Implicit method and an algorithm for flexible functionally tailorable slicing for additive manufacturing

1. A method for flexible functionally tailorable slicing for additive manufacturing, the method including the steps of:

receiving an input model of an object to be additively manufactured;

parsing the input model;

reconstructing a domain boundary of the object;

computing individual layer boundaries of the object;

constructing, for each layer, layer domains from respective enclosing boundaries;

computing, for each layer, a perimeter shell by finding level sets of distance function applied to the boundaries;

computing, for each layer, a volumetric infill by finding level sets of a specified field function;

collecting and arranging into one or more contiguous ordered sets of line segments each perimeter shell and volumetric infill from each layer; and

formatting the one or more contiguous ordered sets of line segments as motion commands for a target additive manufacturing system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of computing individual layer boundaries includes intersecting a series of parallel planes with the domain boundary.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of computing individual layer boundaries includes partitioning subdomain boundaries into contiguous ordered subsets of line segments.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of constructing, for each layer, layer domains includes utilizing constrained Delaunay triangulation to define the layer domains as a set of planar facets.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of computing, for each layer, a volumetric infill by finding level sets of a field function selected by a user includes solving a partial differential equation or system of such equations with user-specified boundary conditions on the domain boundary.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of computing, for each layer, a volumetric infill by finding level sets of a field function selected by a user includes basing the volumetric infill on relevant physical fields computed by computational simulation.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the field function is a user-specified modulation of another field function based on relevant physical fields as computed by the solution of one or more partial differential equations or of computational simulation.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

interfacing with a simulation tool for material mechanics; and

wherein the specified field function is automatically generated based on computed results of the simulation tool.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

interfacing with one or more external data sources or databases; and

wherein the field function selected by a user is automatically generated based on experimental data from the one or more external data sources or databases.

10. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein the specified field function is selected by a user.

11. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the computer program product configured to cause one or more processors to execute the method comprising the steps of:

receiving an input model of an object to be additively manufactured;

parsing the input model;

reconstructing a domain boundary of the object;

computing individual layer boundaries of the object;

constructing, for each layer, layer domains from respective enclosing boundaries;

computing, for each layer, a perimeter shell by finding level sets of distance function applied to the boundaries;

computing, for each layer, a volumetric infill by finding level sets of a specified field function;

collecting and arranging into one or more contiguous ordered sets of line segments each perimeter shell and volumetric infill from each layer; and

formatting the one or more contiguous ordered sets of line segments as motion commands for a target additive manufacturing system.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the step of computing individual layer boundaries includes intersecting a series of parallel planes with the domain boundary.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the step of computing individual layer boundaries includes partitioning subdomain boundaries into contiguous ordered subsets of line segments.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the step of constructing, for each layer, layer domains includes utilizing constrained Delaunay triangulation to define the layer domains as a set of planar facets.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the step of computing, for each layer, a volumetric infill by finding level sets of a field function selected by a user includes solving a partial differential equation or system of such equations with user-specified boundary conditions on the domain boundary.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the step of computing, for each layer, a volumetric infill by finding level sets of a field function selected by a user includes basing the volumetric infill on stress or strain fields computed by computational simulation.

17. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the field function is a user-specified modulation of another field function based on relevant physical fields as computed by the solution of one or more partial differential equations or of computational simulation.

18. The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:

interfacing with a simulation tool for material mechanics; and

wherein the specified field function is automatically generated based on computed results of the simulation tool.

19. The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising the step of:

interfacing with one or more external data sources or databases; and

wherein the field function selected by a user is automatically generated based on experimental data from the one or more external data sources or databases.

20. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the specified field function is selected by a user.