# US 10,118,336 B2 · Forming three dimensional objects > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,336 B2 - Document ID: US10118336B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/266,176 - Filed: 2016-09-15 - Published: 2017-01-12 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-01-31 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Xavier Bruch Pla; Alejandro Manuel de Peña-Hempel; Ramón Vega Ainsa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118336B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/35: Cleaning - B29C 64/124: using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified - B29C 64/141: using only solid materials - B29C 64/147: using sheet material, e.g. laminated object manufacturing [LOM] or laminating sheet material precut to local cross sections of the 3D object - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B29C 64/165: using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B29C 64/40: Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B29K 2105/256: {Sheets, plates, blanks or films} - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS ## Abstract A three dimensional object may be formed by forming voxels on a sheet of material and positioning the voxels together to form the three dimensional object by rolling up the sheet. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a three dimensional object, comprising: unrolling a sheet of material from an intake roll; feeding the sheet of material to a voxel forming station; in the voxel forming station, selectively activating voxels in or on the sheet of material such that a portion of the sheet or material on the sheet is activated and leaving a second portion of the sheet or material on the sheet unactivated, wherein the activated portion has different mechanical properties than the unactivated portion; rolling up the sheet under dynamic tension to form the three dimensional object, wherein tension applied to the sheet varies depending on the mechanical properties of the sheet resulting from the presence of activated and unactivated voxels in the sheet; and removing the unactivated portion to reveal the three dimensional object by mechanical, chemical, and/or thermal processes. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising monitoring a diameter of the rolled up sheet and comparing the monitored diameter with a calculated diameter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising coloring a subset of voxels. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the coloring include applying a plurality of colors. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the coloring is applied to voxels intended to form a surface of the three dimensional object. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising aligning sections of the sheet of material with an alignment bar before the sections of the sheet are fed into the voxel forming station. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing an internal pressure of a rolled up section of the sheet as the diameter of the rolled up section increases to contribute to voxel cohesion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: depositing voxel material on the sheet at the voxel forming station; and then selectively activating voxels in the deposited material on the sheet. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the deposited material comprises a powder and the method further comprises preventing powder from slipping off an edge of the sheet with a side lip of the sheet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising moving the sheet both forwards and backwards with respect to the voxel forming station where an activation mechanism needs multiple passes to fully form a row of voxels. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising curing voxels being formed between passes through the voxel forming station. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the voxel forming station uses an array of activation mechanisms that span an entire width of the sheet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising rolling up additional sections of the sheet after the three dimensional object is spirally arranged so as to apply pressure to outer voxels of the three dimensional object. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising heating the rolled sheet to cause the voxels to adhere together. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising using both heat and pressure from the tension of the rolled sheet to fuse voxel surfaces together. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising forming ventilation in the three dimensional object to allow pockets of residual material buried in the rolled up sheet to be removed. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein forming ventilation comprises drilling ventilation holes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein forming ventilation comprises forming ventilation pathways between voxels during voxel formation. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising removing the unactivated portion to reveal the three dimensional object.