Printing a multi-structured 3D object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11383432-B2
Application number	US-202017031526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 24, 2020
Priority date	Apr 30, 2015
Publication date	Jul 12, 2022
Grant date	Jul 12, 2022

Abstract

In an example implementation, a method of printing a multi-structured three-dimensional (3D) object includes forming a layer of sinterable material. The method includes processing a first portion of the sinterable material using a first set of processing parameters and processing a second portion of the sinterable material using a second set of processing parameters. The processed first and second portions form, respectively, parts of a first and second structure of a multi-structured 3D object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of printing a multi-structured three-dimensional (3D) object comprising:
depositing a first group of layers of sinterable material onto a fabrication bed;
depositing a second group of layers of sinterable material onto the fabrication bed;
applying a non-carbon black-based, colored, energy absorbing fusing agent to each layer in the first group of layers and to a perimeter area of each layer in the second group of layers;
applying a carbon black-based energy absorbing fusing agent onto an interior area of each layer in the second group of layers; and,
by applying radiation to each layer of the first and second groups of layers, forming a shell structure from the first group of layers and the perimeter areas of the second group of layers, the shell structure having a color that matches the colored fusing agent, and forming a core structure from the interior areas of the second group of layers.

2. A method as in claim 1 , further comprising:
depositing a third group of layers of sinterable material onto the fabrication bed;
applying the non-carbon black-based, colored, energy absorbing fusing agent to each layer in the third group of layers; and,
applying radiation to each layer of the third group of layers, forming a part of the shell structure.

3. A method as in claim 2 , wherein the first group of layers form a bottom of the shell structure, the perimeter areas of the second group of layers form sides of the shell structure, and the third group of layers form a top of the shell structure.

4. A method as in claim 1 , wherein applying radiation to each layer of the first and second groups of layers comprises:
applying radiation of a first intensity to layers in the first group of layers and to the perimeter areas in the second group of layers; and,
applying radiation of a second intensity higher than the first intensity, to the interior areas in the second group of layers.

5. A method as in claim 2 , wherein applying radiation to each layer of the first, second, and third groups of layers comprises:
applying radiation of a first intensity to layers in the first and third groups of layers, and to the perimeter areas in the second group of layers; and,
applying radiation of a second intensity higher than the first intensity, to the interior areas in the second group of layers.

6. A method as in claim 2 , wherein applying radiation to each layer of the first, second, and third groups of layers comprises:
applying radiation for a first duration to layers in the first and third groups of layers, and to the perimeter areas in the second group of layers; and,
applying radiation for a second duration longer than the first duration, to the interior areas in the second group of layers.

7. A method as in claim 1 , wherein the core structure has a color that matches the carbon black-based fusing agent.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor of a three-dimensional (3D) printing device, cause the 3D printing device to:
form a multi-structured 3D object from layers of sinterable material by applying energy absorbing fusing agent and radiation thereto, the multi-structured 3D object comprising an internal core structure surrounded by an external shell structure;
apply a carbon black-based energy absorbing fusing agent and radiation to internal core structure layers to form the internal core structure; and,
apply a non-carbon black-based, colored, energy absorbing fusing agent and radiation to external shell structure layers to form the external shell structure.

9. A medium as in claim 8 , wherein the instructions further cause the 3D printing device to:
apply the non-carbon black-based, colored, energy absorbing fusing agent to perimeter areas of the internal core structure layers to form side portions of the external shell structure; and,
apply the carbon black-based energy absorbing fusing agent to interior areas of the internal core structure layers to form the internal core structure.

10. A medium as in claim 8 , wherein to form a multi-structured 3D object from layers of sinterable material by applying energy absorbing fusing agent and radiation thereto comprises:
depositing first layers of sinterable material onto a fabrication bed of the 3D printing device to form a bottom portion of the external shell structure;
depositing second layers of sinterable material onto the fabrication bed to form side portions of the external shell structure and the internal core structure;
depositing third layers of sinterable material onto the fabrication bed to form a top portion of the external shell structure;
applying the non-carbon black-based, colored, energy absorbing fusing agent to the first layers, the third layers, and the perimeter areas of the internal core structure layers; and,
applying the carbon black-based energy absorbing fusing agent to interior areas of the internal core structure layers to form the internal core structure.

11. A medium as in claim 10 , wherein:
applying radiation to external shell structure layers to form the external shell structure comprises applying radiation of a first intensity to the first layers, the third layers, and the perimeter areas of the internal core structure layers; and,
applying radiation to internal core structure layers to form the internal core structure comprises applying radiation of a second intensity higher than the first intensity to the interior areas of the internal core structure layers.

12. A medium as in claim 10 , wherein:
applying radiation to external shell structure layers to form the external shell structure comprises applying radiation of a first duration to the first layers, the third layers, and the perimeter areas of the internal core structure layers; and,
applying radiation to internal core structure layers to form the internal core structure comprises applying radiation of a second duration greater than the first duration to the interior areas of the internal core structure layers.

13. A method of printing a multi-structured three-dimensional (3D) object comprising:
depositing a first group, a second group, and a third group, of layers of sinterable material onto a fabrication bed to form a multi-structured object having an internal core structure surrounded by an external shell structure;
forming a bottom portion of the external shell structure by applying a non-carbon black-based, colored, energy absorbing fusing agent to the first group of layers;
forming side portions of the external shell structure by applying the non-carbon black-based, colored, energy absorbing fusing agent to perimeter areas of the second group of layers that surround internal areas of the second group of layers;
forming a top portion of the external shell structure by applying the non-carbon black-based, colored, energy absorbing fusing agent to the third group of layers; and,
forming the internal core structure by applying a carbon black-based energy absorbing fusing agent to the internal areas of the second group of layers.

14. A method as in claim 13 , wherein forming the external shell structure and the internal core structure further comprises applying radiation to the first, second, and third group of layers.

15. A method as in claim 14 , wherein applying radiation to the first, second, and third group of layers comprises:
applying radiation of at least one of a first intensity and a first duration to the first group of layers, the third group of layers, and the perimeter areas of the second group of layers; and,
applying radiation of at

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Zhao Lihua
• Zhao Yan
• Ng Hou T

Classifications

• B22F12/60

  Planarisation devices; Compression devices · CPC title

• B22F12/53

  Nozzles · CPC title

• B22F10/40

  Structures for supporting workpieces or articles during manufacture and removed afterwards · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title