Hewlett-packard Development Company, L.p.

Xavier Alonso Becerro

Ismael Chanclon Fernandez

Justin M Roman

Gianni Cessel

Ricardo Sanchis Estruch

Ernesto Alejandro Jones Poppescou

David Chanclón Fernández

Joan Sanjuán Mercadal

Ignacio De Olazábal Zugasti

Emilio López Matos

Scott A White

Daniel Gonzalez Perello

Salvador Sanchez Ribes

Joaquim Brugue Garvi

Luis Garcia Garcia

Samuel A Stodder

Marc Morros

Glenn Thomas Haddick

David Chanclon Fernandez

Jorge Castano Aspas

Carmen Blasco

Felix Ruiz Martinez

Nicola Cofelice

Wojciech Jerzy Krasowski

Sam A Stodder

Emilo Lopez Matos

Jose Ma Montserrat Caldero

Joan Sanjuan Mercadal

Ignacio De Olazabal Zugasti

Emilio Löpez Matos

David Chancion Fernandez

An example method to remove build material from a container is described. In that example a pulsed gas flow may be induced in a conduit to aspirate build material in pulses from the container.

Removing build material

A build material management system for a 3D printing system is described in which one or more input ports of a housing of the build material management system is to connect to one or more respective transportable containers. The transportable containers contain a volume of build material comprising 3D printed parts and a portion of non-fused build material. A pump also comprised within the housing is operable to provide a pressure differential across a conduit network of the build material management system. The pump is connected to the input port(s) by the conduit network. An air-flow caused through at least one of the one or more input ports is controlled by processing circuitry also comprised within the housing. The air-flow causes cooling within the respective transportable container. In one alternative, the housing comprises at least two input ports. In all other alternatives, a filling port for filling the or a further transportable container with at least a portion of fresh build material for use in a subsequent 3D printing operation is not comprised within the housing.

Cooling of build material in 3D printing system

A method of three-dimensional (3D) printing is provided. Print data is received, which defines patterns of at least one agent to be applied to a layer of build material. The print data is modified to add a further pattern of a detailing agent to be selectively applied to the layer of build material to generate fracture regions in a processed volume of build material.

Three dimensional (3D) printing using fusing and detailing agents

In an example, a data unit includes a data unit mounting having a circuitry region, a registration portion, and a retaining feature. Circuitry comprising a data source to provide at least one additive manufacturing parameter is arranged on the circuitry region of the mounting. The data unit mounting is to be removably mounted on a receiving portion of an additive manufacturing build material component, such that the registration portion is to be received in a corresponding guide portion of the receiving portion of the additive manufacturing build material component, and the retaining feature is prevent removal of the data unit from the receiving portion unless deformed. Deformation of the retaining feature to effect removal of the data unit from the receiving portion may be a permanent deformation.

Data units for build material identification in additive manufacturing

An additive-manufacturing build-material container comprises a reservoir to hold build material, a build-material outlet structure to allow build material to exit the reservoir through an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir, a longitudinal collection unit () to collect build material from the bottom and guide the build material to the outlet opening at the top, and bottom-venting structure to admit vent gas into a bottom portion of the reservoir. The bottom-venting structure may include a vent tube to admit venting gas into the bottom portion of the reservoir. A concentric collection tube structure may be employed including the longitudinal collection tube nested within a vent tube (A,A). The concentric collection tube structure may be mounted along the central axis of the reservoir.

Build material container, and collection tube structure

A build material management apparatus for a three dimensional printing system is provided having a plurality of conduits to connect to a respective plurality of ports of at least one build material container. Processing circuitry is provided to control coupling of a 5 pump interface to the plurality of conduits to independently set, for at least two of the plurality of conduits, a given air flow parameter for cooling build material in the at least one build material container. A build material container and machine executable instructions are also provided.

Cooling of build material in three dimensional printing system

There are disclosed methods and apparatuses for 3D printing post-processing. The methods and apparatuses provide a container for an additive manufacturing system, the container for receiving a build volume of fused and unfused build material. The container comprises a connector for connecting the container to a pressure source, and at least one air hole to allow passage of air into or out of the container. When the connector is connected to the pressure source, air flows through the container between the connector and the at least one air hole so as to remove unfused build material from the container and to help cool the volume of build material.

Post-processing in 3D printing systems using a separate material management apparatus

An additive-manufacturing build-material container () comprises a reservoir to hold build material, an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir, an outlet tube structure including a longitudinal collection unit to collect build material from the bottom and guide the build material to the outlet opening at the top, upon application of a suction force at the other end thereof, and to guide the collected build material to the outlet opening at the top; and a vent opening in a top portion of the reservoir to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the reservoir to follow a gas flow path through the vent opening, through the reservoir and into the one end of the longitudinal collection tube; wherein on the gas flow path there is at least one turbulent gas-flow-generation feature () to generate turbulent gas flow in a region that is within the reservoir and outside the longitudinal collection tube.

Build material container

There is provided a build material source container for use in a material management station of a three dimensional, 3D, printer. The source container defines a substantially enclosed space for holding build material and has an aperture for build material ingress and egress. At least part of the build material source container is formed from an electrically conductive material. The conductive material portion of the build material source container is connectable to Earth to discharge static electricity generated within the build material source container.

Build material source container

In one example, a holder for a media roll includes a first support to support a first end of the roll, a second support to support a second end of the roll, and a shifter to change the distance between the first support and the first end of the roll without changing the distance between the second support and the second end of the roll.

Media roll holder

A build material container for use in 3D printing includes a reservoir to hold build material and a build material outlet structure. The container also includes a throughput structure to allow air to enter into the reservoir through the throughput opening, wherein said throughput opening provides access to build material in and out of the reservoir.

In some examples, a media stacker includes a drawer defining a chamber, and a plurality of moving elements to engage media sheets of different sizes as the media sheets are output from a system. The plurality of moving elements are to slide the media sheets to a target position in the drawer, and the plurality of moving elements are to disengage from the media sheets once the media sheets have reached the target position. A plurality of retaining elements are to engage the media sheets of the different sizes as the media sheets slide into the drawer.

Media stacker to receive media sheets

A sensor can sense a weight of items in an area. A sensor can sense a height of items in the area. An available capacity of the area can be determined based on the sensed weight and height.

Determining an available capacity

A drawer defines a chamber to receive a media sheet from a system. A moving element is to engage the media sheet as the media sheet is output from the system. The moving element is to slide the media sheet to a target position in the drawer, and the moving element is to disengage from the media sheet once the particular media sheet has reached the target position. A retaining element is to engage the media sheet as the media sheet slides into the drawer.

Media stacker to receive media sheets from a system

A sheet scanner comprises a sheet inlet on a front side, a scanned sheet outlet on a rear side, and a deflector to direct scanned sheets from the outlet towards the front side of the scanner, over the top cover thereof, and further comprises a stopper on the top cover, at the front side of the scanner and above the sheet inlet, to temporarily restrain the leading edge of a scanned sheet such that the sheet advances and folds over itself and beyond the stopper, the leading edge being released from the stopper when the sheet folded over itself and beyond the stopper pulls it downwards.

Growing community of inventors

Sant Cugat del Valles, Spain

Xavier Alonso Becerro