A method for controlling a process of manufacturing an item includes making available an electronic control device (ECD) operatively associated with a processing apparatus and a central processing unit (CPU) connected to the ECD by a telecommunications network, transmitting, by the CPU, an encrypted message representative of a digital model of the item to be manufactured to the ECD, decrypting, by the ECD, the encrypted message to store the clear text digital model of the item, sending, by the ECD, an item processing start message with the digital model of the item to the processing apparatus, sending a message indicative of a status of advancement of processing of the item to the CPU, and, following reception of an item processing end message, sending to the ECD a message for deleting the clear text digital model of the item stored in the ECD.

It is disclosed a method and a predicting system for automatic prediction of porosity appearance generated during Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), performed by an additive manufacturing system from at least one material. The method comprises steps for training a neural network comprising: generating labels of pore in every pixel using a porosity simulator; pre-training, comprising a first sub-step and a second sub-step, the second sub-step comprises using the data set created from the first sub-step to generate a pre-trained ML model; and training, comprising a first sub-step and a second sub-step, the second sub-step comprises using the data set created from the first sub-step to train the pre-trained ML model to generate a trained ML model.

A computer-implemented method for additive manufacturing can include receiving, by one or more computing devices, three-dimensional model data, and receiving, by the one or more computing devices, one or more inducing variables. The one or more inducing variables can include at least one of a recoater direction, recoater force, gas flow direction, and/or gas flow rate. The computer-implemented method can also comprise creating a print file as a function of the one or more inducing variables to account for the inducing variables to produce a uniform part throughout a build area or otherwise reduce part variability and outputting the print file to a printer or a data storage device.

A method of providing a dataset for additive manufacturing includes collecting a first type of data for the dataset during the additive buildup of a at least one layer of a component to be manufactured, evaluating of the structural quality of the layer by the first type of data, modifying the first type of data in that fractions of the data representing an insufficient structural quality of the layer are deleted from the first type of data, and superimposing second type of data, to the first type of data, wherein the second type of data is suitable to support a validation of the structural quality of the as-manufactured component.

A computer-implemented method of generating scan instructions for forming a product using additive layer manufacture as a series of layers is provided. The method comprises determining a beam acceleration voltage to be used when forming the product; for each hatch area of layers of the product, determining a respective beam current to be used when forming the hatch area and providing a respective beam current value to the hatch area description in the scan pattern instruction file; and for each line of each hatch area, determining a respective beam spot size to be used when scanning the beam along the line and providing a respective beam spot size value to the line description in the scan pattern instruction file, and determining a respective series of beam step sizes and beam step dwell times to be used when scanning the beam along the line, and providing a respective series of beam position values and beam step dwell times to the line description in the scan pattern instruction file thereby defining how the beam is to be scanned along the line. Also provided are a file of scan instructions, an additive layer manufacture apparatus, and a method of forming a product using the additive layer manufacturing apparatus.

Disclosed is a method for providing a control command set for an additive manufacturing device. The method includes providing a parameter set consisting of a number of parameters, and a construction rule, which is suitable for describing at least one section of the object by the parameter set geometrically as a number of linear or flat elements in space; generating a computer-based layer model of the section of the object by determining, for each layer, the position and shape of a cross-section of the section of the object within the layer, generating a control command set for an additive manufacturing device by which the production of the section of the object is implemented on the basis of the layer model.

A calibration method for a system for powder bed-based generating of three-dimensional components by means of electromagnetic radiation, in particular such as a PBLS system, having a radiation source deflection unit and a raisable and lowerable carrier plate, above which a component is built, where, in order to calibrate the radiation source deflection unit, at least one virtual reference mark is used and, by means of a detector, a target-actual deviation between the virtual reference mark and a beam of the radiation source deflection unit is determined. An improved calibration method is achieved in that the at least one virtual reference mark is projected on a reference surface, which can travel vertically by means of the raisable and lowerable carrier plate, and independently of the vertical position thereof.

A method for secure transfer of an additive manufacturing design file and for process monitoring of additively manufactured articles that are manufactured in accordance with such design file includes the steps of: at an article designer located at a first location, generating the additive manufacturing design file; from the first location, sending the additive manufacturing design file to an additive manufacturing AM vendor located at a second location different from the first location; at the second location, using an additive manufacturing tool, manufacturing the article in accordance with the design file; and at the second location, and using a plurality of process monitoring devices, generating a plurality of process parameters associated with the manufacture of the article; at the second location, generating a cryptographic, distributed ledger comprising the plurality of process parameters. The ledger is generated in the manner of a block-chain.

A method for 3D printing a patient-specific bone implant having variable density, in various aspects, comprises: (1) providing a thermoplastic polymer composition comprising: (A) between about 20% and about 50% bioactive agent by weight; (B) between about 0.5% and about 10% chemical foaming agent by weight; and (C) balance structural polymer by weight; (2) receiving, by computing hardware, a scan of a bone, the scan comprising at least a 3D image of the bone and radiodensity data for the bone; and (3) causing, by the computing hardware, a 3D printer to form the patient-specific bone implant from the 3D image using the thermoplastic polymer by modifying a 3D printing temperature of the 3D printer during printing of the patient-specific bone implant such that each portion of the patient-specific bone implant is produced at a temperature that corresponds to a desired density defined by the radiodensity data for the bone.

A method and an apparatus for additive manufacturing pertaining to high efficiency, energy beam patterning and beam steering to effectively and efficiently utilize the source energy. In one embodiment recycling and reuse of unwanted light includes a source of multiple light patterns produced by one or more light valves, with at least one of the multiple light patterns being formed from rejected patterned light. An image relay is used to direct the multiple light patterns, and a beam routing system receives the multiple light patterns and respectively directs them toward defined areas on a powder bed.