Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Pau Martin Vidal

Fernando Juan

Marius Valles

Anna Torrent

Pablo Dominguez Pastor

Gerard Mosquera

Jose Manuel Grases

Eduardo Martin Orue

Esteve Comas

Ricardo Sanchis Estruch

Alberto Arredondo

Jordi Gimenez Manent

Elena Laso Plaza

Adrien Chiron

Pol Morral

Joan Mach

Francisco Jaime

Albert Mora Murciano

Rafel Texido

Cristian Ferris

Alberto Borrego Lebrato

Miguel Angel Lopez

Fernando Juan Jover

Alberto Arredondo Rosales

Gerard Mosquera Donate

Alejandro Puente

Pol Morral Marti

Carlos Perez

Dani Gonzalez Perello

Jorge Martin Montserrat

Guillermo Garcia Marcos

Gabriel De La Cal

In one example, an apparatus for supplying material to an additive manufacturing platform comprises a rotatable delivery module comprising a vane; and a plurality of distribution elements. In use, the rotatable delivery module is controllable to rotate the vane to a supply position to enable material to be supplied to an additive manufacturing platform from the vane. The vane and the plurality of distribution elements are arranged such that during the rotation: the vane provides a dose amount of material from a material supply module for supply to an additive manufacturing platform and at least one of the plurality of distribution elements distributes material within the material supply module so that the vane supplies a substantially uniform dose of material along the length of the vane to the additive manufacturing platform.

Supplying material to an additive manufacturing platform

In example implementations, an apparatus includes a storage unit, an auger screw, a housing enclosing the auger screw and at least one heater coupled to the housing. The auger screw receives a build material from the storage unit and delivers the build material to a build platform via movement of the auger screw. The build material is heated by the at least one heater as the build material is being moved by the auger screw.

Heater for 3D printer auger screw

In example implementations, an apparatus includes a build platform and a cap. The build platform has an opening on a top surface to fill a build material storage unit. The cap is inserted into the opening to seal the opening. A top surface of the cap and the top surface of the build platform have a uniform thermal conductivity when the cap is inserted into the opening.

3D build platform refill opening and cap

A material management apparatus for an additive manufacturing system comprises a build material supply system to supply build material to a building area for building an object by additive manufacturing. The build material supply system includes a first build material supply unit to supply build material from a first side of a building area and a second build material supply unit to supply build material from a second side of the building area, the second side opposing the first side. The material management apparatus also includes a controller to control the build material supply system to vary an amount of build material to be supplied via the first build material supply unit based on a detected difference between a first amount of material available for supply via the first build material supply unit and a second amount of material available for supply via the second build material supply unit.

Build material management

According to one example there is provided an apparatus for supplying build material to a three-dimensional printing system. The apparatus comprises a rotatable vane.

Supplying build material

There is disclosed a build material supply unit, comprising: a supply chamber body enclosing a supply volume to contain a build material for additive manufacture; an electromagnetic distance sensor to determine a length parameter relating to a length of a beam pathway extending from an emitter of the sensor to a surface level of build material in the supply volume; and a reflector to reflect the beam pathway between the emitter and the surface level of build material; wherein the reflector is spaced apart from the emitter.

Build material supply unit with distance sensor

According to one example there is provided a method of delivering build material from a build material store to a supply module. The method comprises moving, using a rotatable vane, a portion of build material from the supply module to the top of the supply module, and spreading the moved portion of build material across the support platform.

In example implementations, an apparatus includes a storage unit, an auger screw, a housing enclosing the auger screw and at least one heater coupled to the housing. The augers screw receives a build material from the storage unit and delivers the build material to a build platform via movement of the auger screw. The build material is heated by the at least one heater as the build material is being moved by the auger screw.

A build platform () for a printing station is described comprising a trolley () and a print bucket (). The print bucket may be mounted on the trolley and may comprise coupling elements (A,B,A,B,A,B,A,B), respectively engageable to receiving elements (A,B,A,B,A,B,A,B) of the printing station (). The coupling elements may cause the print bucket to at least partially disengage from the trolley when the coupling elements engage with the receiving elements of the printing station.

Mounting print buckets on printing stations

A removable build module to connect to a host apparatus, may include a build platform to support an object-to-be-built, a drive unit to move the build platform, a memory to receive and store build parameters, and an interface circuit to communicate the build parameters to the host apparatus.

Removable 3D build module comprising a memory

A print media support assembly includes a print platen structure having a number of through holes for applying a vacuum from a bottom side to a surface of the print platen structure, and a number of sinkholes in the surface of the print platen structure, each sinkhole associated with at least one through hole for distributing a vacuum, applied via the through holes, across the surface of the print platen structure; the print platen structure supporting a print medium in a print zone; and at least one vacuum belt running across the surface of the print platen structure in a direction of print media advance, the belt overlapping with only part of the surface of the print platen structure to form at least one belt area and at least one non-belt area on the print platen structure; wherein at least one of the density and the size of the through holes and the distribution, the area and the shape of a footprint of the sinkholes is different between the belt area and the non-belt area.

Print media support assembly and print platen assembly

A method of delivering build material from a build material store () to a supply module (). The method comprises moving, using a rotatable vane (), a portion of build material from the supply module () to the top of the supply module (), and spreading the moved portion of build material across the support platform ().

Examples described herein include devices and methods for adjusting a suction force for a media holddown, comprising detecting an advancement of a media () relative to a media holddown surface along a media advancement direction (X), wherein the holddown surface has a plurality of suction zones arranged along the media advancement direction, and adjusting a suction force in the respective suction zones in accordance with the advancement of the media relative to the media holddown surface.

Growing community of inventors

Sant Cugat del Valles, Spain

Pau Martin Vidal