# US 12,005,650 B2 · 3D printer to print objects and a shield > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,005,650 B2 - Document ID: US12005650B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/285,056 - Filed: 2019-04-26 - Published: 2022-01-06 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-04-26 - Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Applicants: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. - Inventors: Pol Fornos Martinez; Maria de las Mercedes Blanco Rollan; Ismael Fernandez Aymerich - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005650B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/40: Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof - B22F 10/20: Direct sintering or melting - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/368: Temperature or temperature gradient, e.g. temperature of the melt pool - B22F 10/47: characterised by structural features - 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 64/364: Conditioning of environment - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B22F 12/90: Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - 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) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - 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 - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract An apparatus comprises a processor and a machine-readable storage medium storing machine-readable instructions executable by the processor. The machine-readable instructions comprise instructions to cause the processor to create 3D print data including data defining one or more objects to be printed in a build chamber of a 3D printer and data defining, in addition to the one or more objects, a shield to be printed to shield the one or more printed objects in the build chamber to reduce heat dissipation to an outside of the build chamber. The shield is designed depending on a thermal behavior of the build chamber and/or depending on a thermal behavior of the one or more objects to be printed. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a processor; and a machine-readable storage medium storing machine-readable instructions executable by the processor to: generate 3D print data including: data defining one or more objects to be printed in a build chamber of a 3D printer, the build chamber defined by a bottom surface and a plurality of sidewall surfaces, such that the build chamber has an open top side opposite the bottom surface; and data defining, in addition to the one or more objects, a shield to be printed to shield the one or more printed objects in the build chamber to reduce heat dissipation from the one or more printed objects to an outside of the build chamber, the shield having a design depending on either or both of a thermal behavior of the build chamber and a thermal behavior of the one or more objects to be printed; and cause the 3D printer to print the one or more objects and the shield in the build chamber in accordance with the 3D print data, wherein the shield comprises a portion between the open top side and where the one or more objects are to be printed in the build chamber, to reduce the heat dissipation from the one or more printed objects to the outside of the build chamber through the open top side. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the machine-readable instructions are executable by the processor to further model the thermal behavior of the build chamber including the one or more objects to be printed and generate the design of the shield using the model of the thermal behavior. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the 3D print data are to cause the 3D printer to print the shield under the same conditions as the one or more objects to be printed. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shield comprises a first portion extending in parallel to a side of the build chamber and second portions extending from the first portion, wherein a thermal isolation provided by the second portions increases towards the first portion, wherein the side of the build chamber is a sidewall or the open top side of the build chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the increasing thermal isolation towards the first portion is achieved by one or multiple of: an increasing thickness of the second portions, a changing contone level of the second portions, and a changing structure of the second portions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the data defining the shield are to cause the 3D printer either to print the shield at the open top side to provide a thermal isolation adapted to a thermal isolation provided by the sidewalls, or to print the shield at one or more sidewalls to increase the thermal isolation provided just by the sidewalls. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus further comprises the 3D printer. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the 3D printer is separate from the apparatus. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the shield is along a plane parallel to the open top side. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the data defining the shield is generated such that the one or more objects when printed in the build chamber are completely enclosed by the bottom surface and sidewall surfaces of the build chamber and by the portion of the shield. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the portion of the shield extends along the plane such that the portion is adjacent to each sidewall surface of the build chamber. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the portion is a first portion of the shield, and the shield further comprises second portions extending from the first portion at the sidewall surfaces of the build chamber with decreasing thickness. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: generating, by a processor, 3D print data including: data defining one or more objects to be printed in a build chamber of a 3D printer, the build chamber defined by a bottom surface and a plurality of sidewall surfaces, such that the build chamber has an open top side opposite the bottom surface; and data defining, in addition to the one or more objects, a shield to be printed to shield the one or more printed objects in the build chamber to reduce heat dissipation from the one or more printed objects to an outside of the build chamber, the shield having a design depending on either or both of a thermal behavior of the build chamber and a thermal behavior of the one or more objects to be printed; and causing, by the processor, the 3D printer to print the one or more objects and the shield in the build chamber in accordance with the 3D print data, wherein the shield comprises a portion between the open top side and where the one or more objects are to be printed in the build chamber, to reduce the heat dissipation from the one or more printed objects to the outside of the build chamber through the open top side. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the shield comprises a first portion extending in parallel to a side of the build chamber and second portions extending from the first portion, wherein a thermal isolation provided by the second portions increases towards the first portion, wherein the side of the build chamber is a sidewall or the open top side of the build chamber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the portion of the shield is along a plane parallel to the open top side. ### Claim 16 A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor to perform processing comprising: generating 3D print data including: data defining one or more objects to be printed in a build chamber of a 3D printer, the build chamber defined by a bottom surface and a plurality of sidewall surfaces, such that the build chamber has an open top side opposite the bottom surface; and data defining, in addition to the one or more objects, a shield to be printed to shield the one or more printed objects in the build chamber to reduce heat dissipation from the one or more printed objects to an outside of the build chamber, the shield having a design depending on either or both of a thermal behavior of the build chamber and a thermal behavior of the one or more objects to be printed; and causing the 3D printer to print the one or more objects and the shield in the build chamber in accordance with the 3D print data, wherein the shield comprises a portion between the open top side and where the one or more objects are to be printed in the build chamber, to reduce the heat dissipation from the one or more printed objects to the outside of the build chamber through the open top side. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium according to claim 16, wherein shield comprises a first portion extending in parallel to a side of the build chamber and second portions extending from the first portion, wherein a thermal isolation provided by the second portions increases towards the first portion, wherein the side of the build chamber is a sidewall or the open top side of the build chamber. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium according to claim 16, wherein the portion of the shield is along a plane parallel to the open top side.