Offset Surface Hollowing for Closed Shells and Minimum Thickness
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to automatically generate shelled or hollowed versions of reference objects with arbitrary geometries due to the formation of problematic geometries, such as open surfaces or regions thinner than a minimum thickness limit.
Innovation Solution
A method involving generating offset surfaces from a reference object, adding or removing portions to ensure the offset object does not define an open surface and does not have regions thinner than a minimum thickness limit, followed by subtracting the offset object from the reference object to create a modified object.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automatic shelling or hollowing is performed on arbitrary reference objects, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates due to formation of open surfaces or regions thinner than minimum thickness limit
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the reference object geometry before generating offset surfaces. It identifies potential problematic regions (concave areas, sharp features) in advance and pre-calculates appropriate offset distances that will avoid creating open surfaces or excessively thin regions, thereby ensuring manufacturing precision while maintaining automatic operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts offset distance parameters based on local geometry characteristics. By varying the offset distance according to the curvature and complexity of different surfaces, it prevents the formation of problematic geometries such as open surfaces or regions thinner than the minimum thickness limit, thus resolving the contradiction between automatic processing and precision requirements.
2Ease of manufacture
If offset surfaces are generated from reference object, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases due to need to add or remove portions to eliminate problematic geometries
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects problematic geometries in the generated offset surfaces and performs self-correction by adding or removing portions as needed. This self-service capability eliminates the need for manual intervention or complex external correction systems, thereby maintaining ease of manufacture while managing the complexity of geometry corrections internally through automated algorithms.
3Manufacturing precision
If minimum thickness limit is enforced, then manufacturing precision is improved, but productivity decreases due to additional operations required to remove thin regions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation of offset distances that guarantee minimum thickness requirements are met throughout the entire object. By determining appropriate offset values before generating the actual offset surfaces, it ensures thickness compliance is built-in from the start, eliminating the need for subsequent corrective operations and maintaining high productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of producing data representing a modified object based on data representing a reference object is disclosed. The method includes generating one or more offset surfaces based on the data representing the object, where one or more offset surfaces are offset from surfaces of the reference object, and where at least one of: the one or more offset surfaces defines an open surface, and the one or more offset surfaces defines a region having a surface to surface distance which is than a minimum thickness, generating an offset object including at least one of adding and removing one or more portions of at least one of the offset surfaces, where, at least partly because of the adding or removing of the one or more portions, the offset object both does not define an open surface and does not have a region thinner than the minimum thickness limit.