Additive manufacturing of three-dimensional object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11685114-B2
Application number	US-201917258315-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2019
Priority date	Jan 15, 2019
Publication date	Jun 27, 2023
Grant date	Jun 27, 2023

Abstract

Some examples include an additive manufacturing system including a processor and a memory to store instructions. The instructions cause the processor to generate print data from received data related to a three-dimensional build object. The generated print data includes defined print data to dispensing a first agent at a build area of a build material layer, defined print data to selectively dispensing a second agent at a component receiving area within the build area of the build material layer, the second agent to locally reduce a viscosity of the build material at the component receiving area to a viscous state, and defined print data to position a component within the component receiving area at a time of the component receiving area being in a viscous state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of producing a three-dimensional object comprising:
distributing a layer of build material on a print bed;
dispensing a first agent at a build area of the build material layer, the build area including build material within a component receiving area and build material outside of the component receiving area;
selectively dispensing a second agent at the component receiving area within the build area of the build material layer;
locally reducing a viscosity of the build material at the component receiving area to a viscous state relative to the build material outside of the component receiving area; and
positioning a component within a thickness of the build material layer at the component receiving area while the build material at the component receiving area is in the viscous state.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein locally reducing the viscosity at the component receiving area includes thermally activating the second agent with the build material.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
applying a fusing energy to fuse the build material at the build area and to locally reduce the build material to a viscous state and to fuse the build material at the component receiving area.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the viscous build material and the second agent at the component receiving area bond the component to the build material within the component.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the component within a thickness of the build material layer comprises:
engaging the component with a component placement apparatus,
moving the component into a location above the component receiving area,
moving the component vertically downward into a thickness of the build material layer at the component receiving area, and
releasing the component from the component placement apparatus.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the component within a thickness of the build material layer comprises:
applying a force onto the component to move the component into the build material layer at the component receiving area to a pre-determined distance within the build material layer while in a viscous state until a top surface of the component is substantially planar with a top of the build material layer.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein positioning the component within a thickness of the build material layer includes displacing a volume of the build material and the second agent at the component receiving area with the component while the build material is in the viscous state.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
forming additional build material layers to encase the component within the three dimensional object.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
coupling the component to an antenna formed within the three-dimensional object, wherein the component is a radio-frequency identification device.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor to:
define print data to dispense a first agent at a build area of a plurality of build material layers, the build area including build material within a component receiving area and build material outside of the component receiving area;
define print data to selectively dispense a second agent at the component receiving area within the build area, the second agent to temporarily and locally reduce a viscosity of build material at the component receiving area to a viscous state relative to the build material outside of the component receiving area; and
define print data to position a component within the component receiving area at a time of the component receiving area being in a viscous state.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co

Inventors

• Erickson Kristopher
• Wittkopf Jarrid
• Zhao Lihua

Classifications

• B29C64/188 Primary

  involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control (surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00) · CPC title

• B29C64/264

  Arrangements for irradiation · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B29C64/393 Primary

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title