Control apparatus for three dimensional object fabrication apparatus, control method for three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus, and three-dimensional object fabrication system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017095979-A1
Application number	US-201615276881-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 1, 2015
Publication date	Apr 6, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A control apparatus controls a three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus including a storing unit configured to store therein powder, a supplying unit configured to supply the powder to the storing unit in layers, and a discharge unit configured to discharge, onto the powder, a fabrication liquid for solidifying the powder. The control apparatus includes a controller configured to control a total amount of the powder supplied from the supplying unit to the storing unit based on fabrication data indicating a shape of a three-dimensional object and powder information indicating a change in dimension of a layer of the powder due to permeation of the fabrication liquid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A control apparatus for a three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus, the object fabrication apparatus comprising a storing unit configured to store therein powder, a supplying unit configured to supply the powder to the storing unit in layers, and a discharge unit configured to discharge, onto the powder, a fabrication liquid for solidifying the powder, the control apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to control a total amount of the powder supplied from the supplying unit to the storing unit based on fabrication data indicating a shape of a three-dimensional object and powder information indicating a change in dimension of a layer of the powder due to permeation of the fabrication liquid.

2 . The control apparatus for the three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller corrects the fabrication data based on the powder information so as to compensate for an amount of reduction in thickness of the layer after the fabrication liquid is discharged.

3 . The control apparatus for the three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the fabrication data contains a thickness in design of the three-dimensional object, and the controller calculates, based on the powder information, an actual thickness of the three-dimensional object that is reduced due to permeation of the fabrication liquid, and adds a difference between the thickness in design and the actual thickness to the thickness in design.

4 . The control apparatus for the three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the powder information contains information that indicates the amount of reduction for each of the layers, and the controller corrects the thickness in design for each of the layers so as to compensate for the amount of reduction caused in each of the layers.

5 . The control apparatus for the three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the controller adds a value obtained by dividing an amount of overall reduction by number of the layers to the thickness in design for each of the layers, the amount of overall reduction being an amount of reduction in thickness of the entire three-dimensional object.

6 . The control apparatus for the three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller extracts the powder information corresponding to the powder being used from a memory storing therein a plurality of pieces of the powder information generated for respective types of the powder, and corrects the fabrication data based on the extracted powder information.

7 . The control apparatus for the three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the controller calculates the actual thickness t n of an nth layer by formula 1, and calculates the actual thickness t r of the entire three-dimensional object by formula 2:

t
n

=

k


(

n



t

-

∑

j
=
1

n
=
1



t
j

)

(
1
)

t
r

=

(

m


(

m
+
1

)

2


t

-

∑

n
=
1

m



(

m
-
n

)



t
n

)


k

(
2
)

where m is a total number of layers, t is a thickness in design of one layer in the three-dimensional object, n is a positive integer equal to or larger than 1 and equal to or smaller than m, and k is {(a thickness of the one layer after a fabrication liquid is discharged)/t}.

8 . A control method for controlling a three-dimensional object fabrication apparatus, the object fabrication apparatus comprising a storing unit configured to store therein powder, a supplying unit configured to supply the powder to the storing unit in layers, and a discharge unit configured to discharge, onto the powder, a fabrication liquid for solidifying the powder, the control method comprising:
controlling a total amount of the powder supplied from the supplying unit to the storing unit based on fabrication data indicating a shape of a three-dimensional object and powder information

Assignees

• Sasaki Takafumi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sasaki Takafumi

Classifications

• B29K2105/251

  Particles, powder or granules (expandable particles B29K2105/046) · CPC title

• B29K2105/0058

  Liquid or visquous · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y50/02 Primary

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title