Systems and methods for structurally analyzing and printing parts

1. A computer-implemented method for structurally analyzing and fabricating a three-dimensional object, comprising:

(a1) using a model of the three-dimensional object, the model being stored within a computer memory, generating a print head tool path that is usable by a print head of a three-dimensional printer to fabricate the three-dimensional object from a material comprising a fiber;

(a2) generating a virtual mesh of analytic elements, wherein the analytic elements are three-dimensional shapes within the model of the three-dimensional object;

(a3) determining a trajectory of at least one stiffness-contributing portion through the virtual mesh of analytic elements, based at least in part on the print head tool path, wherein the at least one stiffness-contributing portion corresponds to the fiber;

(b) prior to fabricating the three-dimensional object, computing a performance of the three-dimensional object based at least in part on (i) one or more properties of the material and (ii) the trajectory of the at least one stiffness-contributing portion through the virtual mesh of analytic elements;

(c) determining that the performance of the three-dimensional object computed in (b) meets a performance threshold;

(d) subsequent to (c), outputting the print head tool path for fabricating the three-dimensional object by the print head of the three-dimensional printer; and

(e) fabricating, via the print head, at least a portion of the three-dimensional object along the print head tool path.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one stiffness-contributing portion corresponds to one or more members selected from the group consisting of a continuous fiber, chopped fibers, and polymer chains.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a three-dimensional stiffness of each of the analytic elements using the at least one stiffness-contributing portion.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining a three-dimensional stiffness of each of the analytic elements based at least in part on one or more of (i) the trajectory of the at least one stiffness-contributing portion through the virtual mesh of analytic elements, (ii) the one or more properties of the material, and (iii) an orientation of the at least one stiffness-contributing portion relative to one another; wherein the computing of the performance of the three-dimensional object is further based on the three-dimensional stiffness of each of the analytic elements.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining intersection points and directional vectors of the at least one stiffness contributing portion, wherein the intersection points include points where the fiber of the at least one stiffness contributing portion intersects at least one of the analytic elements;

using the intersection points to determine a volume of the analytic elements corresponding to the at least one stiffness contributing portion; and

determining a three-dimensional stiffness of each of the analytic elements using the volume of the analytic elements corresponding to the at least one stiffness contributing portion, the one or more properties of the material, one or more properties of the at least one stiffness contributing portion, and the directional vectors.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the computing of the performance of the three-dimensional object is further based at least in part on an aggregation of three-dimensional stiffnesses of the analytic elements, including the three-dimensional stiffness.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the performance of the three-dimensional object computed in (b) comprises at least one of a displacement field and a stress field of the three-dimensional object.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

receiving use information for the three-dimensional object; and

determining at least one of the displacement field and the stress field of the three-dimensional object based at least in part on the use information.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying, on a graphical user interface, (i) the performance or (ii) the print head tool path.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising displaying, on the graphical user interface, a graphical representation of the performance and one or more of (i) the model of the three-dimensional object, and (ii) the print head tool path.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

receiving an instruction from a user to view a progression of the print head during simulated fabricating of the three-dimensional object along the print head tool path; and

displaying on the graphical user interface the performance and at least a portion of the print head tool path.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the print head additively generates the at least the portion of three-dimensional object.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to using the print head to fabricate the at least the portion of the three-dimensional object, receiving an instruction from a user to fabricate the at least the portion of the three-dimensional object.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising repeating (d) to generate one or more additional print head tool paths.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

generating an additional print head tool path upon processing the performance of the three-dimensional object against at least one reference performance, which additional print head tool path provides an additional performance of the three-dimensional object; and

electronically outputting the additional print head tool path, wherein the additional print head tool path is usable by the print head to fabricate the three-dimensional object from the material comprising the fiber.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising machine-executable code that, upon execution by one or more computer processors, implements a computer-implemented method for structurally analyzing and fabricating a three-dimensional object, the computer-implemented method comprising:

(a1) using a model of the three-dimensional object, the model being stored within a computer memory, generating a print head tool path that is usable by a print head of a three-dimensional printer to fabricate the three-dimensional object from a material comprising a fiber;

(a2) generating a virtual mesh of analytic elements, wherein the analytic elements are three-dimensional shapes within the model of the three-dimensional object;

(a3) determining a trajectory of at least one stiffness-contributing portion through the virtual mesh of analytic elements, based at least in part on the print head tool path, wherein the at least one stiffness-contributing portion corresponds to the fiber;

(b) prior to fabricating the three-dimensional object, computing a performance of the three-dimensional object based at least in part on (i) one or more properties of the material and (ii) the trajectory of the at least one stiffness-contributing portion through the virtual mesh of analytic elements;

(c) determining that the performance of the three-dimensional object computed in (b) meets a performance threshold;

(d) subsequent to (c), outputting the print head tool path for fabricating the three-dimensional object by the print head of the three-dimensional printer; and

(e) fabricating, via the print head, at least a portion of the three-dimensional object along the print head tool path.

17. A system for structurally analyzing and fabricating a three-dimensional object, comprising:

computer memory comprising (i) machine-executable instructions stored therein for structurally analyzing the three-dimensional object and (ii) a model of the three-dimensional object, the model being stored within the computer memory;

one or more computer processors in electrical communication with the computer memory and programmed to execute the machine-executable instructions to:

(a) use the model of the three-dimensional object to generate a print head tool path that is usable by a print head of a three-dimensional printer to fabricate the three-dimensional object from a material comprising a fiber,

(b) generate a virtual mesh of analytic elements, wherein the analytic elements are three-dimensional shapes within the model of the three-dimensional object,

(c) determine a trajectory of at least one stiffness-contributing portion through the virtual mesh of analytic elements, based at least in part on the print head tool path, wherein the at least one stiffness-contributing portion corresponds to the fiber,

(d) prior to fabricating the three-dimensional object, compute a performance of the three-dimensional object based at least in part on (i) one or more properties of the material and (ii) a trajectory of at least one stiffness-contributing portion of the material determined based at least in part on the print head tool path, wherein the at least one stiffness-contributing portion corresponds to the fiber,

(e) determine that the performance of the three-dimensional object computed in (d) meets a performance threshold, and

(f) subsequent to (e), output the print head tool path for fabricating the three-dimensional object by the print head of the three-dimensional printer; and

the print head, configured to fabricate at least a portion of the three-dimensional object along the print head tool path.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the analytic elements are tetrahedrons.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

determining intersection points and directional vectors of the at least one stiffness-contributing portion, wherein the intersection points include points where the fiber of the at least one stiffness-contributing portion intersects at least one of the analytic elements;

using the intersection points to determine a volume of the analytic elements corresponding to the at least one stiffness-contributing portion; and

determining a three-dimensional stiffness of each of the analytic elements using the volume of the analytic elements corresponding to the at least one stiffness-contributing portion, the one or more properties of the material, one or more properties of the at least one stiffness-contributing portion, and the directional vectors;

wherein the computing of the performance of the three-dimensional object is further based, at least in part, on an aggregation of three-dimensional stiffnesses of the analytic elements, including the three-dimensional stiffness.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the analytic elements are tetrahedrons.

21. The system of claim 17 , wherein the one or more computer processors are further programmed to execute the machine-executable instructions to:

determine intersection points and directional vectors of the at least one stiffness-contributing portion, wherein the intersection points include points where the fiber of the at least one stiffness contributing portion intersects at least one of the analytic elements,

use the intersection points to determine a volume of the analytic elements corresponding to the at least one stiffness-contributing portion, and

determine a three-dimensional stiffness of each of the analytic elements using the volume of the analytic elements corresponding to the at least one stiffness-contributing portion, the one or more properties of the material, one or more properties of the at least one stiffness-contributing portion, and the directional vectors;

wherein the one or more computer processors are programmed to execute the machine-executable instructions to compute the performance of the three-dimensional object, further based, at least in part, on an aggregation of three-dimensional stiffnesses of the analytic elements, including the three-dimensional stiffness.

22. The system of claim 17 , wherein the analytic elements are tetrahedrons.