FGM Additive Manufacturing Using Parametric Trivariates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for representing functionally graded materials (FGMs) in additive manufacturing are inefficient, requiring significant computational resources and memory, and struggle to accurately represent large or high-resolution objects at the native resolution of manufacturing devices, while also complicating the embedding of objects with different material properties and applying patterns.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that generate instructions for manufacturing FGM objects using geometric and material trivariates defined within a common parametric domain, allowing for efficient computation of material values and division into sub-volumes for parallel processing, reducing computational resource utilization and enabling accurate representation at native resolution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional methods are used to represent FGMs in additive manufacturing, then manufacturing capability is achieved, but computational resources and memory requirements become excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the FGM object representation into discrete volumetric elements (voxels) that can be processed independently. This segmentation allows the computational domain to be divided into manageable sub-volumes that can be handled with limited memory resources, enabling parallel processing and reducing the computational burden on single processing units.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a parametric domain dimension alongside the physical Euclidean space. Material properties are defined as functions in this parametric domain, allowing efficient computation and storage. This dimensional transformation enables the system to represent complex material gradients without requiring excessive memory in the physical space, as material values can be computed on-demand from the parametric definition.
2Manufacturing precision
If high-resolution representation is attempted, then manufacturing precision improves, but computational complexity and resource requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary computation of material values at discrete volumetric locations before the actual manufacturing process. By pre-calculating and storing material properties at these discrete points in the parametric domain, the system avoids complex real-time computations during manufacturing, thereby reducing computational complexity while maintaining high-resolution representation capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transforms the representation from continuous material property fields to discrete parametric functions defined at specific volumetric points. This parameter transformation allows high-resolution manufacturing by maintaining accurate material property definitions while reducing the computational complexity through discretization and parametric modeling.
3Adaptability or versatility
If material properties are varied spatially to create FGMs, then functional properties improve, but determination of material composition becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a parametric domain as an intermediary between the physical space and material property definitions. Material composition is determined through this intermediate parametric representation, where material values are computed from parametric functions rather than directly from spatial coordinates. This intermediary layer simplifies the determination process by providing a structured framework for evaluating material properties at any location.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a parametric copy or representation of the material property distribution that can be evaluated efficiently. Instead of storing and processing complex spatial material distributions directly, the system uses parametric functions that replicate the material property patterns, allowing simplified computation and determination of material composition throughout the object volume.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a method of generating instructions for manufacturing of a functionally graded material (FGM) object, comprising: providing geometric trivariate(s) defining geometry of FGM object, providing material trivariate(s) defining material properties of the FGM object, computing a volumetric representation of the FGM object that includes the geometric trivariate(s) and the material trivariate(s) spanning a same parametric domain, and computing code instructions for execution by a manufacturing device controller of a manufacturing device for manufacturing of the FGM object by: identifying locations within the boundaries defined by the geometric trivariate(s) of the volumetric representation, computing respective material value(s) for each of the locations according to the material trivariate(s) of the volumetric representation corresponding to the identified locations, and converting the locations from the parametric domain to the Euclidean space, wherein each of the locations in Euclidean space is associated with the respective material value(s).