Xerox Corporation

Adrian Lew

Christoforos Somarakis

Svyatoslav Korneev

Robert Roy Price

Raja Bala

Palghat Srinivas Ramesh

Matthew Adam Shreve

Saigopal Nelaturi

Matt Patterson

Eli Wilson

Brendan Mcnamara

Image processing techniques for determining print quality for a 3D printer are disclosed. An example method includes obtaining an image of material jetted from a nozzle of the 3D printer. The method also includes binarizing the image to distinguish background features from foreground features contained in the image. The method also includes determining, by a processing device, a jetting quality based on the binarized image.

Techniques for binarizing images to determine jetting quality in additive manufacturing

Techniques for determining print quality for a 3D printer are disclosed. An example method includes obtaining an image of a stream of material jetted from a nozzle of the 3D printer, and binarizing the image to distinguish background features from foreground features contained in the image. The method also includes identifying elements of jetted material in the foreground features, and computing statistical data characterizing the identified elements. The method also includes generating a quality score of jetting quality based on the statistical data and controlling the 3D printer based on the quality score. The quality score indicates a degree to which the elements of jetted material form droplets of a same size, shape, alignment, and jetting frequency.

Image processing techniques for jetting quality classification in additive manufacturing

A nozzle for a printing system is disclosed. The nozzle includes a tank in communication with a source of printing material. The nozzle also includes a constricted dissipative section in communication with the tank, which may include an elongated internal channel. The nozzle may also include a shaping tip in communication with the constricted dissipative section may include an exit orifice. The constricted dissipative section may be axisymmetric and may include at least three internal channels not in communication with one another. Also disclosed is an array of nozzles for a printing system including a plurality of nozzles, with each nozzle including a tank in communication with a source of printing material, a constricted dissipative section in communication with the tank and configured to obstruct fluid flow and having an elongated internal channel, and a shaping tip in communication with the constricted dissipative section may include an exit orifice.

Energy dissipative nozzles for drop-on-demand printing and methods thereof

A method includes defining a model for a liquid while the liquid is positioned at least partially within a nozzle of a printer. The method also includes synthesizing video frames of the liquid using the model to produce synthetic video frames. The method also includes generating a labeled dataset that includes the synthetic video frames and corresponding model values. The method also includes receiving real video frames of the liquid while the liquid is positioned at least partially within the nozzle of the printer. The method also includes generating an inverse mapping from the real video frames to predicted model values using the labeled dataset. The method also includes reconstructing the liquid in the real video frames based at least partially upon the predicted model values.

Characterizing liquid reflective surfaces in 3D liquid metal printing

A three-dimensional (3D) printer includes a nozzle and a camera configured to capture a real image or a real video of a liquid metal while the liquid metal is positioned at least partially within the nozzle. The 3D printer also includes a computing system configured to perform operations. The operations include generating a model of the liquid metal positioned at least partially within the nozzle. The operations also include generating a simulated image or a simulated video of the liquid metal positioned at least partially within the nozzle based at least partially upon the model. The operations also include generating a labeled dataset that comprises the simulated image or the simulated video and a first set of parameters. The operations also include reconstructing the liquid metal in the real image or the real video based at least partially upon the labeled dataset.

A method is disclosed for designing a nozzle for jetting printing material in a printing system including selecting a surface tension and viscosity of a printing material at a jetting temperature, selecting a drop volume of the printing material, and constructing a constricted axisymmetric dissipative section of the nozzle, which may include defining a length of the constricted axisymmetric dissipative section and defining a cross-sectional area of the constricted axisymmetric dissipative section. Other methods are disclosed involving receiving an input for a drop volume of the printing material, constructing a simulation of a constricted dissipative section of the nozzle by defining a length of the constricted dissipative section with respect to an orifice length and defining a cross-sectional area of the constricted dissipative section, and outputting the simulation of the constricted dissipative section to a display device and displaying on the display device an image representing the constricted dissipative section.

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Stanford, CA, United States of America

Adrian Lew