Platen planarizing process for additive manufacturing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9802360-B2
Application number	US-201313909294-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2013
Priority date	Jun 4, 2013
Publication date	Oct 31, 2017
Grant date	Oct 31, 2017

Abstract

A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method comprising generating and printing a planarizing part having a substantially-planar top surface relative to a build plane, and a bottom surface that substantially mirrors a topography of a platen surface, and printing the three-dimensional part over the substantially-planar top surface of the printed planarizing part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system having a platen with a platen surface, the method comprising:
measuring heights of multiple points of the platen surface, wherein the measured heights provide a mapped topography of the platen surface;
calculating a height of a planarizing part as a function of the measured heights;
generating a digital model of the planarizing part based on the calculated height and the mapped topography of the platen surface;
slicing the digital model of the planarizing part into multiple layers;
printing the planarizing part with the additive manufacturing system in a layer by layer manner based on the sliced generated digital model of the planarizing part, the printed planarizing part including a printed layer forming a substantially-planar top surface in a build plane, and one or more printed layers forming a bottom surface that contacts the platen surface and substantially mirrors the mapped topography of the platen surface, wherein the bottom surface of the printed planarization part is non-parallel to the top surface of the printed planarizing part; and
printing the three-dimensional part on the substantially-planar top surface of the printed planarizing part.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiple points of the platen surface are located within a bounding box of the three-dimensional part.

3. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising heating at least the platen to one or more operating temperatures prior to measuring the heights.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the height of the planarizing part as a function of the measured heights comprises:
determining a peak height of the measured heights; and
calculating the height of the planarizing part as a function of the determined peak height and at least one slice thickness for the planarizing part.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein calculating the height of the planarizing part comprises an equation as follows:

H
PP

=

Z
peak

⁡

(

x
,
y

)

+

∑
1
n

⁢

⁢

A
i

*

H

s
,
i

wherein n is a total number of different-sized slices for the planarizing part, A is an integer designating a desired number of layers for a given slice i, and H s,i is the slice thickness for the given slice i, and wherein i ranges from 1 to n.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the preselected integer A is one, and wherein n is one.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein measuring the heights of the multiple points of the platen surface is performed after receiving a digital model of the three-dimensional part, and prior to printing the three-dimensional part.

8. The method of claim 1 , and further comprising printing a support structure for the three-dimensional onto the substantially-planar top surface of the printed planarizing part, wherein the three-dimensional part is at least partially printed onto the support structure.

9. A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system having a platen with a platen surface, the method comprising:
measuring heights of multiple points of the platen surface, wherein the measured heights provide a mapped topography of the platen surface;
determining a peak height based on the measured heights;
calculating a height for a planarizing part as a function of the determined peak height and at least one slice thickness for the planarizing part;
generating a digital model of the planarizing part having a substantially-planar top surface at the calculated height, and a bottom surface that mirrors the mapped topography of the platen surface;
slicing the digital model of the planarizing part into multiple layers; and
printing the planarizing part in a layer by layer manner with the additive manufacturing system based on the generated and sliced digital model of the planarizing part, the printed planarizing part including a substantially-planar top surface in a build plane, and a bottom surface that contacts the platen surface and substantially mirrors the mapped topography of the platen surface, wherein the bottom surface of the printed planarization part is non-parallel to the top surface of the printed planarizing part.

10. The method of claim 9 , and further comprising printing at least one of the three-dimensional part and a support structure for the three-dimensional part onto the printed planarizing part.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the multiple points of the platen surface are located within a bounding box of at least one of the three-dimensional part and the support structure.

12. The method of claim 9 , and further comprising slicing the digital model of the planarizing part into a number of layers, wherein the number of layers varies with the mapped topography of the platen surface.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein calculating the height of the planarizing part comprises an equation as follows:

H
PP

=

Z
peak

⁡

(

x
,
y

)

+

∑
1
n

⁢

⁢

A
i

*

H

s
,
i

wherein n is a total number of different-sized slices for the planarizing part, A is an integer designating a desired number of layers for a given slice i, and H s,i is the slice thickness for the given slice i, and wherein i ranges from 1 to n.

14. An object printed with an additive manufacturing system having a platen with a platen surface, the object comprising:
a three-dimensional par

Assignees

• Stratasys Inc
• Stratsys Inc

Inventors

• Labossiere Joseph E
• Bosveld Michael D
• Mannella Dominic F
• Swanson William J

Classifications

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C67/0059

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C67/0055

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B29C67/0088

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic