# US 11,897,204 B2 · Ancillary objects in object generation

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- Number: US 11,897,204 B2
- Document ID: US11897204B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/759,921
- Filed: 2017-12-06
- Published: 2020-10-15
- Granted: 2024-02-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-12-06
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Pol Fornos; David Ramirez Muela; Sergio Puigardeu Aramendia
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11897204B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/40: Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
- B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
- B29C 64/30: Auxiliary operations or equipment
- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
- B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
- 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, a method includes in an additive manufacturing process, generating a first object and generating an ancillary object on top of the first object to reduce a thermal gradient of the first object during cooling.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
in an additive manufacturing process, generating a first object from an initial bottom layer of the first object to a final top layer of the first object, by applying and selectively solidifying build material in correspondence with the first object on a layer-by-layer basis;
after the first object has been additively manufactured, determining a thermal diffusion model by determining a heat map of the final top layer of the first object;
generating a plurality of layers of unfused build material on the final top layer of the first object; and
generating an ancillary object on the layers of the unfused build material from an initial bottom layer of the ancillary object to a final top layer of the ancillary object, by applying the build material and selectively fusing the build material in correspondence with the ancillary object on the layer-by-layer basis, the ancillary object having a thermal profile based on the thermal diffusion model and reducing a thermal gradient of the first object during cooling.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the thermal diffusion model is determined by further applying a diffusion function to the heat map.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein determining the heat map comprises measuring a temperature of the final top layer of the first object.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
determining instructions for generating the ancillary object, wherein determining the instructions comprises determining instructions for placement of a fusing agent on each of a plurality of layers of the ancillary object.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein determining the instructions further comprises determining an amount of the fusing agent to place at each of a plurality of locations on each layer of the ancillary object based on the thermal profile that the ancillary object is to have.

### Claim 6

A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform processing comprising:
in an additive manufacturing process, generating a first object from an initial bottom layer of the first object to a final top layer of the first object, by applying and selectively solidifying build material in correspondence with the first object on a layer-by-layer basis;
after the first object has been additively manufactured, determining a thermal diffusion model by determining a heat map of the final top layer of the first object;
generating a plurality of layers of unfused build material on the final top layer of the first object; and
generating an ancillary object on the layers of the unfused build material from an initial bottom layer of the ancillary object to a final top layer of the ancillary object, by applying the build material and selectively fusing the build material in correspondence with the ancillary object on the layer-by-layer basis, the ancillary object having a thermal profile based on the thermal diffusion model and reducing a thermal gradient of the first object during cooling.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the thermal diffusion model is determined by further comprises applying a diffusion function to the heat map.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium according to claim 6, wherein determining the heat map comprises measuring a temperature of the final top layer of the first object.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium according to claim 6, wherein the processing further comprises:
determining instructions for generating the ancillary object, wherein determining the instructions comprises determining instructions for placement of a fusing agent on each of a plurality of layers of the ancillary object.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The non-transitory machine-readable medium according to claim 9, wherein determining the instructions further comprises determining an amount of the fusing agent to place at each of a plurality of locations on each layer of the ancillary object based on the thermal profile that the ancillary object is to have.

### Claim 11

An apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
in an additive manufacturing process, generate a first object from an initial bottom layer of the first object to a final top layer of the first object, by applying and selectively solidifying build material in correspondence with the first object on a layer-by-layer basis;
after the first object has been additively manufactured, determine a thermal diffusion model by determining a heat map of the final top layer of the first object;
generate a plurality of layers of unfused build material on the final top layer of the first object; and
generate an ancillary object on the layers of the unfused build material from an initial bottom layer of the ancillary object to a final top layer of the ancillary object, by applying the build material and selectively fusing the build material in correspondence with the ancillary object on the layer-by-layer basis, the ancillary object having a thermal profile based on the thermal diffusion model and reducing a thermal gradient of the first object during cooling.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the thermal diffusion model is further determined by further applying a diffusion function to the heat map.