Method and assembly for forming a building element

• Main Authors: HEDWIG HEINSMAN, HANS VERMEULEN, MARTINE DE WIT
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.05.2018
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CALCULATING; COMPUTING; COUNTING; ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS, SLAG, OR MIXTURESCONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING CEMENT, CLAY, OR STONE; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

The invention provides a method for forming a building element, compnsmg defining in a computer memory: - a building element parametric three-dimensional (3D) model of a building element, and - a building element constraint space, said building element constraint space comprising building element dimensional parameters of said building element that are mathematically coupled to at least one selected from another dimensional parameter of the building element, a minimum value, a maximum value, and a combination thereof; said method further comprising running a computer program on a computer system which: - retrieves from said computer memory said building element parametric 3D model and its linked constraint space; - visualises said building element parametric 3D model through a display system; - provides a user tool which is visualised through said display system and which allows a user to modify one or more building element dimensional parameters to provide an amended building element parametric 3D model by receiving user input via a user input system that is operationally coupled with said computer system, wherein said modification of said building element dimensional parameters by said user tool is limited by said building element constraint space; - visualises said amended building element parametric 3D model through said display system in response to said user input, and - converts said amended building element parametric 3D model into control instructions for a control system for controlling at least one 3D manufacturing assembly for forming said amended building element and provides said control instructions to said control system.