Method and apparatus for calibrating a projected image manufacturing device
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorMichael Christopher Maguire
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for calibrating a manufacturing device that manufactures solid parts by projecting images onto a photo-curable substrate includes providing the manufacturing device including a projector and an optical train, positioning an imaging plate at a manufacturing position relative to the manufacturing device, and providing a contrasting image on the imaging plate. The method further includes projecting a test image from the projector through the optical train onto the contrasting image and calibrating the projector and/or the optical train in response to the test image projected onto the contrasting image. The method further includes manufacturing a solid component with the manufacturing device after the calibrating.
Claims22
A method comprising:
- positioning an imaging plate at a manufacturing position relative to a manufacturing device, wherein the manufacturing device comprises a projector and an optical train, and wherein the imaging plate comprises a surface comprising a contrasting image;
- projecting a test image from the projector through the optical train onto the surface comprising the contrasting image such that the test image is positioned with the contrasting image on the surface of the imaging plate;
- and
- calibrating at least one of the projector or the optical train based on registration between the test image and the contrasting image,
- wherein calibrating at least one of the projector or the optical train comprises tuning magnification, skew, and parallelism of the test image in relation to the contrasting image until registration between the test image and the contrasting image on the surface of the imaging plate is achieved before manufacturing a solid part with the manufacturing device.
An apparatus comprising:
- a manufacturing device including a projector and an optical train;
- an imaging plate comprising a surface comprising a contrasting image, wherein the surface is positioned at a manufacturing position relative to the manufacturing device;
- and
- the projector being configured to project a test image through the optical train onto the surface comprising the contrasting image such that the test image is positioned with the contrasting image on the surface of the imaging plate;
- a means for calibrating at least one of the projector or the optical train based on registration between the test image and the contrasting image to achieve a proper magnification, skew, and parallelism of the test image in relation to the contrasting image before manufacturing a solid part with the manufacturing device,
- wherein the means for calibrating at least one of the projector or the optical train comprises a means for tuning the magnification, skew, and parallelism of the test image in relation to the contrasting image until registration between the test image and the contrasting image on the surface of the imaging plate is achieved.
A method for calibrating a manufacturing device structured to manufacture a solid component by projecting images onto a photo-curable substrate, the method comprising:
- positioning an imaging plate at a manufacturing position relative to a manufacturing device, wherein the manufacturing device comprises a projector and an optical train, and wherein the imaging plate comprises a surface comprising a contrasting image;
- projecting a test image from the projector through the optical train onto the surface comprising the contrasting image such that the test image is positioned with the contrasting image on the surface of the imaging plate;
- calibrating at least one of the projector or the optical train based on registration between the test image and the contrasting image, wherein calibrating the at least one of the projector or the optical train comprises tuning magnification, skew, and parallelism of the test image in relation to the contrasting image until registration between the test image and the contrasting image on the surface of the imaging plate is achieved;
- and
- manufacturing the solid component with the manufacturing device after the calibrating.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.