Desktop Metal, Inc.

Dassault Systemes Solidworks Corporation

Solidworks Corporation

Ricardo Chin

Michael Andrew Gibson

Blake Z Reeves

Yet-Ming Chiang

Anastasios John Hart

Christopher Allan Schuh

Richard Remo Fontana

Jonah Samuel Myerberg

Matthew David Verminski

Ricardo Fulop

Ilya Baran

Robert M Siegel

Shashank Holenarasipura Raghu

Emanuel Michael Sachs

Christopher N Ryan

Mark G Gibson

Robert P Zuffante

Andrew Fiske Roberts

Saul Rothstein

Methods provide for fabricating objects through additive manufacturing in a manner that compensates for deformations introduced during post-print processing, such as sintering. An initial model may be divided into a plurality of segments, the initial model defining geometry of an object. For each of the segments, modified geometry may be calculated, where the modified geometry compensates for a predicted deformation. Print parameters can then be updated to incorporate the modified geometry, where the print parameters define geometry of the printed object (e.g., configuration settings of the printer, a tool path, an object model). The object may then be printed based on the updated print parameters.

Adaptive 3D printing

Mold lock is remediated by performing a layer-by-layer, two-dimensional analysis to identify unconstrained removal paths for any support structure or material within each two-dimensional layer, and then ensuring that aligned draw paths are present for all adjacent layers, all as more specifically described herein. Where locking conditions are identified, a sequence of modification rules are then applied, such as by breaking support structures into multiple, independently removable pieces. By addressing mold lock as a series of interrelated two-dimensional geometric problems, and reserving three-dimensional remediation strategies for more challenging, complex mold lock conditions, substantial advantages can accrue in terms of computational speed and efficiency.

Mold lock remediation

Methods and systems are disclosed for generatively designing a model of an assembly of mechanical parts. One method includes receiving a first set of constraints for a first part; determining a spatial relationship between the first part and a second part; updating the first set of constraints for the first part based on at least the spatial relationship between the first part and the second part; updating a second set of constraints for the second part based on at least the updated first set up constraints and/or the spatial relationship between the first part and the second part; and generating a model for the first part based on the updated first set of constraints.

Methods and systems for generatively designing assemblies of mechanical parts

A variety of additive manufacturing techniques can be adapted to fabricate a substantially net shape object from a computerized model using materials that can be debound and sintered into a fully dense metallic part or the like. However, during sintering, the net shape will shrink as binder escapes and the base material fuses into a dense final part. If the foundation beneath the object does not shrink in a corresponding fashion, the resulting stresses throughout the object can lead to fracturing, warping or other physical damage to the object resulting in a failed fabrication. To address this issue, a variety of techniques are disclosed for substrates and build plates that contract in a manner complementary to the object during debinding and sintering.

Shrinkable support structures

Support structures are used in certain additive fabrication processes to permit fabrication of a greater range of object geometries. For additive fabrication processes with materials that are subsequently sintered into a final part, an interface layer is formed between the object and support in order to inhibit bonding between adjacent surfaces of the support structure and the object during sintering. The support structure may be a multi-part support structure to mitigate mold lock or facilitate removal from enclosed spaces.

Multi-part removable support structures

A printer fabricates an object from a computerized model using a fused filament fabrication process. The shape of an extrusion nozzle may be varied during extrusion to control, e.g., an amount of build material deposited, a shape of extrudate exiting the nozzle, a feature resolution, and the like.

Fused filament fabrication

Creating an explicit feature used for construction of a computer-aided design model includes recognizing that model features form an implicit feature, presenting variations of the implicit feature, selecting one of the variations of the implicit feature, and creating the explicit feature. The explicit feature produces geometry that gives rise to the selected variation of the implicit feature. The computer-aided design model is constructed by generating the explicit feature after generating the model features that form the implicit feature.

Implicit feature recognition for a solid modeling system

Processing data in a computer-aided design (CAD) system includes determining that a feature of a three-dimensional model has a condition that requires correction. The condition is automatically corrected by performing an action. The action may be an action that reorders a sequence of features in the three-dimensional model, an action that changes at least one parameter of the feature, an action that deletes a feature reference, or an action that changes a feature reference. Furthermore, the action may have one or more constraints that bound the action to a set of features that are directly and indirectly related to the feature on which the action operates.

Aware and active features for computer-aided design systems

Modeling of a three-dimensional object includes storing data representing a computer model of the three-dimensional object. The data includes a number of feature objects each of which defines a feature of the computer model. A feature chain is formed and includes at least one feature object having a design effect limited in scope such that an operation for removing material operates to affect the feature of the computer model defined by another feature object in the same feature chain and does not affect the feature of the computer model defined by the feature object not in said same feature chain. Multiple feature chains can be combined to form an interrelationship among feature objects that represents a hierarchy defining construction of the model from the feature objects.

Model management technology using grouping of features

Processing data objects of a two-dimensional drawing includes marking data objects corresponding to annotation, separating the drawing into a plurality of views, and associating each of the data objects corresponding to annotation with one of the views. Separating the drawing into a plurality of views may include constructing a plurality of intersection and proximity graphs and using the graphs to provide a plurality of connected sets, where each set may correspond to one of the views. The border views may be identified by determining which of the views include less than a predetermined number of elements, contain at least two other views, and are not contained in other views.

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Shrewsbury, MA, United States of America

Ricardo Chin