3D printing system

Abstract

3D Printing System A 3D printing system including a user terminal and one or more remote 3D printers connected to the user terminal; wherein the user terminal includes a memory, a processor, a display screen, a data transmitter and a user input apparatus; the user terminal memory includes data relating to one or more representations of one or more standard products; the user input apparatus permits a user to modify or arrange the representation(s) of one or more of the standard products as desired; the processor stores data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations; and the or one of the 3D printers produces the product(s) according to the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations.

Description

[0001] P475.002GB

[0002] 3D Printing System

[0003] The present invention relates to a 3D printing system and, in particular, to a 3D printing system that can be used to produce personalised products.

[0004] It is known to produce bespoke products via a 3D printer. However, such products typically require many days to produce and the process may be lengthy and cumbersome.

[0005] It is desired to provide a system which allows a user to generate a representation of a modified or personalised product and have that product produced quickly and easily.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a 3D printing system including a user terminal and one or more remote 3D printers connected to the user terminal; wherein the user terminal includes a memory, a processor, a display screen, a data transmitter and a user input apparatus; the user terminal memory includes data relating to one or more representations of one or more standard products; the user input apparatus permits a user to modify or arrange the representation(s) of one or more of the standard products as desired; the processor stores data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations; and the or one of the 3D printers produces the product(s) according to the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations.

[0007] The invention provides a user terminal that includes or is capable of accessing representations of one or more standard products. In other words, “virtual images” of the standard products. A user may then modify one or more of the representations or arrange the representations in a desired manner to generate a new representation or arrangement of representations. For example, the representations of the one or more standard products may be representations of the letters of the alphabet in a particular colour or style. The user may then be able to arrange the letters to spell a name or word. Alternatively, the representation of a product may be personalised or modified by the addition of selected additional features to generate a new representation of the product.

[0008] The processor within the user terminal generates and stores data relating to the modified representation. Thus, the user terminal may generate a new data file relating to the modified representation or arrangement of representation(s). For example, the user terminal may storeP475.002GB

[0009] representations of a number of different products, such as letters of the alphabet in a specific 3D style, wherein each representation has associated with it a code. The user may then select an arrangement of the different products. The new data file may then include an array of the codes associated with each of the products in the selected arrangement. Such an arrangement minimises the data that needs to be transmitted from the user terminal.

[0010] The 3D printer(s) may be indirectly connected to the user terminal. For example, the user terminal may be connected to the 3D printer(s) via intermediate components. The connection may be a wired connection, a wireless connection or a mixture of wired and wireless connections.

[0011] In an embodiment of the invention, the user terminal may be a “stand-alone” kiosk or it may be a software application that is run on a computer or a mobile computing device. For example, the software application may be run on a mobile device, such as a mobile phone or it may be in the form of a website hosted on a server which is accessible via a computing device.

[0012] In an embodiment of the invention, the user terminal includes a touchscreen which functions as both the display screen and the user input apparatus. In such embodiments, a single screen can function both as a display and user input apparatus.

[0013] In a yet further embodiment of the invention, the system may include two or more 3D printers.

[0014] The user terminal may generate a 3D print file from the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations or it may transmit the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations to a remote server, wherein the remote server may generate the 3D print file. Accordingly, the user terminal may be connected directly to one or more 3D printers or the user terminal may be connected indirectly to the printer(s) via a remote server. Thus, the 3D printing system may include a remote server which is connected to the or each 3D printer. For example, the 3D printing system may include a remote server which is connected to two or more 3D printers. In such embodiments, the remote server may include a processor which selects one of the 3D printers and then transmits the print instructions to the selected printer.P475.002GB

[0015] It will be appreciated that the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations may comprise a relatively small amount of data. However, 3D print files tend to be relatively large. Accordingly, it may be desired to transmit a relatively small amount of data from the user terminal to avoid possible transmissions errors relating to the data. Thus, the remote server may process the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of representations to generate the 3D printfile based on the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of representations, rather than the processor of the user terminal generating the 3D print files and transmitting the 3D print files directly to the or one of the 3D printers.

[0016] The remote server (where present) or the user terminal may include 3D print files for each of the products or is able to generate a 3D print file for a modified representation of a product corresponding to the data transmitted to it from the user terminal. The print file instructs the 3D printer to produce a 3D product that is coded by the 3D printfile. Accordingly, the remote server may receive the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations from the remote user terminal, convert this data to a corresponding 3D print file that codes the modified representation or arrangement of the representations, and transmits the 3D print file to the or one of the printers. In this way, the remote server generates the relatively large 3D print files based on the data received from the user terminal. Thus, the relatively large 3D print file need only be transmitted over a relatively short distance, as the remote server is suitably located close to the 3D printer(s).

[0017] Optionally, where present, the remote server includes a data receiver which receives data from the user terminal and a data transmitter connected to the or each 3D printer. This arrangement permits the remote server to communicate with both the user terminal and the or each 3D printer.

[0018] The remote server may be located a significant distance from the user terminal. In such embodiments, the remote server may be connected to the user terminal wirelessly. For example, the remote server and the user terminal may be connected via a local area network or via a wide area network, such as the internet.

[0019] Suitably, the system includes a plurality of 3D printers. In such embodiments, multiple products may be printed simultaneously. The user terminal or the remote server may selectP475.002GB

[0020] one of the 3D printers and the respective 3D print file is transmitted to the selected printer. The user terminal or the remote server may select a printer according to its availability, work load or other parameters. For example, a first printer may produce a product in a first colour, a second printer may produce a product in a second colour and a third printer may produce a product in a third colour, and the user terminal / remote server may select the printer based on the desired colour of the product selected by the user.

[0021] Suitably, each of the 3D printers may transmit status signals to the user terminal / remote server, wherein the status signals relate to the status of the printer. For example, the status may include “busy”, “free”, “unavailable” and / or the status signals may include characteristics of the printer, such as available colours.

[0022] The user terminal / remote server may select the 3D printer based on status signals received from the respective 3D printers.

[0023] It may be desirable to operate the system automatically, for example when staff are not present. In such situations, the system may further include a product removal apparatus, such as a robotic arm, which removes the produced product from the or each 3D printer. The produced products may be placed in a container after the print process, ready for despatch. Alternatively, products from different printers may be collated together in a single container when they relate to a single, common arrangement of representations, such as an arrangement of different three-dimensional letters which together spell a name or a word. Once the printed product has been removed from the 3D printer, the printer status may change from “busy” to “free”.

[0024] The product removal apparatus may service one 3D printer or a group of 3D printers.

[0025] The remote server and 3D printer(s) may serve multiple user terminals. Thus, the system may include two or more user terminals, wherein each user terminal is connected to the remote server. In this way, multiple user terminals may be connected to a remote production facility which houses one or more servers and a plurality of 3D printers.

[0026] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of generating a 3D printed product, the method including providing a system according to the first aspect of theP475.002GB

[0027] invention as defined anywhere herein; modifying or arranging one or more representations of the standard product(s); generating data relating to the modified representation(s) or arrangement or representations; generating a 3D printfile for a product represented by the modified representations or arrangement of representations; sending the 3D print file to a 3D printer; and producing the product represented by the modified representation(s) or arrangement of representations.

[0028] The optional features discussed herein in relation to the first aspect of the invention may apply to the second aspect of the invention either individually or in combination.

[0029] In particular, the system may include a remote server and the method may further include the step of transmitting the data relating to the modified representation(s) or arrangement of representations to the remote server; wherein the remote server generates the 3D print file for the product represented by the modified representations or arrangement of representations; and transmits the 3D print file to the 3D printer.

[0030] Furthermore, the system may include two or more 3D printers and the method may further include the steps of selecting one of the 3D printers and sending the 3D print file to the selected printer.

[0031] The selection step may include determining the status of the 3D printers. Accordingly, each of the 3D printers may transmit status data to the remote server.

[0032] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a 3D printed product produced according to the method of the second aspect of the invention.

[0033] The skilled person will appreciate that the features described and defined in connection with the aspects of the invention and the embodiments thereof may be combined in any combination, regardless of whether the specific combination is expressly mentioned herein. Thus, all such combinations are considered to be made available to the skilled person.

[0034] An embodiment of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:P475.002GB

[0035] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of an embodiment of a 3D printing system according to the first aspect of the invention;

[0036] For the avoidance of doubt, the skilled person will appreciate that in this specification, the terms “up”, “down”, “front”, “rear”, “upper”, “lower”, “width”, etc. refer to the orientation of the components as found in the example when installed for normal use as shown in the Figures.

[0037] Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a 3D printing system 2 according to the invention. The system 2 includes a user terminal or kiosk 4, a remote server 6 and two 3D printers 8, 10.

[0038] The kiosk 4 includes a housing 4a comprising a touchscreen 12 which both displays information and images and permits user inputs. The housing 4a also houses a memory component 14which stores images that represent products; a processor 16which processes the user inputs and generates data relating to the modified image or arrangement of images; and a wireless data transmitter 18.

[0039] The remote server 6 includes a wireless data receiver 20; a processor 22 and a data transmitter 24 which is connected to each of the two 3D printers 8, 10.

[0040] In use, the memory component 14 stores images of 3-dimensional letters of the alphabet, wherein the letters all have a common style. A user selects one or more of the letters via the touchscreen 12 and they are arranged in the desired order on the touchscreen 12. In this example, the user selects the letters B, O and B.

[0041] The user also enters payment information in relation to the selected letters, and a mailing address to which the end product should be sent.

[0042] The processor 16 allocates a code for each of the letters and stores the code of the letters selected by the user. In this example, the code is 2152.

[0043] The processor 16 also verifies the payment details.P475.002GB

[0044] The processor 16 then transmits the generated code 2152 to the remote server 6 via the data transmitter 18, where it is received via the data receiver 20 and transmitted to the processor 22.

[0045] The processor 22 stores 3D print files for each of the letters and generates a series of print files that correspond to the code 2152, which in turn codes the letters BOB.

[0046] The processor also selects one of the two printers 8, 10 and transmits the generated series of print files to the selected printer 8, 10.

[0047] The selected printers, 10 then prints the letters BOB which are then ready for dispatch via a mailing system. The printed letters are mailed to the address provided by the user.

[0048] In an alternative embodiment, the kiosk 4, the remote server 6 and the 3D printers 8, 10 are all located within the same area or structure, such as a sports stadium. In such an embodiment, the kiosk 4 is located in a public area and the remote server 6 and the 3D printers 8, 10 are located in a non-public area. In this embodiment, the system operates in the same way as described hereinabove, but the printed product (the letters BOB) are transported to a collection point for collection by the user at a later time.

[0049] The above embodiment describes the user terminal as the kiosk 4. However, a user terminal in the form of a website hosted on a web site server and accessible via a computing device provides an alternative embodiment of the invention. Thus, the website and the computing device together may form the user terminal.

[0050] Furthermore, the user terminal may be in the form of a software application that is configured to run on a mobile device, such as a laptop computer, a tablet computer or a mobile telephone. Thus, the mobile device running the software application functions as the user terminal.

Claims

P475.002GBClaims1. A 3D printing system including a user terminal and one or more remote 3D printers connected to the user terminal; wherein the user terminal includes a memory, a processor, a display screen, a data transmitter and a user input apparatus; the user terminal memory includes data relating to one or more representations of one or more standard products; the user input apparatus permits a user to modify or arrange the representation(s) of one or more of the standard products as desired; the processor stores data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations; and the or one of the 3D printers produces the product(s) according to the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations.

2. A 3D printing system according to Claim 1 , wherein the user terminal is a kiosk, a computing device connected to a software application hosted on a web site server or a computing device running a software application.

3. A 3D printing system according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the user terminal includes a touchscreen which functions as both the display screen and the user input apparatus.

4. A 3D printing system according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the system includes a plurality of 3D printers.

5. A 3D printing system according to any of Claims 1 to 4, wherein the system further includes a remote server, and the user terminal is connected to the or each 3D printer via the remote server.

6. A 3D printing system according to Claim 5, wherein the remote server receives the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations via the data transmitter and generates a 3D printfile of a product(s) represented by the modified representation or arrangement from the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement.P475.002GB7. A 3D printing system according to Claim 6, wherein the 3D print file is transmitted from the remote server to the or one of the 3D printers.

8. A 3D printing system according to any of Claims 5 to 7, wherein the remote server includes a data receiver which receives data from the user terminal and a data transmitter connected to the or each 3D printer.

9. A 3D printing system according to any of Claims 5 to 8, wherein the remote server data receiver is wirelessly connected to the user terminal.

10. A 3D printing system according to Claim 9, wherein the 3D printing system includes two or more 3D printers, and the remote server selects one of the 3D printers and the 3D print file is transmitted to the selected printer.

11. A3D printing system according to any of Claims 1 to 10, wherein the system further includes a product removal apparatus which removes the produced product from the or each 3D printer.

12. A 3D printing system according to any of Claims 1 to 11 , wherein the system includes two or more user terminals, wherein each user terminal is connected to the remote server.

13. A 3D printing system according to Claim 1, wherein the system includes two or more user terminals; a remote server; and two or more 3D printers, wherein the user terminals are connected to the 3D printers via the remote server; the remote server receives from the user terminals data relating to the modified representation or arrangement of the representations via the user terminal data transmitter and generates a 3D printfile of a product(s) represented by the modified representation or arrangement from the data relating to the modified representation or arrangement; and wherein the remote server selects one of the 3D printers and the 3D print file is transmitted to the selected printer.P475.002GB14. A method of generating a 3D printed product, the method including providing a system as defined in any of Claims 1 to 13; modifying or arranging one or more representations of the standard product(s); generating data relating to the modified representation(s) or arrangement or representations; generating a 3D print file for a product represented by the modified representations or arrangement of representations; transmitting the 3D print file to a 3D printer; and printing the product represented by the modified representation(s) or arrangement of representations.

15. A method according to Claim 14, wherein the system includes a remote server and the method includes the step of transmitting the data relating to the modified representation(s) or arrangement of representations to the remote server; wherein the remote server generates the 3D printfile for the product represented by the modified representations or arrangement of representations; and transmits the 3D print file to the 3D printer.

16. A method according to Claim 14 or Claim 15, wherein the system includes two or more 3D printers and the method includes the steps of selecting one of the 3D printers and sending the 3D printfile to the selected printer.

17. A method according to Claim 16, wherein the selection step includes determining the status of the 3D printers.

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