Additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object

1. An apparatus for creating multiple zones of parameters for a three-dimensional object formed by additive manufacturing, the apparatus comprising a processor and a memory storing executable instructions that in response to execution by the processor cause the apparatus to at least:

receive solid model of the three-dimensional object;

generate a shell of the three-dimensional object based on the solid model;

divide the shell into zones and thereby form zones of the three-dimensional object;

define or select a set of parameters for the additive manufacturing system to form each of the zones of the three-dimensional object, the set of parameters being different between the zones;

form layer data defining a plurality of layers of the shell for use in forming the zones and thereby the three-dimensional object; and

create a tool path from the layer data, and including the apparatus being caused to merge the layer data for the zones, for receipt by an additive manufacturing system configured to manipulate build material to form the three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis;

the additive manufacturing system includes a laser configured to emit a beam onto build material to form the three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, and the set of parameters include values for one or more of beam power, beam offset, laser speed, laser time delay, laser acceleration parameters, laser focus, layer thickness, hatching pattern, number of boundary or contour profiles;

the shell of the three-dimensional object is in a coordinate system with orthogonal axes including x- and y-axes, and a z-axis, and

wherein the apparatus being caused to create the tool path includes being caused to one or more of (a) add continuity in the tool path for any beam offset that differs in the set of parameters between the zones, (b) include a finger joint in the tool path in the direction of the z-axis where the zones of the three-dimensional object are joined, (c) reorient the tool path layer-per-layer in the directions of the x- and/or y-axes, or (d) offset a contour endpoint of the tool path for each zone.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus being caused to (b) include the finger joint includes being caused to alternately apply an offset to the zones in the directions of the x- and/or y-axes where the zones are joined.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus being caused to (c) reorient the tool path includes being caused to reorient the tool path to thereby reorient hatch lines in the three-dimensional object formed by the additive manufacturing system.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus being caused to (d) offset the contour includes being caused to add approach and retract motions in the tool path at the contour end points of the tool path where the zones of the three-dimensional object are joined.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus being caused to divide the shell into zones includes being caused to receive user input to overlay three-dimensional volumes onto the shell, the three-dimensional volumes enclosing and thereby defining the zones of the three-dimensional object.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the zones are automatically defined based on one or more of a thermal analysis and a stress analysis.

7. A method of creating multiple zones of parameters for a three-dimensional object formed by additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

receiving solid model of the three-dimensional object;

generating a shell of the three-dimensional object based on the solid model;

dividing the shell into zones and thereby form zones of the three-dimensional object;

defining or selecting a set of parameters for the additive manufacturing system to form each of the zones of the three-dimensional object, the set of parameters being different between the zones;

forming layer data defining a plurality of layers of the shell for use in forming the zones and thereby the three-dimensional object; and

creating a tool path from the layer data, and including merging the layer data for the zones, for receipt by an additive manufacturing system configured to manipulate build material to form the three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis;

the additive manufacturing system includes a laser configured to emit a beam onto build material to form the three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, and the sets of parameters include values for one or more of beam power, beam offset, laser speed, laser time delay, laser acceleration parameters, laser focus, layer thickness, hatching pattern, number of boundary or contour profiles;

the shell of the three-dimensional object is in a coordinate system with orthogonal axes including x- and y-axes, and a z-axis, and

wherein creating the tool path includes one or more of (a) adding continuity in the tool path for any beam offset that differs in the set of parameters between the zones, (b) including a finger joint in the tool path in the direction of the z-axis where the zones of the three-dimensional object are joined, (c) reorienting the tool path layer-per-layer in the directions of the x- and/or y-axes, or (d) offsetting a contour endpoint of the tool path for each zone.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein (b) including the finger joint includes alternately applying an offset to the zones in the directions of the x- and/or y-axes where the zones are joined.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein (c) reorienting the tool path includes reorienting the tool path to thereby reorient hatch lines in the three-dimensional object formed by the additive manufacturing system.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein (d) offsetting the contour includes adding approach and retract motions in the tool path at the contour end points of the tool path where the zones of the three-dimensional object are joined.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein dividing the shell into zones includes receiving user input to overlay three-dimensional volumes onto the shell, the three-dimensional volumes enclosing and thereby defining the zones of the three-dimensional object.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the zones are automatically defined based on one or more of a thermal analysis and a stress analysis.

13. A computer-readable storage medium for creating multiple zones of parameters for a three-dimensional object formed by additive manufacturing, the computer-readable storage medium being non-transitory and having computer-readable program code portions stored therein that in response to execution by a processor cause an apparatus to at least:

receive solid model of the three-dimensional object;

generate a shell of the three-dimensional object based on the solid model;

divide the shell into zones and thereby form zones of the three-dimensional object;

define or select a set of parameters for the additive manufacturing system to form each of the zones of the three-dimensional object, the set of parameters being different between the zones;

form layer data defining a plurality of layers of the shell for use in forming the zones and thereby the three-dimensional object; and

create a tool path from the layer data, and including the apparatus being caused to merge the layer data for the zones, for receipt by an additive manufacturing system configured to manipulate build material to form the three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis;

the additive manufacturing system includes a laser configured to emit a beam onto build material to form the three-dimensional object on a layer-by-layer basis, and the set of parameters include values for one or more of beam power, beam offset, laser speed, laser time delay, laser acceleration parameters, laser focus, layer thickness, hatching pattern, number of boundary or contour profiles;

the shell of the three-dimensional object is in a coordinate system with orthogonal axes including x- and y-axes, and a z-axis, and

wherein the apparatus being caused to create the tool path includes being caused to one or more of (a) add continuity in the tool path for any beam offset that differs in the set of parameters between the zones, (b) include a finger joint in the tool path in the direction of the z-axis where the zones of the three-dimensional object are joined, (c) reorient the tool path layer-per-layer in the directions of the x- and/or v-axes, or (d) offset a contour endpoint of the tool path for each zone.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus being caused to (b) include the finger joint includes being caused to alternately apply an offset to the zones in the directions of the x- and/or y-axes where the zones are joined.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus being caused to (c) reorient the tool path includes being caused to reorient the tool path to thereby reorient hatch lines in the three-dimensional object formed by the additive manufacturing system.

16. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus being caused to (d) offset the contour includes being caused to add approach and retract motions in the tool path at the contour end points of the tool path where the zones of the three-dimensional object are joined.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the apparatus being caused to divide the shell into zones includes being caused to receive user input to overlay three-dimensional volumes onto the shell, the three-dimensional volumes enclosing and thereby defining the zones of the three-dimensional object.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13 , wherein the zones are automatically defined based on one or more of a thermal analysis and a stress analysis.