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.

Systems, methods, and devices may be configured to detect and remediate component failures in three-dimensional object printers (10, 10a-f) preemptively. For example, systems may include: (a) a plurality of printers (10, 10a-f) each configured to produce three-dimensional objects (13), each printer including: (i) a plurality of subsystems; and (ii) at least one sensor; and (b) processor(s) (41, 42) and memory resource(s) (21) storing an inventory of available replacement components for at least some of said subsystems. The one or more memory resources may (21) store instructions that may cause the one or more processors to: (i) identify a predetermined pattern in data sensed during a process of producing a three-dimensional object by a sensor of a printer as an indicator of likely failure of a subsystem or component thereof; and (ii) assign a component in inventory to said printer based on a unique identifier of the printer and the indicator of likely failure identified in the signal.

A method of optimizing an additive manufacturing (AM) process includes receiving at least one design parameter of the AM process, receiving information relating to uncertainty in at least one other parameter of the AM process, performing uncertainty quantification in the optimization processor based on the at least one design parameters and uncertainty information to identify a shape error in an object being produced, updating the at least one design parameter of the AM process and utilizing the updated at least one design parameter in the AM process. A system for optimizing an AM process includes a design processor to produce at least one design parameter for an object to be manufactured, and an optimization processor to receive the at least one design parameter and uncertainty information to identify a shape error in the object to be manufactured and update the design parameters based on the shape error, prior or during the manufacturing process.

According to some embodiments, system and methods are provided comprising receiving, via a communication interface of a part parameter dictionary module comprising a processor, geometry data for a plurality of geometric structures forming a plurality of parts, wherein the parts are manufactured with an additive manufacturing machine; determining, using the processor of the part parameter dictionary module, a feature set for each geometric structure; generating, using the processor of the part parameter dictionary module, one of a coupon and a coupon set for the feature set; generating an optimized parameter set for each coupon, using the processor of the part parameter dictionary module, via execution of an iterative learning control process for each coupon; mapping, using the processor of the part parameter dictionary module, one or more parameters of the optimized parameter set to one or more features of the feature set; and generating a dictionary of optimized scan parameter sets to fabricate geometric structures with a material used in additive manufacturing. Numerous other aspects are provided.

Plant for additively manufacturing at least one three-dimensional object, comprising at least one process station being configured to perform an additive manufacturing process and/or at least one preprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process and/or at least one postprocessing process for an additive manufacturing process; at least one conveying device configured to convey an item between at least two positions (P1, P2) of the plant, the conveying device comprising at least one conveying element, the at least one conveying element being at least partially bound to ground, and at least one conveying carriage being connectable or connected with the conveying element so as to be moveable between at least two positions (P1, P2) of the plant, the at least one conveying carriage comprising at least one supporting interface for supporting at least one item.

Methods and apparatus for two-dimensional and three-dimensional scanning path visualization are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a parameter determiner to determine at least one of a laser beam parameter setting or an electron beam parameter setting, a melt pool geometry determiner to identify melt pool dimensions using the parameter setting, the melt pool geometry determiner to vary the parameter setting to obtain multiple melt pool dimensions, and a visualization path generator to generate a three-dimensional view of a scanning path for an additive manufacturing process using the identified melt pool dimensions, the visualization path generator to adjust the laser beam parameters based on the generated three-dimensional view.

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.

A method for additive manufacture of a plurality of motor vehicle components specifies a target geometry for the plurality of motor vehicle components, specifies a production geometry associated with a production position within a tool for additive manufacture according to the specified target geometry, and produces the plurality of motor vehicle components by additive manufacture according to the production geometry in the tool. An actual geometry of the plurality of motor vehicle components associated with a production position is determined, the actual geometry is compared with the target geometry, and the production geometry is adapted according to the comparison.

A method and a control data generating device (54, 54′) for generating control data (BSD, PSD) for an additive manufacturing device (1) are described, wherein build-up material (13) is built up and selectively solidified. For this purpose, irradiating the build-up material (13) on a build field (8) with at least one energy beam (AL) takes place, wherein an impingement surface (22) of the energy beam (AL) is moved on the build field (8) in order to melt the build-up material (13) in a target area (Γ.sub.Z) in and around the impingement surface (22). For generating the control data (BSD, PSD), optimization criteria (OK) and/or secondary and/or boundary conditions (WB) relating to a local target temperature distribution (TV) in the target area (Γ.sub.Z) of the build-up material (13) are defined so that melting of the build-up material (13) is effected as heat conduction welding. Based on this, an optimized intensity profile (IO) of the energy beam (AL) is determined, which is substantially non-rotationally symmetric at the impingement surface (22) on the build field (8). Irradiating the build-up material (13) is carried out with an energy beam (AL) with the determined optimized intensity profile (IO). Furthermore, a method for controlling and a control device (50) for a device (1) for additive manufacturing as well as a corresponding device (2) for additive manufacturing are described.