THREE DIMENSIONAL (3D) PRINTER SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRINTING 3D OBJECTS WITH USER-DEFINED MATERIAL PARAMETERS

摘要

A 3D printer system that allows a 3D object to be printed such that each portion or object element is constructed or designed to have a user-defined or user-selected material parameter such as varying elastic deformation. The 3D printer system stores a library of microstructures or cells that are each defined and designed to provide the desired material parameter and that can be combined during 3D printing to provide a portion or element of a printed 3D object having the material parameter. For example, a toy or figurine is printed using differing microstructures in its arms than its body to allow the arms to have a first elasticity (or softness) that differs from that of the body that is printed with microstructures providing a second elasticity. The use of microstructures allows the 3D printer system to operate to alter the effective deformation behavior of 3D objects printed using single-material.

主权项

1. A system for fabricating a physical three dimensional (3D ) object, comprising:
a 3D print assembly adapted for additively forming the 3D object; a material supply providing print material to the 3D print assembly to form the 3D object; memory storing a plurality of definitions of microstructures; and a print controller running a control program, wherein the control program operates the 3D print assembly to form the 3D object based on a print file defining object elements of the 3D object and wherein the object elements are formed by fabricating a plurality of the microstructures.