Exposure control method and three-dimensional printing equipment

Abstract

The invention relates to an exposure control method and three-dimensional printing equipment, and aims to solve the technical problem that the integrity of a main body model is seriously affected due to the fact that the difficulty of removing a supporting structure model after printing is at least high. The method comprises the following steps: acquiring main body model data and support model data of a model slice; the main body model data comprises a first area occupied by the main body model, and the support model data comprises a second area occupied by the support model; according to a region overlapping condition between the first region and the second region, fusing the main body model data and the support model data to obtain fused data; the fusion data comprises a first target area and a second target area; and the printing material of the first target area is exposed according to the first exposure energy, and the printing material of the second target area is exposed according to the second exposure energy.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of 3D printing, and in particular to an exposure control method and a 3D printing device. Background Art

[0002] In the 3D printing process, especially when using photocuring technology (such as SLA, DLP, LCD, etc.), the design and printing of the support structure model is very critical, especially when it is necessary to print models with complex geometric shapes or suspended parts, the support structure model is the key to ensuring printing accuracy. In the current exposure method, the support structure model of each slice layer is exposed to the same exposure energy as the main model, and then after the entire model is printed, the support structure model is removed from the main model to obtain the main model. The above-mentioned exposure control method of uniformly exposing the main model and the support structure model will make it difficult to remove the support structure model after printing is completed, which will seriously affect the integrity of the main model. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention provides an exposure control method and a three-dimensional printing device to at least solve the technical problem in the related art that it is difficult to remove the support structure model after printing is completed, which will seriously affect the integrity of the main model. The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0004] According to a first aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, an exposure control method is provided, the method comprising: acquiring main model data and supporting model data of a model slice; the main model data comprising a first area occupied by the main model, and the supporting model data comprising a second area occupied by the supporting model; based on an area overlap between the first area and the second area, fusing the main model data and the supporting model data to obtain fused data; the fused data comprising a first target area and a second target area; exposing a printed material in the first target area according to a first exposure energy, and exposing the printed material in the second target area according to a second exposure energy.

[0005] As an implementation method, the main model data and the supporting model data are fused according to the overlap between the first area and the second area to obtain fused data, including: marking the first area with a first identifier, and marking the second area with a second identifier; based on the first identifier and the second identifier, determining the overlapping area between the first area and the second area, and determining the third area; the third area represents the area outside the overlapping area in the second area; the third area is outside the first area; on the first area, re-marking the overlapping area with the second identifier, and marking the third area with the second identifier to obtain the first target area and the second target area respectively; wherein the first target area is the area marked with the first identifier; the second target area is the area marked with the second identifier.

[0006] The first mark, the second mark and the third mark can be different grayscales, different colors, different dividing lines and other different regional spatial distinguishing marks. The first mark is represented by the first grayscale; the second mark is represented by the second grayscale; the third mark is represented by the third grayscale. The first mark is represented by the first color; the second mark is represented by the second color; the third mark is represented by the third color.

[0007] In another implementation, after the third area is determined, the method further includes: determining the first area as a first target area; and marking the third area with a second identifier on the first area to obtain a second target area.

[0008] In another implementation, the first identifier is represented by a first grayscale; the second identifier is represented by a second grayscale; after the third area is confirmed, the method further includes: on the first area, re-marking the overlapping area with the second identifier, and marking the third area with the third identifier, so as to obtain the first target area, the second target area and the third target area respectively; wherein the third identifier is represented by a third grayscale, the first target area is the area marked with the first identifier, the second target area is the area marked with the second identifier, and the third target area is the area marked with the third identifier;

[0009] The method further includes: exposing the printing material in the third target area according to a third exposure energy, where the third exposure energy is greater than the second exposure energy.

[0010] In another implementation, a printed material in a first target area is exposed according to a first exposure energy, and a printed material in a second target area is exposed according to a second exposure energy, including: determining a first target exposure intensity at a first preset exposure time under the first exposure energy; exposing the printed material in the first target area for a first preset exposure time according to the first target exposure intensity; and determining a second target exposure intensity at a second preset exposure time under the second exposure energy; exposing the printed material in the second target area for a second preset exposure time according to the second target exposure intensity.

[0011] In another implementation, the first preset exposure intensity is equal to the second preset exposure intensity, and the first exposure time is less than the second exposure time. The method further includes: determining the time difference between the first exposure time and the second exposure time as a third exposure time; exposing the printed materials of the first target area and the second target area simultaneously for the first exposure time according to the first preset exposure intensity; stopping exposing the printed materials of the first target area, and exposing the printed materials of the second target area for the third exposure time according to the first preset exposure intensity.

[0012] In another implementation, the first preset exposure time is equal to the second preset exposure time, and the first target exposure intensity is less than the second target exposure intensity. The method further includes: printing materials in a first target area according to the first target exposure intensity, and printing materials in a second target area according to the second target exposure intensity, and simultaneously exposing the first preset exposure time.

[0013] In another implementation, before obtaining the main model data and supporting model data of the model slice, the method also includes: marking the main model contour and the supporting model contour of the three-dimensional model respectively; rendering and cutting the marked main model contour according to the first mark, and the marked supporting model contour according to the second mark, to obtain the main model data and supporting model data of each model slice accordingly.

[0014] In another implementation, the exposure energy is positively correlated with the grayscale; the exposure energy is linearly positively correlated with the exposure time and the exposure intensity, respectively; before obtaining the main model data and the support model data of the model slice, the method also includes: determining the support height occupied by the support model in the three-dimensional model; determining the second grayscale according to the first grayscale and the support height. In view of the fact that the stability of the support structure is related to the main model and the support height, and whether the support structure is easy to detach from the main model is related to the energy difference between the first exposure energy and the second exposure energy. Therefore, the exposure energy represented by the second grayscale is related to the exposure energy and the support height represented by the first grayscale. In this way, the second grayscale is determined based on the correlation mapping relationship between the exposure energy indicated by the second grayscale and the exposure energy and the support height indicated by the first grayscale.

[0015] According to a second aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, an exposure control device is provided, which includes: an acquisition unit, used to acquire main model data and support model data of a model slice; the main model data includes a first area occupied by the main model, and the support model data includes a second area occupied by the support model; a fusion unit, used to fuse the main model data and the support model data according to the area overlap between the first area and the second area to obtain fused data; the fused data includes a first target area and a second target area; an exposure unit, used to expose the printed material of the first target area according to a first exposure energy, and to expose the printed material of the second target area according to a second exposure energy.

[0016] According to a third aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a printing device is provided, and the printing device can execute any exposure control method as described in the first aspect.

[0017] According to a fourth aspect of an embodiment of the present invention, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which instructions are stored. When the instructions in the computer-readable storage medium are executed by a processor of a printing device, the printing device is enabled to execute the exposure control method of the first aspect.

[0018] The technical solution provided by the embodiment of the present invention brings at least the following beneficial effects: first, distinguish the first area and the second area occupied by the main model and the support model in each model slice, respectively, and obtain the main model data and the support model data accordingly. Then, according to the overlap of the above two areas, perform regional fusion processing on the above main model data and the support model data to obtain fused data, so that the fused data includes both the first target area occupied by the main model and the second target area occupied by the support model. Based on this, the printed materials of the first target area and the second target area are accurately exposed according to different exposure energies, respectively, so as to separate and expose the main model and the support model in a targeted manner based on the different exposure energies indicated by the first target area and the second target area. In this way, by characterizing different areas with different exposure energies, the separate exposure of the support model and the printed main model is further finely controlled to ensure that the support structure can be smoothly removed after printing is completed, without affecting the integrity of the main model, and at the same time, the stability of the support for the main model during the printing process can be guaranteed.

[0019] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The drawings herein are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the description are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure, and do not constitute improper limitations on the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 1 is a flow chart of an exposure control method according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a data fusion process according to an exemplary embodiment is shown Figure 1 ;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a data fusion process according to an exemplary embodiment is shown Figure 2 ;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a data fusion process according to an exemplary embodiment is shown Figure 3 ;

[0025] Figure 5A schematic diagram of a data fusion process according to an exemplary embodiment is shown Figure 4 ;

[0026] Figure 6 A schematic diagram of a data fusion process according to an exemplary embodiment is shown Figure 5 ;

[0027] Figure 7 is a block diagram of an exposure control device according to an exemplary embodiment;

[0028] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of another exposure control device according to an exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to enable ordinary persons in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0030] It should be noted that the terms "first", "second", etc. in the specification and claims of the present disclosure and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchanged where appropriate, so that the embodiments of the present disclosure described herein can be implemented in an order other than those illustrated or described herein. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with some aspects of the present disclosure as detailed in the appended claims.

[0031] Before introducing the exposure control method provided in the embodiment of the present application in detail, the application scenarios involved in the embodiment of the present application are briefly introduced.

[0032] In the 3D printing process, especially when using photocuring technology (such as SLA, DLP, LCD, etc.), the design and printing of the support structure model is very critical, especially when it is necessary to print models with complex geometric shapes or suspended parts. The support structure model is the key to ensuring printing accuracy. In the current exposure method, the support structure model of each slice layer is exposed to the same exposure energy as the main model, and then the support structure model is removed from the main model after the entire model is printed to obtain the main model. The above-mentioned exposure control method of uniformly exposing the main model and the support structure model will make it difficult to remove the support structure model after printing is completed, which will seriously affect the integrity of the main model.

[0033] In view of the above problems, the present application provides an exposure control method, which first distinguishes the first area and the second area occupied by the main model and the supporting model in each model slice, respectively, and obtains the main model data and the supporting model data accordingly. Then, according to the overlap of the above two areas, the above main model data and the supporting model data are subjected to regional fusion processing to obtain fused data, so that the fused data includes both the first target area occupied by the main model and the second target area occupied by the supporting model.

[0034] Based on this, the printed materials of the first target area and the second target area are accurately exposed according to different exposure energies, so as to separate and expose the main model and the support model in a targeted manner based on the different exposure energies indicated by the first target area and the second target area. In this way, by characterizing different areas with different exposure energies, the separate exposure of the support model and the printed main model is further finely controlled to ensure that the support structure can be removed smoothly after printing is completed, without affecting the integrity of the main model, and at the same time, the stability of the support for the main model during the printing process can be guaranteed.

[0035] For ease of understanding, the following takes the exposure control method applied to a printing device or an exposure control device as an example, and describes the exposure control method provided by the present application in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the exposure control method can be used in a three-dimensional printing device with an exposure control function.

[0036] In some embodiments, the three-dimensional printing device may be a photo-curing 3D printing device.

[0037] Figure 1 is a flow chart of an exposure control method according to an exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, applied to a three-dimensional printing device, the exposure control method includes:

[0038] S11, obtaining main model data and supporting model data of the model slice.

[0039] The above-mentioned multiple model slices constitute a three-dimensional model.

[0040] The main model data includes a first area occupied by the main model, and the supporting model data includes a second area occupied by the supporting model in the model slice.

[0041] The above support model is also called support structure or support structure model.

[0042] In some embodiments, the subject model data includes a subject model rendering. The support model data includes a support model rendering. The subject model rendering includes a first region represented by a first grayscale. The support model rendering includes a second region represented by a second grayscale.

[0043] S12, according to the overlap between the first area and the second area, the main model data and the supporting model data are merged to obtain fused data.

[0044] The fused data includes a first target area and a second target area.

[0045] The fusion data may include a fusion image or a fusion map, a coordinate range, etc.

[0046] Specifically, the first area of ​​the main model rendering image and the second area of ​​the support model rendering image are fused to obtain a fused image of the fused data.

[0047] The first area and the second area may be represented by corresponding first identification and second identification.

[0048] The first mark, the second mark and the third mark can be marks for distinguishing different area spaces, such as different grayscales, different colors, and different dividing lines.

[0049] Exemplarily, the first mark is represented by a first grayscale, the second mark is represented by a second grayscale, and the third mark is represented by a third grayscale. The first mark is represented by a first color, the second mark is represented by a second color, and the third mark is represented by a third color.

[0050] S13, exposing the printing material in the first target area according to the first exposure energy, and exposing the printing material in the second target area according to the second exposure energy.

[0051] The printing material of the first target area is used to accurately expose the printing material of the main model. The printing material of the second target area is used to accurately expose the printing material of the support model.

[0052] In some embodiments, the above S13 is specifically implemented in the following manner: exposing the resin in the area where the printed main model is located according to the first exposure energy indicated by the first target grayscale in the fusion data, and exposing the resin in the area where the printed support model is located according to the second exposure energy indicated by the second target grayscale in the fusion data.

[0053] The first grayscale and the second grayscale can represent different exposure energies to a certain extent. The first exposure energy and the second exposure energy can be energies adapted to the first grayscale and the second grayscale respectively set according to user needs, or can be determined according to the mapping relationship between exposure energy and grayscale, which is not specifically limited in this application.

[0054] The above exposure energy is positively correlated with the grayscale; the exposure energy is linearly positively correlated with the exposure time and the exposure intensity, respectively.

[0055] It is understood that in the process of photocuring 3D printing, the exposure intensity and exposure time of the printing material are the two main factors controlling the curing of the printing material (such as resin curing). Higher exposure intensity and longer exposure time will make the printing material such as resin cure more fully.

[0056] In short, the curing degree of the printed material is positively correlated with the exposure intensity and exposure time of the printed material, that is, the curing degree of the printed material is positively correlated with the exposure energy, wherein the exposure energy is the product of the exposure intensity and the exposure time.

[0057] During the layering process, a grayscale image of each slice model is generated. The grayscale value of the grayscale image is usually between 0 (black) and 255 (white). Under the premise that the light source emits light of the same energy, a higher grayscale value means that the curing material that needs to be exposed can obtain a stronger exposure intensity. The slice model includes the main model and the support model.

[0058] For example, if the gray value of the main model is closer to 255, under the above premise, it means that the resin corresponding to the main model to be cured can obtain stronger light. The gray value of the support structure is closer to 0, which means that the support structure to be cured obtains weaker light.

[0059] The intensity and distribution of light are used to achieve selective curing of the printed material. When processing support structures and main models, it is usually necessary to apply different lighting conditions (such as intensity, lighting time, etc.) to different parts to ensure the accuracy and quality of printing.

[0060] The following is an explanation of how to adjust the exposure intensity.

[0061] The exposure intensity is affected by the light intensity of the light source and the transmittance of the display screen, and the transmittance of the display screen is affected by the grayscale of the screen. The larger the grayscale, the better the transmittance.

[0062] It is understandable that under the premise of a certain light intensity, the greater the grayscale, the higher the transmittance, and the greater the exposure intensity received by the printed material.

[0063] When the grayscale is fixed, the exposure intensity is adjusted by adjusting the light intensity. For example, when the exposure intensity required for the printed material is constant, the grayscale is fixed and the transmittance can also be fixed, and then the target light intensity required to provide the exposure intensity is further determined based on the fixed required exposure intensity and transmittance, so as to adjust the current light intensity of the light source to the above-determined target light intensity.

[0064] In some embodiments, the illumination intensity of the light source is adjusted by controlling the illumination power of the light source, for example, increasing the illumination power increases the illumination intensity of the light source, and decreasing the illumination power decreases the illumination intensity of the light source.

[0065] Specifically, if the current light intensity is less than the target light intensity, the current light power is increased; if the current light intensity is greater than the target light intensity, the current light power is reduced; if the current light intensity is equal to the target light intensity, the current light power is kept unchanged.

[0066] Based on the above adjustment method, after the exposure intensity is adjusted to the required target exposure intensity, that is, the target exposure intensity is constant, and the target exposure energy to be provided is also constant, the target exposure time required to be provided can be derived. The target exposure time can be controlled by the illumination time, that is, the longer the light source projects light to the screen, the longer the light source continuously exposes the printed material through the screen, that is, the target exposure time of a certain area of ​​the printed material is the same as the illumination time received by the area.

[0067] Therefore, when the grayscale is constant, the exposure intensity and exposure time can be adjusted accordingly by adjusting the light intensity and the light exposure time, so that the printed material can obtain the required exposure energy. Given that the first area and the second area can be represented by different grayscales, the first target area in the fused data is represented by the first target grayscale, and the second target area is represented by the second target grayscale.

[0068] The fusion process in the above step S12 is explained as follows through the following three fusion methods.

[0069] As a first fusion method, the above step S12 specifically includes: marking the first area with a first identifier, and marking the second area with a second identifier; based on the first identifier and the second identifier, determining the overlapping area between the first area and the second area, and determining the third area; the third area represents the area outside the overlapping area in the second area; the third area is outside the first area; on the first area, re-marking the overlapping area with the second identifier, and marking the third area with the second identifier to obtain the first target area and the second target area respectively; wherein the first target area is the area marked with the first identifier; the second target area is the area marked with the second identifier.

[0070] Specifically, in combination with the following three fusion scenarios, the first fusion method of embedding the supporting model data into the main model data is explained as follows.

[0071] In the first fusion scenario, the second area completely overlaps with the first area, that is, the first area completely includes the second area, and the overlapping area is re-marked with the second identifier on the first area to obtain fused data. The fused data includes the overlapping area and the area outside the overlapping area in the first area. The overlapping area is represented by the second identifier, and the area outside the overlapping area in the first area is represented by the first identifier.

[0072] like Figure 2As shown, the first area is marked with the first grayscale, the second area is marked with the second grayscale, the area outside the overlapped area in the first area in the fused data is the first target area, and the overlapped area is the second target area. In addition, the first target area is the area marked with the first grayscale, and the second target area is the area marked with the second grayscale.

[0073] like Figure 2 In the fusion scene shown, the areas occupied by the main model and the supporting model in the model slice only overlap, that is, the supporting structure only supports the main model of the model slice. The supporting structure only includes the supporting area or contact area supporting the main model, that is, the first area and the second area only overlap.

[0074] In view of the fact that there is support for the main model in the fusion scene, the overlapping area in the first area is directly refilled with the second grayscale.

[0075] In the second fusion scenario, the second area and the first area do not overlap at all, then on the first area, a third area outside the first area is marked with a second identifier to obtain fusion data. The fusion data includes the first area (i.e., the first target area represented by the first identifier) ​​and the second area (i.e., the second target area represented by the second identifier).

[0076] like Figure 3 As shown, the first area is marked with a first grayscale, the second area is marked with a second grayscale, and the first area in the fused data is a first target area, and the second area is a second target area.

[0077] In this model slice, the area occupied by the main model and the support model does not overlap, that is, the support structure only supports the main model of other model slices, but does not support the main model of this model slice, so the second area and the first area occupy completely different areas. In this case, the third area is all the second area, so the fused data includes the first area and the second area, and the first area is represented by the first grayscale, and the second area is represented by the second grayscale.

[0078] The existence of the third region indicates that the support structure supports the main model of other model slices.

[0079] In the third fusion scenario, the second area partially overlaps with the first area, then the overlapping area is re-marked with the second identifier on the first area, and the third area is marked with the second identifier to obtain the fusion data. The fusion data includes the overlapping area, the area outside the overlapping area in the first area, and the area outside the overlapping area in the second area. The first identifier is used to represent the area outside the overlapping area in the first area, and the second identifier is used to represent the area outside the overlapping area in the second area.

[0080] like Figure 4 As shown, the first area is marked with a first grayscale, and the second area is marked with a second grayscale. In this fused scene, the area occupied by the main model and the supporting model in the model slice has both overlapping areas and a third area, that is, the supporting structure supports the main models of the model slice and other model slices. In this case, the fused data includes the overlapping area, the area other than the overlapping area in the first area, and the third area.

[0081] The overlapped area is characterized by the second grayscale, the area outside the overlapped area in the first area is characterized by the first grayscale, and the third area is characterized by the second grayscale. In addition, the area outside the overlapped area in the first area is the first target area, and the area outside the overlapped area and the overlapped area in the second area are the second target area. The first target area is the area marked with the first grayscale; the second target area is the area marked with the second grayscale.

[0082] like Figure 5 As shown, the third area is an area belonging to the second area and not overlapping with the first area, and the third area represents an area occupied by a support structure used to support a main model of other model slices.

[0083] In this embodiment, the support model data of the support structure is directly embedded into the main model data of the main model, and a fusion image including the main model and the support model rendered in two different grayscales is obtained, thereby embedding the second area in the support model data into the first area in the main model data, without distinguishing whether the support model is inside or outside the outline of the main model.

[0084] It is understandable that in the third fusion scenario, the second area of ​​the support structure includes an overlapping area and a third area. Among them, the support structure represented by the overlapping area is used to support the main model of the current slice layer; the support structure represented by the third area is used to support the main model of other slice layers. Compared with the support structure in the overlapping area with the main model, the support structure in the third area has a higher support height and requires a greater support force, that is, a higher degree of solidification is required.

[0085] As a second fusion method, the above step S12 specifically also includes: after confirming the third area, determining the first area as the first target area; marking the third area with a second identifier on the first area to obtain the second target area.

[0086] like Figure 6 As shown, the third area is determined; based on the first area, the third area is filled with the second grayscale to obtain fused data. In the fused data, the first area is represented by the first grayscale, and the third area is represented by the second grayscale.

[0087] It can be understood that the fusion map includes the first region and the third region, that is, in this case, the first region included in the main model data is completely retained, and only the third region in the support model data is partially retained.

[0088] For the supporting model, which supports the main model of other model slices, that is, regardless of whether the supporting model supports the main model of the model slice, whether the first area and the second area overlap is not considered, and the first area directly replaces the area other than the third area in the second area.

[0089] In this embodiment, the existence of the third region indicates that the support structure in this region requires a greater support force. Compared with the support structure in the region overlapping with the main model, the support structure in the third region requires higher energy for exposure. Therefore, by distinguishing the third region of the support model outside the main model contour and setting the support model in the third region to a higher second target grayscale, the stability of the support for the model in this region is ensured, thereby ensuring the printing accuracy.

[0090] As a third fusion method, the first identifier is represented by a first grayscale; the second identifier is represented by a second grayscale; after confirming the third area, the method also includes: on the first area, re-marking the overlapping area with the second identifier, and marking the third area with the third identifier to obtain the first target area, the second target area and the third target area respectively.

[0091] The third identifier is represented by a third grayscale, the first target area is an area marked with the first identifier, the second target area is an area marked with the second identifier, and the third target area is an area marked with the third identifier.

[0092] In this fusion method, the third target area is the third area.

[0093] In a specific embodiment, in combination Figure 4 ,Will Figure 4 At the same time, the first grayscale of the overlapping area of ​​the first area is removed, and then the overlapping area is filled with the second grayscale to obtain fused data, so that the fused data includes the first target area indicated by the first grayscale, the second target area indicated by the second grayscale, and the third target area indicated by the third grayscale.

[0094] Based on the third fusion method, for the third target area: the printed material of the third target area is exposed according to a third exposure energy, and the third exposure energy is greater than the second exposure energy.

[0095] In this implementation, for the third fusion scenario, in order to ensure the differentiated solidification of different support structures on the same slice, the first grayscale of the overlapping area in the main model data is removed, and the overlapping area is refilled with the second grayscale; and the third area is filled with the third grayscale to obtain fused data. And the third grayscale of the third area is greater than the second grayscale of the overlapping area, so that the support structure of the third area has better support force, so as to achieve differentiated support for the support structure of the main model of the current slice layer and the support structure of the main model of other slice layers.

[0096] In the above implementation, the main model and the support model in each model slice are rendered in different areas by using the first grayscale and the second grayscale, and then the main model data and the support model data after the partition rendering are fused, so that the fused data includes both the main model area represented by the first target grayscale and the support model area represented by the second target grayscale, thereby accurately exposing the main model of each model slice based on the first target grayscale in the fused data, and accurately exposing the support model of each model slice based on the second target grayscale in the fused data, so that the main model and the support model are exposed separately and specifically based on the different exposure energies indicated by the first target grayscale and the second target grayscale. In this way, by finely controlling the separate exposure of the support model and the printed main model based on different grayscales representing different exposure energies, it is ensured that the support structure can be removed smoothly after printing is completed, without affecting the integrity of the main model, and at the same time, the stability of the support for the main model during the printing process can be ensured.

[0097] In some embodiments of the present application, model data is represented by different grayscales, which is mainly achieved through a display screen or other display devices. The above-mentioned exposure energy may refer to the energy of light emitted by a light source that acts on the material to be cured (such as resin) after passing through a display screen or display device displaying different grayscales.

[0098] As an exposure method, the above-mentioned step S13 separation exposure process is specifically implemented through the following steps: determining a first exposure time at a first preset exposure intensity under a first exposure energy; exposing the printed material of the first target area for a first exposure time according to the first preset exposure intensity; and determining a second exposure time at a second preset exposure intensity under a second exposure energy; exposing the printed material of the second target area for a second exposure time according to the second preset exposure intensity.

[0099] Given that a higher grayscale value indicates a greater required exposure energy, that is, the exposure intensity and exposure time are positively correlated with the grayscale value, the exposure intensity and exposure time are adjusted based on the grayscale to achieve the degree of curing represented by the required exposure energy, where the exposure energy is the product of the exposure intensity and the exposure time.

[0100] The following is an explanation of how to adjust the exposure intensity.

[0101] First, by controlling the light intensity of the light source, the exposure intensity received by the printing material is adjusted. Wherein, under the condition of a certain exposure time, the higher the gray value is set, the greater the light intensity of the light source is, and the greater the exposure intensity received by the printing material is.

[0102] Specifically, the illumination intensity of the light source can be adjusted by controlling the illumination power and illumination projection frequency of the light source. For example, increasing the illumination power increases the illumination intensity of the light source, and decreasing the illumination power decreases the illumination intensity of the light source.

[0103] Second, by adjusting the grayscale value of the screen to control the transmittance of the light source through the screen, the exposure intensity of the light received by the printed material is adjusted. Among them, when the exposure time is constant, the higher the grayscale value, the higher the light transmittance and the greater the exposure intensity.

[0104] Specifically, under certain light intensity conditions, the exposure intensity is affected by the light transmittance represented by the grayscale value of the screen. The higher the grayscale value, the higher the light transmittance and the greater the exposure intensity.

[0105] The following is an explanation of how to adjust the exposure time.

[0106] If the screen grayscale and transmittance are kept constant, the exposure time of the printed material can be adjusted directly by controlling the illumination time of the light source. Among them, when the exposure intensity and transmittance are constant, the longer the illumination time, the greater the exposure energy.

[0107] After reaching the detection exposure energy, the grayscale of the screen is adjusted to the minimum (black), that is, the transmittance is 0, so that the lighting time and exposure time can be controlled.

[0108] In some embodiments, energy can also be provided based on illumination of a certain illumination intensity and a certain illumination time, and a correlation mapping relationship between the exposure intensity and exposure time received under different transmittances represented by different grayscales, and the illumination time, illumination intensity, grayscale, exposure intensity and exposure time can be comprehensively considered to determine the purpose of achieving the first exposure energy and the second exposure energy.

[0109] Optionally, in order to simplify the exposure control process and reduce the control steps, the light intensity is set to a fixed light intensity. When the light intensity is constant, the exposure intensity corresponding to each grayscale is constant under different grayscales. Therefore, by controlling the exposure time, a curing intensity represented by a certain exposure energy can be achieved.

[0110] Optionally, in order to make the control more flexible, the grayscale is set to be positively correlated with the exposure energy. When the exposure energy is constant, the grayscale is constant. The transmittance controls the exposure intensity by controlling the light intensity of the light source, and controls the exposure time by controlling the light time of the light source.

[0111] The first preset exposure intensity and the second preset exposure intensity may be set according to user needs, or may be determined according to a mapping relationship between exposure intensity and grayscale, and this application does not make any specific limitation on this.

[0112] In this embodiment, in view of the linear positive correlation between exposure energy, exposure time and exposure intensity, when the exposure energy and exposure intensity are constant, the exposure time is also constant. Based on this, by determining the exposure intensity under different target grayscales, the exposure time is adjusted to achieve separate exposure of the support structure and the main model.

[0113] As another exposure method, the above-mentioned step S13 separation exposure process is specifically implemented through the following steps: determining a first target exposure intensity corresponding to a first preset exposure time under a first exposure energy; exposing the printed material of a first target area for a first preset exposure time according to the first target exposure intensity; and determining a second target exposure intensity corresponding to a second preset exposure time under a second exposure energy; exposing the printed material of a second target area for a second preset exposure time according to the second target exposure intensity.

[0114] The first preset exposure time and the second preset exposure time may be set according to user requirements, or may be determined according to a mapping relationship between exposure time and grayscale, and this application does not make any specific limitation on this.

[0115] In this embodiment, in view of the linear positive correlation between exposure energy, exposure time and exposure intensity, when the exposure energy and exposure time are constant, the exposure intensity is also constant. Based on this, by determining the exposure time under the target area with different marks, the exposure intensity is adjusted to achieve separate exposure of the support structure and the main model.

[0116] Based on the above exposure method, as another exposure method, the first preset exposure intensity is equal to the second preset exposure intensity, and the first exposure time is less than the second exposure time. The above step S13 separating the exposure process can also be implemented through the following steps: determining the time difference between the first exposure time and the second exposure time as the third exposure time; exposing the printed materials of the first target area and the second target area simultaneously for the first exposure time according to the first preset exposure intensity; stopping exposing the printed material of the first target area, and exposing the printed material of the second target area for the third exposure time according to the first preset exposure intensity.

[0117] In order to improve the supporting strength, the first exposure time is set to be shorter than the second exposure time.

[0118] In this embodiment, in order to reduce the number of control parameters in the exposure control process, the first preset exposure intensity and the second preset exposure intensity are set to be equal, and only the exposure time needs to be controlled separately. At the same time, in order to shorten the exposure control time, the main body model and the supporting structure are exposed simultaneously according to the first exposure time and the first exposure intensity with the shorter required exposure time, and then the exposure of only the supporting structure is extended to the second exposure time.

[0119] Based on the above exposure method, as another exposure method, the first preset exposure time is equal to the second preset exposure time, and the first target exposure intensity is less than the second target exposure intensity. The above step S13 separation exposure process can also be implemented through the following steps: exposing the printed material of the first target area according to the first target exposure intensity, and exposing the printed material of the second target area according to the second target exposure intensity, and exposing the first preset exposure time at the same time.

[0120] In order to improve the supporting strength, the first target exposure intensity is set to be smaller than the second target exposure intensity.

[0121] In this embodiment, in order to reduce the number of control parameters in the exposure control process and shorten the exposure control time, the first preset exposure time and the second preset exposure time are set equal, and only the exposure intensity needs to be controlled separately. In this way, the main model and the support structure are exposed for the first preset exposure time at the same time according to the first target exposure intensity and the second target exposure intensity, respectively, so that the separate exposure of the two can be achieved quickly and accurately.

[0122] As a data generation method, before executing the above step S11, the main model data and the support model data can also be generated by the following steps: marking the main model contour and the support model contour of the three-dimensional model respectively; rendering and cutting the marked main model contour according to the first grayscale and the marked support model contour according to the second grayscale, and obtaining the main model data and the support model data of each model slice.

[0123] In this embodiment, the main model contour and the support model contour of the entire three-dimensional model are marked respectively by different identification methods, and are rendered and cut according to different grayscales to achieve the separate acquisition of the main model data and the support model data of each model slice.

[0124] As another implementation, before executing step S11, the first grayscale and the second grayscale in the main model data and the support model data can also be determined by the following steps: determining the support height occupied by the support model in the three-dimensional model; and determining the second grayscale based on the first grayscale and the support height.

[0125] In view that the stability of the support structure is related to the main body model and the support height, and whether the support structure is easy to be separated from the main body model is related to the energy difference between the first exposure energy and the second exposure energy. Therefore, the exposure energy represented by the second grayscale is related to the exposure energy represented by the first grayscale and the support height. In this way, the second grayscale is determined based on the correlation mapping relationship between the exposure energy indicated by the second grayscale and the exposure energy indicated by the first grayscale and the support height.

[0126] In some embodiments, the correlation mapping relationship between the exposure energy indicated by the second grayscale and the exposure energy and support height indicated by the first grayscale is obtained through training based on historical sample data. The historical sample data includes the first historical grayscale indicating the first historical exposure energy, the second historical grayscale indicating the second historical exposure energy, and the historical support height of the corresponding support structure corresponding to the printed main body model with a print quality higher than a preset print quality.

[0127] In order to realize the above functions, the exposure control device includes hardware structures and / or software modules corresponding to the execution of each function. It should be easy for those skilled in the art to realize that, in combination with the algorithm steps of each example described in the embodiments disclosed in this article, the present application can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a function is executed in the form of hardware or computer software driving hardware depends on the specific application and design constraints of the technical solution. Professional and technical personnel can use different methods to implement the described functions for each specific application, but such implementation should not be considered to be beyond the scope of this application.

[0128] The present disclosure also provides a Figure 7 The exposure control device shown includes: an acquisition unit 501, a fusion unit 502 and an exposure unit 503.

[0129] The acquisition unit 501 is used to acquire the main model data and the supporting model data of the model slice; the main model data includes a first area occupied by the main model, and the supporting model data includes a second area occupied by the supporting model.

[0130] The fusion unit 502 is used to fuse the main model data and the support model data according to the overlap between the first area and the second area to obtain fused data; the fused data includes the first target area and the second target area.

[0131] The exposure unit 503 is used to expose the printing material in the first target area according to the first exposure energy, and to expose the printing material in the second target area according to the second exposure energy.

[0132] As an implementation mode, the fusion unit 502 is specifically used to: mark the first area with a first identifier, and mark the second area with a second identifier; based on the first identifier and the second identifier, determine the overlapping area between the first area and the second area, and determine the third area; the third area represents the area outside the overlapping area in the second area; the third area is outside the first area; on the first area, re-mark the overlapping area with the second identifier, and mark the third area with the second identifier to obtain the first target area and the second target area respectively; wherein the first target area is the area marked with the first identifier; the second target area is the area marked with the second identifier.

[0133] In another implementation, after the third region is determined, the fusion unit 502 is further configured to: determine the first region as the first target region; and mark the third region with a second identifier on the first region to obtain a second target region.

[0134] In another implementation, the first identifier is represented by a first grayscale; the second identifier is represented by a second grayscale; after the third area is confirmed, the fusion unit 502 is further used to: on the first area, re-mark the overlapping area with the second identifier, and mark the third area with the third identifier, so as to obtain the first target area, the second target area and the third target area respectively; wherein the third identifier is represented by a third grayscale, the first target area is the area marked with the first identifier, the second target area is the area marked with the second identifier, and the third target area is the area marked with the third identifier;

[0135] The exposure unit 503 is further used to expose the printing material in the third target area according to a third exposure energy, where the third exposure energy is greater than the second exposure energy.

[0136] In another implementation, the exposure unit 503 is specifically used to: determine a first target exposure intensity at a first preset exposure time under a first exposure energy; expose the printed material of a first target area for a first preset exposure time according to the first target exposure intensity; and determine a second target exposure intensity at a second preset exposure time under a second exposure energy; expose the printed material of a second target area for a second preset exposure time according to the second target exposure intensity.

[0137] In another implementation, the first preset exposure intensity is equal to the second preset exposure intensity, the first exposure time is less than the second exposure time, and the exposure unit 503 is specifically used to: determine the time difference between the first exposure time and the second exposure time as the third exposure time; expose the printed materials of the first target area and the second target area simultaneously for the first exposure time according to the first preset exposure intensity; stop exposing the printed material of the first target area, and expose the printed material of the second target area for the third exposure time according to the first preset exposure intensity.

[0138] In another implementation, the first preset exposure time is equal to the second preset exposure time, the first target exposure intensity is less than the second target exposure intensity, and the exposure unit 503 is specifically used to: print materials in the first target area according to the first target exposure intensity, and print materials in the second target area according to the second target exposure intensity, and simultaneously expose the first preset exposure time.

[0139] In another implementation, before obtaining the main model data and supporting model data of the model slice, the acquisition unit 501 is also used to: mark the main model contour and the supporting model contour of the three-dimensional model respectively; render and cut the marked main model contour according to the first mark, and the marked supporting model contour according to the second mark, to obtain the main model data and supporting model data of each model slice accordingly.

[0140] In another implementation, the exposure energy is positively correlated with the grayscale; the exposure energy is linearly positively correlated with the exposure time and the exposure intensity respectively; before obtaining the main model data and the support model data of the model slice, the acquisition unit 501 is also used to: determine the support height occupied by the support model in the three-dimensional model; determine the second grayscale based on the first grayscale and the support height.

[0141] Regarding the device in the above embodiment, the specific manner in which each unit module performs the operation has been described in detail in the embodiment of the method, and will not be elaborated here.

[0142] Figure 8 6 is a block diagram of an exposure control device 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For example, the device 600 may be various terminal devices with a 3D printing function.

[0143] Reference Figure 8 The device 600 may include one or more of the following components: a processing component 602 , a memory 604 , a power component 606 , a multimedia component 608 , an audio component 610 , an I / O (Input / Output) interface 612 , a sensor component 614 , and a communication component 616 .

[0144] The processing component 602 generally controls the overall operation of the device 600, such as operations associated with display, phone calls, data communications, camera operations, and recording operations. The processing component 602 may include one or more processors 620 to execute instructions to complete all or part of the steps of the above-mentioned method. In addition, the processing component 602 may include one or more modules to facilitate the interaction between the processing component 602 and other components. For example, the processing component 602 may include a multimedia module to facilitate the interaction between the multimedia component 608 and the processing component 602.

[0145] The memory 604 is configured to store various types of data to support operations on the device 600. Examples of such data include instructions for any application or method operating on the device 600, contact data, phone book data, messages, pictures, videos, etc. The memory 604 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, such as SRAM (Static Random Access Memory), EEPROM (Electrically-ErasableProgrammable Read-Only Memory), EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), PROM (Programmable Read-Only Memory), ROM (Read-Only Memory), magnetic storage, flash memory, magnetic disk or optical disk.

[0146] The power supply component 606 provides power to the various components of the device 600. The power supply component 606 may include a power management system, one or more power supplies, and other components associated with generating, managing, and distributing power for the device 600.

[0147] The multimedia component 608 includes a screen that provides an output interface between the device 600 and the user. In some embodiments, the screen may include an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and a TP (Touch Panel). If the screen includes a touch panel, the screen may be implemented as a touch screen to receive input signals from the user. The touch panel includes one or more touch sensors to sense touch, slide, and gestures on the touch panel. The touch sensor may not only sense the boundaries of the touch or slide action, but also detect the duration and pressure associated with the touch or slide operation. In some embodiments, the multimedia component 608 includes a front camera and / or a rear camera. When the device 600 is in an operating mode, such as a shooting mode or a video mode, the front camera and / or the rear camera may receive external multimedia data. Each front camera and rear camera may be a fixed optical lens system or have a focal length and optical zoom capability.

[0148] The audio component 610 is configured to output and / or input audio signals. For example, the audio component 610 includes a MIC (Microphone), and when the device 600 is in an operating mode, such as a call mode, a recording mode, and a speech recognition mode, the microphone is configured to receive an external audio signal. The received audio signal can be further stored in the memory 604 or sent via the communication component 616. In some embodiments, the audio component 610 also includes a speaker for outputting audio signals.

[0149] I / O interface 612 provides an interface between processing component 602 and peripheral interface modules, such as keyboards, click wheels, buttons, etc. These buttons may include but are not limited to: a home button, a volume button, a start button, and a lock button.

[0150] The sensor assembly 614 includes one or more sensors for providing various aspects of status assessment for the device 600. For example, the sensor assembly 614 can detect the open / closed state of the device 600, the relative positioning of components, such as the display and keypad of the device 600, and the sensor assembly 614 can also detect the position change of the device 600 or a component of the device 600, the presence or absence of user contact with the device 600, the orientation or acceleration / deceleration of the device 600, and the temperature change of the device 600. The sensor assembly 614 may include a proximity sensor configured to detect the presence of nearby objects without any physical contact. The sensor assembly 614 may also include an optical sensor, such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or CCD (Charge-coupled Device) image sensor for use in imaging applications. In some embodiments, the sensor assembly 614 may also include an acceleration sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a magnetic sensor, a pressure sensor, or a temperature sensor.

[0151] The communication component 616 is configured to facilitate wired or wireless communication between the device 600 and other devices. The device 600 can access a wireless network based on a communication standard, such as WiFi, 2G or 3G, or a combination thereof. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 616 receives a broadcast signal or broadcast-related information from an external broadcast management system via a broadcast channel. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication component 616 also includes an NFC (Near Field Communication) module to facilitate short-range communication. For example, the NFC module can be based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, IrDA (Infra-red Data Association) technology, UWB (Ultra Wideband) technology, BT (Bluetooth) technology and other technologies.

[0152] In an exemplary embodiment, the device 600 may be implemented by one or more ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), DSPs (Digital signal Processor), DSPDs (Digital signal Processor Device), PLDs (Programmable Logic Device), FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Array), controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors or other electronic components to execute the above-mentioned exposure control method. The embodiment of the present application also provides an exposure control device, when the instructions in the exposure control device are executed by the processor of the exposure control device or the printing device, the exposure control device or the printing device can execute the exposure control method of any possible implementation method as described above. And the same technical effect can be achieved, so it will not be repeated here to avoid repetition.

[0153] The embodiment of the present application also provides a printing device, when the instructions in the printing device are executed by the exposure control device or the processor of the printing device, the exposure control device or the printing device can execute the exposure control method of any possible implementation as described above. And the same technical effect can be achieved, so it will not be repeated here to avoid repetition.

[0154] The embodiment of the present application further provides a computer-readable storage medium, when the instructions in the computer-readable storage medium are executed by the processor of the exposure control device or the printing device, the exposure control device or the printing device can execute the exposure control method of any possible implementation as described above. And the same technical effect can be achieved, and it will not be repeated here to avoid repetition.

[0155] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer program product, including a computer program or instruction, which is executed by a processor as an exposure control method of any possible implementation method described above, and can achieve the same technical effect, which will not be described here to avoid repetition.

[0156] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present application after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. The present application is intended to cover any modification, use or adaptation of the present application, which follows the general principles of the present application and includes common knowledge or customary techniques in the art that are not disclosed in the present application. The specification and examples are intended to be exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of the present application are indicated by the following claims.

[0157] It should be understood that the present application is not limited to the precise structures that have been described above and shown in the drawings, and that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope thereof. The scope of the present application is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An exposure control method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Acquire main model data and supporting model data of the model slice; the main model data includes a first area occupied by the main model; the supporting model data includes a second area occupied by the supporting model; According to the overlap between the first area and the second area, the main model data and the support model data are fused to obtain fused data; the fused data includes a first target area and a second target area; The printing material of the first target area is exposed according to a first exposure energy, and the printing material of the second target area is exposed according to a second exposure energy.

2. The exposure control method according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fusing the main model data and the supporting model data according to the overlap between the first area and the second area to obtain fused data comprises: marking the first area with a first identifier, and marking the second area with a second identifier; Based on the first identifier and the second identifier, determining an overlapping area between the first area and the second area, and determining a third area; the third area represents an area outside the overlapping area in the second area; the third area is outside the first area; On the first area, re-marking the overlapping area with the second mark, and marking the third area with the second mark, so as to obtain the first target area and the second target area respectively; The first target area is an area marked with the first identifier; and the second target area is an area marked with the second identifier.

3. The exposure control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: After determining the third area, the method further includes: determining the first area as the first target area; On the first area, the third area is marked with the second identifier to obtain the second target area.

4. The exposure control method according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first identification is represented by a first grayscale; The second identification is represented by a second grayscale; After determining the third area, the method further includes: On the first area, re-mark the overlapping area with the second identifier, and mark the third area with the third identifier, so as to obtain the first target area, the second target area and the third target area respectively; wherein the third identifier is represented by a third grayscale, the first target area is the area marked with the first identifier, the second target area is the area marked with the second identifier, and the third target area is the area marked with the third identifier; The method further comprises: The printing material in the third target area is exposed according to a third exposure energy, where the third exposure energy is greater than the second exposure energy.

5. The exposure control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: Exposing the printing material of the first target area according to the first exposure energy, and exposing the printing material of the second target area according to the second exposure energy, comprises: Determining a first target exposure intensity at the first preset exposure time under the first exposure energy; exposing the printed material of the first target area for the first preset exposure time according to the first target exposure intensity; And, determining a second target exposure intensity at the second preset exposure time at the second exposure energy; and exposing the printed material of the second target area for the second preset exposure time according to the second target exposure intensity.

6. The exposure control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first preset exposure intensity is equal to the second preset exposure intensity, the first exposure time is shorter than the second exposure time, and the method further includes: Determine the time difference between the first exposure time and the second exposure time as a third exposure time; According to the first preset exposure intensity, simultaneously exposing the printed materials of the first target area and the second target area for the first exposure time; The exposure of the printing material in the first target area is stopped, and the printing material in the second target area is exposed for the third exposure time according to the first preset exposure intensity.

7. The exposure control method according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first preset exposure time is equal to the second preset exposure time, the first target exposure intensity is less than the second target exposure intensity, and the method further includes: The printed material of the first target area is exposed at the first target exposure intensity, and the printed material of the second target area is exposed at the second target exposure intensity for the first preset exposure time.

8. The exposure control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: Before acquiring the main model data and the supporting model data of the model slice, the method further includes: Marking the main model contour and the support model contour of the three-dimensional model respectively; The main model contour marked according to the first mark and the support model contour marked according to the second mark are rendered and cut, and the main model data and the support model data of each model slice are correspondingly obtained.

9. The exposure control method according to claim 4, characterized in that: Exposure energy is positively correlated with grayscale; exposure energy is linearly positively correlated with exposure time and exposure intensity respectively; Before acquiring the main model data and the supporting model data of the model slice, the method further includes: Determining a support height occupied by a support model in the three-dimensional model; The second grayscale is determined according to the first grayscale and the support height.

10. A three-dimensional printing device, characterized in that: Used to execute the exposure control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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