The present disclosure provides a robotic printing system for printing images on the surface of an object. One exemplary system includes a printing module carried by a motion platform to directly eject printing materials on a surface. One aspect of this disclosure provides methods for accurately controlling the motion of the motion platform, generating accurate triggering signals for printing heads, and properly aligning adjacent swaths of an image.

A method of extracting data embedded in a 3D object includes a 3D scanning device scanning a 3D object and extracting data embedded as physical representations in the 3D object. A processing device will identify, from the extracted data, instructions for causing the processing device to perform an action such as identifying building instructions for printing a copy of the 3D object. The processing device will also perform the action to identify the building instructions, and cause a 3D printer to use the building instructions to print the copy of the 3D object. The processing device may be part of the 3D scanning device or part of another device or system that is in communication with the 3D scanning device.

The present disclosure provides a robotic printing system for printing images on the surface of an object. One exemplary system includes a printing module carried by a motion platform to directly eject printing materials on a surface. One aspect of this disclosure provides methods for accurately controlling the motion of the motion platform, generating accurate triggering signals for printing heads, and properly aligning adjacent swaths of an image.

A surface of a workpiece has a smooth region, and a stepped region including a step. A three-dimensional object printing method includes first print operation of ejecting liquid from a head onto the smooth region, and second print operation, antecedent to or subsequent to the first print operation, of ejecting liquid from the head onto the stepped region. The amount of change in an angle of ejection, which is angle formed by a first normal line and a second normal line, during execution of the second print operation is larger than the amount of change in the angle of ejection during execution of the first print operation. The first normal line is a line normal to the ejection face. The second normal line is a line normal to the surface of the workpiece at a point of intersection with the first normal line.

A tool including a tool surface and further including coding indicia linked, at least indirectly, with the surface of the tool, the coding indicia capable of being detected by a sensor, the coding indicia functioning as a pointer to information relating to said tool or its use.

A tool including a tool surface and further including coding indicia linked, at least indirectly, with the surface of the tool, the coding indicia capable of being detected by a sensor, the coding indicia functioning as a pointer to information relating to said tool or its use.

A method of extracting data embedded in a 3D object includes a 3D scanning device scanning a 3D object and extracting data embedded as physical representations in the 3D object. A processing device will identify, from the extracted data, instructions for causing the processing device to perform an action such as identifying building instructions for printing a copy of the 3D object. The processing device will also perform the action to identify the building instructions, and cause a 3D printer to use the building instructions to print the copy of the 3D object. The processing device may be part of the 3D scanning device or part of another device or system that is in communication with the 3D scanning device.

A sheet processing device that measures a property of media sheets to be processed in the device, controls a processing operation of the device on the basis of the measured property and transmits the measured property to another sheet processing device.

To provide a product manufacturing system, method, and program that can efficiently execute a manufacturing process irrespective of a form of an object to be processed or conformity of manufacturing process conditions when collectively executing a plurality of manufacturing jobs. A step managing device (16, 20A, 20B), which constitutes part of a product manufacturing system (10, 10A, 10B), performs: creating a plurality of electronic documents (72) including information related to manufacturing jobs representing manufacturing units of a product (D1, D2); transmitting, to a manufacturing process device, process information (Ir) capable of specifying the manufacturing process conditions and the object to be processed associated with a selected manufacturing job from among the electronic documents (72) or a plurality of output objects (26); and causing a manufacturing process device (22, 28, 29) to execute the manufacturing process to be executed in work steps corresponding to the electronic documents (72).

A tool including a tool surface and further including coding indicia linked, at least indirectly, with the surface of the tool, the coding indicia capable of being detected by a sensor, the coding indicia functioning as a pointer to information relating to said tool or its use.