Apparatus for making a three-dimensional article

An apparatus for making a three-dimensional article based upon article defining data, said apparatus comprising:

• a platform;
• a build material jet for ejecting a plurality of droplets of build material toward target landing points;
• jet positioning means for advancing said jet along a predetermined path of travel relative to said platform in three directions and relatively rotatably positioning said jet about two axes thereby defining five degrees of freedom of movement for said jet relative to said platform;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to said dispensing means for constructing an article based upon the article defining data, said processor comprising target landing point enhancing means for operating said jet for constructing an enlarged surface contiguous with a first article portion to define an enhanced target landing point area for ejected droplets of build material for constructing a second article portion adjacent the first article portion, said target landing point enhancing means comprising enhancement determining means for determining placement of the enhanced target landing point area based upon the article defining data and a change in a jet firing direction needed to construct the second article portion adjacent the first article portion.

An apparatus for making a three-dimensional article based upon article defining data, said apparatus comprising:

• a platform;
• build material dispensing means positioned adjacent said platform for dispensing a plurality of droplets of build material toward target landing points;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to said dispensing means for constructing an article based upon the article defining data, said processor comprising shadow avoiding means for operating said dispensing means to construct first and second adjacent article portions so that a dispensing path for constructing the first article portion is unobstructed by a previously constructed part of the second article portion.

An apparatus for making a three-dimensional article based upon article defining data, said apparatus comprising:

• a platform;
• build material dispensing means positioned adjacent said platform for dispensing a plurality of droplets of build material toward target landing points;
• normalization means for normalizing a predetermined part of the article during construction thereof;
• and
• a processor operatively connected to said dispensing means for constructing an article based upon the article defining data, said processor comprising shadow avoiding means for operating said dispensing means and said normalization means to construct first and second adjacent article portions so that a dispensing path for constructing the first article portion is unobstructed by a previously constructed part of the second article portion, said shadow avoidance means comprising normalization control means for operating said normalization means to displace a part of the second article portion that would otherwise obstruct a dispensing path for constructing the first article portion.