Additive Fabrication Support Placement for Clean Surface Finish
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Solution Overview
Problem
Additive fabrication techniques often result in surface deformations or flaws due to the use of support structures, which can damage the object during fabrication and are difficult to remove without leaving artifacts.
Innovation Solution
A method for generating support structures that avoid connecting to regions with sharp edges, corners, or high mesh density areas, using a computing device to identify and exclude these areas, and employing adaptive support generation to quickly relocate support tips when slicing settings change.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If support structures are used to provide mechanical support during additive fabrication, then the stability and reliability of the fabrication process is improved, but surface deformations and artifacts are introduced on the fabricated object
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating between suitable and unsuitable surface regions for support contact. The system identifies edge areas, corner areas, and high mesh density areas as unsuitable regions, while selecting flat, low-curvature regions as suitable contact points. This localized differentiation ensures support structures provide necessary mechanical stability while avoiding regions where they would cause surface deformations or artifacts.
2Reliability
If support structures contact edge areas, corner areas, or high mesh density areas, then the support coverage is improved, but surface deformations and artifacts are introduced that are difficult to remove
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing surface analysis and identifying suitable contact regions before the support structure is generated. The system pre-processes the 3D model to identify edge areas, corner areas, and high mesh density areas, then uses this information to guide support tip placement. This preliminary identification ensures that support structures are positioned to provide adequate coverage while avoiding regions that would create difficult-to-remove artifacts during post-processing.
3Strength
If support tips are placed on surface regions with sharp edges or high mesh density, then the support attachment strength is improved, but surface deformations occur that damage the object
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by evaluating local surface properties at potential support contact points. The system calculates mesh density, curvature, and edge proximity metrics for different surface regions, then selects contact points on flat, low-curvature areas away from edges and corners. This local assessment ensures support tips attach with sufficient strength to provide mechanical support while avoiding regions where attachment would cause surface deformations or damage to sharp features.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques are described for generating a support structure that connects to a part while avoiding connecting to regions that include one or more less desirable features, such as at edges, corners and/or high detail regions. A computing device may be configured to identify regions of the surface of a part that contain less desirable surface features, and exclude and/or disfavor those regions for connection to a support structure when generating the support structure. In some embodiments, regions containing less desirable surface features can be defined by a user, such as via a graphical user interface displaying a three-dimensional (3D) representation of a part to be fabricated.