model on the layout using the point data of the layout; and

in the printing step, printing the outline line to the respective one of pieces of plane material.

6. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

determining the width of the outline line.

7. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

forming the outline line of the digital object model based on the point data using interpolation.

8. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a first point data of the section is projected on the layout to be a second point data, further comprising:

generating a color of the second point data according to a color of the first point data.

9. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the printing step further comprises:

outputting a locating mark to each piece of the plane material and superposing the pieces of plane material according to the locating marks on the pieces of plane material to construct the physical 3D object of the digital object model.

10. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining the vector.

11. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising determining distances between the planes.

14. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the digital object model is with a color pattern map.

15. The 3D object fabrication method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

cutting the pieces of plane material along outlines of the digital object model.

12. A 3D object fabrication system, comprising:

a plurality of pieces of plane material;

a computer device, retrieving a digital object model and generating a plurality of sections of the digital object model on a plurality of planes perpendicular to a vector; and

an output device, the output device comprising a print device configured to print each of the sections of the digital object on a respective one of the plurality of pieces of plane material, the output device configured to superpose the pieces of plane material to form a physical 3D object of the digital object model;

wherein each of the sections is composed of point data, and the print device is configured to print a color of a color pigment of the point data on the respective one of the pieces of plane material according to a color of a point data of a section.

13. The 3D object fabrication system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the pieces of plane material are transparent.