Automated prototype creation based on analytics and 3D printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10359763-B2
Application number	US-201514886433-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2015
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Jul 23, 2019
Grant date	Jul 23, 2019

Abstract

Using an analytical model, a problem related to a product is identified from a collection of report data, the product being a three dimensional (3D) solid having a shape and produced from a manufacturing process. The problem is correlated with a set of factors. The set of factors describes a circumstance in which a user performs an operation of the product. According to a weight assigned to the problem, the problem is selected for prototyping. Using a processor and a memory, the set of factors and the operation are simulated by using a modified design of the product. In response to the modified design solving the problem, a specification of the modified design is provided for 3D printing to the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
manufacturing a three-dimensional (3D) solid product to operate in a plurality of environments;
collecting, from the plurality of environments, report data about a performance of the product in the plurality of environments;
identifying, using an analytical model, from the report data a problem related to an operation of the product in an environment from the plurality of environments;
correlating the problem with a set of factors, wherein a factor in the set of factors corresponds to a characteristic of the environment in which the operation is performed;
3D prototyping a modified design of the product, the modified design of the product being configured to solve the problem;
simulating, in a simulation system using a processor and a memory, the factor and the operation related to the problem; and
3D printing, responsive to the modified design solving the problem with the factor in the simulation system, a 3D prototype of the product according to the modified design.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a user who reported the problem;
allowing only the user to obtain a specification of the modified design, wherein the problem is a user-specific problem related only to the user, and wherein the modified design solves the user-specific problem;
accepting from the user an input, the input causing a further modification of the modified design to produce a second specification; and
providing the second specification to the user for 3D printing.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
allowing a group of users to obtain a specification of the modified design, wherein the problem is a general problem related to the group, and wherein the modified design solves the general problem;
accepting an input from a user in the group, the input forming a feedback; and
adding the feedback to the report data for the analyzing.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
assigning a weight to the problem according to weighting rule;
selecting, according to the weight assigned to the problem, the problem for prototyping.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the weighting rule is applicable to the report data.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the weighting rule is applicable to the product.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the correlating uses a correlation rule.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing textual data in the collection of report data using a Natural Language Processing (NLP) engine;
analyzing image data in the collection of report data using image analysis engine; and
extracting the set of factors from the textual data and the image data.

9. A computer program product comprising one or more computer-readable storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, the stored program instructions comprising:
program instructions to manufacture a three-dimensional (3) solid product to operate in a plurality of environments;
program instructions to collect, from the plurality of environments, report data about a performance of the product in the plurality of environments;
program instructions to identify, using an analytical model, from the report data a problem related to an operation of the product in an environment from the plurality of environments;
program instructions to correlate the problem with a set of factors, wherein a factor in the set of factors corresponds to a characteristic of the environment in which the operation is performed;
program instructions to 3D prototype a modified design of the product, the modified design of the product being configured to solve the problem;
program instructions to simulate, in a simulation system using a processor and a memory, the factor and the operation related to the problem; and
program instructions to 3D print, responsive to the modified design solving the problem with the factor in the simulation system, a 3D prototype of the product according to the modified design.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , the stored program instructions further comprising:
program instructions to determine a user who reported the problem;
program instructions to only the user to obtain a specification of the modified design, wherein the problem is a user-specific problem related only to the user, and wherein the modified design solves the user-specific problem;
program instructions to accept from the user an input, the input causing a further modification of the modified design to produce a second specification; and
program instructions to provide the second specification to the user for 3D printing.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , the stored program instructions further comprising:
program instructions to allow a group of users to obtain a specification of the modified design, wherein the problem is a general problem related to the group, and wherein the modified design solves the general problem;
program instructions to accept an input from a user in the group, the input forming a feedback; and
program instructions to add the feedback to the report data for the analyzing.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , the stored program instructions further comprising:
program instructions to assign a weight to the problem according to weighting rule;
program instructions to select, according to the weight assigned to the problem, the problem for prototyping.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the weighting rule is applicable to the report data.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 , wherein the weighting rule is applicable to the product.

15. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the correlating uses a correlation rule.

16. A computer system comprising one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, and one or more computer-readable storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the stored program instructions comprising:
program instructions to manufacture a three-dimensional (3) solid product to operate in a plurality of environments;
program instructions to collect, from the plurality of environments, report data about a performance of the product in the plurality of environments;
program instructions to identify, using an analytical model, from the report data a problem related to an operation of the product in an environment from the plurality of environments;
program instructions to correlate the problem with a set of factors, wherein a factor in the set of factors corresponds to a characteristic of the environment in which the operation is performed;
program instructions to 3D prototype a modified design of the product, the modified design of the product being configured to solve the problem;
program instructions to simulate, in a simulation system using a processor and a memory, the factor and the operation related to the problem; and
program instructions to 3D print, responsive to the modified design solving the problem with the factor in the simulation system, a 3D prototype of the product according to the modified design.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Cama Karl J
• Herman Norbert
• Ray Shubhadip

Classifications

• G05B2219/49007

  Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface · CPC title

• G05B2219/35134

  3-D cad-cam · CPC title

• G05B19/4099 Primary

  Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing · CPC title

• Y02P90/265

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B29C64/386

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title