US 2021/0229180 A1 · SELECTIVELY DEPOSITING MATERIAL

Abstract

In an example, a method comprises controlling material dispensing by a material dispensing apparatus to output a layer of material onto a build platform. The material dispensing apparatus comprises a plurality of pairs of material containers, each pair of material containers movable along a path across the build platform, and comprising a first material container to dispense a first material and a second material container to dispense a second material, to output a band of material along the path, each pair of material containers being arranged with respect to each other pair of material containers to move along respective paths across the build platform to output respective bands of material forming a complete layer of material on the build platform. The controlling comprises controlling each pair of material containers to move along its respective path and deposit, selectively, first material, along one or more regions of the respective band along the respective path that coincide with a portion of a part to be printed, and deposit, selectively, second material, along other regions of the respective band along the respective path.

Claims15

Dependent claims

A method, comprising:

controlling material dispensing by a material dispensing apparatus to output a layer of material onto a build platform,
the material dispensing apparatus comprising a plurality of pairs of material containers, each pair of material containers movable along a path across the build platform, and comprising a first material container to dispense a first material and a second material container to dispense a second material, to output a band of material along the path, each pair of material containers being arranged with respect to each other pair of material containers to move along respective paths across the build platform to output respective bands of material forming a complete layer of material on the build platform,
wherein the controlling comprises controlling each pair of material containers to move along its respective path and deposit, selectively, first material, along one or more regions of the respective band along the respective path that coincide with a portion of a part to be printed, and deposit, selectively, second material, along other regions of the respective band along the respective path.

A method comprising:

processing data representing a layer of a 3D build volume, including a layer of a part or parts to be printed by an additive manufacturing process, to determine plural parallel bands of material that are to be output onto a build platform, by a material dispensing apparatus passing over the build platform, to form the layer of the 3D build volume, the material dispensing apparatus being to selectively output a first material or a second material;
for each identified band, identifying regions thereof that coincide with portions of the layer of the part or parts;
for each identified region in a band, identifying a start coordinate coinciding with a start point of the region along the band, in a direction of travel of the material dispensing apparatus, and an end coordinate coinciding with an end point of the region along the band, in a direction of travel of the material dispensing apparatus;
controlling the material dispensing apparatus as it passes over the build platform, for each identified region in a respective band, to output the first material from the start coordinate to the end coordinate and to output the second material before a start coordinate and after an end coordinate.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Selectively depositing material

Life of this patent

Selectively depositing material

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15