# US 11,077,612 B2 · Forming microstructures in 3D printing by fusing and sintering using a fusing agent > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,077,612 B2 - Document ID: US11077612B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/097,822 - Filed: 2016-07-20 - Published: 2019-05-09 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-20 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Hector Lebron; Jake Wright; Alexey S. Kabalnov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11077612B2 ## CPC - 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 64/386: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B29C 67/00: Shaping techniques not covered by groups B29C39/00 - B29C65/00, B29C70/00 or B29C73/00 - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - 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 ## Abstract In an example implementation, a method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) object includes, applying a layer of build powder onto a printing platform and depositing a deliberate micropattern of liquid agent onto the powder within a macropattern that defines a cross-section of a 3D object to be printed. The method includes forming a microstructure from the deliberate micropattern by applying fusing energy to the powder, the microstructure comprising fused areas and sintered areas between the fused areas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) object comprising: receiving object data that represents a model of a 3D object; modifying the object data to generate patterned object data; from the patterned object data, generating print data to control a 3D printer to deposit a deliberate micropattern of liquid fusing agent onto a layer of build material within a macropattern that comprises a cross-section of a 3D object being printed, the deliberate micropattern comprising agent areas that have liquid fusing agent and gap areas that lack liquid fusing agent; and, forming a deliberate microstructure that corresponds with the deliberate micropattern by applying fusing energy to simultaneously fully melt build material in the agent areas from heat generated in the agent areas by absorbing fusing energy with the fusing agent, while binding without fully melting, build material in the gap areas with indirect heat that disperses into the gap areas from the agent areas. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein modifying the object data comprises integrating the deliberate micropattern with the object data. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, further comprising: depositing a liquid colorant onto the layer of build material within the macropattern; and, capturing the liquid colorant within the gap areas when forming the microstructure. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method as in claim 3, wherein: depositing a deliberate micropattern of liquid fusing agent comprises depositing an infrared (IR) radiation-absorbing fusing agent; and, applying fusing energy comprises applying IR radiation to heat build material according to the deliberate micropattern while not heating the liquid colorant. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein depositing a deliberate micropattern comprises depositing multiple different micropatterns onto the layer of build material at different areas within the macropattern. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1, wherein forming a microstructure comprises forming a microstructure on a layer of the 3D object selected from the group consisting of a surface layer of the 3D object, an inner layer of the 3D object, and combinations thereof. ### Claim 7 A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a processor of a three-dimensional (3D) printer cause the 3D printer to: deposit a powder layer onto a printing platform; form on the powder layer, a deliberate micropattern comprising fusible areas on which fusing agent is deposited separated by sinterable areas in between the fusible areas on which fusing agent is not deposited; and, expose the powder layer to infrared radiation to simultaneously fully melt powder in the fusible areas with heat generated by the fusing agent absorbing infrared radiation and bind powder without fully melting powder in the sinterable areas into a microstructure with indirect heat that disperses into the sinterable areas from the fusible areas. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A storage medium as in claim 7, wherein forming a deliberate micropattern comprises depositing fusing agent, the instructions further causing the 3D printer to deposit a colorant while depositing the fusing agent. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A storage medium as in claim 8, wherein exposing the powder layer to infrared radiation comprises capturing the colorant within the sinterable areas. ### Claim 10 A method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) object comprising: applying a layer of build powder onto a printing platform; depositing a deliberate micropattern of liquid fusing agent onto the powder within a macropattern that defines a cross-section of a 3D object to be printed; and, forming simultaneously, sintered areas and fused areas of a microstructure from the deliberate micropattern by applying fusing energy to the powder, the microstructure comprising fused areas of the powder that are solidified after fully melting from heat generated by the absorption of fusing energy by the fusing agent and sintered areas of the powder between the fused areas that are bound together without fully melting from indirect heat that disperses into the sintered areas from the fused areas. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method as in claim 10, wherein depositing a deliberate micropattern of liquid agent comprises: forming liquid agent areas on which liquid fusing agent is deposited; and, forming in between the liquid agent areas, gap areas that are devoid of liquid fusing agent. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method as in claim 11, wherein: depositing liquid fusing agent comprises depositing an infrared (IR) radiation-absorbing agent; and, applying fusing energy comprises applying IR radiation. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) A method as in claim 10, further comprising: depositing a liquid colorant onto the powder within the cross-section; and, capturing the colorant within the sintered areas. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method as in claim 13, wherein depositing liquid fusing agent and liquid colorant comprises scanning a liquid agent dispenser over the printing platform and depositing the liquid fusing agent and liquid colorant from the liquid agent dispenser in a same scanning motion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) A method as in claim 10, wherein forming a microstructure comprises forming a lattice structure in which the fused areas and the sintered areas are evenly spaced from one another in a regular pattern.