Method for creating three dimensional lattice structures in computer-aided design models for additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9902114-B2
Application number	US-201514591320-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2015
Priority date	Jan 9, 2014
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Methods for creating three dimensional lattice structures in computer-aided design models. A method includes receiving a solid model containing a plurality of boundary surfaces for a void region, computing a bounding box of the solid model and a plurality of grid points on an axis-aligned grid within the bounding box, creating a lattice cell layout for a lattice structure within the void region, computing an implicit model defined by a scalar value for each of the grid points on the axis-aligned grid, extracting the lattice structure in the solid model based on the implicit model.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for creating three dimensional lattice structures in computer-aided design models and comprising:
receiving a solid model containing a plurality of boundary surfaces for a void region;
computing a bounding box of the solid model and a plurality of grid points on an axis-aligned grid within the bounding box;
creating a lattice cell layout for a lattice structure within the void region;
computing an implicit model defined by a scalar value for each of the grid points on the axis-aligned grid, wherein the scalar value for each grid point is determined by:
calculating a surface distance based on a minimum distance for the grid point to the plurality of boundary surfaces;
calculating a lattice distance based on the minimum distance for the grid point to the lattice structure; and
setting the scalar value based on a lesser of the surface distance and the lattice distance;

extracting the lattice structure in the solid model based on the implicit model; and
manufacturing the extracted lattice structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the surface distance comprises subtracting a surface thickness from the minimum distance for the grid point to the plurality of boundary surfaces when hollowing is required.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface distance is based on the minimum distance for the grid point to a hollowed surface when a variable thickness is applied to the solid model.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the lattice distance comprises subtracting a lattice thickness from the minimum distance for the grid point to the lattice cell layout.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the lattice structure comprises a lattice cell template applied at each lattice cell in the lattice cell layout.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein calculating the lattice distance comprises subtracting a lattice thickness from the minimum distance for the grid point to the lattice cell template.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein lattice distance is compared to the minimum distance for the grid point to a lattice cell template of neighboring lattice cells when the grid point lies on an edge or vertex of the lattice cell.

8. A data processing system comprising:
a processor; and
an accessible memory, the data processing system particularly configured to:
receive a solid model containing a plurality of boundary surfaces for a void region;
compute a bounding box of the solid model and a plurality of grid points on an axis-aligned grid within the bounding box;
create a lattice cell layout for a lattice structure within the void region;
compute an implicit model defined by a scalar value for each of the grid points on the axis-aligned grid, wherein the scalar value for each grid point is determined by:
calculating a surface distance based on a minimum distance for the grid point to the plurality of boundary surfaces;
calculating a lattice distance based on the minimum distance for the grid point to the lattice structure; and
setting the scalar value based on a lesser of the surface distance and the lattice distance;

extract the lattice structure in the solid model based on the implicit model; and
manufacture the extracted lattice structure.

9. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein calculating the surface distance comprises subtracting a surface thickness from the minimum distance for the grid point to the plurality of boundary surfaces when hollowing is required.

10. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the surface distance is based on the minimum distance for the grid point to a hollowed surface when a variable thickness is applied to the solid model.

11. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein calculating the lattice distance comprises subtracting a lattice thickness from the minimum distance for the grid point to the lattice cell layout.

12. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the lattice structure comprises a lattice cell template applied at each lattice cell in the lattice cell layout.

13. The data processing system of claim 12 , wherein calculating the lattice distance comprises subtracting a lattice thickness from the minimum distance for the grid point to the lattice cell template.

14. The data processing system of claim 13 , wherein lattice distance is compared to the minimum distance for the grid point to a lattice cell template of neighboring lattice cells when the grid point lies on an edge or vertex of the lattice cell.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more data processing systems to:
receive a solid model containing a plurality of boundary surfaces for a void region;
compute a bounding box of the solid model and a plurality of grid points on an axis-aligned grid within the bounding box;
create a lattice cell layout for a lattice structure within the void region;
compute an implicit model defined by a scalar value for each of the grid points on the axis-aligned grid, wherein the scalar value for each grid point is determined by:
calculating a surface distance based on a minimum distance for the grid point to the plurality of boundary surfaces;
calculating a lattice distance based on the minimum distance for the grid point to the lattice structure; and
setting the scalar value based on a lesser of the surface distance and the lattice distance;

extract the lattice structure in the solid model based on the implicit model; and
manufacture the extracted lattice structure.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein calculating the surface distance comprises subtracting a surface thickness from the minimum distance for the grid point to the plurality of boundary surfaces when hollowing is required.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the surface distance is based on the minimum distance for the grid point to a hollowed surface when a variable thickness is applied to the solid model.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein calculating the lattice distance comprises subtracting a lattice thickness from the minimum distance for the grid point to the lattice cell layout.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the lattice structure comprises a lattice cell template applied at each lattice cell in the lattice cell layout.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19 , wherein calculating the lattice distance comprises subtracting a lattice thickness from the minimum distance for the grid point to the lattice cell template.

Assignees

• Siemens Product Lifecycle Man Software Inc

Inventors

• Musuvathy Suraj Ravi

Classifications

• G06F30/23

  using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM] · CPC title

• G06F2119/18

  Manufacturability analysis or optimisation for manufacturability · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/386 Primary

  Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• G06F30/00

  Computer-aided design [CAD] · CPC title