Recoater movement
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsBrent Ewald, Michael Ewe, Eric Collins, Wesley R. Schalk
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Example systems relate to recoater movement. A non-transitory machine readable medium may contain instructions executable by a processor. The instructions may include instructions to change an action of a recoater in response to a determination that the recoater has reached a first location of a build area comprising build material. Instructions may further include instructions to lift the recoater in response to a determination that the recoater has reached a second location of the build area. Instructions may additionally include instructions to move the recoater over the second location at the lifted position, wherein the second location includes a build-up of the build material.
Claims14
A non-transitory machine readable medium containing instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
- determine that, while moving along a first direction, a recoater has reached a first location of a build surface of a build area, a three-dimensional (3D) object being created at the build surface, the first location comprising build material;
- in response to determining that the recoater has reached the first location, change an action of the recoater;
- determine that, while continuing to move along the first direction, the recoater has reached a build-up of the build material at a second location of the build surface different than the first location;
- in response to determining that the recoater has reached the build-up of the build material, lift the recoater above the build-up such that the recoater is not in contact with the build-up;
- and
- while the recoater is lifted and while the recoater is not in contact with the build-up, continue to move the recoater in the first direction over the build-up of the build material and without coming into contact with the build-up.
A system comprising:
- a controller to:
- move a recoater coupled to a carriage device over a build surface of a build area in a first direction, a three-dimensional (3D) object being created at the build surface;
- determine that, while moving in the first direction, the recoater has reached a first location of the build surface at which the 3D object is being created, the first location comprising build material;
- in response to determining that the recoater has reached the first location, reduce a first rate of rotation;
- and
- determine that, while continuing to move in the first direction, the recoater has reached a build-up of the build material at a second location of the build surface different than the first location;
- and
- the carriage device to:
- in response to determining that the recoater has reached the build-up of the build material, lift the recoater above the build-up of the build material such that the recoater is not in contact with the build-up of the build material;
- and
- while the recoater is lifted and while the recoater is not in contact with the build-up of the build material, continue to move the recoater over the build-up of the build material and without coming into contact with the build-up.
A method comprising:
- moving a recoater in a first direction over a build surface of a build area to level build material on the build surface, a three-dimensional (3D) object being created at the build surface;
- determining that, while moving along the first direction, the recoater has reached a first location of the build surface, the first location comprising build material;
- in response to determining that the recoater has reached the first location, reducing a rate of rotation of the recoater;
- determining that, while continuing to move along the first direction, the recoater has reached a build-up of the build material at a second location of the build surface different than the first location;
- in response to determining that the recoater has reached the build-up of the build material, lifting the recoater above the build-up such that the recoater is not in contact with the build-up;
- while the recoater is lifted and while the recoater is not in contact with the build-up, continuing to move the recoater in the first direction over the build-up of the build material and without coming into contact with the build-up;
- determining that the recoater has moved over the build-up;
- in response to determining that the recoater has moved over the build-up, lowering the recoater;
- and
- after the recoater has been lowered, moving the recoater in a second direction opposite the first direction to pass the recoater back towards the build-up, the recoater making contact with and leveling the build-up as the recoater moves in the second direction, to immediately reintegrate the build-up back into the build surface at which the 3D object is being created.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.