JP2017109320A - Information processing device, 3d printer system, information processing method, and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress failure of three-dimensional molding due to bending, for eliminating waste of a time and a material during molding time.SOLUTION: An information processing method comprises: slice processing 10b2 (step 103) for slicing a three-dimensional model 10a for creating slice data 43; contour line extraction processing 10b3 (step 104) for extracting a contour line from the slice data 43 for creating a tool path 44 of the contour part; and internal path setting processing 10b5 (step 105) for creating an internal tool path 61 based on the contour line of the slice data 43. In the method, when an ideal diameter of a discharge material 51 is n in a lamination direction and is m in a horizontal direction, the contour line extraction processing 10b3 sets a discharge interval of the material in the lamination direction to become less than n, and the internal path setting processing 10b5 sets a discharge interval of the material in the horizontal direction to become larger than m, for generating the tool path 61 in which a space part 53 is formed between discharge materials 51 adjacent in the horizontal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a 3D printer system, an information processing method, and a computer program.

  In recent years, three-dimensional modeling technology using additive modeling using a 3D printer has attracted attention. An additive manufacturing system using a 3D printer includes a 3D printer having a mechanism for discharging a material for generating a three-dimensional structure (hereinafter referred to as a modeling material) to a specified position, and a PC for generating a discharge position of the modeling material in the 3D printer. Generally, it is composed of two pieces of software that operate on the above. In particular, the software has a function of interpreting a 3D model representing a model of a modeled object prepared by the user and changing the orientation and arrangement coordinates of the model.

  There are various methods of additive manufacturing, and one of them is an FDM (thermal melting lamination) method. In general, in the FDM method, a thin filament (modeling material) in the form of a resin reel is melted by the heat of an extruder having a heater inside to be liquefied, and the material is discharged in a thread form from a high-temperature nozzle. In this method, modeling is performed for each layer, and the layers are stacked to form a three-dimensional shape. The material is discharged according to the locus of the nozzle while moving the nozzle in the XY directions according to a “tool path” created by software described later. When the material discharged on the modeling plate (hereinafter referred to as discharge material) is cooled and solidified, the layer is formed. When the modeling of one layer is completed, the modeling plate is lowered in the Z-axis direction by “the height of the discharge material” to model the next layer.

  In addition, "the height of the discharge material" that is the amount of movement of the modeling plate here is not the height of the material actually discharged, but is the "height of the ideal discharge material" set in advance, This is the height of the slice data of the 3D model to be described next (the height of the 3D model layered by one layer of discharge material). It is considered that the actual height of the discharge material is larger than the ideal height for coupling with the upper and lower layers. The discharge material continuously discharged has a rod-like appearance, and the shaped product has a shape in which rod-shaped materials are laminated. In general, since the discharge port shape of the nozzle is circular, the discharge material has a circular or elliptical cross section.

  The “ideal ejection material height” is an ideal height that does not take into account distortions or the like that may occur when the material is actually ejected, and is an ideal diameter if the ejection port has a circular shape. However, even if the shape of the discharge port is circular, if the discharge material is distorted when discharged, the cross-section of the discharge material will be elliptical or crushed in a certain direction.

  The software also has a function of generating “slice data” in which the 3D model is cut into small pieces in the height (Z-axis) direction and the cross-sectional shape of the model at a certain Z coordinate is extracted. In additive manufacturing, the position at which the modeling material is to be discharged is calculated based on the slice data, and the trajectory for discharging the modeling material is a “tool path”. By processing from the slice data corresponding to the lower layer of the model and discharging the modeling material, the model is modeled in the form of being stacked up from the lower layer.

  In FDM modeling, when the discharge material melted by heat is cooled and solidified, a force called “thermal contraction” (hereinafter referred to as contraction force) is generated in the discharge material. As the layers are stacked, a “warping force” that pulls the lower layer upward is generated by the contraction force of the upper layer ejection material. If this force exceeds the attractive force generated between the 3D model and the modeling plate, the phenomenon of “warping” occurs in the model, and the user cannot create the model as intended. Become.

  If it is not possible to create a model as intended, time and materials spent for modeling are wasted. The current 3D printer requires a considerable amount of time for modeling, and the material cost is also expensive, resulting in a large loss for the user.

  For such a problem, for example, a technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-328175 (Patent Document 1) is known. This publication discloses a method of sticking an adhesive tape on a modeling plate, suppressing a warping force by an adhesive force generated from the tape, and suppressing the occurrence of warping. Many 3D printers adopting the FDM system in recent years often take measures to prevent warping by sticking a tape on a modeling plate or applying glue.

  However, in the method described in Patent Document 1, since there is no means for reducing the contraction force, a large contraction force is applied to the shape of the three-dimensional structure to be formed, and warping occurs when the contraction force exceeds the adhesive force. For this reason, the phenomenon of warping still cannot be suppressed.

  In addition, if measures are taken to strengthen the adhesive strength to prevent this, the three-dimensional structure becomes difficult to peel off from the stage, and after the modeling is completed, the three-dimensional structure is destroyed when it is peeled off. However, even if the molding is completed without deformation, the above-mentioned problem is caused.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to suppress the failure of the three-dimensional modeling due to warpage and eliminate the time and material waste during modeling.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is an information processing apparatus for generating a tool path for modeling a three-dimensional modeled object, and slice data generating means for slicing a three-dimensional model to generate slice data And a tool path generating means for generating a tool path based on the slice data, and when the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, the tool path generating means is a material in the stacking direction. The discharge interval is less than n and the discharge interval of the material in the horizontal direction is larger than m to generate a tool path in which a space portion is formed between the discharge materials adjacent in the horizontal direction.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the failure of three-dimensional modeling due to warpage, and to eliminate time and material waste during modeling. Note that problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will be clarified in the following description of embodiments.

It is sectional drawing which shows this invention and a prior art by contrasting by making a discharge material round in the lamination direction. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall system configuration of a 3D printer system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of PC of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the CAM application of FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of control data conversion processing in the first embodiment. It is a figure which compares and shows the slice processing of a prior art and the present Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which compares and shows the internal path | pass setting process of a prior art and the present Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the state of the offset of the tool path start point of Example 1. FIG. It is sectional drawing which cut the discharge material in Example 2 into the lamination direction. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a specific layer of a modeled object in Example 3. 12 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of control data conversion processing in the third embodiment. It is sectional drawing which cut the discharge material in Example 4 in the lamination direction. In Example 4, it is a schematic diagram which shows the example which provided the angle in the internal tool path of the 1st layer and the 2nd layer. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of control data conversion processing in the fourth embodiment. It is sectional drawing which cut the discharge material at the time of applying the tool path of Example 2 to Example 4 in the lamination direction.

  In the present invention, in the three-dimensional modeling of the 3D printer system, when the discharge material diameter is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, the discharge interval (stacking pitch) of the material in the stacking direction is less than n and the horizontal direction The material is shaped by setting the discharge interval (horizontal pitch) of the material to m or more. In short, by increasing the spacing between the materials to be shaped in the horizontal direction (low density) and narrowing the spacing between the materials to be shaped in the stacking direction (increasing the density), the density per layer is reduced and the shrinkage force is reduced. Reduces and suppresses warping. At the same time, the increase in the gap between the shaped objects is suppressed so that the quality is not lowered and the strength is not insufficient. Note that the diameter of the discharge material referred to in this specification may be an ideal diameter that does not take into account distortion or the like that may occur when the material is actually discharged, or may be a diameter that takes distortion into consideration. The same applies hereinafter.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the present invention in comparison with the prior art. When the ideal diameter in the height direction of the cross section of the discharge material 51 is n and the ideal diameter in the width (horizontal) direction is m, in the related art, the stacking pitch is n and the horizontal pitch (horizontal pitch). Was modeled as m. If the modeling surfaces for two layers when modeling without gaps are cut in the stacking direction, the discharged materials are regularly arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions as shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, in the present invention, the lamination pitch is less than n and the horizontal pitch is m or more. In the case of FIG. 1 (b), three layers corresponding to a stacking pitch of (√2 × n) / 2 and a horizontal pitch of √2 × m are shown in cross section. Compared with the prior art, the pitch per layer is about 1.41 times, and a space 53 is formed between adjacent ejection materials, so the filling rate (density) per layer is 1 / It becomes 1.41 and shrinkage force can be made small.

  Further, the arrangement of the discharge material in the cross-sectional view shown in FIG. 1 is the same when the arrangement of the prior art is inclined by 45 degrees, assuming that n = m. Therefore, there is no change in the total amount of the material, and the strength and cost are equivalent to those of the prior art.

  In the figure shown in the present embodiment, n = m is drawn to help understanding. In the present embodiment, similar figures are given, but all figures are drawn as n = m. However, the present invention is not limited to n = m, and n = m is not the essence of the invention.

  In the above example, the stacking pitch is (√2 × n) / 2 and the horizontal pitch is √2 × m. However, the stacking pitch (√2 × n) / 2 or the horizontal pitch √2 × “2” taken as the square root of m is a representative value, and it is possible to determine the pitch (discharge interval) by taking the square root of a numerical value such as 1.7 to 2.3, for example, in the vicinity of “2”. is there. This numerical value is related to the distance in the stacking direction or the horizontal direction of the space 53, for example, and can be set in this connection. The same applies to “3” when the horizontal pitch is √3 × m as described later.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the entire system configuration of the 3D printer system according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 1, a 3D printer system 1 includes a PC (personal computer) PC 10 serving as an information processing apparatus, a 3D printer 20 that performs three-dimensional modeling, and a communication path 30 that connects the two in a communicable manner.

  The PC 10 includes a 3D model 10a, a CAM application 10b, control data 10c, and communication means 10d. The 3D model 10a is data representing a three-dimensional shape expressed in an STL (Standard Triangulated Language) format or the like. The CAM application 10b reads the 3D model 10a, slices it in the Z-axis direction (height direction, the same as the Z-axis direction during modeling), creates slice data, and creates tool path data 10e for forming a tool path. Including (3D printer) control data 10c is output. The tool path data 10e is data of a trajectory in which a nozzle discharges a modeling material (a filamentous resin is used as a modeling material in the FDM method. Hereinafter, the modeling material is indicated as a filament (material)) for each slice data. is there.

  The control data 10c is tool path data 10e and control code data of the 3D printer 20 during modeling such as temperature control. In general, a standard code called a G code is often used. The PC-side communication unit 10d is for transmitting and receiving data to and from the 3D printer 20 via, for example, Ethernet (registered trademark) or USB. The communication path 30 enables communication by electrically connecting the PC 10 and the 3D printer 20. Note that data exchange between the PC and the 310D printer 20 may use a medium such as a USB memory or an SD card without using the communication path 30.

  The 3D printer 20 includes a printer-side communication unit 20a, a controller 20b, a heater 20c, a filament feed motor 20d, a nozzle X drive motor 20e, a nozzle Y drive motor 20f, and a modeling plate drive motor 20g.

  The 3D printer 20 is an FDM printer that forms a three-dimensional object according to the code of the control data 10 c received from the PC 10. The printer-side communication means 20a is for transmitting / receiving data to / from the PC 10 via the Ethernet or USB. The controller 20b receives the control data 10c from the PC 10 via the printer-side communication means 20a, and controls the 3D printer 20 by analyzing (parsing) the control data 10c. Generally, it is composed of a CPU (microprocessor), an IO device for outputting control signals, and the like. Further, the subsequent heater 20c or the motors 20d to 20g are controlled by a control signal output from the controller 20b.

  The heater 20 is a heat source for melting the filament (material). The filament feed motor 20d is for feeding an amount of filament (material) necessary for modeling to the extruder. The nozzle X drive motor 20e is a motor for moving the nozzle in the X direction. The nozzle Y drive motor 20f is a motor for moving the nozzle in the Y direction.

  The modeling plate drive motor 20g is a motor for moving the modeling plate in the Z direction.

  In the 3D printer system 1, the PC 10 converts the 3D model 10 a into a control code for the 3D printer 20. The control code is transmitted to the 3D printer 20 via the communication path 30. The 3D printer 20 forms a 3D object by controlling the heater 20c or the motors 20d to 20g according to the control data 10c.

  In the first embodiment, an example is shown in which processing for generating the control data 10c is performed by the CAM application 10b on the PC 10 side. The current general 3D printer 20 often takes such a configuration, but may be configured to generate control data 10c on the 3D printer 20 side, or may be configured to be implemented by a server. . Further, the control data 10c may be generated by processing of a server client via the Internet as a modification of the configuration implemented on the server.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of the PC shown in FIG. The PC 10 includes a CPU 11, a ROM 12, a RAM 13, an auxiliary storage device 14, a storage medium reading device 15, an input device 16, a display device 17, and a communication device 18 as main components. The CPU 11 is composed of a microprocessor and its peripheral circuits, and is a circuit that controls the entire apparatus. The ROM 12 is a memory that stores a predetermined control program executed by the CPU 11, and the RAM 13 is a memory that is used as a work area when the CPU 11 executes a predetermined control program stored in the ROM 12 and performs various controls. It is.

  The auxiliary storage device 14 is a device that stores various information including a general-purpose OS and various programs, and is a nonvolatile storage device. The auxiliary storage device 14 can be replaced with a nonvolatile memory such as an SSD or an SD card. The storage medium reader 15 is a device that inputs information from an external storage medium such as a CD, DVD, or USB memory. The input device 16 is a device for a user to perform various input operations. The input device 16 includes a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel switch provided so as to be superimposed on the display screen of the display device 17, and the like.

  The display device 17 is a device that displays various data on a display screen. For example, it is composed of LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and the like. The communication device 18 is a device that communicates with other devices via a network. Supports communication according to various network forms including wired and wireless networks.

  Note that the controller 20b of the 3D printer 20 can be realized by a substantially similar hardware configuration, and various processes can be realized by the installed software. In the controller 20b of the 3D printer 20, the communication device can perform not only communication with an external device but also communication of a control signal for controlling the heater 20c or the motors 20c to 20g in the 3D printer 20.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the CAM application in FIG. FIG. 4A is a block diagram showing a processing configuration of the CAM application, and FIG. 4B shows a model of a processing result by each processing when a cylindrical model is input as a 3D model.

  Each process of the CAM application 10b includes a stacking pitch conversion process 10b1, a slice process 10b2, an outline extraction process 10b3, a horizontal pitch conversion process 10b4, an internal path setting process 10b5, a tool path data conversion process 10b6, and a control data conversion process 10b7. Includes processing.

  The user setting 10f is the same as the filament (material) setting (type, filament diameter, etc.), temperature setting (filament (material) melting temperature, etc.), and modeling setting (slice processing height (discharge material height). A value set by a user interface (not shown) for the width of the discharge material (horizontal pitch) is held.

  The stacking pitch conversion process 10b1 is performed from the “slicing process height (discharge material height)” input from the user setting 10f, from the so-called general stacking pitch to the stacking pitch described with reference to FIG. It is a process to convert. Details will be described later. The slicing process 10b2 is a process of slicing the 3D model 10a (reference numeral 41) according to the stacking pitch after the stacking pitch conversion process and converting it into two-dimensional slice data 43. In the slicing process, the slice is sequentially sliced from the lower side of the 3D model 10a (reference numeral 42), slice data 43 is cut out, and this is performed to the top.

  The contour line extraction process 10 b 3 extracts the contour line of the slice data 43 and sets the tool path 44. In general, the tool path 44 is set so that it can be drawn with one stroke as much as possible (so that the line is not interrupted). In FIG. 4B, the model of the output result is a state where the two-dimensional data after slicing is viewed from directly above, and the angle of the line of sight is different from the output result of the slice processing 10b2 from the perspective view before the output. doing.

  The horizontal pitch conversion process 10b4 is a process of converting the “width of the discharged material (horizontal pitch)” input from the user setting 10f to the horizontal pitch as shown in FIG. Details will be described later. The internal path setting process 10b5 is a process of extracting a part (internal part) other than the contour line of the slice data 43 and setting the internal tool path 61 on the assumption of the trajectory of the discharge material (reference numeral 45). At this time, the internal tool path 61 is set according to the horizontal pitch after the horizontal pitch conversion process. This is also set to be one stroke as much as possible.

  The tool path data conversion process 10b6 converts the internal tool path 61 set in the preceding contour extraction process 10b3 and the internal path setting process 10b5 into a format of tool path data 10e that can be identified by the 3D printer 20 (reference numeral 46). . Generally, it is converted into a data format called G code, and includes data such as nozzle movement speed and acceleration / deceleration. It also includes on / off control of the motor that sends the filament (material) to the extruder and speed control. Note that the actual height and width of the discharge material are determined by the moving speed of the nozzle and the feed amount of the filament (material) (the same as the amount of discharge material dissolved and discharged by the extruder). In other words, the above values are adjusted so that the height and width of the discharge material become target values. Data such as the moving speed of the nozzle is read from the user setting 10f in the first embodiment. Note that the acceleration / deceleration and the value may be automatically determined on the CAM application 10b side based on the shape of the tool path.

  The control data conversion process 10b7 converts the tool path data 10e by adding temperature control or initial processing at the time of modeling, end processing after the modeling, and the like to convert the control data 10c (reference numeral 47). ).

  The entire processing flow may be performed up to the control data creation processing for each slice (one layer) or for each unit slice amount, or each processing may be performed for all of the 3D model 10a to start the subsequent processing. Good. The latter increases the amount of memory used, but it is unlikely that it will be a problem if implementation in the PC 10 is taken into consideration. Note that the latter process is indispensable when devising the process by using the information of the unprocessed layer during the execution of the lower layer to be processed first.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the control data conversion process in the first embodiment, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a comparison between the prior art and the slice processing of the first embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the prior art and the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a comparison of internal path setting processing, and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an offset state of a tool path start point in the first embodiment.

  Although the flowchart of FIG. 5 shows the flow of performing each process one layer at a time, all layers may be implemented in each process, and the process may proceed to the next stage. In this case, it is necessary to determine whether or not all layers have been completed for each process.

In the first embodiment, the calculation of the stacking pitch (stacking pitch conversion processing 10b1) is performed with respect to the slice height n value (same as the height of the ideal ejection material) input from the user setting 10f.
N = (√2 × n) / 2
To calculate the stacking pitch N (step 101; step is abbreviated as S in the figure).

The horizontal pitch in the first embodiment is the discharge material width value m input from the user setting 10f.
M = √2 × m
To calculate the horizontal pitch M (horizontal pitch conversion processing 10b4; step 102).

  Next, the slice process 10b2 is executed (step 103). The slicing process is performed with the stacking pitch N. This means that the first layer is horizontally cut out at any height of 0 to N, and the second layer is horizontally cut out at any height of N to 2N. The height to be cut out is the lowermost surface, the center, the uppermost surface, etc. within the range of the slice processing.

  For example, in the case of cutting out the center (a surface having a height of 0.5 N in the first layer), a method of cutting out the central portion in the second and subsequent layers is generally used. Since N is smaller than the ideal pitch n, the slice height is lower than that of the prior art (n> N) and the amount of slices is increased (see FIG. 6).

  Thereafter, a contour line is extracted (contour line extraction processing 10b3), and the internal tool path 61 is set (internal path setting processing 10b5; steps 104 and 105). The setting of the internal tool path 61 is a process of setting the internal tool path 61 for filling the inside of the contour with the discharge material based on the horizontal pitch M. Since the horizontal pitch M is larger than the ideal pitch m (m <M), the density is smaller than that of the prior art. (Refer to FIG. 7) In addition, for even layers such as the second layer and the fourth layer when the first layer is the first layer, an offset process using the M / 2 pitch as a starting point shifted from the odd number. To implement. By performing such an offset process, the discharge material is alternately arranged in the height (Z-axis) direction (see FIG. 8).

  After setting the internal tool path 61 in step 105, the set internal tool path 61 is converted into tool bus data (tool path data conversion process 10b6: step 106). Then, the processing from step 103 to step 108 is repeated, and when all layers are completed (step 107), the control data 10c is converted (control data conversion processing 10b7: step 108).

  Example 2 is an example in which layers are stacked at a different stacking pitch from Example 1. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view in which the layer (discharge material) in Example 2 is cut in the stacking direction.

  In the second embodiment, when the diameter in the height direction of the ideal cross section of the discharge material 51 is n and the diameter in the width (horizontal) direction is m, the stacking pitch is n / 2 and the horizontal pitch is √3 × m. It is said. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of 3 to 4 layers in this case. Since the horizontal pitch per layer is about 1.73 times, the filling rate (density) per layer becomes 1 / 1.73, and the shrinkage force can be reduced.

In the second embodiment, the stacking pitch N is equal to the slice height n value input from the user setting 10f.
N = n / 2
(Lamination pitch conversion process 10b1; step 101).

The horizontal pitch M is a discharge material width value m input from the user setting 10f.
M = √3 × m
(Horizontal pitch conversion process 10b4; step 102).

  Further, for even layers such as the second layer and the fourth layer when the first layer is the first layer, an offset process is performed with a start point shifted by M / 2 pitch compared to the odd layer.

  Since the laminated structure of the second embodiment is configured as described above, in the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, one discharge material 51a is adjacent to the six discharge materials 51b to 51g. Therefore, the bonding force between the discharge materials 51a to 51g is increased. Thereby, in addition to the effect of Example 1, the effect that the intensity | strength of a modeling object is increased can also be show | played.

  Other parts that are not particularly described are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment and function in the same manner, and thus redundant description is omitted.

  In the first and second embodiments, the layers in the vertical direction are laminated from the bottom to the top at regular intervals, whereas in the third embodiment, the lamination pitch and the horizontal pitch are changed only in the lower layer that is easily warped. It is.

  It is known that warping during three-dimensional modeling hardly occurs when the upper layer is modeled and occurs when the lower layer is modeled. Whether or not the three-dimensional structure is warped is determined by whether or not the lowermost layer is peeled off from the modeling plate by the warping force. In other words, if the lowermost layer is not subjected to force, the three-dimensional structure is not peeled off from the modeling plate and is not warped. The phenomenon that warpage is unlikely to occur at the time of modeling the upper layer is that the shrinkage force at the time of upper modeling is distributed to the middle layer before reaching the bottom layer, and is not transmitted to the bottom layer Conceivable.

  On the other hand, the present invention is characterized in that the stacking pitch (pitch in the height direction (Z direction)) is made smaller than that of the prior art. For this reason, the number of stacked layers is larger than that of the prior art. The time required for modeling in the 3D printer 20 is considered to be dominated by the integrated value of the length of the tool path, but a process of moving the modeling plate for each layer is necessary. Therefore, modeling stops and there is an overhead for each layer modeling. As a result, the modeling time increases as the number of layers increases.

  In the third embodiment, only the lower layer that causes warping is reduced in the stacking pitch, and the same stacking pitch as that in the prior art is used in the layer above the specific layer (Lth layer in FIG. 10). . Thereby, in the whole molded article, the number of laminations decreases, and an increase in modeling time can be suppressed. The specific layer can be set by the user inputting from the input device 16 of the PC 10. For this reason, the input device 16 functions as a setting unit for a specific layer. In addition, FIG. 10 is a figure for demonstrating the specific layer in a molded article.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of control data conversion processing according to the third embodiment.

  In the third embodiment, steps 201, 202, and 203 are added between step 102 and step 103 in the first embodiment. Also, step 101 is replaced with the processing of step 101a, which obtains two types of stacking pitches n and N from the height of the slice processing 10b2 set by the user (the stacking pitch n is the same as the height of the slice processing). Further, step 102 is replaced with the process of step 102a for obtaining the horizontal pitches m and M from the width of the discharge material set by the user. Then, the number of the layer currently being modeled (increase with the lowest layer as 1) is compared with the value of L (step 201), and if it is less (lower layer), the stacking pitch N and horizontal pitch M are set as follows. If it is selected (step 202) and larger (upper layer), the stacking pitch n and horizontal pitch m are selected (step 203) and the subsequent processing is performed. The subsequent processing is the same as the processing from step 103 to step 108 in the first embodiment.

  By performing the processing as described above, the stacking pitch and the horizontal pitch can be changed with the Lth layer as a boundary. In the third embodiment, the example in which the stacking pitch and the horizontal pitch are changed at the boundary of the fixed number layer called the Lth layer is shown. However, there are various methods for setting the layers for changing the stacking pitch and the horizontal pitch. There is a way. Various methods include, for example, “between layers of ○% of the total height” or “user to set arbitrarily”, and the user appropriately sets according to the modeled object. Is easy.

  Other parts that are not particularly described are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment and function in the same manner, and thus redundant description is omitted.

  In the examples shown in Examples 1 to 3, the stacking pitch and the horizontal pitch were changed from the first layer, which is the lowest layer. When the pitch is changed in this way, the comparison between the cross-sectional view of the discharge material shown in FIGS. 1B and 9 and the cross-sectional view of the prior art shown in FIG. It turns out that the unevenness | corrugation of an edge part (a lower surface or a contour part) is large rather than a technique. Such increased irregularities leads to a problem that the accuracy of the surface of the three-dimensional structure is lowered.

  Therefore, in Example 4, for the modeling at the end of the first layer (lowermost layer), the contour portion, the uppermost surface, and the like (the ideal cross-sectional height (lamination) direction diameter of the discharge material is n When the diameter in the width (horizontal) direction is m), the stacking pitch is n, and the horizontal pitch is m. Thereby, the unevenness | corrugation of an edge part can be suppressed and the precision fall of a molded article surface can be suppressed.

  FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view in which the layer (discharge material) in Example 4 is cut in the stacking direction. In FIG. 12, all the discharge materials 51 adjacent to each other in the first layer are in contact with each other, and all the discharge materials 51 adjacent in the contour portion are also in contact with each other. However, there is a portion where a gap 55 is generated in the first layer and the second layer. In this case, the discharge material 51 is partly floated, which is not preferable.

  The phenomenon that the gap 55 is generated between the first layer and the second layer as described above occurs only when the tool paths of the first layer and the second layer are arranged in parallel. In order to cope with this, FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the first layer and second layer internal tool paths 61 may be provided with an angle. If the tool path is arranged so that the first and second layer internal tool paths 61 are angled, the uppermost part of the first layer and the lowermost part of the second layer are always in contact with each other. It is possible to avoid a state in which a specific discharge material does not contact the first layer. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example in which the internal tool paths 61 of the first layer P1 and the second layer P2 are provided with an angle.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of control data conversion processing according to the fourth embodiment.

  In Example 4, the stacking pitch and horizontal pitch of the layers to be processed are calculated for each layer. There are two periods in the lamination pitch, which are the period of the lamination pitch n of the contour P and the period of the lamination pitch N of the internal Pi. The slice plane to be processed next is also calculated by the following method (step 301).

  The number of processed layers for internal Pi (for which internal tool path 61 has been created), where R is the number of processed layers (for which a tool path has been created) for only the contour portion P, excluding the processing for the lowest layer. Is I, the height of the processed layer from the lower surface Pb of the contour P (hereinafter referred to as the stacking height) is represented by n × R. On the other hand, the internal stacking height is represented by N × I. These two are compared, and the one with the smaller value (the one with the lower height) is set as the next processing target layer. If the stack height of the contour portion is low (n × R <N × I), the next layer is processed only by the contour portion P, and only the tool path of the contour line P is set. The height of the slice surface is any surface having a width of n × (R + 1) to n × (R + 1) + n. Here, “+1” is added to the number of layers R in order to add the lowermost layer.

  On the other hand, if the internal stacking height is low (n × R> N × I), the next layer is processed only inside, and only the internal tool path 61 is set. The height of the slice plane is any plane having a width of N × I + n (+ n is the addition of the lowest layer) to N × I + 2n (+ 2n is the addition of the lowest layer and n of the slice width).

  When both have the same stacking height (n × R = N × I), both are processed. The number of processed layers in the processed portion is increased by 1 (R or I or both R and I are increased by 1). The slice plane height can be calculated by either of the former methods. As described above, in the fourth embodiment, there is a layer that processes only the contour portion or the inside. As for the horizontal pitch, for the lowermost layer and the uppermost layer, the horizontal pitch may be m, and the other horizontal pitches may be M.

  If the slice plane is calculated in step 301, slice processing is performed based on the calculated slice plane (step 302). Next, it is checked whether or not there is an outline extraction process (step 303). If there is an outline extraction process, an outline is extracted and a tool path is set (step 304). Then, it is checked whether there is an internal tool path 61 setting process (step 305). If there is no contour line extraction process in step 303, step 304 is skipped and it is checked in step 305 whether there is an internal tool path setting process.

  If there is an internal tool path setting process, the internal tool path 61 is set based on the horizontal pitch M calculated in step 301 (step 306), and the internal tool path 61 is converted into the tool path data 10e (step 307). . If there is no internal tool path setting process in step 305, step 306 is skipped and the tool path set in step 304 is converted into tool path data 10e in step 307. Then, the processing from step 301 to step 307 is executed over all layers (step 308), and when the processing for all layers is completed, it is converted into control data 10c (step 309).

  The process of step 304 is the process of step 104 in the first embodiment, the process of step 306 is the process of step 105, the process of step 307 is the process of step 106, and the process of step 309 is the process of step 108. Correspond.

  In the description of the fourth embodiment, the contour portion to be modeled at the stacking pitch n is an example of modeling by one pass (one discharge material), but a plurality of contour portions are directed toward the inner side. It is also possible to form so as to be shaped by this path (a plurality of discharge materials).

  FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view in which a layer (discharge material) is cut in the stacking direction when the tool path (discharge material arrangement) of the second embodiment is applied to the fourth embodiment.

  In the tool path shown in the second embodiment, since the stacking pitch N is a stacking pitch of n / 2, there is no need to give special consideration to the contour portion P. As shown in FIG. Will be shaped. Further, the lowermost lower surface Pb is shaped in the state having the least unevenness as in the prior art. The horizontal pitch is the same as the process applied to the internal Pi in the fourth embodiment.

  Other parts that are not particularly described are configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment and function in the same manner, and thus redundant description is omitted.

  According to the present embodiment, by suppressing the failure due to “warping” at the time of three-dimensional modeling in the FDM method, it is possible to eliminate or reduce “wasted time and materials” due to the failure at the time of three-dimensional modeling. be able to.

  That is, a method of melting and stacking materials with heat like the FDM method generates contraction force when cooling the discharged material. (After cooling, it does not shrink any more.) In general, as for the three-dimensional modeling by stacking as in the FDM method, modeling is performed quickly with almost no interval during modeling of one layer. This also has a reason for shortening the time required for three-dimensional modeling, but also has a reason for preventing a part from cooling and shrinking during layer modeling to change dimensions. However, with regard to the modeling of different layers, there is also a method of intentionally providing a cooling period to stabilize the shape and then starting the modeling of the next layer, and there are few restrictions on quickly modeling.

  In addition, it may be considered that there are almost no 3D printers and materials that have been used in recent years in cases where modeling fails due to insufficient cooling of the discharge material of the previous layer before the discharge material is cooled. That is, it can be considered that the time from when the discharged material is discharged to when it is cooled (where contraction force is generated) is completed within the same layer, and is not substantially related to the formation of the next layer. Therefore, it can be said that the contraction force is almost determined by the unit of one layer to be cooled at the same time.

  Generally, the FDM material is a resin. The shrinkage rate of the resin material is determined with a certain width depending on the material. The force is considered to be the integration of contracting energy per unit volume. That is, it can be considered that the shrinkage force per layer is substantially proportional to the volume of the discharged material per layer. Since one layer is a very thin layer, in this specification, it is expressed as density rather than volume. From the above, in order to keep the shrinkage force low, less discharge material is used per layer. (Density is low).

  In the present invention, in a three-dimensional modeling system that models each layer with a modeling material discharged from a high-temperature nozzle such as melt lamination method (FDM), and models it into a three-dimensional shape by laminating it, Since modeling is performed with a low density per layer, the shrinkage force can be kept low, and warping can be suppressed. However, simply reducing the density of the discharged material will reduce the quality of modeling. For example, if you simply halve the material to make a flat surface, it can easily be imagined that there will be plenty of gaps, which will not satisfy the quality and also reduce the strength. However, in the present invention, since the density in the stacking direction is increased at the same time, deterioration in quality can be suppressed.

  The flowcharts shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 11 and FIG. 14 are configured as a computer program, downloaded to a computer, here, the PC 10, and each process is executed according to the procedure of the program. The program may be stored in a recording medium. In that case, the program can be installed in the computer using the recording medium. The recording medium may be a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory storage medium is not particularly limited, and for example, a recording medium such as a CD-ROM can be used.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. In the following description, each component in the claims corresponds to each part of the present embodiment, and when the terminology is different, the latter is shown in parentheses.

  (1) An information processing apparatus (PC 10) that generates tool paths 44 and 61 for modeling a three-dimensional model, and a slice that generates slice data 43 by slicing a three-dimensional model (3D model 10a) Data generation means (slice processing 10b2, step 103, step 302) and tool path generation means (contour extraction processing 10b3, step 104, step 304, internal path setting processing) for generating a tool path 44 based on the slice data 43 10b5, step 105, step 306), and when the diameter of the discharge material 51 is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, the tool path generating means sets the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction to less than n, A space between the discharge materials 51 adjacent in the horizontal direction is set such that the discharge interval of the horizontal material is larger than m. Since generating a tool path 61 53 is formed, it is possible to suppress failure of the three-dimensional modeling on the FDM method according warp. As a result, time and material waste due to failure during three-dimensional modeling can be eliminated or reduced.

  (2) In the information processing apparatus of (1), since the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction is (√2 × n) / 2 and the discharge interval of the material in the horizontal direction is √2 × m, Even if the pitch and the horizontal pitch are changed, the amount of the discharged material can be made equal as compared with the case of the three-dimensional modeling tool path generation method in the prior art. As a result, a tool path capable of three-dimensional modeling can be generated without reducing strength and increasing costs.

  (3) In the information processing apparatus of (1), since the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction is n / 2 and the discharge interval of the material in the horizontal direction is √3 × m, one discharge material is Adjacent to 6 surrounding materials. Since there are four in the conventional technique, the bonding force between the discharge materials is stronger than that in the conventional technique, and a tool path capable of increasing the strength of the modeled object can be generated.

  (4) Since the information processing apparatus of (1) includes setting means (input device 16) for setting the position of a specific layer for starting the formation of the tool path 61 in which the space portion 53 is formed, warping It is possible to selectively change the stacking pitch and the horizontal pitch only for the layers that are easily affected. Thereby, the number of lamination | stacking in the whole molded article decreases, and the tool path which can suppress the increase in modeling time can be produced | generated.

  (5) In the same information processing apparatus as in (1), when the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, the tool path generation means sets the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction to less than n. The discharge interval of the horizontal material of the lowermost layer or / and the uppermost layer is m, the discharge material adjacent in the horizontal direction of the lowermost layer or / and the uppermost layer is brought into contact, and Since a tool path in which a space portion is formed between the discharge materials is generated, unevenness on the lower surface can be suppressed by setting the bottom layer stacking pitch to n and the horizontal pitch to m. Thereby, a tool path capable of three-dimensional modeling can be generated without reducing the accuracy of modeling the lower surface.

  (6) In the same information processing apparatus as in (1), when the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, the tool path generation unit sets the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction to n. Since the discharge interval of the material in the horizontal direction is made larger than m, the discharge materials adjacent in the stacking direction are brought into contact with each other, and a tool path in which a space is formed between the discharge materials adjacent in the horizontal direction is generated. In addition, the roughness of the contour surface can be suppressed by setting the stacking pitch of the contour portion to n. Thereby, a tool path capable of three-dimensional modeling can be generated without reducing the accuracy of modeling the contour surface.

  (7) The information processing apparatus (PC10) according to any one of (1) to (6) and the 3D printer 20 that is modeled based on the 3D printer control data 10c from the information processing apparatus (PC10) are provided. According to the 3D printer system, it is possible to provide the 3D printer system 1 that exhibits the effects described in the above (1) to (6).

  (8) The information processing method according to the present embodiment is a method of generating a tool path (a tool path 44 of an outline part, an internal tool path 61) for modeling a three-dimensional modeled object, and a three-dimensional model A slice data generation step (step 103, step 302) for generating slice data 43 and a tool path generation step (step 104, step 304, step 105) for generating a tool path 44 based on the slice data 43 Step 306), and when the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, the tool path generation step sets the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction to less than n, Since the discharge interval is made larger than m, a tool path in which a space 53 is formed between the discharge materials 51 adjacent in the horizontal direction is generated. The failure of the three-dimensional modeling on the FDM method according warp can be suppressed. Also, time and material waste due to failure during three-dimensional modeling can be eliminated or reduced.

  (9) The computer program according to this embodiment slices a three-dimensional model and generates slice data 43 (step 103, step 302), and a tool path 44 based on the slice data 43. A tool path generation procedure (step 104, step 304, step 105, step 306) to be generated, and when the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, A process of generating a tool path for forming a space portion 53 between the discharge materials 51 adjacent in the horizontal direction by setting the discharge interval of the material in the direction to less than n and setting the discharge interval of the horizontal material to be larger than m. The information processing apparatus (PC10) in which the computer program is downloaded is executed by the computer. There by executing the program, it is possible to suppress failure of the three-dimensional modeling on the FDM method according warp. Also, time and material waste due to failure during three-dimensional modeling can be eliminated or reduced.

  Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and all the technical matters included in the technical idea described in the claims are all included. The subject of the present invention. The above-described embodiments show preferred examples, but those skilled in the art can realize various alternatives, modifications, variations, and improvements from the contents disclosed in the present specification. These are included in the technical scope described in the appended claims.

1 3D printer system 10 PC (information processing device)
10a 3D model (3D model)
10b3 Outline extraction processing 10b5 Internal path setting processing 16 Input device (setting means)
43 Slice data 44 Tool path at contour 51 Discharge material 55 Space 61 Internal tool path

JP 2001-328175 A

Claims (9)

An information processing apparatus that generates a tool path for modeling a three-dimensional model,
Slice data generation means for slicing a three-dimensional model to generate slice data;
Tool path generation means for generating a tool path based on the slice data;
With
When the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, the tool path generation means sets the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction to less than n, and sets the discharge interval of the horizontal material to be larger than m, An information processing apparatus that generates a tool path in which a space is formed between discharge materials adjacent in the horizontal direction. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction is (√2 × n) / 2,
An information processing apparatus in which the discharge interval of the horizontal material is √2 × m. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction is n / 2,
An information processing apparatus in which the discharge interval of the horizontal material is √3 × m. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,
An information processing apparatus comprising setting means for setting a position of a specific layer at which formation of a tool path in which the space is formed is started. An information processing apparatus that generates a tool path for modeling a three-dimensional model,
Slice data generation means for slicing a three-dimensional model to generate slice data;
Tool path generation means for generating a tool path based on the slice data;
With
When the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, the tool path generation means sets the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction to less than n, and discharges the material in the horizontal direction of the lowermost layer and / or the uppermost layer. An interval is set to m, and the discharge material adjacent in the horizontal direction of the lowermost layer or / and the uppermost layer is brought into contact with each other, and a tool path in which a space portion is formed between the internal discharge materials adjacent in the horizontal direction is generated. Information processing device. An information processing apparatus that generates a tool path for modeling a three-dimensional model,
Slice data generation means for slicing a three-dimensional model to generate slice data;
Tool path generation means for generating a tool path based on the slice data;
With
When the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, the tool path generation means sets the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction to n, and sets the discharge interval of the horizontal material to be larger than m, An information processing apparatus for generating a tool path in which a discharge portion adjacent in the stacking direction is brought into contact and a space is formed between the discharge materials adjacent in the horizontal direction. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A 3D printer for modeling based on 3D printer control data from the information processing apparatus;
3D printer system. A tool path generation method for generating a tool path for modeling a three-dimensional structure,
A slice data generation step of slicing a three-dimensional model to generate slice data;
A tool path generating step for generating a tool path based on the slice data;

With
When the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, in the tool path generation step, the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction is less than n and the discharge interval of the horizontal material is set larger than m. An information processing method for generating a tool path in which a space portion is formed between discharge materials adjacent in the horizontal direction. A slice data generation procedure for slicing a three-dimensional model to generate slice data;
A tool path generation procedure for generating a tool path based on the slice data;
With
When the diameter of the discharge material is n in the stacking direction and m in the horizontal direction, in the tool path generation procedure, the discharge interval of the material in the stacking direction is less than n, and the discharge interval of the horizontal material is larger than m. A computer program that causes a computer to execute a process of generating a tool path that forms a space between discharge materials adjacent in the horizontal direction.