# US 11,993,022 B2 · Separation of objects for additive manufacturing

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- Number: US 11,993,022 B2
- Document ID: US11993022B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/252,026
- Filed: 2019-03-29
- Published: 2022-01-13
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2019-03-29
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Quim Muntal Diaz; Jordi Sanroma Garrit; Manuel Freire Garcia
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11993022B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/386: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
- B29C 64/182: in parallel batches
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- G05B 19/4099: Surface or curve machining, making three-dimensional [3D] objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
- H04N 1/387: Composing, repositioning or otherwise {geometrically} modifying originals
- 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
- G05B 2219/35134: 3-D cad-cam
- G05B 2219/49023: 3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder
- 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
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

In an example a tangible machine-readable medium stores instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to determine an object generation arrangement for additive manufacturing based on a separation distance between objects, wherein the separation distance varies based on an intended location of object generation.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, specification of a first zone and a second zone of a build volume of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the first zone and the second zone having been predefined in that objects additively manufactured in the first zone have to be separated from neighboring objects by at least a first separation distance and in that objects additively manufactured in the second zone have to be separated from neighboring objects by at least a second separation distance;
after the first zone and the second zone have already been predefined, generating, by the processor, a plurality of candidate arrangements of a plurality of specific objects to be additively manufactured within the build volume, each candidate arrangement specifying a position and an orientation of each specific object within the build volume, such that each candidate arrangement includes first objects of the plurality of objects in the first zone and second objects of the plurality of objects in the second zone, wherein definition of the first zone and the second zone is identical for each candidate arrangement and does not change when generating each candidate arrangement;
identifying, by the processor, a sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements in each of which all the first objects satisfy the first separation distance and in which all the second objects satisfy the second separation distance, such that in each of the candidate arrangements other than the sub-plurality, at least one of the first objects does not satisfy the first separation distance and/or at least one of the second objects does not satisfy the second separation distance;
selecting, by the processor, one of the identified sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements; and
causing, by the processor, the additive manufacturing apparatus to additively manufacture the plurality of specific objects within the build volume in the candidate arrangement that has been selected.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the first zone is more restrictive than the second zone,
and wherein any specific object that is partially in the first zone and partially in the second zone is considered to be in the first zone.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying the sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements comprises:
for each candidate arrangement, determining, by the processor, whether the first objects are each separated from neighboring objects by at least the first separation distance; and
for each candidate arrangement in which the first objects have been determined as each being separated from neighboring objects by at least the first separation distance, determining, by the processor, whether the second objects are separated from neighboring objects by at least the second separation distance.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
for each candidate arrangement of the identified sub-plurality, determining, by the processor, a nesting score,
wherein selecting the one of the identified sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements comprises selecting the candidate arrangement for which the nesting score is highest.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method according to claim 4, wherein the nesting score is determined just for each candidate arrangement of the identified sub-plurality.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, wherein the first separation distance is predefined based on a first degree of object deformation that has been determined to occur within the first zone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method according to claim 6, wherein the second separation distance is predefined based on a second degree of object deformation that has been determined to occur within the second zone.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
generating, by the processor, object generation instructions based on the candidate arrangement that has been selected,
wherein the causing the additive manufacturing apparatus to additively manufacture the plurality of specific objects within the build volume in the candidate arrangement that has been selected comprises causing the additive manufacturing apparatus to additively manufacture the plurality of specific objects using the object generation instructions.

### Claim 9

A system comprising:
a processor; and
a memory storing program code executable by the processor to:
receive specification of a first zone and a second zone of a build volume of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the first zone and the second zone having been predefined in that objects additively manufactured in the first zone have to be separated from neighboring objects by at least a first separation distance and in that objects additively manufactured in the second zone have to be separated from neighboring objects by at least a second separation distance;
after the first zone and the second zone have already been predefined, generate a plurality of candidate arrangements of a plurality of specific objects to be additively manufactured within the build volume, each candidate arrangement specifying a position and an orientation of each specific object within the build volume, such that each candidate arrangement includes first objects of the plurality of objects in the first zone and second objects of the plurality of objects in the second zone, wherein definition of the first zone and the second zone is identical for each candidate arrangement and does not change when generating each candidate arrangement;
identify a sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements in each of which all the first objects satisfy the first separation distance and in which all the second objects satisfy the second separation distance, such that in each of the candidate arrangements other than the sub-plurality, at least one of the first objects does not satisfy the first separation distance and/or at least one of the second objects does not satisfy the second separation distance;
select one of the identified sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements; and
cause the additive manufacturing apparatus to additively manufacture the plurality of specific objects within the build volume in the candidate arrangement that has been selected.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system according to claim 9, wherein the first zone is more restrictive than the second zone,
and wherein any object that is partially in the first zone and partially in the second zone is considered to be in the first zone.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system according to claim 9, wherein the program code is executable by the processor to identify the sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements by:
for each candidate arrangement, determining whether the first objects are each separated from neighboring objects by at least the first separation distance; and
for each candidate arrangement in which the first objects have been determined as each being separated from neighboring objects by at least the first separation distance, determining whether the second objects are separated from neighboring objects by at least the second separation distance.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system according to claim 9, wherein the program code is executable by the processor to further:
for each candidate arrangement of the identified sub-plurality, determine a nesting score,
wherein the one of the identified sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements that is selected is the candidate arrangement for which the nesting score is highest.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system according to claim 12, wherein the nesting score is determined just for each candidate arrangement in which the first objects have been determined as each being separated from neighboring objects by at least the first separation distance and in which the second objects have been determined as each being separated from neighboring objects by at least the second separation distance.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system according to claim 9, wherein the first separation distance is predefined based on a first degree of object deformation that has been determined to occur within the first zone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system according to claim 14, wherein the second separation distance is predefined based on a second degree of object deformation that has been determined to occur within the second zone.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The system according to claim 9, wherein the program code is executable by the processor to further:
generate object generation instructions based on the candidate arrangement that has been selected,
wherein the additive manufacturing apparatus is caused to additively manufacture the plurality of specific objects within the build volume in the candidate arrangement that has been selected by causing the additive manufacturing apparatus to additively manufacture the plurality of specific objects using the object generation instructions.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The system according to claim 9, further comprising the additive manufacturing apparatus.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

The system according to claim 9, wherein the processor and memory are part of a device different than the additive manufacturing apparatus.

### Claim 19

A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing program code executable by a processor to perform processing comprising:
receiving specification of a first zone and a second zone of a build volume of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the first zone and the second zone having been predefined in that objects additively manufactured in the first zone have to be separated from neighboring objects by at least a first separation distance and in that objects additively manufactured in the second zone have to be separated from neighboring objects by at least a second separation distance;
after the first zone and the second zone have already been predefined, generating a plurality of candidate arrangements of a plurality of specific objects to be additively manufactured within the build volume, each candidate arrangement specifying a position and an orientation of each specific object within the build volume, such that each candidate arrangement includes first objects of the plurality of objects in the first zone and second objects of the plurality of objects in the second zone, wherein definition of the first zone and the second zone is identical for each candidate arrangement and does not change when generating each candidate arrangement;
identifying a sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements in each of which all the first objects satisfy the first separation distance and in which all the second objects satisfy the second separation distance, such that in each of the candidate arrangements other than the sub-plurality, at least one of the first objects does not satisfy the first separation distance and/or at least one of the second objects does not satisfy the second separation distance;
selecting one of the identified sub-plurality of the candidate arrangements; and
causing the additive manufacturing apparatus to additively manufacture the plurality of specific objects within the build volume in the candidate arrangement that has been selected.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the first separation distance is predefined based on a first degree of object deformation that has been determined to occur within the first zone upon additive manufacture of the first objects,
and wherein the second separation distance is predefined based on a second degree of object deformation that has been determined to occur within the second zone upon additive manufacture of the second objects.