Method for printing an object having at least one non-planar, contoured or three-dimensional surface

摘要

A method prints an object, for example a vehicle and specifically the body thereof, wherein at least one area of the surface of the object is printed. The method includes: providing an image; three-dimensionally measuring at least the area; generating a number of spatial points in correspondence with the area; generating a three-dimensional net corresponding with the area; generating path data, i.e. a three-dimensional path for moving a robot for an inkjet printer head; generating raster data, i.e. a raster matrix, in particular a three-dimensional or higher raster matrix, for actuating the inkjet printer head; moving the robot, for example an articulated arm robot, utilizing the path data; and printing the image by the inkjet printer head utilizing the raster data. The method permits multi-color printing of any image onto so-called 3D surfaces of any shape.

主权项

1. A method for printing an object, wherein at least one area of a surface of the object is printed, which comprises the following method steps of:
providing an image; providing three-dimensional data of the object by three-dimensionally measuring at least the area of the object or by loading the three-dimensional data of the object from a database; generating a number of spatial points corresponding to the area; generating a three-dimensional network corresponding to the area; generating path data being a predetermined three-dimensional path for moving a robot for an inkjet printer head or for the object, wherein the predetermined three-dimensional path defining areas into which the robot must not penetrate and areas in which the robot can move freely and in the areas in which the robot can move freely the predetermined three-dimensional path defining distances between nozzles of the inkjet printer head and the surface of the object being as equal as possible to one another at a specific point in time, and the distances between the nozzles and the surface of the object varying over time in dependence on a geometry of the object being printed; generating raster data for actuating the inkjet printer head; moving the robot by utilizing the path data; and printing the image by the inkjet printer head, utilizing the raster data.