Fabrication of objects with enhanced structural characteristics

• US 9,308,690 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2012
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MakerBot Industries, LLC (Ultimaker BV)
• Inventors: Boyer, Hugo, Douglas, Ariel, Pettis, Nathaniel B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, Darrin
• Application Number:
  US13/624,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20140039659A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,299 Days
• Field of Search: 703/1, 703/2, 700/31, 700/98, 700/117, 700/118, 700/119, 700/120, 700/182
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 64/10 Processes of additive manufacturing
• 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 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/118 using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• 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 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• 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: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing

Abstract

A source model describing a modeled object is identified. A preliminary fabrication model is automatically identified from the source model. A structural analysis of the fabrication model is automatically performed, resulting in the identification of a critical point and a corresponding failure mode at the critical point. The preliminary fabrication model is automatically modified to adjust the structural integrity of the modeled object with respect to the failure mode at the critical point, thereby producing an updated fabrication model. The object is printed on a three dimensional printer using the updated fabrication model.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying a source model describing a modeled object having an outer surface;

generating a preliminary fabrication model from the source model, the preliminary fabrication model including fabrication instructions for a three-dimensional printer to fabricate the modeled object based on the source model, the modeled object including a preliminary infill that fills interior space within the modeled object with an infill pattern;

automatically performing a structural analysis on the preliminary fabrication model, the structural analysis resulting in the identification of a critical point and a corresponding failure mode at the critical point;

automatically modifying the preliminary fabrication model without changing the outer surface of the modeled object to adjust the structural integrity of the modeled object with respect to the failure mode at the critical point, thereby producing an updated fabrication model including second fabrication instructions for the three-dimensional printer to fabricate the modeled object based on the source model; and

printing the modeled object on the three dimensional printer using the second fabrication instructions in the updated fabrication model.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the preliminary fabrication model includes using an algorithm to fill voids in the source model.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the preliminary fabrication model includes accounting for physical properties of the object that are not accounted for in the source model.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein identifying the preliminary fabrication model accounts for physical properties resulting from at least one manufacturing technique selected from the group consisting of fused deposition modeling, multijet printing, stereolithography, digital light processor printing, and selective laser sintering.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the preliminary fabrication model includes modifying the infill pattern.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the infill pattern includes adjusting an infill density.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein modifying the infill pattern includes altering the infill geometry.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the preliminary fabrication model includes adding a support structure.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying the preliminary fabrication model includes modifying a number of shells used to fabricate a portion of the modeled object.

10. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory bearing instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to;

identifying a source model describing a modeled object having an outer surface;

generating a preliminary fabrication model from the source model, the preliminary fabrication model including fabrication instructions for a three-dimensional printer to fabricate the modeled object based on the source model, the modeled object including a preliminary infill that fills interior space within the modeled object with an infill pattern;

automatically performing a structural analysis on the preliminary fabrication model, the structural analysis resulting in the identification of a critical point and a corresponding failure mode at the critical point;

automatically modifying the preliminary fabrication model without changing the outer surface of the modeled object to adjust the structural integrity of the modeled object with respect to the failure mode at the critical point, thereby producing an updated fabrication model including second fabrication instructions for the three-dimensional printer to fabricate the modeled object based on the source model; and

printing the modeled object on the three dimensional printer using the second fabrication instructions in the updated fabrication model.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein identifying the preliminary fabrication model includes using an algorithm to fill voids in the source model.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein identifying the preliminary fabrication model includes accounting for physical properties of the object that are not accounted for in the source model.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein identifying the preliminary fabrication model accounts for physical properties resulting from at least one manufacturing technique selected from the group consisting of fused deposition modeling, multijet printing, stereolithography, digital light processor printing, and selective laser sintering.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein modifying the preliminary fabrication model includes modifying the infill pattern.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein modifying the infill pattern includes adjusting an infill density.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein modifying the infill pattern includes altering the infill geometry.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein modifying the preliminary fabrication model includes adding a support structure.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein modifying the preliminary fabrication model includes modifying a number of shells used to fabricate a portion of the modeled object.

19. A nontransitory computer readable medium bearing instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

identify a source model describing a modeled object having an outer surface;

generate a preliminary fabrication model from the source model, the preliminary fabrication model including fabrication instructions for a three-dimensional printer to fabricate the modeled object based on the source model, the modeled object including a preliminary infill that fills interior space within the modeled object with an infill pattern;

automatically perform a structural analysis on the preliminary fabrication model, the structural analysis resulting in the identification of a critical point and a corresponding failure mode at the critical point;

automatically modify the preliminary fabrication model without changing the outer surface of the modeled object to adjust the structural integrity of the modeled object with respect to the failure mode at the critical point, thereby producing an updated fabrication model including second fabrication instructions for the three-dimensional printer to fabricate the modeled object based on the source model; and

print the modeled object on the three dimensional printer using the second fabrication instructions in the updated fabrication model.

20. The medium of claim 19, wherein identifying the preliminary fabrication model includes using an algorithm to fill voids in the source model.

21. The medium of claim 19, wherein identifying the preliminary fabrication model includes accounting for physical properties of the object that are not accounted for in the source model.

22. The medium of claim 21, wherein identifying the preliminary fabrication model accounts for physical properties resulting from at least one manufacturing technique selected from the group consisting of fused deposition modeling, multijet printing, stereolithography, digital light processor printing, and selective laser sintering.

23. The medium of claim 19, wherein modifying the preliminary fabrication model includes modifying the infill pattern.

24. The medium of claim 23, wherein modifying the infill pattern includes adjusting an infill density.

25. The medium of claim 23, wherein modifying the infill pattern includes altering the infill geometry.

26. The medium of claim 19, wherein modifying the preliminary fabrication model includes adding a support structure.

27. The medium of claim 19, wherein modifying the preliminary fabrication model includes modifying a number of shells used to fabricate a portion of the modeled object.