US 12,111,630 B2
Method and system to generate three-dimensional meta-structure model of a workpiece
Todd Curtis Doehring, Cleveland, OH (US); and William Joseph Nelson, II, Solon, OH (US)
Assigned to Abemis LLC, Cleveland, OH (US)
Filed by Abemis LLC, Cleveland, OH (US)
Filed on Mar. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/704,775.
Application 17/704,775 is a continuation of application No. 16/806,440, filed on Mar. 2, 2020, granted, now 11,327,465.
Application 16/806,440 is a continuation of application No. 15/935,650, filed on Mar. 26, 2018, granted, now 10,585,420, issued on Mar. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/581,799, filed on Nov. 6, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0326683 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. G06T 15/00 (2011.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); B33Y 70/00 (2020.01); G05B 19/4099 (2006.01); G06F 30/23 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC G05B 19/4099 (2013.01) [B33Y 50/02 (2014.12); B33Y 70/00 (2014.12); G06F 30/23 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); G05B 2219/35134 (2013.01); G05B 2219/49007 (2013.01); G05B 2219/49038 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method to generate a three-dimensional meta-structure model of a workpiece for use in an additive manufacturing process, the method comprising:
obtaining or creating, by a processor, a source three-dimensional model of a workpiece;
defining, by the processor, a portion of the source three-dimensional model to convert to a three-dimensional meta-structure sub-model; and
generating, by the processor, a model of the workpiece having the three-dimensional meta-structure sub-model by:
generating, by the processor, for the defined portion of the source three-dimensional model, a tetrahedral mesh of varying densities parametrically formed of a plurality of tetrahedral elements, each comprising a plurality of edges and links that define four nodes, as a non-lattice mesh structure, wherein the non-lattice mesh structure comprises a plurality of interlinking linkages and joints corresponding to the plurality of edges and links that collectively form a three-dimensional manifold structure of tetrahedral elements, and
wherein the tetrahedral mesh at each tetrahedral element provides load bearing and shear load resistant behavior similar to a corresponding solid model of the defined portion of the source three-dimensional model; and
varying, by the processor, cross-sectional areas of each of the plurality of linkages and joints of the non-lattice mesh structure according to a specified non-uniform profile to produce the three-dimensional meta-structure sub-model;
wherein the generated three-dimensional meta-structure model is used in an additive manufacturing process to produce the workpiece having a meta-structure region comprising manifolds of tetrahedral elements corresponding to those of the generated three-dimensional meta-structure model.