Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Pol Fornos

David Ramirez Muela

Sergio Puigardeu Aramendia

Luis Garcia

Salvador Sanchez Ribes

Xavier Vilajosana

Manuel Freire

Steven J Simske

Jun Zeng

Alejandro Manuel De Pena

Guy Adams

Luis Garcia Garcia

Carmen Blasco

Pere Tuset

According to one aspect, there is provided an apparatus and a method for extracting 3D printed parts from a build unit () in cleaning station comprising obtaining data representing the contents of a print job contained in the build unit () and generating a visualization of the contents of the build unit () based in part on the obtained data and in part on data related to operations performed by the cleaning station.

Material processing unit for 3D printed parts

In an example, a method includes in an additive manufacturing process, generating a first object and generating an ancillary object on top of the first object to reduce a thermal gradient of the first object during cooling.

Ancillary objects in object generation

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

Certain examples described herein relate to preparing a base of build material for additive manufacturing. The base is formed from layers of build material that do not form part of an object undergoing additive manufacture. The base is heated by the application of energy, for example using a radiation source. A thermal profile of the base is measured after heating and is used to determine a pattern of application of at least one printing agent to the base. The pattern of application is used to deposit the at least one printing agent upon the base, wherein the presence of the printing agent affects the heating of the base. In this way the pattern of application of printing agent may be used to effect a thermal homogeneity of the base.

Preparing a base for additive manufacturing

According to an example, a 3D printer may include a delivery device and a controller. The controller may access a morphology of a part to be formed from a plurality of build materials in a layer, determine, based upon the accessed morphology, a first delivery pattern for the delivery device to selectively deliver liquid droplets onto build materials in the layer during a first pass over the layer and a second delivery pattern for the delivery device to selectively deliver liquid droplets onto build materials in the layer during a second pass over the layer to control a property of the part formed of some of the build materials in the layer. The controller may also control the delivery device to selectively deliver liquid droplets onto build materials in the layer according to the determined first and second delivery patterns respectively during the first pass and the second pass.

3D part control using multiple pass liquid delivery

Examples are described that generate control data for production of a three-dimensional object. Build material profile data is accessed for an indicated build material. The build material profile data for a given build material defines one or more parameter values that are dependent on the properties of the given build material and that are configured to generate a three-dimensional object with predefined build properties.

Build material profile

In an example, a method of anticipating maintenance in a printing device includes determining an inertial reference signal of a printer carriage and measuring a current inertial signal of the printer carriage. The method includes cross-correlating the inertial reference signal with the current inertial signal and determining from the cross-correlating when the current inertial signal is not within a preset confidence interval of the inertial reference signal.

Anticipating maintenance in a printing device

In an example, a method includes forming a first layer of build material to be processed in object generation and selectively applying at least one print agent on to the first layer based on a print instruction for the first layer. Energy may be applied to the first layer to cause fusion in at least a region thereof, and at least one temperature associated with a thermal contribution of the first layer to a subsequent layer of build material to be processed in object generation may be measured. It may be determined if a temperature condition indicative of a departure from an anticipated thermal contribution of the first layer to a region of subsequent layer exists. If such a temperature condition does exist, a print instruction for applying print agent to the region of the subsequent layer based on the temperature condition may be determined.

Managing thermal contributions between layers during additive manufacturing

Apparatus () for generating a three-dimensional object comprising a support () to receive build material, and a calibration platform () to receive a print media for use with a calibration operation performed by the apparatus. The calibration platform () may be moveable between a non-calibration position when the apparatus is operating in a building mode of operation, and a calibration position when the apparatus is operating in a calibration mode of operation.

Generating a three-dimensional object

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.

Methods of generating a three-dimensional object with an additive manufacturing system are described. The method includes depositing a build material within a working area, thereby providing a build material layer, selectively depositing a fusing agent onto a portion of the build material layer, applying energy from a bulk-fusion energy source to the working area, thereby fusing at least a portion of the build material where the fusing agent is deposited, and applying energy from a focused energy source to one or more localized areas of the working area.

Hybrid fusion system

A method of controlling temperature in an apparatus for generating a three-dimensional object comprises performing a calibration test on a sample of build material that is to be used in generating a three-dimensional object, calibrating at least one temperature point from the calibration test, and using the at least one calibrated temperature point during subsequent temperature control of the apparatus.

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Barcelona, Spain

Pol Fornos