# US 11,305,487 B2 · Additive manufacturing roller within radiative heat transfer area > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,305,487 B2 - Document ID: US11305487B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/075,644 - Filed: 2017-04-21 - Published: 2021-07-01 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-04-21 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Brent Ewald; Eric Collins - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11305487B2 ## 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 64/194: during lay-up - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B29C 64/218: Rollers - B29C 64/232: for motion along the axis orthogonal to the plane of a layer - B29C 64/236: for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer - B29C 64/245: Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) - B29C 64/282: of the same type, e.g. using different energy levels - B29C 64/291: for operating globally, e.g. together with selectively applied activators or inhibitors - B29C 64/295: Heating elements - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - 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 ## Abstract Some examples include a fusing system for an additive manufacturing machine including a carriage movable across a build zone along the x-axis, a thermic source mounted to the carriage, and a roller mounted to the carriage adjacent to the thermic source. A longitudinal section of an exterior surface of the roller is exposed to indirect heat from the thermic source. The roller is controlled to rotate during and outside of a spreading operation of the build material. The carriage is to maintain the roller within a radiative heat transfer area of the thermic source. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fusing system for an additive manufacturing machine, the fusing system comprising: a carriage movable across a build zone of the additive manufacturing machine along an x-axis; a thermic source mounted to the carriage; a roller rotatably mounted to the carriage adjacent the thermic source, the roller vertically translatably mounted to the carriage to have a lowered position during a spreading pass of the carriage over the build zone for spreading of build material and a raised position during a fusing pass of the carriage over the build zone for fusing of the build material; and a controller configured to rotate the roller in the lowered position within a radiative heat transfer area receiving heat from the thermic source during the spreading pass, to vertically translate the roller from the lowered position to the raised position, and to rotate the roller in the raised position within the radiative heat transfer area receiving heat from the thermic source during the fusing pass. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fusing system of claim 1, wherein the carriage is movable across the build zone bi-directionally along the x-axis. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fusing system of claim 1, wherein the roller is tubular. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fusing system of claim 1, wherein the roller is internally cooled. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The fusing system of claim 1, wherein the thermic source includes a first thermal lamp to selectively heat a fusing agent and a second thermal lamp to warm the build material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fusing system of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to align index markings of the roller with corresponding position index markings of the build zone. ### Claim 7 A method of operating a fusing system of an additive manufacturing machine to form a three dimensional object, the fusing system including a carriage to which a thermic source is mounted and to which a roller is vertically translatably mounted adjacent the thermic source to have a lowered position and a raised position, the method comprising: during a spreading pass of the carriage over a build zone, rotating the roller in the lowered position for spreading build material while maintaining the roller within a radiative heat transfer area receiving heat from the thermic source; vertically translating the roller from the lowered position to the raised position; and during a fusing pass of the carriage over the build zone, continuing to rotate the roller in the raised position during fusing of the build material while maintaining the roller within the radiative heat transfer area receiving heat from the thermic source. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the fusing pass comprises: passing the carriage over the build zone; and fusing the build material with the thermic source. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the continuing to rotate the roller maintains a uniform temperature across an exterior circumferential surface of the roller. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the rotating roller is heated with direct and indirect energy generated by the thermic source in the radiative heat transfer area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, comprising: heating an exterior surface of the roller with reflected thermic energy emitted from the thermic source; further spreading of the build material in a layer by passing the rotating roller over the build zone in a second direction opposite a first direction of the spreading pass; and heating the build zone by moving the thermic source in the second direction over the build zone using the carriage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, comprising: cooling the roller from within an interior of the roller. ### Claim 13 An additive manufacturing machine, comprising: a dispensing assembly including a printhead mounted to a dispensing carriage to selectively dispense a fusing agent; a build chamber to contain a build material and the fusing agent; a fusing system including a fuser carriage to which a thermic source is mounted and to which a rotatable roller is vertically translatably mounted adjacent the thermic source to have a lowered position and a raised position, the rotatable roller to spread and heat the build material during a spreading pass of the fuser carriage over a build zone, the thermic source to heat and fuse the build material during a fusing pass of the fuser carriage over the build zone, and the fuser carriage to maintain the rotatable roller within a radiative heat transfer area receiving heat from the thermic source during the spreading and fusing passes; and a controller configured to rotate the rotatable roller in the lowered position within the radiative heat transfer area receiving heat from the thermic source during the spreading pass, to vertically translate the rotatable roller from the lowered position to the raised position, and to rotate the rotatable roller in the raised position within the radiative heat transfer area receiving heat from the thermic source during the fusing pass. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The additive manufacturing machine of claim 13, wherein the roller is vertically movable along a z-axis with respect to the thermic source. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The additive manufacturing machine of claim 14, wherein the roller includes index markings to coordinate with placement on the build material.