TWI652590B - Three-dimensional printing method and three-dimensional printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

The three-dimensional printing method comprises the use of a computer-aided design system to generate geometrical data of the object; according to the geometrical data of the object, a computer-aided engineering system is used to generate a plurality of design parameters of the corresponding object; according to the design parameters, the automated lattice system is utilized. Simulating at least one lattice structure of the object; generating at least one comparison parameter according to at least one lattice structure being simulated; and optimizing at least one lattice structure to be simulated by using a smart lattice system according to at least one comparison parameter The computer-aided engineering system generates a plurality of optimized design parameters of the corresponding object according to the optimized at least one lattice structure; and the stereo printer prints the object according to the optimized design parameters.

Description

Three-dimensional printing method and three-dimensional printing system

The invention describes a three-dimensional printing method and a three-dimensional printing system, in particular to a three-dimensional printing method and a three-dimensional printing system which can optimize the lattice structure of the compound.

As technology advances, automation and efficient printing technologies are maturing. In recent years, three-dimensional printing technology (also known as 3D printing technology) has gradually been applied to the manufacture of various objects, and has gradually replaced the trend of manual manual processing. Stereo printing technology can use computer-aided design software or 3D scanners to generate modeling data for objects, or manually collect the geometric data needed to create stereo images. Based on the modeling or scanning of these objects, a three-dimensional computer model of the object being scanned can be generated. In stereo printing technology, regardless of which stereo modeling software is used, the generated stereo model (for example, .skp, .dae, .3ds, or other formats) needs to be converted into a format that the printer can read. Subsequently, the three-dimensional printer can use the incremental manufacturing process to deposit and stack the material through the print head according to the modeling data of these objects, and finally form a solid object.

Since three-dimensional printing technology is often used to manufacture objects in buildings or objects with load carrying capacity, the weight of objects and the resistance to gravity (or stress tolerance) are two important indicators. For example, the designer's need for the structure of the object can be: with the strongest resistance to gravity under the allowable weight. Or, with the lightest weight, it has the lightest weight. Therefore, the arrangement, density and shape of the lattice structure inside the object will be very important design parameters.

In the current software or system on the market, there is no automatic optimization or automatic adjustment of the density or form of the arrangement of the internal lattice structure of the object, so that objects that meet the strength requirements or weight requirements cannot be automatically generated. In other words, given some design conditions, the designer must manually use the software to simulate the form and density of various different lattice structures, and use the trial and error method to repeatedly adjust and slowly correct the internal structure of the object to achieve Design requirements, so it takes a lot of manpower and time.

An embodiment of the invention provides a three-dimensional printing method. The three-dimensional printing method comprises using a computer-aided design system to generate geometrical data of the object, and using a computer-aided engineering system to generate a plurality of design parameters of the corresponding object according to the geometrical data of the object, and using the automated lattice system according to the design parameters. Simulating at least one lattice structure of the object, generating at least one comparison parameter according to at least one lattice structure to be simulated, and using the intelligent lattice system to optimize at least one lattice structure to be simulated according to at least one comparison parameter The computer-aided design system generates a plurality of optimized design parameters for the corresponding object based on the optimized at least one lattice structure, and the three-dimensional printer prints the object according to the optimized design parameters.

1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a three-dimensional printing system 100 of the present invention. The three-dimensional printing system 100 includes a Computer Aided Design (CAD) system 10, a Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) system 11, an automated lattice system 12, a smart lattice system 13, and a stereo printer 14. As described herein, the computer aided design system 10, the computer aided engineering system 11, the automated lattice system 12, and the intelligent lattice system 13 can be systems that operate independently on different computers. It can also be a system run by different software and integrated into a single computer. The computer aided design system 10, the computer aided engineering system 11, the automated lattice system 12, and the intelligent lattice system 13 may also be partially integrated into a single computer, and partially operated using an independent machine. Any reasonable system operating mode is within the scope of the present invention. The computer aided design system 10 can be regarded as an object design system with a graphical interface. The designer can use the computer software to create and simulate the physical design, such as adjusting the appearance, structure, color, texture and the like of the object. The computer aided design system 10 produces geometrical information about the object. For example, the computer aided design system 10 generates shape data, size data, material data, and the like including objects. In this embodiment, the computer aided design system 10 can be a software package for any 2D or 3D object drawing program, such as the CAD software on the ANSYS geometric model construction platform. The computer-aided engineering system 11 is coupled to the computer-aided design system 10 for generating a plurality of design parameters of the corresponding object according to the geometrical data of the object. In other words, the computer-aided engineering system 11 can utilize the powerful computing functions of the computer to simulate the design characteristics of the product and accurately calculate the complex object structure. For example, after the user uses the interface of the computer aided design system 10 to complete the geometric design of the object, the computer-aided engineering system 11 meshes the object and calculates a plurality of lattice coordinates for simulating the crystal lattice. , lattice density parameters, stress parameters of the object can be loaded, lattice direction, lattice side column diameter and the connection order of a plurality of lattice vertices. In this embodiment, the lattice direction can also be input through an external interface. For example, the user can enter a lattice orientation parameter using a lattice orientation input interface. The lattice progression parameter can be a fixed forming parameter or a non-conforming parameter. The automated lattice system 12 is coupled to the computer-aided engineering system 11 for simulating at least one lattice structure of the object based on the design parameters. As described herein, the aforementioned computer-aided engineering system 11 can generate a plurality of grid lines (Grid Mesh) of corresponding objects, and mesh the designated portions of the objects. The automated lattice system 12 can process the portion of the object that is designated to be meshed, and simulate at least one lattice structure of the object in a hollow manner. The detailed conversion process will be described later. In other words, after the structure of the object has been processed by the computer-aided engineering system 11 and the automated lattice system 12, the grid lines overlying the solid objects are modeled as a lattice of porous structures. In this embodiment, the lattice structure and the lattice structure may be a tetrahedral structure or a Hexahedron structure. However, any reasonable shape structure can be applied to embodiments of the present invention.

The intelligent lattice system 13 is coupled to the computer-aided engineering system 11 and the automated lattice system 12, and can call the computer-aided engineering system 11 according to the simulated at least one lattice structure to generate comparison parameters. The automated lattice system 12 can also optimize at least one lattice structure to be simulated for at least one comparison parameter. For example, after at least one of the lattice structures of the object is simulated, the intelligent lattice system 13 can call the function of the computer-aided engineering system 11 to calculate the simulated stress tolerance parameters of the object and the simulated weight parameters of the object. Attempts were made to optimize at least one lattice structure that was simulated. For example, if the stress input parameter of the object input by the designer is 100 or more, if the rule defined by the designer is the weight of the smallest piece, the intelligent lattice system 13 tries to find the optimization according to the rule. The lattice structure parameters. However, the intelligent lattice system 13 can perform optimization calculations using any algorithm. For example, the intelligent lattice system 13 can determine whether the lattice structure has been optimized by using the gradient value and the convergence after several rounds of loops. Taking the stress tolerance parameter limit of the above-mentioned object and the weight of the smallest compound as an example, the stress tolerance parameter limit (the larger the better) and the weight of the smallest compound can be regarded as the differential gradient values in two different directions. The intelligent lattice system 13 performs loop operations based on these gradient values, and according to the results of the loop operations (for example, after three loops, the values have converged), the at least one lattice that is simulated is optimized. structure.

Since the computer-aided engineering system 11 is coupled to the intelligent lattice system 13, when the intelligent lattice system 13 optimizes at least one of the simulated lattice structures, the computer-aided engineering system 11 again generates updated plurality of design parameters. Similarly, the automated lattice system 12 will again generate at least one simulated lattice structure based on the updated plurality of design parameters. The intelligent lattice system 13 utilizes the computer-aided engineering system 11 to compare at least one comparison parameter with at least one predetermined condition to determine whether the optimized lattice structure has been optimized. In other words, the computer-aided engineering system 11, the automated lattice system 12, and the intelligent lattice system 13 can form a lattice optimization system 15. Objects are first meshed to produce a solid grid structure. The object is then crystallized to create a porous lattice structure. Subsequently, the lattice structure will be optimized to meet the conditions predetermined by the designer (eg stress tolerance parameter limits and minimum weight of the compound). The lattice optimization system 15 can be calculated through the loop to produce an optimized plurality of lattice coordinates, lattice density parameters, stress parameters of the object rideable, lattice side pillar diameter, and a plurality of lattice vertices. Design parameters such as connection order and so on. Finally, the lattice optimization system 15 inputs these optimized design parameters to a Stereo Lithography File (STL File) and transmits the stereolithography file to the stereo printer 14. After the stereolithography machine 14 receives the stereolithography file, these optimized design parameters can be obtained, and the object is stereolithographically printed accordingly.

As mentioned above, the computer aided design system 10, the computer aided engineering system 11, the automated lattice system 12, and the intelligent lattice system 13 can be systems run by different software and integrated into a single computer. Therefore, the computer aided design system 10, the computer aided engineering system 11, the automated lattice system 12, and the intelligent lattice system 13 can perform a function call in a program language manner. Any reasonable communication mode in the computer aided design system 10, the computer aided engineering system 11, the automated lattice system 12, and the intelligent lattice system 13 is within the scope of the present invention. In addition, the computer aided design system 10 and the computer aided engineering system 11 can be integrated into a multifunctional input/calculation interface, and the user can execute the computer aided design system 10 through the function keys in the interface or the corresponding function database. The function of the computer aided engineering system 11.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing the meshing of the object Obj in the three-dimensional printing system 100. In order to simplify the description, the object Obj designed in the three-dimensional printing system 100 is exemplified by a cubic object, and the mesh structure A may be a Hexahedron structure, but the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 2, the computer-aided engineering system 11 can generate a plurality of grid lines M corresponding to the object Obj. And, a plurality of grid lines M may cover the object Obj. In the case of the mesh structure A, since it is a hexahedral structure, there are eight corresponding vertices. The computer aided engineering system 11 will generate a grid line M of how to divide this object Obj. Therefore, for a single mesh structure A, the space covered by its vertices is a solid object material.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the grid structure A of the object Obj in the three-dimensional printing system 100. In view of the above, the grid structure A can be a hexahedron structure, and the number of corresponding vertices is eight. The vertices of the mesh structure A may be a vertex P1, a vertex P2, a vertex P3, a vertex P4, a vertex P5, a vertex P6, a vertex P7, and a vertex P8. The vertex connection order of the mesh structure A also determines the generation mode of the mesh structure A. For example, the generation mode of the mesh structure A may be formed in the order of 8 vertices sequentially drawn by one of the vertex P1, the vertex P2, the vertex P3, the vertex P4, the vertex P5, the vertex P6, the vertex P7, and the vertex P8. However, the generation pattern of the grid structure A can also be formed using different vertex connection sequences as long as the computer-aided engineering system 11 can map the plurality of vertices P1 to P8 to the correct vertex coordinates.

Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of the lattice structure B of the object Obj in the three-dimensional printing system 100. The vertex of the lattice structure B of the object Obj corresponds to the vertex of the grid structure A, so its code number will follow the code of the vertex of the grid structure A. In other words, the lattice structure B is also a hexahedral structure, and the number of corresponding vertices is eight, including the vertex P1, the vertex P2, the vertex P3, the vertex P4, the vertex P5, the vertex P6, the vertex P7, and the vertex P8. As mentioned above, since the automated lattice system 12 can receive a plurality of design parameters, information on the plurality of lattice vertex coordinates, the connection order of the plurality of lattice vertices, and the diameter of the lattice side pillars can be obtained. Next, the automated lattice system 12 will connect the paired lattice vertices to the cylinders conforming to the diameter of the lattice side pillars according to the lattice vertices coordinates and the joining order. For example, the connection order of the lattice vertices may be vertices P1, vertices P2, vertices P3, vertices P4, vertices P5, vertices P6, vertices P7, and vertices P8. First, the vertex P1 to the vertex P2 are the vertices of the first pair of pairs, and the automated lattice system 12 connects the vertex P1 and the vertex P2 with the column R1 conforming to the diameter of the lattice side column. Next, the vertex P2 to the vertex P3 are the vertices of the second constituent pair, and the automated lattice system 12 connects the vertex P2 and the vertex P3 with the column R2 conforming to the diameter of the lattice side column, and so on. In other words, the edge of the grid structure A in Fig. 3, after passing through the solid-turning hollow procedure of the automated lattice system 12, becomes the cylinder of the lattice structure B. It can also be said that the volume covered by the vertices P1 to P8 of the original mesh structure A is the material of the entity of the object. However, after the solid-turning hollow procedure of the automated lattice system 12, the lattice structure B becomes a pore-like structure connected by a cylinder. Moreover, the upper and lower limits of the lattice side column diameter of the lattice structure B may use a custom value or a suggested value through the system. For example, the lattice side column diameter of the lattice structure B may be in the range of 0.04 mm to 0.1 mm. The intelligent lattice system 13 that is subsequently executed can optimize the lattice side column diameter over a range of lattice side pillar diameters of 0.04 mm to 0.1 mm. As described in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, in short, the computer-aided engineering system 11 can generate a plurality of grid lines M corresponding to the objects Obj, and mesh the designated portions of the objects Obj. The automated lattice system 12 can process the object Obj by a specified gridded portion to simulate at least one lattice structure of the object Obj in a hollow manner.

Figure 5 is a flow diagram of a three-dimensional printing system 100 performing a three-dimensional printing method. The flow of the stereolithography system 100 to perform the stereoscopic printing method includes steps S501 to S507. Any reasonable step content changes or order changes are within the scope of the present invention. Steps S501 to S507 are described below:  <TABLE border="1" borderColor="#000000" width="85%"><TBODY><tr><td> Step S501: </td><td> Use the computer aided design system 10 to generate the geometry of the object Obj Morphological data; </td></tr><tr><td> Step S502: </td><td> using the computer-aided engineering system 11 to generate a plurality of design parameters of the corresponding object Obj; </td></tr ><tr><td> Step S503: </td><td> according to the design parameters, using the automated lattice 12 system, simulating at least one lattice structure of the object Obj; </td></tr><tr ><td> Step S504: </td><td> generates at least one comparison parameter according to at least one lattice structure being simulated; </td></tr><tr><td> Step S505: </td ><td> Optimum at least one lattice structure to be simulated by the intelligent lattice system 13 according to at least one comparison parameter, and determines whether the degree of optimization has been optimized? If yes, step S506 is performed; if not, return step S502; </td></tr><tr><td> Step S506: </td><td> generating a plurality of optimized design parameters corresponding to the object Obj according to the optimized at least one lattice structure ; </td></tr><tr><td> Step S507: </td><td> The three-dimensional printer 14 prints the object Obj according to the optimized design parameters. </td></tr></TBODY></TABLE>

Steps S501 to S507 have been described in the foregoing, and thus will not be described again. In the three-dimensional printing method, step S502, step S503, step S504, and step S505 can be regarded as a loop program for optimizing the structure in the designated area of the object. In short, the specified area of the object will be meshed first, and the lattice structure in the specified area of the object is simulated by the solid-to-hollow processing. Next, the three-dimensional printing system 100 optimizes the simulated lattice structure, such as optimizing the lattice pillar diameter and lattice density, and the like. Subsequently, the three-dimensional printing system 100 produces a stereoscopic lithography file (STL File) that is compatible with the stereolithography printer 14. The three-dimensional printer 14 can print the objects based on the optimized data in the stereolithography file. Therefore, through the flow of the three-dimensional printing method of steps S501 to S507, the three-dimensional printing machine 14 eventually produces an article that conforms to the structural optimization. Moreover, the steps S501 to S507 can be a flow of automatic execution, and thus the labor consumption can be greatly reduced.

In summary, the present invention describes a three-dimensional printing system and a three-dimensional printing method. The three-dimensional printing system utilizes a system with intelligent computing power to adjust the density and form of the crystal lattice in an automated manner so that the three-dimensional printing machine will eventually produce objects that meet the strength and weight requirements. Moreover, the three-dimensional printing system can mesh the designated area or the whole area of the object, and simulate the latticed area into a lattice structure by using a solid-turn hollow processing method, and then use the loop operation to form the lattice structure. optimization. Therefore, the file output by the three-dimensional printing system is compatible with the stereolithography file of the three-dimensional printing machine, so it can be applied to various types of three-dimensional printing machines. Therefore, the three-dimensional printing system and the three-dimensional printing method of the present invention can avoid the problem of consuming a large amount of manpower to repeatedly adjust the design parameters, in addition to the object that can be optimized in accordance with the structure. The above are only the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and all changes and modifications made to the scope of the present invention should be within the scope of the present invention.

100‧‧‧Three-dimensional printing system

10‧‧‧Computer Aided Design System

11‧‧‧Computer Aided Engineering System

12‧‧‧Automated lattice system

13‧‧‧Intelligent lattice system

14‧‧‧Three-dimensional printing machine

15‧‧‧Lattice Optimization System

Obj‧‧‧ objects

M‧‧‧ grid lines

A‧‧‧ grid structure

P1 to P8‧‧‧ vertex

B‧‧‧ lattice structure

R1 and R2‧‧‧ cylinders

Steps S501 to S507‧‧

Figure 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a three-dimensional printing system of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a schematic view showing the meshing of objects in the three-dimensional printing system of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a schematic view showing the mesh structure of the object in the three-dimensional printing system of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing the lattice structure of the object in the three-dimensional printing system of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing a method of performing a three-dimensional printing method in the three-dimensional printing system of Fig. 1.

Claims (8)

A three-dimensional printing method comprises: generating a geometrical shape of an object by using a Computer Aided Design system; and using a Computer Aided Engineering system to generate corresponding data according to the geometrical shape information of the object; a plurality of design parameters of the object; according to the design parameters, simulating at least one lattice structure of the object by using an automated lattice system; generating a simulated stress tolerance parameter of the object according to the at least one lattice structure being simulated And simulating a weight parameter of the object; and using the smart lattice system to generate the simulated stress bearing parameter and the two gradient (Gradient) values corresponding to the simulated weight parameter according to the simulated stress bearing parameter and the simulated weight parameter; The simulated stress bearing parameter and the two gradient values corresponding to the simulated weight parameter perform a loop operation; the intelligent lattice system converges on the loop operation according to the simulated stress bearing parameter and the two gradient values corresponding to the simulated weight parameter Characterizing the at least one lattice structure to be simulated; the electricity The brain assisted engineering system generates a plurality of optimized design parameters corresponding to the object based on the optimized at least one lattice structure; and a three-dimensional printer prints the object according to the optimized design parameters. The method of claim 1, wherein the design parameters comprise a plurality of lattice coordinates, a lattice density parameter, a stress parameter of the object capable of riding, a lattice direction, a lattice side column diameter, and a plurality The order in which the vertices of the lattice are connected. The method of claim 1, further comprising: the computer-aided engineering system generating a plurality of Grid Mesh lines corresponding to the object, the object A designated portion is meshed; and the automated lattice system processes the object with the specified meshed portion to simulate the at least one lattice structure of the object in a hollow manner. The method of claim 3, wherein the grid lines have a tetrahedral (Tetrahedron) grid line structure or a Hexahedron grid line structure. The method of claim 3, wherein the automated lattice system processes the object by a specified latticed portion, and simulating the at least one lattice structure of the object in the hollowed out manner comprises: a plurality of lattice vertex coordinates, a connection order of a plurality of lattice vertices, and a lattice side column diameter; and according to the lattice vertex coordinates and the connection order, the pair of lattice vertices are aligned with the crystal The column of the diameter of the column is connected. The method of claim 1, further comprising: inputting a lattice orientation parameter; wherein the at least one lattice structure simulated corresponds to the input lattice orientation parameter, and the lattice orientation parameter is a fixed orientation parameter Or a variable strike parameter. The method of claim 1, further comprising: the intelligent lattice system comparing the simulated stress bearing parameter and the simulated weight parameter with the at least one preset condition to determine the at least one lattice structure to be simulated Is it optimized? The method of claim 1, further comprising: Generating a Stereo Lithography File (STL File) including the optimized design parameters; and inputting the stereolithography file to the stereolithography machine.