Xerox Corporation

Palo Alto Research Center Inc.

Mandakini Kanungo

Santokh Singh Badesha

David Joseph Gervasi

Anthony Salvatore Condello

Peter John Knausdorf

Jack T LeStrange

Jing Zhou

Matthew Michael Kelly

Nancy Y Jia

Yanjia Zuo

Xin Yang

Wei Hong

John Richard Andrews

Hong Zhao

Pratima Gattu Naga Rao

Chu-Heng Liu

Kock-Yee Law

Jeffrey J Folkins

Varun Sambhy

Jack Thomas Lestrange

Phillip J Wantuck

Maryna Ornatska

Paul J McConville

Timothy D Stowe

Mark Anthony Cellura

Patrick Jun Howe

George Cunha Cardoso

Akshat Sharma

David Allen Mantell

Barry Paul Mandel

Peter M Gulvin

James R Larson

Michael Stephen Roetker

Jonathan Robert Brick

Tony Russell Rogers

Kevin H Taft

John Milton Brookfield

Chakkaravarthy Chidambareswarapattar

Michael Joel Edwards

Christopher Jon Laharty

Srinivas Mettu

Daniel R Hahn

Anton Grigoryev

Sean Campbell Hunter

Xing Xin Liu

Lifeng Chen

Yu Qi

Linn C Hoover

Seemit Praharaj

Erwin Ruiz

Palghat Srinivas Ramesh

Sarah Jane Vella

Ron Edward Dufort

Gregory B Anderson

Yuanjia Zhang

Chenyu Lin

Naveen Chopra

Marcel Philippe Breton

Yuhua Tong

Peter Johan Nystrom

C Geoffrey Allen

Carolyn Patricia Moorlag

Bing R Hsieh

Gordon Sisler

Ashish V Pattekar

Jonathan H Herko

Brynn Mary Dooley

Jorge Antonio Alvarez

Samir Kumar

Kyle B Tallman

Francisco Jose Lopez

Wayne A Buchar

Scott J Griffin

David W Martin

Faming Li

James M Casella

Thomas Jay Wyble

Jason O'Neil

Antonio L Williams

James R Beachner

Baharak Bakhshaei

Laura Lu

Yaorong Wang

Xing Liu

A three-dimensional object printer includes at least one ejector that is operated to form an uppermost layer of photopolymer material on a substrate. The ejected uppermost photopolymer layer is partially cured and a portion of mesh sheet is positioned on the partially cured layer before the at least one eject continues to eject photopolymer material onto the uppermost layer. The portion of the mesh sheet reinforces the layers of photopolymer material and adds strength and durability to the overall part being formed with the photopolymer material.

Additive manufacturing method for embedding fibers in a three-dimensional structure

A three-dimensional object printer includes a controller that operates at least one ejector to place a layer of photopolymer material on a substrate. The controller is configured to cure the ejected photopolymer layer partially and position fiber on the cured layer before continuing to eject photopolymer material onto the fibers. The fibers can be loose or organized into a mesh. The pieces of mesh position on a cured layer can be pre-cut or a cutting device can be operated to cut pieces of mesh having a shape that corresponds to the shape of the layer of photopolymer material. The fibers reinforce the layers of photopolymer material and add strength and durability to the overall part being formed with the photopolymer material.

Additive manufacturing system with layers of reinforcing mesh

A print system and a method for confirming complete curing of a marking material are disclosed. For example, the print system includes a plurality of printheads arranged in a two-dimensional array, a curing light source, a curing confirmation system, a movable member to hold an object and a controller to control movement of the movable member to move the object past the array of printheads, to operate the plurality of printheads to eject the marking material onto the object as the object passes the two-dimensional array of printheads, to operate the curing light source to cure the marking material and to operate the curing confirmation system to confirm that the curing of the marking material is complete.

Cure confirmation system and method for three dimensional object printer

A system treats uneven surfaces of additive manufactured objects to improve the transparency and glossiness of the surfaces. The system operates an actuator to dip the additive manufactured object into a bath of fluid material that is the same as the material used to form the uneven surface to smooth the surface of the object and operates a sprayer to apply another fluid material to a surface of the object that is identified as being rougher based on the object's geometric data. A heater is provided to dry non-UV curable material applied to the object and a source of UV radiation is provided to cure UV curable material applied to the object.

System for finishing the surface of three-dimensional (3D) objects formed by additive manufacturing systems

A support material for use in additive manufacturing includes greater than about 30 weight percent up to about 70 weight percent of a Cto Cfatty alcohol ethoxylate, about 30 weight percent to about 70 weight percent of a Cto Cfatty alcohol, and a tackifier, a transition temperature measured as the temperature immediately before phase change, based on viscosity measurement, is less than about 65&#xb0; C. A system for additive manufacturing includes such a support material and a build material, the ratio of Cto Cfatty alcohol ethoxylate to Cto Cfatty alcohol is selected for property matching of the support material to the build material. A method of additive manufacturing includes providing such a system and printing via an inkjet printer the support material and the build material to provide a precursor to a three-dimensional printed article.

Removable support material comprising tackifier for additive manufacturing

A method for curing a three dimensional (3D) printed part is disclosed. For example, the method includes adding a layer of a build material, curing the layer of the build material using a first light source having a first wavelength, repeating the adding and the curing using the light source having the first wavelength for a predefined number of layers, adding a final top layer of the build material to form the 3D printed part and curing the final top layer of the build material using a second light source having a second wavelength that is different than the first wavelength.

Method and apparatus for improved surface cure for three dimensional printed parts

A system for printing at least one stretchable ink on a thermoformable substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface. The system includes an unwinder, a printing module and a rewinder. The unwinder is arranged to feed the thermoformable substrate from a first roll into a printing module. The printing module includes a flood coater arranged to deposit a coating layer on the first surface of the thermoformable substrate. The rewinder is arranged to receive the thermoformable substrate and to form the thermoformable substrate into a second roll.

Thermoformable overcoat in roll-to-roll format printers for thermoforming applications

A surface treatment system includes a holder configured to secure an object within the holder and a surface treatment device that is configured to treat a surface of the object within the holder with two types of surface treatments. The device is capable of producing a plasma or a flame at its nozzle for surface treatment. By controlling the materials supplied to the device and the way in which is operated, either a flame or plasma is produced. Thus, the surface treatment system is capable of treating a wide range of materials for printing by a direct-to-object printer.

Device for providing multiple surface treatments to three-dimensional objects prior to printing and system using the device

A surface treatment system includes a holder configured to secure an object within the holder and a plurality of surface treatment devices. Each surface treatment device is configured to treat a surface of the object within the holder differently than each of the other surface treatment devices in the plurality of surface treatment devices. A controller is configured to operate the surface treatment devices independently of one another so less than all of the devices can be operated to treat an object surface. Thus, the surface treatment system is capable of treating a wide range of materials for printing by a direct-to-object printer.

System for providing multiple surface treatments to three-dimensional objects prior to printing

A system for printing on a multi-dimensional object includes a plurality of print heads, and a printing chase comprising one or more alignment elements configured to provide accurate registration of an object holder (also configured as an object packaging) relative to the print heads. The system further includes an actuator configured to move the printing chase relative to the print heads. The system is configured to receive information corresponding to an alignment element that is employed for positioning the object holder on the printing chase, determine a position a printable area using the retrieved information, receive information relating to print data to be printed on the printable area, use the determined position of the printable area to control a movement of the printing chase relative to the print heads, and operate the print heads to eject marking material onto the printable area to print data on the printable area.

Printable merchandise holder for printing of contoured objects

The present teachings describe a printhead assembly. The printhead assembly includes a first plate and a second plate stacked together. The printhead assembly includes a first adhesive between the first plate and the second plate for bonding the plates together. The printhead assembly includes a second adhesive surrounding an outer edge of the first adhesive wherein the second adhesive has an oxygen migration rate lower than an oxygen migration rate of the first adhesive. An oxygen sensitive component is contained within the outer edge of the first adhesive.

Printhead having two adhesives

A printer includes an ultraviolet (UV) curing device having UV light emitting diodes (LEDs) to cure UV curable inks ejected onto a surface after the surface travels past a plurality of printheads in the printer. A UV detector having UV sensors is positioned opposite the UV curing device so the UV sensors and UV LEDs are opposite one another in a one-to-one correspondence. A controller operates the UV curing device to direct UV light into the UV detector and receives electrical signals generated by the UV sensors. The controller compares these electrical signals to a predetermined threshold to identify defective LEDs in the UV curing device. The controller then determines how to move the UV curing device across the path of the surface to irradiate areas of the surface previously opposite the defective UV LEDs.

System and method for detecting defective ultraviolet radiating light emitting diodes in a printer

A system treats uneven surfaces of additive manufactured objects to improve the transparency and glossiness of the surfaces. The system operates a sprayer to apply fluid material used to form the uneven surface to the uneven surface to smooth the surface or the system operates an actuator to dip the additive manufactured object into a bath of fluid material that is the same as the material used to form the uneven surface to smooth the surface. A heater is provided to dry non-UV curable material applied to the uneven surface and a source of UV radiation is provided to cure UV curable material applied to the uneven surface.

System and method for finishing the surface of three-dimensional (3D) objects formed by additive manufacturing systems

A method for evaluating curing in an ink composition comprises depositing an ink composition on the surface of an object via a direct-to-object inkjet printing system to form a film thereon, the ink composition comprising a photoinitiator capable of initiating a free radical polymerization process in the ink composition upon the absorption of light to cure the deposited film; exposing, in-situ, the deposited film to light generated by a first source of light under conditions which initiate the free radical polymerization process to cure the deposited film; exposing, in-situ, the cured film to light generated by a second source of light under conditions which induce light absorption by unreacted photoinitiator in the cured film; measuring the absorbance of the cured film; and determining a degree of cure in the cured film from the measured absorbance and predetermined calibration data.

In-situ evaluation of curing of ink compositions via absorbance spectroscopy

Growing community of inventors

Penfield, NY, United States of America

Mandakini Kanungo