Compressed storage of information for additive manufacturing

Abstract

When all the figures of the drawing are considered jointly, the invention relates in summary to a method for compressing the volume of data in a file (26), for guiding a tool (16) along manufacturing coordinates for the additive manufacturing of a component (14), in a computer (27). In this case, at least one vector is determined and stored in the file (26), which vector, together with an algorithm (32), defines manufacturing parameters for filling a first region of the component (14). The algorithm (32) can be stored in the file (26) or stored in a library (30) and reference can be made to the algorithm (32) in the file (26). Alternatively or additionally, a second region of the component (14) to be filled can be defined in the file (26) by virtue of the fact that a first region is defined in the file (26) and the file (26) stores where the second region (38b) is intended to be formed and that said second region is intended to be formed in the same manner as the first region. In addition to a second region (38b), this method can be continued for any number of further regions. In a method (12) according to the invention for manufacturing the component (14), the manufacturing parameters are calculated back to manufacturing coordinates. The invention also relates to a device (10) for carrying out the method (12) for manufacturing the component (14).

Description

[0001] Compressed storage of additive manufacturing information

[0002] Background of the invention

[0003] The invention relates to a computer-based method for reducing the data volume of a file for controlling the additive manufacturing of a component. The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing the component using the data reduction method and a device for manufacturing the component using such a method.

[0004] Additive manufacturing is a well-known technique for manufacturing components. As manufactured components become increasingly larger and more complex, the files used to control production are becoming increasingly large. They can contain several gigabytes, requiring significant storage space and consuming significant time to transfer the data.

[0005] US 10,748,306 B2 discloses a process for 3D printers in which three-dimensional pixel structures (voxels) are interpreted.

[0006] US 2015 / 0158252 Al discloses a catalog of three-dimensional models for a 3D printer.

[0007] A method for compressing and decompressing 3D data has become known from US 2017 / 0347122 Al.

[0008] US 2020 / 0058138 A1 discloses a method for predicting control information from multiple voxels. An error in the control information is determined by comparing the predictions.

[0009] The object of the invention is to significantly reduce the amount of data in a file for additive manufacturing, but without any loss of information.

[0010] This object is achieved according to the invention by methods according to claims 1 and 10 and by a device according to claim 13. The dependent claims reflect preferred developments.

[0011] The problem is thus solved by a computer-implemented method for reducing the amount of data in a file. The file is used to control the additive manufacturing of a component in which a tool is guided along manufacturing coordinates. In the method, a first area to be manufactured is first identified or determined. Then, in a method part I), the information for filling this first area is stored compactly. At least one vector for characterizing the outline of the first area and an algorithm for calculating the manufacturing coordinates within this outline are stored, with the algorithm or a reference to an algorithm stored in a library being stored in the file. Alternatively or additionally, in a method part II), a second area to be manufactured is identified, which is to be manufactured in the same way as the first area but offset from the first area.The position of the second area is saved in the file and the information that the second area is to be manufactured in the same way as the first area.

[0012] According to the invention, a "vector" is understood to mean a contour segment, in particular in the form of a line segment or curve segment. The contour segment is preferably defined by a starting point, an end point, and optionally by a curvature. Multiple vectors can define more complex structures such as polygons, splines, and non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS). The algorithm can include parameterization (e.g., number of lines and / or information on unidirectional or bidirectional exposure).

[0013] The process parts I) and II) can represent independent aspects of the invention, which can be combined as desired with other features described here.

[0014] The method according to the invention enables lossless, compact storage of all information for calculating the production coordinates. The method according to the invention utilizes the fact that recurring fill methods and / or recurring regions only need to be saved once. The recurring fill method / structure can then be called at any position, thus significantly saving storage space. In other words, the common inventive idea is to store an instruction for recurring structures (in the form of an algorithm for filling a region and / or the information to design entire regions identically) instead of storing all the coordinates of the recurring structure, thereby saving storage space.

[0015] The outline of the fill of the first area can be characterized by several vectors.

[0016] The first region can be two-dimensional, so that the vector(s) lie in a single plane. Since the component to be manufactured in additive manufacturing is often built up layer by layer, choosing a two-dimensional region is particularly advantageous.

[0017] To determine the first region, the layer of the component to be manufactured can be divided into several, particularly identical, regions, one of which can be the first region. Another of these regions can be the second region.

[0018] The method is further simplified if the outline of the first region is trapezoidal, in particular rectangular. The filling of the first region, and in particular also of the second region, is preferably achieved by a meandering movement of the tool. Between two lines of the meandering shape, the tool can be interrupted or stopped. The tool can always be used for machining in the same direction in parallel lines of the meandering shape, or it can also be used for machining in the opposite direction.

[0019] The second region can be manufactured identically to the first region except for its position and a rotation, in particular by ±5°, preferably ±3°, and particularly preferably ±2°. This allows for adaptation to a base body on which the component is additively manufactured. The rotation may be necessary because, in some cases, the installation of the base body can only be carried out precisely within a certain tolerance.

[0020] To further simplify the process, the second area is preferably manufactured identically to the first area except for its position.

[0021] It is understood that, in addition to the second area, at least one further area, in particular several further areas, can be created identically to the first area. The more areas are created identically, the more the file can be compressed.

[0022] The object of the invention is further achieved by a method for additive manufacturing of the component, in which first the method described above is carried out, then the stored file is accessed, then the manufacturing coordinates of the first area or second area are calculated and then the tool is guided based on the manufacturing coordinates.

[0023] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method, the tool is in the form of a laser beam. The laser beam can be guided through a deflection device controlled by a controller. More preferably, production is carried out by powder bed-based laser melting (laser metal fusion, LMF).

[0024] The object of the invention is finally achieved by a device for carrying out a method described above, wherein the device has a computer for reducing the amount of data, the tool, a controller and a memory in which the file is stored.

[0025] The controller is designed to read the reduced data from the file and generate appropriate instructions for guiding the tool.

[0026] Further advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description and the drawings. Likewise, the above-mentioned and further-described features can be used individually or in combination in any desired manner. The embodiments shown and described are not intended to be exhaustive, but rather are exemplary in nature for describing the invention.

[0027] Detailed description of the invention and drawing

[0028] Fig. 1 shows schematically a method for the additive manufacturing of a component and a device for carrying out the method.

[0029] Fig. 2 shows a schematic plan view of a layer of the component from Fig. 1.

[0030] Fig. 3 shows schematically a region of the layer from Fig. 2 and a meander shape for guiding a tool to fill the region.

[0031] Fig. 1 shows a device 10 and a method 12 for the additive manufacturing of a component 14 with a tool 16. The tool 16 is in the form of a laser beam that at least partially irradiates a layer 18, here in the form of a powder bed layer. The laser beam is generated in a beam source 20 and guided by a deflection device 22. The deflection device 22 is controlled by a controller 24, which for this purpose accesses a file 26 in a computer 27 or a memory 28. The file 26 can contain manufacturing coordinates for guiding the tool 16. Alternatively or additionally, the file 26 contains manufacturing parameters that require less storage space and are interpreted by the controller 24 as manufacturing coordinates. In other words, the controller 24 is designed to calculate manufacturing coordinates for guiding the tool 16 based on the manufacturing parameters contained in the file 26.The controller 24 can preferably be connected to a library 30 in which at least one algorithm 32 for calculating the production coordinates based on the production parameters is stored. Alternatively or additionally, the at least one algorithm 32 can be stored directly in the file 26.

[0032] Fig. 2 shows a method 34 for reducing the data volume of file 26 (see Fig. 1). In this process, a grid 36 is placed in the computer 27 (see Fig. 1) over the layer 18 or the virtual component 14 to be produced, so that the component 14 is divided into several regions. For reasons of clarity, only a first region 38a, a second region 38b, and a third region 38c are provided with a reference symbol in Fig. 2.

[0033] The regions 38a, b are identical except for their position. Therefore, in the method 34, information regarding the production of the first region 38a can be stored in the file 26 (see Fig. 1), and the position of the second region 38b can also be stored, as well as the information that the second region 38b is designed to be identical, in particular identical, to the first region 38a except for its position. This eliminates the need to store all production coordinates for the production of the second region 38b in the file 26 (see Fig. 1), thus saving storage space.

[0034] Fig. 3 shows the first region 38a. Fig. 3 shows the meandering path of the tool 16 in the form of a laser beam for filling the first region 38a. The parallel solid lines (mark lines "M") are illuminated, and the laser beam is preferably switched off or blanked at the dashed connections of these lines, or the laser power is at least reduced to such an extent that the powder material is not melted (jump "J"). Instead of storing all the manufacturing coordinates of the meander in the file 26 (see Fig. 1), at least one vector 40a, 40b can be stored in the file 26, which characterizes the outline of the filling. Together with the algorithm 32 (see Fig. 1) for filling this outline, all the information for filling the first region 38a can be provided in a space-saving manner.In the present case, in which the first area 38a is rectangular, one of the vectors 40a, b would also be sufficient to define, together with an algorithm 32 (see Fig. 1) which defines the length of the lines M, all the information for filling the first area 38a.

[0035] Taking a summary of all the figures of the drawing, the invention relates in summary to a method 34 for compressing the data volume of a file 26 for guiding a tool 16 along manufacturing coordinates for the additive manufacturing of a component 14 in a computer 27. At least one vector 40a, b is determined and stored in the file 26, which, together with an algorithm 32, defines manufacturing parameters for filling a first region 38a of the component 14. The algorithm 32 can be stored in the file 26 or stored in a library 30, and the file 26 can reference the algorithm 32.Alternatively or additionally, a second region 38b of the component 14 to be filled can be defined in the file 26 by defining a first region 38a in the file 26 and storing it in the file 26, where the second region 38b is to be formed and that it is to be formed identically to the first region 38a. In addition to a second region 38b, this method 34 can be continued for any number of additional regions. In a method 12 according to the invention for manufacturing the component 14, the manufacturing parameters are recalculated to yield manufacturing coordinates. The invention further relates to a device 10 for carrying out the method 12 for manufacturing the component 14.

[0036] 10 Device for manufacturing the component 14

[0037] 12 Process for manufacturing the component 14

[0038] 14 component

[0039] 16 tools

[0040] 18 shift

[0041] 20 Beam source

[0042] 22 Deflection device

[0043] 24 Control

[0044] 26 File

[0045] 27 computers

[0046] 28 storage

[0047] 30 Library

[0048] 32 Algorithm

[0049] 34 Methods for reducing the amount of data in the file 26

[0050] 36 grids

[0051] 38a-c area

[0052] 40a, b vector

Claims

Patent claims Computer-based method (34) for reducing the amount of data in a file (26) for controlling additive manufacturing of a component (14) by guiding a tool (16) along manufacturing coordinates, comprising the method steps: - identifying a first region (38a) to be manufactured; and I) A) identifying the filling of the first region (38a); B) calculating a vector (40a, b) for characterizing the outline of the filling of the first region (38a); C) storing the vector (40a, b) in the file (26); D) storing an algorithm (32) for calculating the production coordinates of the filling or information as to which algorithm (32) is to be applied in the file (26), wherein the method step D) can be carried out before, after or between the method steps A) to C), so that the vector (40a, b) and the algorithm (32) form production parameters which completely contain the information of the production coordinates; and / or II) A) storing the manufacturing coordinates or the manufacturing parameters of the first area (38a) in the file (26); B) identifying a second region (38b) to be manufactured, which is manufactured offset from the first region (38a) and is manufactured in the same way as the first region (38a); C) storing the position of the second region (38b) and the information that the second region (38b) is manufactured identically to the first region (38a) in the file (26). The method according to claim 1, wherein the first region (38a) is two-dimensional in a layer (18) of the component (14) to be manufactured. Method according to claim 2, in which a layer (18) of the component (14) to be manufactured is divided into a plurality of regions (38a-c), one of which is the first region (38a). Method according to claim 2 or 3, in which the outline of the first region (38a) is trapezoidal. Method according to claim 4, in which the outline is diamond-shaped. Method according to claim 4, in which the outline is rectangular. Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the algorithm (32) is designed to calculate manufacturing coordinates for the meandering guidance of the tool (16). Method according to one of the preceding claims, in which the second region (38b) is manufactured identically to the first region (38a) except for its position and a rotation. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the second region (38b) is manufactured identically to the first region (38a) except for its position.Method (12) for the additive manufacturing of the component (14) using a method (34) according to one of claims 1 to 9, comprising the method steps:. • Carrying out the method (34) according to one of claims 1 to 9; • Access to the stored file (26); • Calculating the manufacturing coordinates in the first area (38a) and / or second area (38b); • Guidance of the tool (16) based on the production coordinates. The method according to claim 10, wherein the tool (16) is in the form of a laser beam. The method according to claim 11, wherein the component (14) is manufactured by powder-bed-based laser melting. A device (10) for carrying out a method (12) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, comprising a computer (27) for reducing the amount of data, the tool (16), a controller (24), and a memory (28), wherein the file (26) is stored in the memory (28).

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