Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Shell Oil Comapny

Other

Kevin E Swier

David Ridgway Otis, Jr

Gary G Lutnesky

Anthony Donald Studer

Wesley R Schalk

Brad Benson

Sang O Bradley

Dennis T So

David N Olsen

Justin M Roman

Silam J Choy

Donald L Michael

David C Harvey

William E Lewey

James R Owen

Raymon Dale Burrows

Joseph Edward Scheffelin

Norman E Pawlowski

David A Champion

Gregory J May

Rhonda Lynn Wilson

Paul Mark Haines

Si-lam Choy

Ronald J Ender

Kris M English

Neel Banerjee

Gary Tarver

Jeffrey Todd Mabeck

John W Lee

Peter S Nyholm

Jeremy E Barribeau

Jimmy Perez

Bradley Bower

Kevin B Hulick

Adam Peter Franks

Zhuqing Zhang

David Otis

John M Herrmann

Andrew Queisser

Dennis A Iverson

Steve Ringwald

Gunay Ozturk

David R Otis

Dale Burrows

Mark Giordono

Andreas H Queisser

Shannon Miranda

Jr Otis

Jr David R Otis

Donald Lee Michael

A varying a composition of build material used for a three dimensional (3D) part formed by a 3D printer are disclosed. In a system provided, a number of vessels for build material are included, wherein each vessel includes a feeder coupled to a conveying system. The conveying system conveys and blends build material from the vessels. A controller is configured to adjust a composition of the build material by adjusting an amount of material added from each of the vessels by controlling the feeder on each of the vessels.

Varying the composition of build materials used for a three dimensional part

Examples of the present disclosure relate to a container. The container has a chamber for storing build material for a three-dimensional printing system. The container comprises an opening coaxial with the chamber for coupling to the three-dimensional printing system. The container is configured such that rotation of the chamber in a first direction conveys build material in the chamber to the three-dimensional printing system and rotation of the chamber in a second direction conveys the build material away from the three-dimensional printing system.

Chamber for storing build material

A three-dimensional (3D) printer includes a selective solidification module to selectively solidify portions of successive layers of a build material on a build platform. The 3D printer also includes a cartridge receiver to hold a removable material cartridge that accepts material from the 3D printer and makes material available to the 3D printer for printing of the 3D object.

Three-dimensional printer

A supply station for dispensing build material from a build material container is provided. The supply station includes a stationary support structure supporting a cylindrical cage along an axis, wherein the cylindrical cage is configured to be rotated in a first angular direction to dispense build material from the build material container.

Supply station for dispensing build material

A supply container includes a housing and a pocket on to the housing to receive a chip. The supply container also includes an alignment component on the housing to align the pocket with a chip access device.

Supply containers with alignment components

Example implementations relate to different mixtures of build materials deliverable during a three dimensional (3D) print operation. In some examples, a 3D print apparatus may include a delivery hopper to deliver build material to a print zone of the 3D print apparatus and a plurality of build material hoppers to which the delivery hopper is connected for receipt of at least one of a corresponding plurality of build materials. A controller of the 3D print apparatus may direct that variable proportions of a first build material relative to a second build material are receivable by the delivery hopper from the plurality of build material hoppers during the 3D print operation, where different mixtures of the variable proportions of the first build material and the second build material are deliverable to the delivery hopper during the 3D print operation.

Different mixtures of build materials deliverable during a three dimensional print operation

In an example implementation, a powder metering device to move powder in a 3D printing system includes a rotor comprising a central hub and peripheral wheel to rotate about a shaft. Compartments are formed between the hub and the wheel by a plurality of fins that emanate from the hub at first fin ends and affix to the wheel at second fin ends. A top and bottom disk each have a planar surface to lie flush against and to seal, respectively, top and bottom perimeters of each compartment as the compartments rotate about the shaft between a powder receiving position and a powder dispensing position.

Moving powder in a 3D printing system

Examples of the present disclosure relate to a rotatable container for storing a material for a printing system. The container has a channel structure for conveying the material, the channel structure defining an opening of the container. The container also has a material-conveying member at least partially disposed within the channel structure, wherein the material-conveying member is mounted to prevent rotation relative to the channel structure. The material-conveying member and the channel structure are arranged to rotate together about a shared axis to convey the material through the channel structure.

Material conveying member for a printing material container

According to one aspect, there is provided a method of adding build material to a rotatable 3D printing build material container having an internal build material storage reservoir, the method comprising: providing a supply of build material to an input port of the container; rotating the container about its rotation axis at a first speed sufficient to cause build material within the container to be centrifugally forced against the outside of the internal storage reservoir.

Adding build material to a build material container

Examples of the present disclosure relate to a base for a printing material container. The base has a channel structure defining an opening of the base, an axis of the channel structure defining an axial direction. The base also has a material-guiding structure, formed around the opening, having a helical lower surface that extends from the channel structure in the axial direction. An upper surface of the material-guiding structure is formed by a lower surface of the base and the helical lower surface meets the lower surface of the base at a curved side wall that extends radially from the channel structure to an annular portion of the base.

Material guiding structure in a printing material container

In some examples, a method includes applying a negative pressure to a gas-filled volume through a vent. While a pressure in the volume decreases, the method draws a gas out through the vent and moves a liquid into the volume. The volume is filled with the liquid so that one side of the vent is covered with the liquid and the pressure in the volume increases up to a specified point.

Negative pressure application to a gas-filled volume

In one example, a liquid delivery and gas removal system for a printhead. The system includes a pump to provide a liquid at a positive pressure. The system also includes a filter fluidically coupled to the pump to receive the pressurized liquid at an upstream side, at a first pressure push the liquid through the filter to a downstream side, and at a higher second pressure push gas bubbles in the liquid through the filter to the downstream side. The system further includes a vent having a gas-permeable membrane. A wet side of the membrane is fluidically coupled to the downstream side and to a printhead. A vacuum is applied to a dry side of the membrane.

Printhead liquid delivery and gas removal

In one example, a vent includes multiple parts each having a different resistivity to passing a gas. The parts are arranged so that the gas may pass through all parts simultaneously as long as the parts remain permeable to the gas.

Vent

A print system or a method to apply a negative pressure to a substantially dry volume through at least one vent.

Print system with volume substantially void of liquid

Container

Growing community of inventors

Albany, OR, United States of America

Kevin E Swier