Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.P.

Other

Luis Garcia

Sergio Puigardeu Aramendia

Angel Martinez Barambio

Sergio Puigardeu

Pol Fornos

David Ramirez Muela

M Isabel Borrell Bayona

Angel Martinez

Marc Serra

Miguel Angel Lopez

M Isabel Borrell

Maria Isabel Borrell Bayona

Manuel Freire

Jun Zeng

Alejandro Manuel De Pena

Salvador Sanchez Ribes

Xavier Vilajosana

Alex Andrea Tallada

Alex Andrea

M Isabel Borell

Javier Roses

Ángel Martinez

Maria Isabel Borrell

Examples of additive manufacturing are described. In one example, a method comprises generating print data to cause application of fusing agent to a first region of a layer of build material of an object undergoing additive manufacturing, the first region corresponding to an inner region of an object undergoing additive manufacturing. The print data causes application of fusing agent and detailing agent to a second region of the layer, the second layer corresponding to a middle region of the object. The print data causes application of detailing agent to a third region of the layer, the third region corresponding to an outer layer of the object. Fusing energy is applied to the layer.

Accuracy improvement and surface finishing using fusing agent and detailing agent

There is disclosed additive manufacturing apparatus comprising: a controller to: receive object data relating to an object to be generated; and define print data for additive manufacture of the object by ejection of a print agent on build material in a pattern corresponding to selective fusing of the build material, wherein the print data is defined based on the object data so that the pattern defines a shield feature embedded within the object to inhibit fusing of build material corresponding to the shield feature relative build material corresponding to an adjacent portion of the object; and a print agent distributor to eject a print agent on build material based on the print data.

Definition of a shield feature for additive manufacture

In an example, a method includes receiving, at a processor, object model data representing at least a portion of an object to be generated by an additive manufacturing apparatus by fusing build material. Using a processor and from the object model data, a property diffusion model for the object in object generation may be determined. Using a processor and based on the property diffusion model, a manufacturing boundary object shell around the object and encompassing an external volume may be determined. The shell may have a variable thickness determined so as to include build material for which, in generation of the object, the property modelled in the property diffusion model has a value which is predicted to conform to a predetermined parameter.

Manufacturing boundary object shells

In an example, a method includes analysing, using at least one processor, object model data representing at least a portion of an object to be generated by an additive manufacturing apparatus by fusing a build material to determine at least one predicted object generation temperature. The method may further include identifying, using at least one processor and from said analysing, a feature of the at least a portion of the object associated with a predicted object generation temperature which is below a fusing temperature of build material to be used in object generation. The method may further include determining, using at least one processor, modification data to be used in object generation, the modification data being to increase a temperature of the feature in object generation.

Modification data for additive manufacturing

There is disclosed additive manufacturing apparatus comprising: a controller () to: receive object data relating to an object to be generated; and define print data for additive manufacture of the object by ejection of a print agent on build material in a pattern corresponding to selective fusing of the build material, wherein the print data is defined based on the object data so that the pattern defines a shield feature () embedded within the object to inhibit fusing of build material corresponding to the shield feature relative build material corresponding to an adjacent portion of the object; and a print agent distributor () to eject a print agent on build material based on the print data.

In an example, a method includes measuring the temperature of a fused region and the temperature of an unfused region of a first layer of build material; determining a preheating setting for a subsequent layer of build material in response to the measured temperature of the unfused region of the first layer; determining a print instruction for applying print agent to the subsequent layer of build material, wherein the application of print agent prescribed by the print instruction for the subsequent layer to cause the temperature of the preheated build material to be a predetermined temperature prior to fusion in response to the measured temperature of the fused region of the first layer; forming the subsequent layer of build material; preheating the subsequent layer of build material in accordance with the preheating setting; and selectively applying the print agent onto the subsequent layer based on the print instruction.

Temperature control prior to fusion

There is provided a method of generating print data for use by an additive manufacturing system to generate a plurality of 3D objects within a build chamber having a build surface. First spatial data defining a first 3D object and second spatial data defining a second 3D object is received. First print data is generated to cause the additive manufacturing system to manufacture the first 3D object at least partly from a first build material. Intermediate print data is generated to cause the additive manufacturing system to manufacture a partition comprising a 3D object configured to fill the build chamber in a plane parallel to the build surface. Second print data is generated to cause the additive manufacturing system to manufacture the second 3D object at least partly from a second build material.

Print data generation systems

A method is described in which a printed image which has been printed by a printer based on a printing template is repaired. A damaged area of the printed image is identified and a reprinting segment on the printed image is determined such as to overlap the identified damaged area. With the printer a layer of printing fluid is printed over the damaged image and a correction printing template is printed. The correction printing template includes a segment of the printing template that corresponds to the reprinting segment of the printed image.

Repairing a printed image

As one example, a printer includes a density calculator to determine a content density of data on page to be printed and a controller. In that example, the controller may perform operations to determine a dry time for a swath of the page to be printed based on the content density and an environmental variable and adjust a parameter for the page to be printed to mitigate a drying time of the page to be printed based on the dry time determined for the swath.

Managing printer dry time

According to one example, there is provided a printing system. The printing system comprises a support having a plurality of spaced apertures and a colour sensor moveable to measure light from each aperture. The printing system further comprises a controller to control the colour sensor to measure characteristics of light emitted through each aperture, and to determine, for each aperture, light calibration data.

Calibrated print data generation based on color calibration data accounting for backlight characteristics

According to one example, there is provided a printing system. The printing system comprises a support having a plurality of spaced apertures and a color sensor moveable to measure light from each aperture. The printing system further comprises a controller to control the color sensor to measure characteristics of light emitted through each aperture, and to determine, for each aperture, light calibration data.

Printing system calibration for backlit images

Image processing transforms input multi-level image data into output image data having a smaller number of levels (the input and output image data represents images formed of cells). The image processing distributes quantization error of a target cell of the image to neighbor cells in proportions determined by a set of weights. The distribution excludes neighbor cells whose data level is less than a threshold value from receiving distributed quantization error, or allows just a fraction of the quantization error to be distributed to such neighbor cells.

Image processing using content-based weighted dithering

In one example of the disclosure, a first area of an image to be printed at a first gloss level is identified. A second area of the image to be printed at a lesser second gloss level is identified. Printing of the image is caused in a gloss-varying printmode that applies a pretreatment fluid to a media where the second area is to be printed, and not where the first area is to be printed, and applies a colorant or colorants to the media where the first and second areas are to be printed.

Printing images with varied gloss levels using pretreatment fluid

One example includes a printer () having a calculator () to determine plot density of a printer content page (). A controller () is provided to set a print parameter based on the determined plot density for the printer content page () to mitigate dry time for a printed output page ().

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Les Roquetes, Spain

Luis Garcia