US 12,434,302 B2
Method for manufacturing porous structures using additive manufacturing
Anthony P Sanders, Sandy, UT (US)
Assigned to ORTHO DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, Draper, UT (US)
Filed by Ortho Development Corporation, Draper, UT (US)
Filed on Nov. 2, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/979,672.
Application 17/979,672 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/694,646, filed on Nov. 25, 2019, granted, now 11,498,124.
Prior Publication US 2023/0057195 A1, Feb. 23, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); G05B 19/4093 (2006.01)
CPC B22F 10/85 (2021.01) [B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); G05B 19/40936 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for manufacturing a device having a porous structure through additive manufacturing comprising:
a computer comprising a processor and memory operatively connected to the computer processor receiving first geometry data describing a shape and size of a portion of porous structure, wherein the porous structure comprises struts of material joined together at node points and spaces between the struts;
the computer receiving data representing node points, wherein node point pairs define line segments extending between node points along central axis of struts in the porous structure;
the computer receiving Z coordinate values for manufacturing planes according to a layer thickness;
the computer analyzing node point pairs according to 3D coordinates of the node points and according to manufacturing plane Z coordinate values to, for each manufacturing plane:
identify line segments which pass through the manufacturing plane,
for a manufacturing layer thickness associated with the manufacturing plane, create a projection on the manufacturing plane of a portion of a line segment which passes through the manufacturing layer thickness, and
creating, in a CNC code file, an additive manufacturing path from the projected line segment for each portion of a line segment passing through the manufacturing layer thickness;
wherein the CNC code file is suitable for execution on an additive manufacturing machine to thereby manufacture the device.