# US 2025/0367883 A1 · Lower-level finite element analysis mesh homogenization for simulation of additive manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0367883 A1 - Document ID: US20250367883A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/921,081 - Filed: 2024-10-21 - Published: 2025-12-04 - Earliest claimed: 2024-05-31 - Assignees: Panoptimization, LLC - Applicants: Panoptimization, LLC - Inventors: Panagiotis MICHALERIS - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250367883A1 ## CPC - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - G06F 30/23: using finite element methods [FEM] or finite difference methods [FDM] - G06T 17/20: Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, {tesselation} - G06F 2113/10: Additive manufacturing, e.g. three-dimensional [3D] printing - G06F 2119/08: Thermal analysis or thermal optimisation - 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 - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A method of predicting thermal response, mechanical response, and/or failure points in additive manufacturing, including generating a first layer of a finite element mesh of an object based on a three-dimensional model of the object; generating one or more additional layers of the finite element mesh of the object; homogenizing one or more lower layers of the finite element mesh when the one or more lower layers are located at a distance greater than a distance threshold from a most recently added layer of the finite element mesh; simulating an additive manufacturing build of the object based on the finite element mesh including the homogenized one or more lower layers, wherein a length of a homogenized element in the homogenized one or more lower layers is greater than a maximum element length in the finite element mesh prior to homogenization, and the distance threshold is a positive real number. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of predicting a thermal response, a mechanical response, and/or failure points in additive manufacturing, the method comprising: generating a first layer of a finite element mesh of an object based on a three-dimensional model of the object; generating one or more additional layers of the finite element mesh of the object; homogenizing one or more lower layers of the finite element mesh when the one or more lower layers are located at a distance greater than a distance threshold from a most recently added layer of the finite element mesh; simulating an additive manufacturing build of the object based on the finite element mesh including the homogenized one or more lower layers, wherein a length of a homogenized element in the homogenized one or more lower layers is greater than a maximum element length in the finite element mesh prior to homogenization, and the distance threshold is a positive real number. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the homogenizing includes homogenizing the one or more lower layers when the one or more lower layers are located at a distance greater than 2Nxb from the most recently added layer of the finite element mesh, wherein N is a positive integer, b is a positive integer, and x is a length of a smallest element in the finite element mesh prior to homogenization. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising defining the maximum element length in the finite element mesh to be 2Nx. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising setting N to be a maximum number of coarsening generations. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining the maximum element length in the finite element mesh prior to homogenization based on a structure of the object. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the simulating of the additive manufacturing build includes determining the thermal response or the mechanical response of the object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the homogenizing includes coarsening elements of the one or more lower layers so that the homogenized one or more lower layers have a lower feature resolution than the one or more lower layers prior to homogenization. ### Claim 8 An apparatus for predicting a thermal response, a mechanical response, and/or failure points in additive manufacturing, the apparatus comprising: processing circuitry configured to generate a first layer of a finite element mesh of an object based on a three-dimensional model of the object, generate one or more additional layers of the finite element mesh of the object, homogenize one or more lower layers of the finite element mesh when the one or more lower layers are located at a distance greater than a distance threshold from a most recently added layer of the finite element mesh, and simulate an additive manufacturing build of the object based on the finite element mesh including the homogenized one or more lower layers, wherein a length of a homogenized element in the homogenized one or more lower layers is greater than a maximum element length in the finite element mesh prior to homogenization, and the distance threshold is a positive real number. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to homogenize the one or more lower layers when the one or more lower layers are located at a distance greater than 2Nxb from the most recently added layer of the finite element mesh, wherein N is a positive integer, b is a positive integer, and x is a length of a smallest element in the finite element mesh prior to homogenization. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to define the maximum element length in the finite element mesh as 2Nx. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to set N to be a maximum number of coarsening generations. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to determine the maximum element length in the finite element mesh prior to homogenization based on a structure of the object. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to simulate the additive manufacturing build by determining the thermal response or the mechanical response of the object. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to homogenize the one or more lower layers by coarsening elements in the one or more lower layers so that the homogenized one or more lower layers have a lower feature resolution than the one or more lower layers prior to homogenization. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method of predicting a thermal response, a mechanical response, and/or failure points in additive manufacturing, the method comprising: generating a first layer of a finite element mesh of an object based on a three-dimensional model of the object; generating one or more additional layers of the finite element mesh of the object; homogenizing one or more lower layers of the finite element mesh when the one or more lower layers are located at a distance greater than a distance threshold from a most recently added layer of the finite element mesh; simulating an additive manufacturing build of the object based on the finite element mesh including the homogenized one or more lower layers, wherein a length of a homogenized element in the homogenized one or more lower layers is greater than a maximum element length in the finite element mesh prior to homogenization, and the distance threshold is a positive real number. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the homogenizing includes homogenizing the one or more lower layers when the one or more lower layers are located at a distance greater than 2Nxb from the most recently added layer of the finite element mesh, wherein N is a positive integer, b is a positive integer, and x is a length of a smallest element in the finite element mesh prior to homogenization. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises setting the maximum element length in the finite element mesh to be 2Nx. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises setting N to be a maximum number of coarsening generations. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the simulating of the additive manufacturing build includes determining the thermal response or the mechanical response of the object. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the homogenizing includes coarsening elements of the one or more lower layers so that the homogenized one or more lower layers have a lower feature resolution than the one or more lower layers prior to homogenization.