Platen planarizing process for additive manufacturing system

• US 9,802,360 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 10/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Stratasys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Stratsys Incorporated
• Inventors: LaBossiere, Joseph E., Bosveld, Michael D., Mannella, Dominic F., Swanson, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Fennema, Robert
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mia, Md N
• Application Number:
  US13/909,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20140358273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes

Abstract

A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising generating and printing a planarizing part having a substantially-planar top surface relative to a build plane, and a bottom surface that substantially mirrors a topography of a platen surface, and printing the three-dimensional part over the substantially-planar top surface of the printed planarizing part.

Claims

1. A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system having a platen with a platen surface, the method comprising:

measuring heights of multiple points of the platen surface, wherein the measured heights provide a mapped topography of the platen surface;

calculating a height of a planarizing part as a function of the measured heights;

generating a digital model of the planarizing part based on the calculated height and the mapped topography of the platen surface;

slicing the digital model of the planarizing part into multiple layers;

printing the planarizing part with the additive manufacturing system in a layer by layer manner based on the sliced generated digital model of the planarizing part, the printed planarizing part including a printed layer forming a substantially-planar top surface in a build plane, and one or more printed layers forming a bottom surface that contacts the platen surface and substantially mirrors the mapped topography of the platen surface, wherein the bottom surface of the printed planarization part is non-parallel to the top surface of the printed planarizing part; and

printing the three-dimensional part on the substantially-planar top surface of the printed planarizing part.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple points of the platen surface are located within a bounding box of the three-dimensional part.

3. The method of claim 1, and further comprising heating at least the platen to one or more operating temperatures prior to measuring the heights.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the height of the planarizing part as a function of the measured heights comprises:

determining a peak height of the measured heights; and

calculating the height of the planarizing part as a function of the determined peak height and at least one slice thickness for the planarizing part.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein calculating the height of the planarizing part comprises an equation as follows:

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the preselected integer A is one, and wherein n is one.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring the heights of the multiple points of the platen surface is performed after receiving a digital model of the three-dimensional part, and prior to printing the three-dimensional part.

8. The method of claim 1, and further comprising printing a support structure for the three-dimensional onto the substantially-planar top surface of the printed planarizing part, wherein the three-dimensional part is at least partially printed onto the support structure.

9. A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system having a platen with a platen surface, the method comprising:

measuring heights of multiple points of the platen surface, wherein the measured heights provide a mapped topography of the platen surface;

determining a peak height based on the measured heights;

calculating a height for a planarizing part as a function of the determined peak height and at least one slice thickness for the planarizing part;

generating a digital model of the planarizing part having a substantially-planar top surface at the calculated height, and a bottom surface that mirrors the mapped topography of the platen surface;

slicing the digital model of the planarizing part into multiple layers; and

printing the planarizing part in a layer by layer manner with the additive manufacturing system based on the generated and sliced digital model of the planarizing part, the printed planarizing part including a substantially-planar top surface in a build plane, and a bottom surface that contacts the platen surface and substantially mirrors the mapped topography of the platen surface, wherein the bottom surface of the printed planarization part is non-parallel to the top surface of the printed planarizing part.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising printing at least one of the three-dimensional part and a support structure for the three-dimensional part onto the printed planarizing part.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the multiple points of the platen surface are located within a bounding box of at least one of the three-dimensional part and the support structure.

12. The method of claim 9, and further comprising slicing the digital model of the planarizing part into a number of layers, wherein the number of layers varies with the mapped topography of the platen surface.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein calculating the height of the planarizing part comprises an equation as follows:

14. An object printed with an additive manufacturing system having a platen with a platen surface, the object comprising:

a three-dimensional part;

optionally, a support structure for the three-dimensional part, wherein the three-dimensional part and the optional support structure have a bounding box in a build plane; and

a planarizing part comprising;

a top surface on which one or both of the three-dimensional part and the optional support structure are printed, wherein the top surface is formed by a printed layer and is substantially planar in the build plane;

a bottom surface that contacts the platen surface and substantially mirrors a topography of the platen surface, wherein the bottom surface is formed of one or more printed layers and is non-parallel to the top surface of the planarizing part; and

a cross-section in the build plane defined at least in part by the bounding box.

15. The object of claim 14, wherein the planarizing part is formed of a plurality of printed layers, each printed layer having a layer thickness, and the top surface of the planarizing part has a height that is at least one layer thickness greater than a peak height of the platen surface within the bounding box.

16. The object of claim 15, wherein the at least one layer thickness is one layer thickness.

17. The object of claim 14, wherein the three-dimensional part and the planarizing part are printed with different layer thicknesses.

18. The object of claim 14, wherein the planarizing part and the three-dimensional part are printed from the same part material.

19. The object of claim 14, wherein at least a portion of the planarizing part is printed from a soluble support material.