Management of 3D printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10635368-B2
Application number	US-201616096355-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2016
Priority date	Jun 28, 2016
Publication date	Apr 28, 2020
Grant date	Apr 28, 2020

Abstract

Management system to control a 3D printing system that includes at least one 3D printer, at least one build unit in which 3D objects can be generated by the 3D printer, and at least one material processing unit in which processing operations can be performed on the build unit. The management system comprises a processor to obtain status data from at least some of the elements of the 3D printing system, to obtain data relating to a print job to be printed, to determine, from the obtained data, a schedule of operations to be performed by elements of the 3D printing system and to generate control data to allow enforcement of the determined schedule.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A management system to control a 3D printing system including a 3D printer, a build unit in which 3D objects can be generated by the 3D printer, and a material processing unit in which processing operations can be performed on the build unit containing 3D objects generated by the 3D printer, the management system comprising:
a processor to:
obtain status data from at least some of the elements of the 3D printing system;
obtain data relating to a print job to be printed;
obtain location and status of the build unit as the build unit is inserted into the 3D printer and the material processing unit:
determine, from the obtained data, a schedule of operations to be performed by elements of the 3D printing system; and
generate control data to allow enforcement of the determined schedule.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is to send or make available the generated control data to at least one of: the 3D printer; and the material processing unit.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor obtains print job data and forwards the print job data to a 3D printer in the 3D printing system in accordance with the determined schedule of operations.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor obtains status data relating to the build unit indirectly from one of a 3D printer or a material processing unit.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor obtains status data relating to the build unit from a separate computing device on which status data of the build unit is entered manually.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor obtains status data relating to the build unit directly from the build unit.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor generates control data that includes: an identifier of the build unit, an identifier of either the 3D printer or the material processing unit intended to process the build unit; and an indication of whether the build unit may be used at the current time.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor generates a visualization of the generated schedule on a visual display unit.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor obtains status data from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

10. A method of managing operation of a 3D printing system comprising a 3D printer, a build unit, and a material processing unit; comprising:
obtaining, with a processor, status data of elements of the 3D printing system, including status data from the build unit;
obtaining, with the processor, data relating to a first print job to be performed by the 3D printer;
determining, with the processor, a schedule of operations to be performed by elements of the 3D printing system, wherein the schedule of operations comprise multiple sequential operations performed using the build unit;
generating, with the processor, control data to allow the 3D printer and the material processing unit to enforce the determined schedule; and
producing a first object using the 3D printing system, wherein the first object is produced in the build unit when connected to a 3D printer and then processed in the build unit when connected to a material processing unit.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising making available the generated control data to the 3D printer and the material processing unit to enable enforcement of the determined schedule.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising obtaining status data of the build unit directly from the build unit.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising obtaining status data of the build unit indirectly.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein obtaining data relating to a first print job comprises obtaining a print job file, and forwarding it to a 3D printer in accordance with the determined schedule.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising updating the determined schedule of operations and control data based on obtaining data for a second print job.

16. A 3D printing system comprising a 3D printer, a material processing unit, and multiple build units, wherein the build units interface with the 3D printer and material processing unit, comprising:
a management system to:
obtain status data from the 3D printer, build units, and material processing unit;
obtain data relating to a print job;
determine a schedule of operations from the obtained status data and print job data, wherein the schedule of operations includes multiple sequential operations on a first build unit wherein the first build unit is first associated with a 3 D printer and subsequently associated with a material processing unit;
generate 3D printing system element control data based on determined schedule;
make available generated control data to elements of the 3D printing system such that elements of the 3D printing system can enforce the determined schedule of operations;
generate an alert when the first build unit is interfaced with the 3D printer or material processing unit in violation of the control data.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the generated control data instructs transfer of the first build unit from the 3D printer to the material processing unit.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the generated control data instructs cooling of the first build unit.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first build unit is in the material processing unit and a second build unit is in the 3D printer simultaneously.

20. The system of claim 16 , wherein the first build unit is removed from the 3D printer and allowed to cool prior to insertion of the first build unit into the material processing unit.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co
• Torrent Anna
• Zamorano Juan Manuel

Inventors

• Torrent Anna
• Ferran Farras Marina
• Zamorano Juan Manuel

Classifications

• G05B2219/49023

  3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder · CPC title

• G06F3/1203 Primary

  Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. print management · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• G06F3/1229

  Printer resources management or printer maintenance, e.g. device status, power levels · CPC title

• G06F3/126 Primary

  Job scheduling, e.g. queuing, determine appropriate device · CPC title