Rules for printing three-dimensional parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11059229-B2
Application number	US-201716077672-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2017
Priority date	Jan 27, 2017
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

In some examples, a request to print a first three-dimensional (3D) part is received. In response to determining that the first 3D part is not similar to any 3D part referred to by an information base, a representation of the first 3D part is extracted, an indication to conduct an operation to produce a design rule for the first 3D part is sent. In response to determining that the first 3D part is similar to a matching 3D part referred to by the information base, a design rule for the matching 3D part is retrieved to print the first 3D part, where the design rule for the matching 3D part specifies a dependency of a property of the matching 3D part on an aspect associated with printing the matching 3D part.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of a system comprising a processor, the method comprising:
receiving a request to print a first three-dimensional (3D) part;
determining whether the first 3D part is similar to a 3D part referred to by an information base, based on a comparison of a property of the first 3D part to properties of 3D parts referred to by the information base;
determining, based on the comparison, that the first 3D part of the request is not similar to any 3D part referred to by the information base; and
based on the determining that the first 3D part is not similar to any 3D part referred to by the information base:
extracting a representation of the first 3D part and sending an indication to conduct an operation to produce a design rule for the first 3D part,
causing 3D printing, by a 3D printing system, of plural instances of the first 3D part at plural different locations on a print platform as part of the operation, and
generating the design rule based on the operation that includes the 3D printing and measuring characteristics of the printed plural instances of the first 3D part at the plural different locations on the print platform.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information base contains information specific to a given industry or entity.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the design rule generated based on the operation is selected from among:
a design rule that includes for each layer of build material information to adjust equipment of the 3D printing system to compensate for reflected heat energy given an arrangement of parts,
a design rule that includes information specifying an adjustment of 3D part geometries to compensate for 3D printing processes, and
a design rule to control an amount of an agent used for a given layer of build material based on an attribute of a given 3D part.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adding the design rule generated based on the operation to the information base;
receiving another request to print a second 3D part;
determining whether the second 3D part is similar to a 3D part referred to by the information base; and
in response to determining that the second 3D part is similar to the first 3D part referred to by the information base, use the design rule for the first 3D part to print the second 3D part, the design rule for the first 3D part specifying a dependency of a property of the first 3D part on an aspect associated with printing the first 3D part during the operation.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the design rule generated based on the operation is a first design rule, the method comprising:
in response to determining, based on the comparison, that the first 3D part is not similar to any 3D part referred to by the information base:
relating the measured characteristics of the printed plural instances of the first 3D part to an aspect of a 3D printing process used in the 3D printing system to print the plural instances of the first 3D part,
wherein generating the first design rule is based on the relating.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the 3D printing of the plural instances of the first 3D part at the plural different locations on the print platform as part of the operation comprises 3D printing a first copy of the first 3D part at a first location on the print platform as part of the operation, and printing a second copy of the first 3D part at a different second location on the print platform as part of the operation.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising:
determining a variability of values of a measured characteristic of the first copy and the second copy,
wherein the relating is based on the determined variability.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request to print a second 3D part;
determining whether the second 3D part is similar to a 3D part referred to by the information base, based on a comparison of a property of the second 3D part to the properties of the 3D parts referred to by the information base;
determining, based on the comparison of the property of the second 3D part, that the second 3D part is similar to a matching 3D part referred to by the information base; and
based on determining that the second 3D part is similar to the matching 3D part referred to by the information base, retrieving a design rule for the matching 3D part to print the second 3D part, the design rule for the matching 3D part specifying a dependency of a property of the matching 3D part on an aspect associated with printing the matching 3D part.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the design rule for the matching 3D part specifies a dependency of a thermal property and a physical property of the matching 3D part on the aspect associated with printing the matching 3D part.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
using a system design rule and the design rule for the matching 3D part to print the second 3D part, the system design rule indicating values associated with a physical property of 3D parts at multiple different locations of the print platform.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein using the system design rule to print the second 3D part comprises selecting a location of the multiple different locations to print the second 3D part based on a target physical property of the second 3D part and the values associated with the physical property of the 3D parts at the multiple different locations.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the system design rule includes values indicating which of the multiple different locations has a higher priority to achieve a target physical property.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that upon execution cause a system to:
receive an indication to conduct an operation to create a design rule;
in response to the indication:
receive measurement data acquired by a sensor of a thermal property of printed plural instances of a same three-dimensional (3D) part at a plurality of different locations on a print platform of a 3D printing system;
receive information relating to a physical property of the printed plural instances of the same 3D part and a dependency of the physical property on an aspect associated with printing the printed plural instances of the same 3D part at the plurality of different locations on the print platform, the aspect selected from among a characteristic of a layer of build material deposited by the 3D printing system, a characteristic of an agent used to process a layer of build material deposited by the 3D printing system, a characteristic of heat to heat a layer of build material, and a characteristic of an airflow used in 3D printing;
determine a variability in values of the physical property of the printed plural instances of the same 3D part printed at the plurality of different locations on the print platform; and
generate, based on the measurement data of the thermal property and the determined variability, a design rule that governs a manner of printing a 3D part by the 3D printing system.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the generated design rule comprises a part-specific design rule that is associated with an individual 3D part or an individual collection of 3D parts, and wherein the part-specific design rule specifies a dependency of a property of a 3D part on an aspect associated with printing the individual 3D part or the individual collection of 3D parts.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the generated design rule comprises a system design rule that specifies values asso

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Kothari Sunil
• Zeng Jun
• Li Kristopher
• Obegi Goffril
• Zhao Lihua
• Dispoto Gary J
• Sean Viseth
• Heiles Tod

Classifications

• B33Y50/00 Primary

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B29C64/386

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• G05B19/4097

  characterised by using design data to control NC machines, e.g. CAD/CAM (G05B19/4093 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G05B2219/35162

  Determine workpiece placement, nesting in blank, optimize, minimize loss material · CPC title

• G05B2219/49023

  3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder · CPC title