Slice image creation device, three-dimensional printing system, and slice image creation method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016361877-A1
Application number	US-201615177380-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2016
Priority date	Jun 10, 2015
Publication date	Dec 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A desired whole slice image corresponding to a whole object is created in a slice image creation device, in which a synthesis processor overlaps a target slice image created by a target slice image creation processor and a support slice image created by a support slice image creation processor. The synthesis processor determines a portion of the overlap region corresponding to a target printing region of the target slice image and/or a support printing region of the support slice image as a whole printing region to be printed, and determines a portion of the overlap region corresponding to both of a target non-printing region of the target slice image and a support non-printing region of the support slice image as a whole non-printing region not to be printed. The synthesis processor colors the whole printing region and the whole non-printing region with different colors to create the whole slice image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A slice image creation device usable for a three-dimensional printing device that prints a whole object including a target object as a printing target and a support attached and arranged on the target object, the slice image creation device creating a whole slice image usable to print the whole object, the slice image creation device comprising:
a storage processor configured or programmed to store a target object model as a three-dimensional model corresponding to the target object and store a support object model as a three-dimensional model corresponding to the support; a target slice model creation processor configured or programmed to slice the target object model at a predetermined interval to create a plurality of target slice models of the target object; a support slice model creation processor configured or programmed to slice the support object model at the predetermined interval to create a plurality of support slice models of the support; a target slice image creation processor configured or programmed to divide a region of each of the plurality of target slice models into a target printing region to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device and a target non-printing region not to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device to create a target slice image from each of the plurality of target slice models; a support slice image creation processor configured or programmed to divide the region of each of the plurality of support slice models into a support printing region to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device and a support non-printing region not to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device to create a support slice image from each of the plurality of support slice models; and a synthesis processor configured or programmed to overlap the target slice image and the support slice image defining a same layer as the target slice image, and determine a portion of an overlap region that corresponds to at least one of the target printing region and the support printing region as a whole printing region to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device and determine a portion of the overlap region that corresponds to both of the target non-printing region and the support non-printing region as a whole non-printing region not to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device, to create the whole slice image.

2 . The slice image creation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the target slice image creation processor is configured or programmed to color the target printing region and the target non-printing region with different colors; the support slice image creation processor is configured or programmed to color the support printing region and the support non-printing region with different colors; and the synthesis processor is configured or programmed to color the whole printing region and the whole non-printing region with different colors.

3 . The slice image creation device according to claim 1 , wherein
the target slice image creation processor is configured or programmed to color the target slice image on a pixel-by-pixel basis; the support slice image creation processor is configured or programmed to color the support slice image on a pixel-by-pixel basis; and the synthesis processor is configured or programmed to color the whole slice image on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

4 . The slice image creation device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pre-process processor that is configured or programmed to perform a smoothing process as a pre-process on the target object model stored in the storage processor; wherein
the target slice model creation processor is configured or programmed to create the plurality of target slice models from the target object model smoothed by the pre-process processor.

5 . A three-dimensional printing system, comprising:
a three-dimensional printing device that prints a three-dimensional object; and the slice image creation device according to claim 1 .

6 . A slice image creation method usable for a three-dimensional printing device that prints a whole object including a target object as a printing target and a support attached and arranged on the target object, the slice image creation method creating a whole slice image usable to print the whole object, the slice image creation method comprising:
a target slice model creation step of slicing a target object model, as a three-dimensional model corresponding to the target object, at a predetermined interval to create a plurality of target slice models of the target object; a support slice model creation step of slicing a support object model, as a three-dimensional model corresponding to the support, at the predetermined interval to create a plurality of support slice models of the support; a target slice image creation step of dividing a region of each of the plurality of target slice models into a target printing region to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device and a target non-printing region not to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device to create a target slice image from each of the plurality of target slice models; a support slice image creation step of dividing the region of each of the plurality of support slice models into a support printing region to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device and a support non-printing region not to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device to create a support slice image from each of the plurality of support slice models; and a synthesis step of overlapping the target slice image and the support slice image forming a same layer as the target slice image, and determining a portion of the overlap region that corresponds to at least one of the target printing region and the support printing region as a whole printing region to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device and determining a portion of the overlap region that corresponds to the target non-printing region and the support non-printing region as a whole non-printing region not to be printed by the three-dimensional printing device, to create the whole slice image.

7 . The slice image creation method according to claim 6 , wherein
in the target slice image creation step, the target printing region and the target non-printing region are colored with different colors; in the support slice image creation step, the support printing region and the support non-printing region are colored with different colors; and in the synthesis step, the whole printing region and the whole non-printing region are colored with different colors.

8 . The slice image creation method according to claim 6 , wherein:
in the target slice image creation step, the target slice image is colored on a pixel-by-pixel basis; in the support slice image creation step, the support slice image is colored on a pixel-by-pixel basis; and in the synthesis step, the whole slice image is colored on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

9 . The slice image creation method according to claim 6 , further comprising a pre-process step of performing a smoothing process as a pre-process on the target object model;
wherein in the target slice model creation step, the plurality of target slice models are created from the target object model smoothed in the pre-process step.

Assignees

• Roland Dg Corp

Inventors

• Yoshida Makoto

Classifications

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/129 Primary

  characterised by the energy source therefor, e.g. by global irradiation combined with a mask · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C67/0088 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic