Three dimensional shaping apparatus
The three-dimensional printing device addresses infill and support challenges in multi-axis printing by employing a curved surface printing unit and trajectory control, resulting in improved surface quality and mechanical strength of printed objects.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-08-22
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-06
AI Technical Summary
Existing 3D printing technologies face challenges in efficiently generating infill structures and support structures within three-dimensional objects, particularly when dealing with non-planar slicing and multi-axis printing, which can result in issues like infill generation and support requirements.
A three-dimensional printing device that utilizes a curved surface printing unit, layer stacking unit, and trajectory control unit to form layers as parametric surfaces, allowing for multi-axis modeling by controlling the position and attitude of the discharge unit relative to the printing stage, enabling easy placement of support and infill within these surfaces.
Enables the creation of complex three-dimensional objects with improved surface quality and mechanical strength by facilitating the precise placement of infill and support structures without collisions, using multi-axis control and parametric surface modeling.
Smart Images
Figure 2026037683000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to a three-dimensional modeling apparatus. [Background technology]
[0002] Fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printers (three-dimensional modeling devices) that use the FFF method, in which a resin filament is heated and melted and ejected from a nozzle in the head, are widely used as devices for creating three-dimensional objects (solid objects).
[0003] In the FFF method, it is common to slice the modeling data in a horizontal plane (horizontal slice), draw it in one stroke within the horizontal plane, and then stack it vertically.
[0004] In horizontal slicing, if there is no layer below the object, the ejected material will fall vertically downward. Therefore, if the model of the object to be printed is hollow, it is known that a support layer must be placed below the object.
[0005] The FFF method is intended to create the outer walls of a 3D object, the interior of which is hollow except for a section called the infill, which acts as a scaffolding for layering the outer walls when printing needs to be done on top of the hollow, similar to a support.
[0006] Furthermore, when there is a difference in shape between the lower and upper layers, contour lines appear on the exterior wall.
[0007] In recent years, non-planar slicing, which is not horizontal slicing, has been proposed. It is known that non-planar slicing allows printing without infill supports because the nozzle does not need to be perpendicular to the build stage.
[0008] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a modeling method that uses a 3D printer equipped with a nozzle at the tip of a robot arm, taking into account roll, pitch, and yaw rotation in addition to the typical three axes of X, Y, and Z. Multi-axis control by the robot arm reduces the need for support, improves surface quality, and strengthens mechanical strength. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]
[0009] [Non-Patent Document 1] Tianyu Zhang, Guoxin Fang, Yuming Huang, Neelotpal Dutta, Sylvain Lefebvre, Zekai Murat Kilic, Charlie CL Wang, S^3 Slicer: A General Slicing Framework for Multi-Axis 3D Printing, ACM Trans. Graph., Vol. 41, No. 6, Article 277. Publication date: December 2022, https: / / mewangcl.github.io / pubs / SIGAsia22S3Slicer.pdf Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0010] In Non-Patent Document 1, the focus is on the exterior, so there are still issues regarding the infill, which is the internal structure, and the generation of efficient supports.
[0011] An object of the present invention is to realize a molding apparatus that can easily mold support infills. [Means for solving the problem]
[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a three-dimensional printing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a three-dimensional printing device that produces a three-dimensional object by discharging a printing material from a discharging unit toward a printing stage and stacking layers, and includes: a curved surface printing unit in which the layers include elements discharged from the discharging unit and are parametric surfaces; a layer stacking unit in which the three-dimensional object is a stack of layers divided into layers; and a trajectory control unit that projects parameters of the layers in the curved surface printing unit for the elements in the layers that make up the three-dimensional object into a parameter space, and controls the position and attitude of the tip of the discharging unit relative to the printing stage based on the trajectory calculated in the parameter space.
[0013] With the above configuration, multiple layers constituting a three-dimensional object can be stacked between adjacent parametric surfaces, making it easy to place support and infill within the parametric surfaces and enabling multi-axis modeling.
[0014] The trajectory control unit may place an infill or a support as the element in a portion of the layer. The infill may be placed on the trajectory based on parameters of the layer. The support may be placed on the trajectory in the layer to be previously printed when parameters of the layer to be subsequently printed are present but parameters of the layer to be previously printed are not present.
[0015] According to the above configuration, layers can be constructed using infill or support as elements.
[0016] The parametric surface may be a single NURBS surface.
[0017] According to the above configuration, the layer can be easily calculated.
[0018] The curved surface forming unit may control the discharge unit in a normal direction of the layer.
[0019] According to the above configuration, by controlling the discharge portion in the normal direction of the layer, it is possible to form the outer wall neatly.
[0020] The trajectory control unit may be configured to position the discharge unit so that it does not collide with the three-dimensional object or the three-dimensional printing device.
[0021] According to the above configuration, printing can be performed without the discharge unit colliding with the three-dimensional object and the three-dimensional modeling device.
[0022] The layer may be an interpolation between a first layer, which is the lowest layer, and a second layer, which is the highest layer. The layer may be an interpolation based on the position of a parameter common to the first layer and the second layer. The layer may be an arrangement of parameters in the first layer and the second layer in a grid pattern.
[0023] According to the above configuration, it is possible to form a layer that is interpolated between the first layer and the second layer, which are two different curved surfaces.
[0024] The volume or weight of the element may be dispensed from the dispenser based on the distance between the dispenser and the layer.
[0025] According to the above configuration, the volume or weight of the elements to be discharged can be appropriately controlled, thereby enabling a beautiful and accurate three-dimensional object to be formed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a 3D printer according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit of the 3D printer according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the function of the curved surface forming unit. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the function of the layer stacking unit. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the function of a trajectory control unit. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main part of the slicer. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a slicer. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing infill generated in parameter space by a surface generation unit. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a support generated by a surface generation unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the necessity of alignment processing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0027] [Embodiment 1] The configuration and operation of a 3D printer 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 5. For ease of explanation, members having the same functions as those described in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals in the following embodiments, and their descriptions will not be repeated. For simplicity, descriptions of matters similar to those in known technologies will also be omitted as appropriate.
[0028] The horizontal plane is made up of the X and Y axes, and the vertical direction upward is represented by the Z axis. The X axis is an axis from left to right, and the Y axis is an axis from front to back. In other words, the X, Y, and Z axes are coordinate axes in a right-handed system, but this is not limiting. In other words, the X, Y, and Z axes may also be in a left-handed system.
[0029] (3D Printer 1 Configuration) 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a 3D printer 1 according to embodiment 1. The 3D printer 1 includes a housing 11, a head 12 (discharge unit), a modeling stage 13, a gantry 14, an extruder 15, and a control unit 20.
[0030] The housing 11 is a member that secures the main parts of the 3D printer 1. The head 12 is equipped with a nozzle 12a and is the part that ejects the material. The material is a resin that is heated and melted by a heater 12b, but is not limited to this and may be other materials such as metal, silicon, or rubber.
[0031] The modeling stage 13 is a target on which a modeled object 13a (three-dimensional model) is stacked. The modeling stage 13 may be provided with a heater 13b that heats the modeled object 13a.
[0032] In this embodiment, the modeling stage 13 includes a Z-axis 13c that moves up and down in the Z direction, a B-axis 13d that is attached to the Z-axis 13c and rotates around the Y-axis, and a C-axis 13e that is attached to the B-axis 13d and rotates around the Z-axis. A heater 13b and a stage 13f that models the model 13a are included above the C-axis 13e. The surface of the stage 13f is treated to facilitate material adhesion. The Z-axis 13c is fixed to the housing 11.
[0033] The gantry 14 moves the head 12 in the X and Y directions. For example, the head 12 is fixed to an X-axis 14b provided on a Y-axis 14a. The gantry 14 is fixed to the housing 11.
[0034] The extruder 15 is a part that supplies material to the head 12. The extruder supplies resin in the form of thread-like filaments. Note that the extruder 15 is not limited to supplying filaments, and may be a mechanism for feeding pellets or a mechanism for feeding metal particles.
[0035] (Configuration of control unit 20) The control unit 20 controls each unit of the 3D printer 1 and forms a model 13a using the 3D printer 1. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 20 of the 3D printer 1 according to embodiment 1. The control unit 20 includes a curved surface forming unit 21, a layer stacking unit 22, and a trajectory control unit 23.
[0036] The control unit 20 stacks multiple layers 31, which are parametric surfaces, to form the model 13a. The layers 31 may be any parametric surface, and may be, for example, a single NURBS surface or a polysurface made up of multiple NURBS surfaces. In this example, the parametric surface is a NURBS surface, and the surface is defined by two parameters, UV.
[0037] (Curved surface modeling part 21) 3 is a diagram showing the function of the curved surface forming unit 21. The curved surface forming unit 21 forms elements 32, which are ejected from the nozzles 12a of the head 12, on the layer 31. The elements 32 are material that is ejected continuously and / or intermittently. The elements 32 are parts of the parametric curved surface of the layer 31.
[0038] The element 32 is formed by positioning the head at coordinates 34 with respect to the object 13a in the direction of a normal vector 33 of the layer 31, which is determined from the UV parameters of the layer 31. In other words, the curved surface forming unit 21 is layered taking into account the normal vector 33 of the layer 31. This makes it possible to reduce the contour lines that appear on the exterior wall.
[0039] The volume or weight of the element 32 is determined based on the distance 35 from the nozzle 12a in the head 12 to the underlying layer 31. This distance 35 is the thickness of the element 32 in the layer 31.
[0040] (Layer stacking section 22) 4 is a diagram showing the function of the layer stacking unit 22. The layer stacking unit 22 stacks a number of layers 31, each of which is composed of a first layer 36 on the bottom surface and a second layer 37 on the top surface, in order from the bottom layer 31 upward.
[0041] The first layer 36 and the second layer 37 are both NURB surfaces. Therefore, by providing UV parameters, it is possible to obtain XYZ coordinates 34 and normal vectors 33 at those points for both the first layer 36 and the second layer 37. By obtaining these continuously, the first layer 36 and the second layer 37 are formed.
[0042] Layer 31 is formed from a group of points that are prepared to interpolate coordinates calculated from a certain set of UV parameters of first layer 36 and coordinates calculated from the same set of UV parameters of second layer 37. The UV parameters are not limited to the same ones, and normalized UV parameters corresponding to each layer 31 may also be used.
[0043] It is not necessary to calculate all sections in the layer 31, but it is also possible to calculate only combinations of UV parameters in some of the first layers 36 and some of the second layers 37, and form the layer 31 using interpolated coordinates calculated from the combinations. For example, the UV parameters may be arranged in a grid pattern.
[0044] (Trajectory control unit 23) 5 is a diagram showing the function of the trajectory control unit 23. The trajectory control unit 23 controls the position and attitude of the tip of the nozzle 12a in the head 12 with respect to elements 32 in a layer 31 that constitutes the model 13a in the curved surface modeling unit 21.
[0045] The trajectory control unit 23 determines the position and orientation from those projected onto a parameter space 38 consisting of UV parameters in the layer 31 and the number of the layer 31. The trajectory control unit 23 reverse-projects the trajectory 39 calculated in the parameter space 38 from the parameter space 38 onto the XYZ space to obtain the element 32.
[0046] The trajectory control unit 23 controls the position and orientation of the element 32 so as to print the outer wall, inner wall, infill, and / or support of the object 13a.
[0047] The trajectory control unit 23 places the infill in the trajectory 39 based on the UV parameters of the layer 31. The trajectory control unit 23 then back-projects it into an element 32.
[0048] When the UV parameters of the layer 31 to be printed later exist in the UV parameters of the layer 31 to be printed later, the trajectory control unit 23 places the support on the trajectory 39 in the layer 31 to be printed earlier. The trajectory control unit 23 makes it an element 32 by inverse projection.
[0049] In addition, the trajectory control unit 23 controls the position and attitude of the nozzle 12a of the head 12 so that it does not collide with the model 13a and the 3D printer 1.
[0050] (Actions and Effects) The 3D printer 1 can create a model 13a. The model 13a is composed of multiple layers 31, each made up of a series of elements 32. The multiple layers 31 are similar to each other when they are adjacent to each other, so they can be stacked between similar parametric surfaces. This makes it easy to place support infill between the layers 31, enabling multi-axis modeling.
[0051] By configuring the layer 31 using a NURBS surface, the layer 31 can be easily calculated.
[0052] By arranging the nozzle 12a in the normal direction (normal vector 33) of the layer 31, a beautifully shaped object 13a can be formed.
[0053] The layer 31 that is interpolated between the first layer 36 and the second layer 37 that are two different curved surfaces can be easily formed.
[0054] Since the distance 35 between the nozzle 12a and the layer 31 is taken into consideration and controlled, it is possible to model an object 13a while taking into consideration an appropriate layer distance for each element.
[0055] [Embodiment 2] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In this embodiment, a slicer 40 that determines how the control unit 20 should control the 3D printer 1 will be described.
[0056] (Configuration of Slicer 40) The 3D printer 1 is controlled so that the nozzle 12a follows a trajectory of the position and posture determined by a slicer 40 (trajectory generating device). Unless an appropriate trajectory is determined, the 3D printer 1 cannot create an appropriate model 13a. For this reason, the slicer 40 is important.
[0057] The slicer 40 includes a layer dividing unit 41, a surface generating unit 42, a trajectory determining unit 43, and a trajectory checking unit 44. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the main parts of the slicer 40. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the slicer 40.
[0058] The slicer 40 reads the shape to be formed by the 3D printer 1 as a slice target 40a (step S10).
[0059] (Layer division part 41) The layer dividing unit 41 reads the first NURBS surface as the first layer 36 (step S11). At this time, the number of control points of the U parameters and V parameters of the first NURBS surface is stored in the first control point count 41a (step S12).
[0060] The layer dividing unit 41 reads a second NURBS surface different from the first NURBS surface as the second layer 37 (step S13). At this time, the number of control points of the U parameters and V parameters of the second NURBS surface is stored in the second control point count 41c (step S14).
[0061] The layer dividing unit 41 determines the number of interpolation control points 41e from the number of first control points 41a and the number of second control points 41c (step S15). The number of interpolation control points 41e may be the least common multiple of the number of first control points 41a and the number of second control points 41c, or may be the larger value of the number of first control points 41a or the number of second control points 41c. Alternatively, the number of interpolation control points 41e may be determined by any other method.
[0062] The coordinates of the first layer 36 in the UV parameters obtained by dividing the first layer 36 by the number of interpolation control points 41e are stored as first feature points 41f (step S16). The coordinates of the second layer 37 in the UV parameters obtained by dividing the second layer 37 by the number of interpolation control points 41e are stored as second feature points 41g (step S17).
[0063] A feature point 41h that interpolates the first feature point 41f and the second feature point 41g in the same UV parameters is obtained (step S18). The feature point 41h may be a coordinate obtained by linearly interpolating the first feature point 41f and the second feature point 41g. Note that the interpolation is performed taking into account the number of layers 31.
[0064] (Surface generation unit 42 and trajectory determination unit 43) The surface generation unit 42 generates a NURBS surface with the feature points 41h as control points as the layer 31 (step S21). An intersection line 42a between the layer 31 and the slice target 40a is derived (step S22).
[0065] The surface generating unit 42 analyzes the intersection lines 42a and checks their inclusion relationships, thereby classifying them into outer wall intersection lines 42b that constitute the outer wall and inner wall intersection lines 42c that constitute the inner wall (step S23).
[0066] The trajectory determination unit 43 derives, from information on the layer 31, a plurality of coordinates 34 on the outer wall intersection line 42b and the inner wall intersection line 42c, a normal vector 33 at the coordinates 34, and an interval 35 to the lower layer 31, for the outer wall intersection line 42b and the inner wall intersection line 42c (step S24). The trajectory determination unit 43 also stores UV parameters 42d at the coordinates 34 (step S25).
[0067] The surface generation unit 42 maps the UV parameters 42d on the parameter space 38 to generate an infill 42e (step S26). Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the infill 42e generated by the surface generation unit 42 on the parameter space 38. The infill 42e is generated on the inside of the outer wall intersection line 42b and on the outside of the inner wall intersection line 42c on the parameter space 38. The infill 42e may be generated on a grid, for example, or may have any other shape.
[0068] The surface generation unit 42 generates support 42f for UV parameters 42d that do not exist in the layer 31 to be modeled first, so that modeling can be performed in the parameter space 38 for UV parameters 42d that exist in the layer 31 to be modeled later (step S27).
[0069] 9 is a diagram showing supports 42f generated by the surface generation unit 42. The supports 42f are formed so that the overhang falls within an appropriate range in the parameter space 38. The supports 42f are intentionally formed to have a narrow width or a shape that makes them easy to remove, since they will be removed from the model 13a after modeling.
[0070] The trajectory determination unit 43 derives, from the information on the layer 31, a plurality of coordinates 34, normal vectors 33 at the coordinates 34, and intervals 35 to the lower layer 31 for the infill 42e and the support 42f (step S28).
[0071] (Trajectory confirmation section 44) The trajectory checking unit 44 checks whether the nozzle 12a interferes with the object 13a, the housing 11, and the modeling stage 12 when controlling the position and attitude of the head 12 (step S31).
[0072] Unlike typical three-axis 3D printers, the multi-axis 3D printer 1 performs complex movements, which can cause the head 12 and nozzle 12a to interfere with the model 13a, etc. To avoid this, it is necessary to check whether the trajectory will allow normal modeling.
[0073] The processes of steps 18 to 31 are repeated while moving up the layer 31 from bottom to top. Note that step 31 may be performed all at once after all layers 31 have been processed.
[0074] (Alignment processing in layer division unit 41) The layer dividing unit 41 may align the first layer 36 and the second layer 37. Here, the term "alignment" refers to a process of appropriately positioning the second layer 37 relative to the first layer 36.
[0075] Figure 10 illustrates the necessity of alignment processing. When alignment processing is performed normally, as shown in Figure 10(a), it can be seen that layer 31 is formed from first layer 36 and second layer 37 without twisting or inversion.
[0076] 10(b), the four corner points of the first layer 36 and the second layer 37 are shifted by one point, and therefore it can be seen that the layer 31b corresponding to the layer 31 is generated in a twisted manner.
[0077] In this case, in addition to the problem that the layer 31b is twisted, the curved surface of the layer 31b becomes smaller and is no longer able to completely cover the slice target 40a, which causes a problem that the intersection line 42a cannot be derived normally.
[0078] 10(c), the four corner points of the first layer 36 and the second layer 37 are arranged in an inverted manner, and therefore it can be seen that the layer 31c corresponding to the layer 31 is generated in a distorted manner.
[0079] In this case, in addition to the problem that the layer 31c is distorted, the unevenness on the curved surface of the layer 31c is not aligned so as to interpolate the first layer 36 and the second layer 37.
[0080] 10(a), it is necessary to perform a normal alignment process. One example of a method for doing this is to calculate all possible combinations of the distances between the coordinates of the four corners of the first layer 36 and the coordinates of the four corners of the second layer 37, and determine the coordinates of the four corners of the second layer 37 by using the combination that minimizes the sum of the calculated distances. As a result, the UV parameter values of the second layer 37 are changed appropriately.
[0081] (Actions and Effects) By using the slicer 40, it is possible to determine the trajectory for forming the object 13a using the 3D printer 1.
[0082] The slicer 40 can create objects in complex positions and orientations that are not possible with slicers for general 3D printers, making it possible to create a model 13a that requires less support, has improved surface properties, and has increased mechanical strength.
[0083] [Embodiment 3] Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below. In the first and second embodiments, the shaped object 13a is formed by stacking the layer 31 that is inserted between the first layer 36 and the second layer 37. In contrast, in this embodiment, the layer 31 is formed by a different method.
[0084] (Sweep operation) It is also possible to prepare several reference curves and reference layers, and move the reference layers along the curves to configure the layers 31. It is also possible to configure the layers 31 by a so-called sweep operation in 3D CAD.
[0085] At the intersection point between the reference layer and the reference curve, the vector at which the reference curve for the reference layer intersects is set to be the same as the vector at which the reference curve for layer 31 intersects. Also, the UV parameters at the intersection point with the reference curve in the reference layer are set to be the same as the UV parameters at the intersection point with the reference curve in layer 31.
[0086] This allows for easy and neat formation of curved pipe shapes.
[0087] (FEM collaboration) Some boundary conditions are set for the model 13a, and the stress distribution in the model 13a is derived using the finite element method (FEM). The layer 31 may be determined based on the principal stress in the derived stress distribution.
[0088] This makes it possible to form a highly strong shaped object 13a.
[0089] (Subvolume operation) The combination of the first layer 36 and the second layer 37 does not have to be single. In other words, the object 13a may be formed by preparing multiple combinations of the first layer 36 and the second layer 37 and generating layers 31 from these combinations. In this case, it is possible to set the layer 31 that is suitable for the shape of the object 13a.
[0090] For example, even when forming a steep slope that requires support, layer 31 can be generated so that nozzle 12a is directed in a direction that makes the steep slope a gentler slope, thereby making it possible to form the surface without the need for support.
[0091] Furthermore, when forming a shape such as a fin, by dividing the entire object 13a into several sub-volumes, it becomes possible to form each of the sub-volumes using layers 31 suitable for each sub-volume.
[0092] [Embodiment 4] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the first embodiment, a 3D printer 1 that operates along five axes is described, in which the B-axis 13d and the C-axis 13e are used to tilt and rotate the modeling stage 13 relative to the head 12 to change its posture. In contrast, in this embodiment, a multi-axis 3D printer with a different configuration will be described.
[0093] A five-axis 3D printer may be configured by providing an A-axis that rotates around the X-axis on the Z-axis 13c and a C-axis that rotates around the Z-axis on the Z-axis.
[0094] Furthermore, multi-axis 3D printers are not limited to 5 axes, but can be any number of axes greater than 4, such as 4 axes or 6 axes.
[0095] Furthermore, the object whose posture is changed is not limited to the modeling stage 13. For example, the head may tilt and rotate to change its posture.
[0096] In other words, any multi-axis (four or more axes) 3D printer that can control the position and orientation of the head and / or modeling stage using either or both of the head and modeling stage will suffice.
[0097] [Embodiment 5] Other embodiments of the present invention will be described below. In the first and second embodiments, the object 13a is formed using the layer 31. In this case, only the intersection of the object 13a and the layer 31 is formed.
[0098] In this case, for example, curved surfaces that are in an inclusive relationship with layer 31 and curved surfaces with uneven shapes that are almost similar to layer 31 are not modeled as outer and inner walls. To address this, these parts may be interpolated based on the hierarchical relationship of the UV parameters in layer 31.
[0099] Specifically, consider a case where the lower layer 31 is smaller than the upper layer 31, and when viewed from above, the lower layer 31 is contained within the upper layer 31. In this case, when forming the upper layer 31, elements 32 may be generated so as to fill the area from the outer wall of the upper layer 31 to the outer wall of the lower layer 31.
[0100] Similarly, consider a case where the upper layer 31 is smaller than the lower layer 31 and, when viewed from above, contains the lower layer 31. In this case, when forming the lower layer 31, elements 32 may be generated so as to fill the space from the outer wall of the lower layer 31 to the outer wall of the upper layer 31.
[0101] Without being limited to these, the UV parameters may be used to generate the elements 32 for any purpose. In this case, by considering the parameter space 38, it becomes possible to incorporate the slicer method used in a general three-axis 3D printer.
[0102] In addition, when elements 32 are arranged at equal intervals in the parameter space 38, it is considered that the intervals between elements 32 will not be equal, so the discharge width may be adjusted taking into account the intervals between adjacent elements 32. This makes it possible to create beautiful shapes. [Explanation of symbols]
[0103] 1. 3D printer (three-dimensional modeling device) 11. Housing 12 Head (discharge part) 12a nozzle 12b, 13b heater 13 Modeling Stage 13a Sculpture 13c Z axis 13d B axis 13e C-axis 13th floor stage 14 Gantry 14a Y-axis 14b X-axis 15 Extruder 20 Control Unit 21 Curved surface modeling part 22-layer stack 23 Trajectory control section 31 layers 32 elements 33 Normal Vector 34 coordinates 35 intervals 36 1st layer 37 2nd layer 38 Parameter Space 39 Trajectory 40 slicer 41 Layer division part 42 Surface generator 43 Trajectory determination part 44 Trajectory confirmation part
Claims
1. A three-dimensional object modeling apparatus that manufactures a three-dimensional object by discharging a modeling material from a discharging unit toward a modeling stage and stacking layers, comprising: a curved surface modeling unit that forms the layer containing the elements discharged from the discharge unit into a parametric curved surface; the three-dimensional object is a layer stacking unit that is a stacked body divided into layers; and a trajectory control unit that projects parameters of the layer, for the elements in the layer that constitute the three-dimensional object, in the curved surface modeling unit onto a parameter space, and controls the position and attitude of the tip of the discharge unit with respect to the modeling stage based on the trajectory calculated in the parameter space; A three-dimensional printing device for a three-dimensional object, comprising:
2. The trajectory control unit places an infill or a support as the element in a portion of the layer. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1 .
3. the infill is placed on the trajectory based on the parameters of the layer. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 2 .
4. When parameters in which the layer to be subsequently built exists are present in parameters in which the layer to be previously built does not exist, the support is placed on the trajectory in the layer to be previously built. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 2 .
5. The parametric surface is a single NURBS surface. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1 .
6. The curved surface forming unit controls the discharge unit in a normal direction of the layer. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1 .
7. the trajectory control unit sets the discharging unit to the attitude such that the discharging unit does not collide with the three-dimensional object and the three-dimensional printing device. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1 .
8. The layer is an interpolation between a first layer, which is the lowest layer, and a second layer, which is the highest layer. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1 .
9. The layer is interpolated based on the positions of parameters common to the first layer and the second layer. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 8 .
10. The layer is a lattice-like arrangement of parameters in the first layer and the second layer. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 8 .
11. Discharging the volume or weight of the element from the discharge portion based on the distance between the discharge portion and the layer. The three-dimensional modeling apparatus according to claim 1 .