Additive Manufacturing Slice Data Distortion Compensation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Additive manufacturing systems often introduce distortions and fail to achieve desired object properties such as surface roughness, accuracy, and strength in generated three-dimensional objects due to geometrical and surface distortions during the solidification process.

Innovation Solution

The system processes slice data based on system feedback, transforming it to compensate for distortions and achieve desired properties by using a processor to modify slice data formats such as vector, contone, halftone, and mask data, incorporating measured feedback and characteristics of the build process, and selectively delivering coalescing and coalescence modifier agents to layers of build material.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If slice data is processed using conventional additive manufacturing systems, then three-dimensional objects can be generated, but geometrical and surface distortions occur during the solidification process

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegeometrical accuracyVSAvoidsurface quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSShape

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary transformation on slice data before the actual manufacturing process. The processor transforms slice data representing a slice of a three-dimensional object to compensate for expected distortions during solidification. This preliminary data adjustment ensures that the final object achieves the desired geometrical accuracy and surface quality despite the inherent distortion-prone solidification process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The transformation of slice data is based on feedback from measured characteristics of the build process. The system continuously monitors the solidification process and uses this feedback to adjust and transform slice data in real-time, compensating for distortions as they occur and maintaining manufacturing precision throughout the building process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Manufacturing precision

If conventional slice data processing is used, then the manufacturing process can proceed, but desired object properties such as surface roughness, accuracy, and strength are not achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveobject accuracyVSAvoidproperty consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary transformation on slice data before the actual manufacturing process. The processor transforms slice data representing a slice of a three-dimensional object to compensate for expected distortions during solidification. This preliminary data adjustment ensures that the final object achieves the desired geometrical accuracy and surface quality despite the inherent distortion-prone solidification process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The transformation of slice data is based on feedback from measured characteristics of the build process. The system continuously monitors the solidification process and uses this feedback to adjust and transform slice data in real-time, compensating for distortions as they occur and maintaining manufacturing precision throughout the building process.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If real-time slice data transformation is implemented, then object accuracy and surface quality improve, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface accuracyVSAvoiddata processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system replaces complex mechanical adjustment mechanisms with a computational approach. Instead of physically adjusting the manufacturing process to compensate for distortions, the system uses a processor to transform slice data mathematically. This substitution of mechanical systems with computational processing reduces physical complexity while achieving the same or better precision results.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3094472B1Processing slice data for an additive manufacturing system
Publication Date: 2020.04.01 HEWLETT PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY LP
  • EP3094472B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3094472B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2c
  • EP3094472B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A system is provided for processing slice data representing a slice of a three- dimensional object to be generated by an additive manufacturing system. The system includes a processor to perform,when the additive manufacturing system is to generate the slice,a transformation on the slice data based on characteristic data of the additive manufacturing system, the slice data derived from three-dimensional object design data.