Additive manufacturing path generation device, additive manufacturing system, and additive manufacturing path generation method

Abstract

Provided is an additive manufacturing path generation device (105) for dividing a build-up shape into a plurality of layers and generating a build-up path for each layer, the additive manufacturing path generation device (105) reducing user labor for obtaining a build-up path along which build-up can be stably carried out by comprising: a reference curve generation unit (201) for generating, as a reference curve, an intersection line between a layer division reference surface, which is a surface for designating a reference position and a layering direction for a layer, and a layer reference surface, which is the surface of a base material, and then repeatedly generating, as a reference curve, a curve on the layer division reference surface for which a reference curve interval is derived from the previously generated reference curve; a layer division surface generation unit (202) for generating, for each reference curve, a layer division surface, which is a surface that includes the reference curve and divides the build-up shape, so that the direction normal to the layer division surface corresponds to the direction normal to the layer division reference surface at each point on the reference curve; and a layer build-up path generation unit (203) for extracting, for each layer division surface, a portion where the layer division surface and the build-up shape overlap, and generating a build-up path along which material is to be added to an extracted layer build-up region.

Description

Additive manufacturing path generation device, additive manufacturing system, and additive manufacturing path generation method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an additive manufacturing path generation device, an additive manufacturing system, and an additive manufacturing path generation method for controlling an additive manufacturing device that manufactures an object by stacking layers of added molten material.

[0002] Additive manufacturing is a known method of manufacturing three-dimensional objects by stacking multiple layers formed by adding molten material along a manufacturing path. In additive manufacturing, the target shape of the object is generally divided into multiple layers, and a manufacturing path is generated for each layer.

[0003] For example, in the modeling method described in Patent Document 1, when a model shape is divided into a plurality of layers, the model shape is divided along contour lines at equal intervals.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-015363

[0005] However, the conventional manufacturing methods described above have a problem in that it is difficult to obtain a manufacturing path that enables stable additive manufacturing for a variety of shapes. For example, in the manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1, the surface of each layer to be manufactured is flat, and the thickness of each layer is uniform. Therefore, for example, in the case of a shape to be manufactured that has a wall surface that is inclined relative to the surface of the base material, in the direction of irradiation with the heat source for melting the material, the molten material drips in areas where there is no layer below the layer being manufactured, making stable additive manufacturing difficult.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above, and aims to provide an additive manufacturing path generation device that can obtain a manufacturing path that enables stable additive manufacturing for a variety of manufacturing shapes.

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objectives, the additive manufacturing path generation device disclosed herein is an additive manufacturing path generation device that divides a target shape, which is the shape that is the target of additive manufacturing, in which an object is manufactured by stacking multiple layers formed by adding material along a manufacturing path, into multiple layers and generates a manufacturing path for each layer. This additive manufacturing path generation device is characterized by comprising: a reference curve generation unit that generates, as a reference curve, the intersection line between a layer division reference surface, which is a surface that specifies the reference position and stacking direction of a layer, and the layer reference surface, which is the surface of the base material where additive manufacturing begins, and further, in a progressive manner, generates, from the previously generated reference curve, a curve on the layer division reference surface as a reference curve, which takes a reference curve interval that indicates the interval between adjacent reference curves given for each reference curve; a layer division surface generation unit that generates, for each of the multiple reference curves, a layer division surface that is a surface that includes the reference curve and divides the modeling shape, so that at each of the multiple points on the reference curve, the normal direction of the layer division surface is a direction that corresponds to the normal direction of the layer division reference surface; and a layer manufacturing path generation unit that extracts, for each of the multiple layer division surfaces, the portion where the layer division surface and the modeling shape overlap as a layer manufacturing area, and generates a modeling path that adds material to the extracted layer manufacturing area.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to obtain a modeling path that enables stable additive manufacturing for a variety of modeling shapes.

[0009] 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of an additive manufacturing system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an additive manufacturing path generation device; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a target manufacturing shape for which the additive manufacturing path generation device generates a manufacturing path; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of shape data for the manufacturing shape shown in FIG. 3; 16 is a flowchart for explaining the details of a method for generating a printing path. A diagram showing an example of a printing area and a printing path generated for the i-th layer in FIG. 13. A diagram showing an example of hardware for realizing the additive manufacturing path generation device according to the first embodiment.

[0010] An additive manufacturing path generation device, an additive manufacturing system, and an additive manufacturing path generation method according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0011] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an additive manufacturing system 1 according to a first embodiment. The additive manufacturing system 1 includes an additive manufacturing device 120 that forms an object by stacking multiple layers to which molten material is added, and a computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) device 100 that generates a control program 130 for controlling the additive manufacturing device 120. The additive manufacturing device 120 uses materials such as metal and resin.

[0012] The CAM device 100 includes an additive manufacturing path generating device 105. The additive manufacturing path generating device 105 generates modeling path data that serves as the basis for a control program 130 output from the CAM device 100. The CAM device 100 includes a modeling path data storage unit 111. The modeling path data storage unit 111 stores the modeling path data generated by the additive manufacturing path generating device 105. The CAM device 100 also includes a control program generating unit 106. The control program generating unit 106 generates the control program 130 based on the modeling path data stored in the modeling path data storage unit 111. The CAM device 100 further includes a control program generation control unit 104, which controls the additive manufacturing path generating device 105 and the control program generating unit 106 to generate the modeling path data and the control program 130. The CAM device 100 further includes a process data storage unit 110 that stores process data, which is a collection of data for generating a manufacturing path. The control program generation control unit 104 issues a manufacturing path generation start instruction to the additive manufacturing path generation device 105, and inputs the data stored in the process data storage unit 110 to the additive manufacturing path generation device 105. The CAM device 100 further includes a process data operation unit 101, a shape data input unit 102, and a path definition data input unit 103 as functional units for editing the process data stored in the process data storage unit 110.

[0013] The process data operation unit 101 operates the data stored in the process data storage unit 110 in accordance with instructions from a CAM operator, who is a user operating the CAM device 100. The process data storage unit 110 stores a process data list in which process data is arranged in the order of modeling. The process data is a collection of data for generating a modeling path for partial modeling. The process data includes shape data and path definition data to be input to the additive manufacturing path generation device 105. The shape data includes modeling shape data indicating a modeling shape that is a target shape for additive manufacturing, layer reference plane data indicating a layer reference plane that is the surface of the base material where additive manufacturing starts, and layer division reference plane data indicating a layer division reference plane. When the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 generates modeling path data, it divides the modeling shape into multiple layers and generates modeling path data for each layer. The layer division reference plane is a surface that specifies the reference position and stacking direction of the layer. The path definition data includes reference curve interval data, layer division surface type data, layer division surface front-side width data, layer division surface back-side width data, blending section data, modeling path arrangement data, and modeling path interval data. Details of each data included in the path definition data will be described later. In addition, the process data storage unit 110 stores position data that indicates the position of the process data to be edited in the process data list.

[0014] The process data operation unit 101 performs data operations such as adding process data to the process data list stored in the process data storage unit 110, deleting process data, rearranging process data, and updating the position data of the process data to be edited in order to switch the process data to be edited, in response to instructions from the CAM operator.

[0015] The shape data input unit 102 acquires shape data such as 3D CAD (Computer Aided Design) data from outside the CAM device 100, extracts shape data for process data from the acquired shape data in response to instructions from a CAM operator, and updates the shape data of the process data stored in the process data storage unit 110 with the extracted shape data. At this time, the process data to be edited is identified from the process data list using the position data, and the shape data of the identified process data is updated. The shape data input unit 102 may acquire shape data from outside the CAM device 100 via a storage medium, for example, or via a communication path. Alternatively, the shape data input unit 102 may acquire the shape data for process data itself from outside the CAM device 100.

[0016] In response to an instruction from a CAM operator, the path definition data input unit 103 acquires data defining a modeling path from outside the CAM device 100, and uses the acquired data to update the path definition data of the process data to be edited that is stored in the process data storage unit 110. At this time, the process data to be edited is identified from the process data list using the position data, and the path definition data of the identified process data is updated. The path definition data input unit 103 may acquire data via a storage medium, a communication path, or data input by the CAM operator using input means such as a keyboard or a pointing device, for example.

[0017] The control program generation control unit 104 acquires the process data list stored in the process data storage unit 110, controls the operation of the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 and the operation of the control program generation unit 106, generates manufacturing path data and a control program 130 corresponding to the acquired process data list, and outputs them to the outside of the CAM device 100.

[0018] In response to a control program generation instruction from the CAM operator, the control program generation control unit 104 sequentially acquires process data from the process data list stored in the process data storage unit 110, and for the acquired process data, provides the shape data and path definition data in the process data to the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 and sends a modeling path generation start instruction, thereby causing the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 to generate modeling path data for the process data. Specifically, the control program generation control unit 104 provides the shape data and path definition data in the process data to the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 for each piece of process data, and sends the modeling path generation start instruction. Then, the control program generation control unit 104 waits for a modeling path generation completion notification that the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 sends when the generation of the modeling path is completed, and receives the modeling path generation completion notification. This process is performed for all of the process data.

[0019] Furthermore, when the generation of the modeling path data for all the process data is completed, the control program generation control unit 104 transmits a control program generation start instruction to the control program generation unit 106 to start generating a control program, thereby causing the control program generation unit 106 to generate a control program 130 corresponding to the modeling path data. The control program generation control unit 104 waits for a control program generation completion notification transmitted by the control program generation unit 106 when the control program generation unit 106 completes the generation of the control program 130, and upon receiving the control program generation completion notification, causes the control program generation unit 106 to output the generated control program 130 to the outside of the CAM device 100.

[0020] The additive manufacturing path generating device 105 receives a modeling path generation start instruction from the control program generation control unit 104, and generates modeling path data based on the shape data and path definition data provided from the control program generation control unit 104. When the additive manufacturing path generating device 105 generates the modeling path data, it stores the generated modeling path data in the modeling path data storage unit 111 and transmits a modeling path generation completion notification to the control program generation control unit 104. The additive manufacturing path generating device 105 will be described in detail later.

[0021] Upon receiving a control program generation start instruction from the control program generation control unit 104, the control program generation unit 106 acquires as input the modeling path data stored in the modeling path data storage unit 111, and generates a control program 130 for controlling the additive manufacturing device 120 based on the input data. After generating the control program 130, the control program generation unit 106 outputs the generated control program 130 to the outside of the CAM device 100 and transmits a control program generation completion notification to the control program generation control unit 104.

[0022] The additive manufacturing device 120 receives as input the control program 130 output from the CAM device 100, and performs additive manufacturing by operating each unit of the additive manufacturing device 120 based on the analysis results of the received control program 130. The analysis results of the control program 130 include, for example, control target positions of each unit of the additive manufacturing device 120.

[0023] The process data storage unit 110 stores a process data list including multiple pieces of process data. Each piece of process data is a collection of data for generating a modeling path for performing partial modeling, and the process data list lists multiple pieces of process data in the order of modeling. The process data storage unit 110 further stores position data indicating the position of each piece of process data in the process data list. By using the position data, when the process data operating unit 101 edits the process data list, it becomes possible to identify the process data to be edited. The process data storage unit 110 supplies the process data list to the control program generation control unit 104.

[0024] The manufacturing path data storage unit 111 stores the manufacturing path data generated by the additive manufacturing path generating device 105. The manufacturing path data storage unit 111 supplies the manufacturing path data to the control program generating unit 106.

[0025] The control program 130 is generated by the control program generation unit 106 and input to the additive manufacturing device 120 .

[0026] Here, the additive manufacturing path generating device 105 will be described in detail.

[0027] The additive manufacturing path generating device 105 generates a manufacturing path that serves as the basis for the control program 130 used when the additive manufacturing device 120 performs additive manufacturing, and outputs manufacturing path data that indicates the generated manufacturing path. The manufacturing path is generated for each layer, which is the unit of additive manufacturing. The additive manufacturing path generating device 105 divides the manufacturing shape, which is the target shape for additive manufacturing, into multiple layers and generates a manufacturing path for each layer.

[0028] Here, the boundary surface between layers that divides the model shape into layers is called a "layer division surface." By appropriately generating this layer division surface, the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 can generate a modeling path that enables stable modeling. The additive manufacturing path generation device 105 also uses a "layer division reference surface" that specifies the reference position and stacking direction of the layer. The "layer division reference surface" is preferably a surface that extends in the stacking direction. Therefore, the layer division reference surface is preferably a surface that intersects with the "layer reference surface," which is the surface where additive manufacturing begins. The layer reference surface is typically the surface of the base material. The additive manufacturing path generation device 105 first generates, on the layer division reference surface, multiple reference curves that are the basis for defining the layer division surface and that become part of the layer division surface. Then, the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 generates a layer division surface based on the generated reference curves. Furthermore, the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 generates a modeling path for each layer based on the generated layer division surface.

[0029] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the additive manufacturing path generating device 105 shown in Fig. 1. The additive manufacturing path generating device 105 has a manufacturing path generation control unit 200, a base curve generation unit 201, a layer division surface generation unit 202, and a layer manufacturing path generation unit 203.

[0030] The manufacturing path generation control unit 200 controls the overall operation of the additive manufacturing path generation device 105. Specifically, the manufacturing path generation control unit 200 receives a manufacturing path generation start instruction from outside the additive manufacturing path generation device 105, and outputs a data generation start instruction for each layer, starting from the first layer, to the base curve generation unit 201. The data generation start instruction for the i-th layer is referred to as an i-th layer data generation start instruction, where i is an integer greater than or equal to 1. The manufacturing path generation control unit 200 operates the base curve generation unit 201, the layer division surface generation unit 202, and the layer manufacturing path generation unit 203 to generate manufacturing path data, and outputs the generated manufacturing path data to the outside of the additive manufacturing path generation device 105. The printing path generation control unit 200 outputs an instruction to start generating data for the i-th layer to the base curve generating unit 201, and after receiving an i-th layer data generation completion notification output by the layer printing path generating unit 203 when the layer printing path generating unit 203 completes the generation of the printing path for the i-th layer, increments the value of i and outputs an i-th layer data generation start instruction for the next layer to the base curve generating unit 201. When a printing area that is the basis for generating a printing path can no longer be obtained, the layer printing path generating unit 203 outputs an overall data generation completion notification to notify that the entire data generation has been completed. Therefore, when the printing path generation control unit 200 receives the overall data generation completion notification, it outputs a printing path generation completion notification to the outside of the additive manufacturing path generating device 105 and completes the operation of generating the printing path data.

[0031] Each time the reference curve generating unit 201 receives an instruction to start generating data for the ith layer from the manufacturing path generation control unit 200, it generates an ith reference curve, which is a reference curve for the ith layer, and outputs ith reference curve data, which is data indicating the generated ith reference curve, to each of the layer division surface generating unit 202 and the layer manufacturing path generating unit 203. At this time, the reference curve generating unit 201 generates the ith reference curve based on layer reference surface data, layer division reference surface data, and path definition data provided from outside the additive manufacturing path generating device 105. Here, the layer reference surface data and layer division reference surface data are included in the shape data provided from the control program generation control unit 104.

[0032] The layer division surface generating unit 202 receives the ith reference curve data output by the reference curve generating unit 201, generates an ith layer division surface that is a layer division surface of the ith layer based on the received ith reference curve data and the layer reference surface data, layer division reference surface data, and path definition data provided from outside the additive manufacturing path generating device 105, and outputs ith layer division surface data that is data indicating the generated ith layer division surface to the layer manufacturing path generating unit 203. Here, the layer reference surface data and the layer division reference surface data are included in the shape data provided from the control program generation control unit 104.

[0033] The layer manufacturing path generation unit 203 receives the ith reference curve data output by the reference curve generation unit 201 and the ith layer division surface data output by the layer division surface generation unit 202, generates ith manufacturing path data, which is manufacturing path data for the ith layer, based on the received ith reference curve data and ith layer division surface data, and the manufacturing shape data and path definition data provided from outside the additive manufacturing path generation device 105, and outputs the generated ith manufacturing path data to the outside of the additive manufacturing path generation device 105. Here, the manufacturing shape data is data indicating the shape of the object to be manufactured. Furthermore, the layer manufacturing path generation unit 203 generates ith manufacturing region data, which is data indicating the shape of the ith manufacturing region, which is the part to be manufactured in the ith layer, based on the ith layer division surface data and the manufacturing shape data. Specifically, the layer manufacturing path generation unit 203 extracts the portion where the ith layer division surface and the manufacturing shape overlap as the ith manufacturing region. Here, if the layer manufacturing path generating unit 203 is able to generate the ith manufacturing region data, it generates the ith manufacturing path data and outputs it to the outside of the additive manufacturing path generating device 105, and outputs an ith-layer data generation completion notice to notify the manufacturing path generation control unit 200 that the processing of the ith layer has been completed. On the other hand, if the layer manufacturing path generating unit 203 is unable to generate the ith manufacturing region data, that is, if there is no portion where the ith-layer dividing surface and the manufacturing shape overlap, it outputs an entire data generation completion notice to the manufacturing path generation control unit 200 that notifies the completion of the generation of all manufacturing path data for the target process data.

[0034] Here, the operation of the additive manufacturing path generating device 105 will be described using a specific example. Here, an example of manufacturing a three-dimensional object having the shape shown in FIG. 3 will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a target manufacturing shape M for which the additive manufacturing path generating device 105 in FIG. 2 generates a manufacturing path. FIG. 3 shows a manufacturing shape M to be manufactured on a base material B. This manufacturing shape M has a shape in which the angle with respect to the direction of gravity varies depending on the position, and the difference in angle with respect to the direction of gravity between the front side and the back side increases as the part is further away from the base material B. For such a manufacturing shape M, a layer division reference plane F is used as shown in FIG. 4. R 4 is a diagram showing an example of shape data for the object shape M shown in FIG. 3. As described above, the shape data includes object shape data, layer reference plane data, and layer division reference plane data. The layer reference plane F shown in FIG. 4 B is the surface of the substrate B. Also, the layer division reference plane F shown in FIG. R is one of the surfaces constituting the object shape M, and the layer reference surface F B It is desirable that the surface extends in a direction perpendicular to the surface.

[0035] 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the shaping shape M is divided into a plurality of layers. In the example of FIG. 5, the shaping shape M is divided into layers L1, L2, ...L i , L i+1 , .... When performing additive manufacturing, stable manufacturing can be achieved for the object shape M by stacking layers with different thicknesses within one layer as shown in Fig. 5. A method for dividing the object shape into such layers and generating an additive manufacturing path that enables stable manufacturing will be described below.

[0036] Fig. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the overall operation of the additive manufacturing path generating device 105 shown in Fig. 2. When a modeling path generation start command is input from outside the additive manufacturing path generating device 105, the modeling path generation control unit 200 repeatedly executes the processes from step S300 to step S305 while incrementing the value of the layer number i by 1 sequentially from 1 until the layer loop is exited.

[0037] When the modeling path generation control unit 200 outputs an instruction to start generating data for the ith layer to the reference curve generation unit 201, the reference curve generation unit 201 generates the ith reference curve and outputs the ith reference curve data indicating the generated ith reference curve to each of the layer division surface generation unit 202 and the layer modeling path generation unit 203 (step S301).

[0038] 7 is a flowchart for explaining the details of step S301 in FIG. 6. The base curve generating unit 201 determines whether the layer to be generated is the first layer (step S400). If it is the first layer (step S400: Yes), the base curve generating unit 201 generates the layer reference plane F B and the layer division reference plane F R The line of intersection with the line of intersection is generated as a first reference curve, and first reference curve data indicating the generated first reference curve is saved (step S401).

[0039] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a reference curve generated for the shaping shape M shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 8, a layer reference plane F B and the layer division reference plane F R A first reference curve C1 is shown, which is the line of intersection with

[0040] Returning to the explanation of Fig. 7, if it is not the first layer (step S400: No), the base curve generating unit 201 generates a layer division base plane F based on the (i-1)th base curve of the layer immediately below the target layer and the base curve interval indicated by the base curve interval data. R The i-th reference curve is generated above, and the i-th reference curve data indicating the generated i-th reference curve is saved (step S402).

[0041] 9 is a diagram showing an example of reference curve interval data included in the path definition data acquired by the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 in FIG. 2. The reference curve interval data shown in FIG. 9 includes reference curve intervals h corresponding to each layer number i. i Specifically, for the first layer, the reference curve interval h i = 1.5 mm, and the reference curve interval h i = 1.0 mm, and for the sixth layer and onwards, the reference curve interval h i = 0.7 mm. iThe larger the value of the layer number i, that is, the larger the layer reference plane F B As the modeling progresses, thermal energy accumulates in the model during the modeling process, which makes it easier for the material to drip in the direction of gravity, reducing the accuracy of the model. i The wider the reference curve interval h, the thicker the target layer will be, and the time required for additive manufacturing can be shortened, but material dripping is more likely to occur. Therefore, taking into account the time required for additive manufacturing and the likelihood of material dripping, it is recommended to set the reference curve interval h to a certain extent in the early stages of manufacturing, when material dripping is less likely to occur. i As the modeling progresses, the reference curve interval h i It is preferable to narrow the reference curve interval h. Note that the example in which the value is changed in three stages shown in FIG. i The value may be changed in two stages, or may be changed in four or more stages.

[0042] When the reference curve interval data as shown in FIG. 9 is used, the reference curve generating unit 201 sets an interval of 1.5 mm between the first reference curve C1 and the second layer, and sets the layer division reference plane F R Similarly, for the third layer and thereafter, the reference curve generating unit 201 generates the i-th reference curve C i and the reference curve interval h i The layer division reference plane F R The i-th reference curve C above i As a result, the base curve generating unit 201 generates the layer base plane F B and the layer division reference plane F R After generating the line of intersection with the first reference curve C1, curves are generated incrementally from the previously generated reference curve one level below at reference curve intervals given for each reference curve.

[0043] Here, the i-th reference curve C i The method for generating the (i-1)th reference curve C as shown in FIG. i-1 Multiple points P on i-1,j and the reference curve interval h i-1 Based on this, a plurality of points P i,j Generate a point Pi,j By interpolating the i-th reference curve C i where j is an integer equal to or greater than 1. The (i-1)th reference curve C i-1 Multiple points P on i-1,j There is no particular limitation on the method for generating the reference curve. For example, the reference curve generating unit 201 may generate points P i-1,j may be generated, or the layer division reference plane F R In the area where the change in the normal direction of is large, many points P i-1,j may be generated.

[0044] 10 is an explanatory diagram of a first example of a method for generating a reference curve. i-1 Point P above i-1,j From point P i,j 10 shows a method for calculating the point P i-1,j Point P i-1,j The i-1th reference curve C i-1 tangential direction T i-1,j The reference curve generating unit 201 calculates a point P i-1,j The reference curve interval h is centered on i-1 and the layer division reference plane F R Among the intersections with the layer reference plane F B The point farthest from the i-th base curve C i Point P above i,j That is, the reference curve generating unit 201 calculates the point P i-1,j Point P i-1,j The i-1th reference curve C i-1 tangential direction T i-1,j In a plane perpendicular to i-1,j The straight-line distance between the reference curve interval h i-1 The layer division reference plane F R Of the two points above, the layer reference plane F B The point farthest from the i-th base curve C i Point P above i,j The reference curve generating unit 201 calculates the plurality of points P i,j By interpolating the i-th reference curve C i can be generated.

[0045] 11 is an explanatory diagram of a second example of a method for generating a reference curve. Similar to FIG. 10, FIG. 11 shows a method for generating a reference curve at point P i-1,j Point P i-1,j The i-1th reference curve C i-1 tangential direction T i-1,j The reference curve generating unit 201 calculates a plane perpendicular to the point P i-1,j The i-1th reference curve C i-1 tangential direction T i-1,j and point P i-1,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i-1,j Among the directions perpendicular to the layer reference plane F B Direction M away from i-1,j Calculate the point P i-1,j In the direction M i-1,j The reference curve interval h i-1 Point Q moved by i,j Then, the reference curve generating unit 201 calculates the point Q i,j Layer division reference plane F R The closest point on the top is point P i,j In this case, the point P i-1,j and point P i,j The straight-line distance between the reference curve interval h i-1 However, the reference curve interval h i-1 , which makes it possible to generate an approximate reference curve and also reduces the amount of calculation compared to the first example described with reference to FIG.

[0046] Here, the method by which the base curve generating unit 201 generates a base curve has been described using the first and second examples, but the method by which the base curve generating unit 201 generates a base curve is not limited to the exemplified methods. B and the layer division reference plane F R The intersection line with the reference curve interval h is generated as the first reference curve. i Based on this, the layer division reference plane F R It is sufficient to generate multiple reference curves on the basis of the above.

[0047] Returning to the description of Fig. 7, after the processing of step S401 or step S402 is completed, the base curve generating unit 201 outputs the ith base curve data indicating the generated ith base curve to each of the layer division surface generating unit 202 and the layer modeling path generating unit 203 (step S403), and the base curve generating operation shown in Fig. 7 is completed.

[0048] Returning to the description of Fig. 6 , when the reference curve generating unit 201 generates the ith reference curve in step S301, the layer division surface generating unit 202 generates the ith layer division surface based on the ith reference curve data indicating the ith reference curve generated by the reference curve generating unit 201, the layer reference surface data provided from outside the additive manufacturing path generating device 105, the layer division reference surface data, and the path definition data (step S302). The layer division surface generating unit 202 outputs the ith division surface data indicating the generated ith division surface to the layer manufacturing path generating unit 203.

[0049] FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a first example of a layer division surface generation method. FIG. 12 shows details of step S302 in FIG. 6. Here, the "layer division surface type" used to generate the layer division surface will be described. In this embodiment, three layer division surface generation methods are shown. Layer division surface type data included in the path definition data is provided as information indicating each of these generation methods. The layer division surface generation unit 202 can determine the layer division surface type to be used for the corresponding modeling shape M by referencing the layer division surface type data included in the path definition data. The layer division surface type data may be predetermined in the design stage in association with the process data, or may be specified by the CAM operator using the path definition data input unit 103 for each modeling. For example, in this embodiment, the "layer division surface type" is assumed to be "1," "2," or "3." Details of the layer division surface generation method for each type will be described below.

[0050] First, the layer division surface generating unit 202 determines whether the "layer division surface type" indicated by the layer division surface type data included in the path definition data is "1" (step S500). If the layer division surface type is "1" (step S500: Yes), the layer division surface generating unit 202 iEach point P on i,j In this case, the layer division reference plane F R The layer division plane generating unit 202 generates a line extending along the normal direction of the layer division reference plane data as a cross-section line (step S501). i,j A plurality of cross-section lines corresponding to each of the cross-section lines are generated.

[0051] 13 is an explanatory diagram of a first example of a method for generating a layer division surface. The first example corresponds to a method indicated by "1" in the "layer division surface type". The layer division surface generating unit 202 generates the i-th base curve C i Each point P on i,j In this case, point P i,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j A straight line L extending to i,j Specifically, the layer division plane generating unit 202 generates a cross section line at point P i,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j Calculate the point P i,j Passing through, the calculated normal direction N i,j The layer division surface front side width data and the layer division surface rear side width data included in the path definition data are used to generate a straight line extending along the layer division surface F as a cross-sectional line. i The layer dividing surface front side width data indicates the layer dividing surface front side width d F is the layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j The layer division surface back side width data indicates the layer division surface back side width d R is the layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j The layer division surface generation unit 202 calculates the width of the point P i,j Passing through, the calculated normal direction N i,j A straight line extending along the point P i,j From the normal direction N i,j The length of the layer dividing surface is the front side width d F And at point P i,j From the normal direction N i,jThe length in the opposite direction is the back width d of the layer dividing surface R A straight line L i,j is generated as a cross-sectional line. i Each point P on i,j is the i-th reference curve C i It may be the one used in the process of generating the i-th reference curve C i The layer division surface generating unit 202 may newly define the i-th base curve C i Each point P on i,j For each of the above, the line L i,j By generating the above, multiple cross-section lines can be obtained.

[0052] 12. If the layer division surface type is not "1" (step S500: No), the layer division surface generating unit 202 determines whether the "layer division surface type" indicated by the layer division surface type data included in the path definition data is "2" (step S502). If the layer division surface type is "2" (step S502: Yes), the layer division surface generating unit 202 i Each point P on i,j In this case, the layer reference plane F B The layer division reference plane F R A curve extending along the normal direction of the cross section is generated as a cross section line (step S503).

[0053] 14 is an explanatory diagram of a second example of a method for generating a layer division surface. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the details of a method for generating a cross section line of the first layer in FIG. 14. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of the j-th point P 1,j The method for generating a cross section line for point P 1,j Point P 1,j The tangent direction T of the first reference curve C at 1,j The second example corresponds to the method in which the "layer division surface type" is indicated by "2". The layer division surface generating unit 202 generates the i-th base curve C i Each point P on i,j In this case, point P i,j Passing through the layer reference plane F B Reflecting the shape of point P i,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,jThe curve S extends to i,j is generated as a cross section line.

[0054] First, a method for generating a cross-section line in the first layer will be described. In the case of the first layer, the layer division surface generating unit 202 divides each point P on the first reference curve C1. 1,j Passing through point P 1,j The tangent direction T of the first reference curve C at 1,j and a plane perpendicular to the layer reference plane F B The curve S generated from the intersection with 1,j At this time, the layer division surface generating unit 202 generates a cross section line by using the layer division surface front side width d F and the back width of the layer dividing surface d R The curve S of length determined based on 1,j Generate.

[0055] The layer division surface generation unit 202 calculates the curve S 1,j There are various methods for generating the layer division plane. For example, the method shown in FIG. 15 is conceivable. For example, the layer division plane generating unit 202 generates the layer division plane at the point P 1,j Point P 1,j The tangent direction T of the first reference curve C at 1,j In a plane perpendicular to 1,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N 1,j A straight line L extending to 1,j This line L 1,j The method for generating the line L described in FIG. i,j The method for generating the line L is the same as that for generating the line L. 1,j is the point P 1,j From the normal direction N 1,j The length of the layer dividing surface is the front side width d F And at point P 1,j From the normal direction N 1,j The length in the opposite direction is the back width d of the layer dividing surface R Then, the layer division surface generating unit 202 calculates the point P 1,j Point P 1,j The tangent direction T of the first reference curve C at 1,j In a plane perpendicular to 1,j Upper point PL 1,j,k For point PL 1,j,k Passing through the line L1,j and a line perpendicular to the layer reference plane F B The intersection point with the cross section curve is point PS 1,j,k and calculates a plurality of points PS 1,j,k The curve S is obtained by interpolating for the same j. 1,j can be generated.

[0056] Furthermore, the layer division surface generating unit 202 determines the point P on the first reference curve C1. 1,j Passing through, normal direction N 1,j A straight line L extending along 1,j The layer reference plane F B By projecting it onto the curve S 1,j It is also possible to generate a straight line L 1,j Upper point PL 1,j,k Layer reference plane F B The closest point on the line L is found and interpolated. 1,j The layer reference plane F B We can get the curve projected above.

[0057] Next, a method for generating a cross section line for the second layer or higher will be described. In the case of the second layer or higher, the layer division surface generating unit 202 generates a curve S 1,j Using this, the curve S, which is the cross-sectional line of the second layer and onwards, i,j Specifically, the layer division surface generating unit 202 generates a curve S 1,j Point P above 1,j But point P i,j The curve S overlaps with 1,j A curve is generated by translating the i-th reference curve C i Point P above i,j The i-th reference curve C i The layer division reference plane F at the position R The curve S rotated according to i,j can be generated as a cross-section line. i,j Passing through the normal direction N 1,j and N i,jThe axis perpendicular to both of the curve S is used as the rotation axis. Here, the thickness of the layer changes depending on the angle of rotation by the layer division surface generation unit 202. 1,j The curve after translation is at point P 1,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N 1,j is point P i,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j The layer division surface generating unit 202 rotates and moves the i-th base curve C i Each point P on i,j For each of the curves S i,j By generating the above, multiple cross-section lines can be obtained.

[0058] Returning to the description of Fig. 12, if the layer division surface type is not "2" (step S502: No), that is, if the layer division surface type is "3", the layer division surface generating unit 202 i Each point P on i,j In this case, the layer division reference plane F R and a line extending along the normal direction of the layer reference plane F B The layer division reference plane F R In other words, in step S504, both the straight line generated in step S501 and the curve generated in step S503 are generated.

[0059] Then, the layer division surface generating unit 202 blends the generated straight lines and curves to generate, as cross-section lines, curves with a curvature lower than that of the curves generated in step S504 (step S505).

[0060] Fig. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a third example of a method for generating a layer division surface. Fig. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the details of a method for generating a cross section line of the i-th layer in Fig. 16. Fig. 17 is an explanatory diagram of the j-th point P i,j The method for generating a cross section line for point P i,j Point P i,j The i-th reference curve C i tangential direction T i,jThe third example corresponds to the method in which the "layer division surface type" is indicated by "3". The layer division surface generating unit 202 generates the i-th base curve C i Each point P on i,j In this case, point P i,j Passing through point P i,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j A straight line L extending to i,j and the layer reference plane F B Reflecting the shape of point P i,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j The curve S extends to i,j and generate a straight line L i,j and curve S i,j By blending the curve B i,j Here, blending means to mix the characteristics of two things to generate a new one, and in this case, the straight line L i,j The curvature of the curve S i,j That is, the curve S i,j Curve B has a lower curvature than i,j It refers to generating

[0061] Here, the layer division surface generating unit 202 divides the layer into two layers by a straight line L as shown in FIG. i,j Upper point PL i,j,k Including the line L i,j A plane perpendicular to the curve S i,j Intersection with PS i,j,k Find the intersection PS i,j,k and point PL i,j,k Based on this, the blended point PB is calculated using the following formula (1): i,j,k The blended curve B can be calculated. i,j is the blended point PB i,j,k is defined as the curve obtained by interpolating

[0062]

[0063] Note that b(t) in equation (1) is a function that takes a value between 0 and 1 for the total value t of the reference curve interval between the first layer and the i-th layer, and is defined, for example, as shown in the following equation (2).

[0064]

[0065] R in Equation (2) B is a distance given as blending section data in the route definition data, and the curve S i,j From the line L i,j This defines the interval in which the

[0066] straight line L i,j and curve S i,j Both of these are layer division reference planes F R Normal direction N i,j Since the curve is inclined according to the i,j The layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j The layer division surface generating unit 202 generates the i-th base curve C i Each point P on i,j For each of the curves, i,j By generating the above, multiple cross-section lines can be obtained.

[0067] Returning to the description of Fig. 12, when a plurality of cross-section lines are generated in step S501, step S503, or step S505 depending on the layer division surface type, the layer division surface generating unit 202 interpolates the generated cross-section lines to generate the i-th layer division surface F i is generated (step S506).

[0068] In any of the first, second and third examples of the layer division plane generation method, the cross section line is formed on the layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j Therefore, the i-th layer division surface F i The layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j Therefore, the i-th layer dividing plane F iHere, a "layer having an inappropriately constant thickness" refers to, for example, a state in which a layer to be modeled has a lower layer in the direction of irradiation with a heat source that melts the material during additive manufacturing. When a layer to be modeled has a lower layer in the direction of irradiation with a heat source that melts the material during additive manufacturing, the lower layer can support the molten material, enabling stable additive manufacturing.

[0069] Returning to the explanation of FIG. 6, the layer division surface generation unit 202 generates the i-th layer division surface F i After generating the layer-forming path data, the layer-forming path generating unit 203 generates the i-th layer-forming path based on the forming shape data, the path definition data, the i-th reference curve data, and the i-th layer dividing surface data (step S303). The layer-forming path generating unit 203 outputs the formed forming path data indicating the i-th layer-forming path to the outside of the additive manufacturing path generating device 105.

[0070] 18 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the method for generating a modeling path, which shows the details of step S303 in FIG.

[0071] The layer forming path generating unit 203 generates the i-th layer divided surface F based on the forming shape data and the i-th layer divided surface data. i The area where the i-th layer dividing surface F overlaps the i-th layer dividing surface F is generated as the i-th layer dividing area (step S600). i If there is no area where the layer-forming path generator 203 overlaps with the printing shape M, no printing area is generated. The layer-forming path generator 203 determines whether or not a printing area has been generated (step S601).

[0072] If a printing area is found (Step S601: Yes), the layer printing path generation unit 203 generates a printing path from the printing area data indicating the generated printing area and the printing path arrangement data and the printing path interval data in the path definition data (Step S602), and outputs the printing path data indicating the generated printing path to the outside of the additive manufacturing path generation device 105. In this case, the layer printing path generation unit 203 outputs a notification of completion of the i-th layer data generation to the printing path generation control unit 200 (Step S603).

[0073] 19 is a diagram showing an example of a printing region and a printing path generated for the i-th layer in FIG. 13. The layer printing path generating unit 203 generates the printing region R i The modeling path is generated so that the i-th reference curve C i Parallel to the shaping path TP i,1 ~TP i,4 Each of the printing paths has a bead area centered on the printing path, which is defined as a printing area R i Here, the layer forming path generating unit 203 generates the layer forming path so as to cover the interval d i and interval w i Specifically, the layer-forming path generating unit 203 generates a modeling path using the i-th reference curve C i Distance d i is taken, and the i-th reference curve C i Parallel printing path TP i,1 and modeling path TP i,1 For interval w i Take the modeling path TP i,1 Parallel printing path TP i,2 and modeling path TP i,2 For interval w i Take the modeling path TP i,2 Parallel printing path TP i,3 and modeling path TP i,3 For interval w i Take the modeling path TP i,3 Parallel printing path TP i,4 Here, the i-th reference curve C i , a printing path parallel to the printing region R i The modeling path for the i-th reference curve C i , and the shaping region R i The direction based on the longitudinal and lateral directions of the bead can be set to be along the direction based on the coordinate system in which the shape is expressed. i Any shaping path that can cover the above may be used.

[0074] Returning to the description of Fig. 18 , if there is no printing area (step S601: No), the layer printing path generation unit 203 outputs an overall data generation completion notice to the printing path generation control unit 200, notifying that generation of all data for the target process data has been completed (step S604).

[0075] Returning to the description of FIG. 6 , the modeling path generation control unit 200 determines whether the generation of all data has been completed (step S304). Here, the modeling path generation control unit 200 can determine whether the generation of all data has been completed based on whether the modeling path generation control unit 200 has received an overall data generation completion notification from the layer modeling path generation unit 203. If the generation of all data has been completed (step S304: Yes), the modeling path generation control unit 200 exits the layer loop and ends the operation shown in FIG. 6 . If the generation of all data has not been completed (step S304: No), the modeling path generation control unit 200 proceeds to step S305, returns to step S300, increments the value of i, and continues the operation of generating modeling path data for the next layer.

[0076] 20 is a diagram illustrating an example of hardware that realizes the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 according to the first embodiment. The processor 11 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit, also referred to as a central processing unit, processing device, arithmetic unit, microprocessor, microcomputer, or DSP (Digital Signal Processor)), a system LSI (Large Scale Integration), or the like. The memory 12 is a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a hard disk drive, or the like. The interface circuit 13 is a circuit that allows the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 to exchange data with external devices.

[0077] The additive manufacturing path generation control unit 200, the reference curve generation unit 201, the layer division surface generation unit 202, and the layer manufacturing path generation unit 203 of the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 are realized by the processor 11 executing programs for operating as each of these units.

[0078] The program is pre-stored in the memory 12. The processor 11 reads and executes the program from the memory 12. It is assumed that the program is pre-stored in the memory 12, but this is not a limitation. The program may be written to a recording medium such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM or a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)-ROM and supplied to the user, and the user may install the program in the memory 12. In this case, the hardware realizing the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 further includes a reading device for reading the program from the recording medium. Alternatively, the reading device may be connected to the interface circuit 13 to install the program. The program may also be installed via a communication path.

[0079] As described above, the additive manufacturing path generating device 105 according to the first embodiment divides the target shape M of additive manufacturing, which is a shape that is a target of additive manufacturing, into a plurality of layers by stacking a plurality of layers formed by adding material along the additive manufacturing path, and generates a manufacturing path for each layer. The additive manufacturing path generating device 105 uses a layer division reference plane F, which is a plane that specifies the reference position and stacking direction of the layer. R and a layer reference surface F, which is the substrate surface where additive manufacturing starts. B The intersection line with the reference curve is generated as a reference curve, and further, gradually, a layer division reference plane F is generated by taking the reference curve interval indicating the interval between the adjacent reference curves given for each reference curve from the previously generated reference curve. R a base curve generating unit 201 that generates the curves above as base curves, and a layer dividing surface F that is a surface including the base curve and that divides the object shape M for each of the base curves; i At each of the plurality of points on the base curve, the layer division surface F i The normal direction of the layer division reference plane F Ra layer division surface generating unit 202 for generating a layer division surface F such that the direction of the layer division surface F is in accordance with the normal direction of the layer division surface F; i and a layer-forming path generating unit 203 that extracts, for each of the above, the portion where the layer division surface and the modeling shape overlap as a layer-forming area, and generates a modeling path for adding material to the extracted layer-forming area.

[0080] With the above configuration, the layer dividing surface F that divides the shaping shape M i At each of the plurality of points on the reference curve, the normal direction is the layer division reference plane F R Specifically, in the above embodiment, the layer division plane F i is the value of each point P i,j Layer division surface F at i The normal direction of the layer division reference plane F R In this way, even if the shaping shape M has a partially different inclination with respect to the surface of the base material B, the heat source for melting the material can be applied to the layer dividing surface F i When the heat source is irradiated from the normal direction, layers with different thicknesses can be generated in the same layer so that there is a layer below the layer being modeled in the direction of irradiation of the heat source. Therefore, the additive manufacturing path generation device 105 can generate a modeling path that enables stable modeling.

[0081] It is desirable that the reference curve generating unit 201 accepts a value specifying the reference curve interval for each reference curve, which makes it possible to adjust the layer thickness in accordance with the influence of heat accumulation on the shaped object.

[0082] The layer division plane generating unit 202 generates a layer division reference plane F at each of a plurality of points on each of the plurality of reference curves. R A straight line L extending along the normal direction of i,j , curve S i,j , or curve B i,j and a layer division surface F is generated based on the generated plurality of section lines. i The cross section line can be generated as a straight line L i,j , curve S i,j , or curve B i,jThe layer division plane type data determines which of the two planes is used. B is a plane and uses layer division surface type "1", and the layer reference surface F B is a curved surface and layer division surface type "2" is used, and the layer reference surface F B is a curved surface and the layer division surface type "3" is used, but the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, B Even if the layer reference plane F is a curved surface, the layer division plane type "1" may be used. B By using different methods depending on the shape of the object and the shape to be molded, more stable molding can be achieved.

[0083] i-th standard curve C i Multiple points P on i,j A cross section line is generated that passes through each of the above, and the angle of each cross section line is calculated based on the layer division reference plane F R By adjusting the angle in accordance with the normal direction of the base material B, it is possible to generate an appropriate layer even for a modeling shape M in which the inclination of different parts of the same layer relative to the surface of the base material B varies. Therefore, a modeling path that enables stable modeling can be obtained.

[0084] The layer division plane generating unit 202 generates a layer division reference plane F at each of a plurality of points on each of the plurality of reference curves. R A straight line L extending along the normal direction of i,j is generated as a section line, and the generated multiple section lines are interpolated for each reference curve to generate a layer division surface F i Here, "at each of the plurality of points on the reference curve, the layer division reference plane F R When the target layer is the i-th layer, the straight line extending along the normal direction of the i-th base curve C i Multiple points P on i,j and the point P i,j Layer division reference plane F R Normal direction N i,j along the point P i,jThe cross-sectional line refers to a straight line extending on both sides of the object. The method of using a straight line as the cross-sectional line can reduce the amount of calculation compared to using a curved line, and has the advantage of being able to keep the direction of the heat source constant within the same layer, making it possible to perform stable modeling. The direction of the heat source irradiation is generally the normal direction of the irradiated part of the surface to be irradiated.

[0085] The layer division plane generating unit 202 generates a layer division reference plane F at each of a plurality of points on each of the plurality of reference curves. R and a layer reference plane F in the layer stacking direction. B The curve S reflecting the shape of i,j is generated as a section line, and the generated multiple section lines are interpolated for each reference curve to generate a layer division surface F i The method of using a curve as a cross section line can also generate a layer reference plane F B This is effective when the surface is curved.

[0086] The layer division plane generating unit 202 generates a layer reference plane F B At each of the plurality of points on the reference curve included in B It is also possible to generate a cross section line based on the intersection line with the layer reference plane F. B At each of the plurality of points on the reference curve included in B The "intersection line with" is a line of intersection between multiple points P on the first layer base curve. 1,j and the plane perpendicular to the layer reference plane F B Specifically, the above-mentioned intersection line is used as the cross section line of the first layer, and cross section lines of the second layer and thereafter are generated based on this intersection line.

[0087] The layer division plane generating unit 202 generates a layer reference plane F B A plurality of points P on the reference curve included in 1,j In each of the points P 1,j Passing through point P 1,j Layer division reference plane F R A line parallel to the normal direction of the layer reference plane F B A cross-section line may be generated based on the curve projected onto it.

[0088] The layer division surface generating unit 202 generates a layer reference surface F for each of the plurality of reference curves. B A plurality of points P on the reference curve included in 1,j In each of the above, the plane perpendicular to the reference curve and the layer reference plane F B The curve S is the intersection line with 1,j and the layer division reference plane F R A straight line L extending along the normal direction of i,j and generate the curve S 1,j and the line L i,j The curve S is an intersection line blended based on i,j Curve B has a lower curvature than i,j The method of generating a cross section line by the method called blending above is, for example, B The upper layers are molded according to the shape of the layer reference plane F B This can be used to reduce the degree to which the shape is reflected and make it closer to a flat surface. This makes it possible to improve the efficiency of finishing processing after molding, for example, when the part corresponding to the final layer of the molding shape is close to a flat surface.

[0089] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, it is also possible to provide an additive manufacturing path generation method for dividing a target shape, which is a shape that is a target of additive manufacturing, in which a model is manufactured by stacking multiple layers formed by adding material along a manufacturing path, into multiple layers and generating a manufacturing path for each layer. The additive manufacturing path generation method uses a layer division reference plane F, which is a plane that specifies the reference position and stacking direction of the layer. R and a layer reference surface F, which is the substrate surface where additive manufacturing starts. B The intersection line with the reference curve is generated as a reference curve, and further, gradually, a layer division reference plane F is generated by taking the reference curve interval indicating the interval between the adjacent reference curves given for each reference curve from the previously generated reference curve. RThe method includes the steps of: generating the above curve as a reference curve; generating, for each of the plurality of reference curves, a layer division surface that is a surface including the reference curve and that divides the modeling shape, so that at each of a plurality of points on the reference curve, the normal direction of the layer division surface corresponds to the normal direction of the layer division reference surface; and extracting, for each of the plurality of layer division surfaces, the portion where the layer division surface intersects with the modeling shape as a layer modeling area, and generating a modeling path that adds material to the extracted layer modeling area.

[0090] The configurations shown in the above embodiments are merely examples, and may be combined with other known technologies, and parts of the configurations may be omitted or modified without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0091] For example, in the above embodiment, the layer division surface F is determined by using the layer division surface front side width data and the layer division surface back side width data. i However, the layer division plane F i Any data may be used as long as it is possible to limit the calculation range so as to reliably traverse the formed shape M while reducing the load of the calculation process. For example, the range to be calculated may be indicated using information indicating the size of a solid, such as a rectangular parallelepiped or sphere, that contains the formed shape M. The information indicating the size of the solid may be the length of the diagonal for a rectangular parallelepiped, or the diameter for a sphere. By predetermining the reference position for placing the solid, it is possible to define the range to be calculated.

[0092] 1 Additive manufacturing system, 11 Processor, 12 Memory, 13 Interface circuit, 100 CAM device, 101 Process data operation unit, 102 Shape data input unit, 103 Path definition data input unit, 104 Control program generation control unit, 105 Additive manufacturing path generation device, 106 Control program generation unit, 110 Process data storage unit, 111 Modeling path data storage unit, 120 Additive manufacturing device, 130 Control program, 200 Modeling path generation control unit, 201 Reference curve generation unit, 202 Layer division surface generation unit, 203 Layer manufacturing path generation unit, B Base material, B i,j , Si,j Curve, C i The ith reference curve, F B Layer reference plane, F R Layer division reference plane, F i Layer division surface, L i,j Straight line, M shape, R i Forming field.

Claims

1. A layered manufacturing path generation apparatus that divides a manufacturing shape, which is a target shape for layered manufacturing of a manufactured object by stacking a plurality of layers formed by adding materials along a manufacturing path, into a plurality of layers and generates the manufacturing path for each layer. The apparatus includes: a reference curve generation unit that generates an intersection line between a layer division reference plane, which is a plane specifying a reference position and a stacking direction of the layer, and a layer reference plane, which is a surface of a base material where the layered manufacturing starts, as a reference curve, and further, gradually generates, as the reference curve, a curve on the layer division reference plane that takes a reference curve interval indicating an interval between adjacent reference curves given for each reference curve, from the previously generated reference curve; a layer division surface generation unit that generates, for each of the plurality of reference curves, a layer division surface, which is a surface including the reference curve and dividing the manufacturing shape, such that a normal direction of the layer division surface becomes a direction corresponding to a normal direction of the layer division reference plane at each of a plurality of points on the reference curve; and a layer manufacturing path generation unit that extracts, for each of the plurality of layer division surfaces, a portion where the layer division surface and the manufacturing shape overlap as a layer manufacturing region, and generates the manufacturing path for adding the material to the extracted layer manufacturing region. The layered manufacturing path generation apparatus is characterized by comprising the above units.

2. The layered manufacturing path generation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reference curve generation unit receives a value specifying the interval for each reference curve.

3. The layered manufacturing path generation apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the layer division surface generation unit generates, for each of the plurality of reference curves, a cross-sectional line extending along a normal direction of the layer division reference plane at each of a plurality of points on the reference curve, and generates the layer division surface based on the plurality of generated cross-sectional lines.

4. The layered manufacturing path generation apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the layer division surface generation unit generates, for each of the plurality of reference curves, a straight line extending along a normal direction of the layer division reference plane at each of a plurality of points on the reference curve as a cross-sectional line, and generates the layer division surface by interpolating the plurality of generated cross-sectional lines for each reference curve.

5. The layer division surface generation unit generates, for each of the plurality of reference curves, at each of a plurality of points on the reference curve, a curve that extends along the normal direction of the layer division reference surface and reflects the shape of the layer reference surface in the stacking direction of the layers as the cross-section line, and generates the layer division surface by interpolating the plurality of generated cross-section lines for each reference curve. The layered manufacturing path generation apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that.

6. The layer division surface generation unit generates the cross-section line based on the intersection line between the surface orthogonal to the reference curve and the layer reference surface at each of the plurality of points on the reference curve included in the layer reference surface. The layered manufacturing path generation apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that.

7. The layer division surface generation unit generates the cross-section line based on a curve obtained by projecting, onto the layer reference surface, a straight line passing through the point and parallel to the normal direction of the layer division reference surface at the point at each of the plurality of points on the reference curve included in the layer reference surface. The layered manufacturing path generation apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that.

8. The layer division surface generation unit generates, for each of the plurality of reference curves, at each of the plurality of points on the reference curve included in the layer reference surface, an intersection line between the surface orthogonal to the reference curve and the layer reference surface, and a straight line extending along the normal direction of the layer division reference surface, and generates, based on the intersection line and the straight line, a curve with a reduced curvature compared to the intersection line as the cross-section line. The layered manufacturing path generation apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that.

9. A layered manufacturing system, comprising: the layered manufacturing path generation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8; a layered manufacturing apparatus that executes the layered manufacturing; and a control program generation unit that generates a control program for controlling the layered manufacturing apparatus based on the manufacturing path generated by the layered manufacturing path generation apparatus.

10. In a laminated modeling path generation method for modeling an object to be modeled by laminating a plurality of layers formed by adding a material along a modeling path, the modeling shape, which is the target shape of the laminated modeling, is divided into a plurality of layers, and the modeling path is generated for each layer. A reference curve is generated as an intersection line between a layer division reference plane, which is a plane specifying the reference position and the lamination direction of the layer, and a layer reference plane, which is the surface of the base material where the laminated modeling starts. Further, gradually, from the previously generated reference curve, a curve on the layer division reference plane obtained by taking a reference curve interval indicating the interval between the adjacent reference curves given for each of the reference curves is generated as the reference curve. For each of the plurality of reference curves, a layer division plane, which is a plane including the reference curve and dividing the modeling shape, is generated at each of a plurality of points on the reference curve such that the normal direction of the layer division plane is in a direction corresponding to the normal direction of the layer division reference plane. For each of the plurality of layer division planes, a portion where the layer division plane and the modeling shape overlap is extracted as a layer modeling region, and a modeling path for adding the material to the extracted layer modeling region is generated. A laminated modeling path generation method characterized by including the above steps.

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