A computer-implemented string based force component creation method for a three-dimensional (3D) printer that interacts with a three-dimensional (3D) printer that is installed in a printing apparatus and that prints an object, the method including attaching a string mechanism to the 3D printer, and creating a force component to support the 3D printer and the object via the string mechanism that is attached to the 3D printer.

A three-dimensional object model is divided into slices that are targeted for an additive manufacturing process operable to deposit material at a variable deposition size ranging between minimum and maximum printable feature sizes. For each of the slices, a thinning algorithm is applied to contours of the slice to form a meso-skeleton. Topological features of the thinned slice are reduced over a number of passes such that a portion of the meso-skeleton is reduced to a single pixel wide line. Based on the number of passes, a slice-specific printable feature size within the range of the minimum and maximum printable feature sizes is determined. An adjusted slice is formed by sweeping the meso-skeleton with the slice-specific printable feature size. The adjusted slices are assembled into an object model which is used to create a manufactured object.

A method and an apparatus for collecting powder samples in real-time in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing may involves an ingester system for in-process collection and characterizations of powder samples. The collection may be performed periodically and uses the results of characterizations for adjustments in the powder bed fusion process. The ingester system of the present disclosure is capable of packaging powder samples collected in real-time into storage containers serving a multitude purposes of audit, process adjustments or actions.

A system is disclosed for use in additively manufacturing a structure. The system may include an additive manufacturing machine, a memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, and a processor. The processor may be configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to determine a plurality of tension vectors to be generated within the structure, and to generate a plan for manufacturing the structure. The plan may include tool paths that arrange continuous fibers within the structure to generate the plurality of tension vectors. The processor may also be configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to cause the additive manufacturing machine to follow the plan and manufacture the structure.

Systems and methods are described herein to determine positive or negative displacement distances for each pixel of an image of a graphical element. A displacement subsystem may determine surface displacement distances based on a function of a distance of each pixel to a nearest edge pixel of the image of the graphical element. A mapping subsystem may generate a surface displacement map of the graphical element to be applied to a surface of a three-dimensional object. The surface displacement map may be used to generate a mesh file and/or transmitted to a three-dimensional printing for printing on a surface of an object.

An NC device as a numerical control device controls an additive manufacturing apparatus for producing an object by layering, on a workpiece, a material melted by being irradiated with a beam. The NC device includes: a feature quantity extracting unit that extracts, from image data, a feature quantity for determining a welding state that is a state where a molten material is added to the workpiece; and a process map creating unit that creates a process map in which a shape of the object and a layering condition are associated with each other. The layering condition is selected from among a plurality of layering conditions on the basis of a result of determination of the welding state, and includes at least one of beam intensity and a supply amount of a material.

An example method includes obtaining a geometric compensation profile characterising a relationship between a location of an object within a first fabrication volume having a first depth of build material and a geometrical compensation to be applied to a model of said object. The method further includes determining that a first object is to be generated in a first build operation having a second fabrication volume which has a second depth. The method may further include determining a geometrical compensation to be applied to a model of the first object by: determining a first offset of the first object from the top of the second fabrication volume; identifying the geometrical compensation value associated with a location having the first offset from the top of the first fabrication volume; and determining the compensation to be applied to the model of the first object based on the identified geometrical compensation value.

A computer-implemented method, system and computer program product for identifying and providing alternative equipment. A digital representation of an equipment used for a user-designated purpose from a digital twin library is identified and selected by a user as corresponding to equipment requiring an alternative. Physical and functional properties of the equipment are then identified from a record of the identified digital representation in the digital twin library. Furthermore, other digital representations of corresponding candidates from the digital twin library are identified to provide an alternative to the equipment based on the user-designated purpose. A three-dimensional printing of one or more of these candidates, including modifications to the physical and/or functional properties of the candidates to function similar to the equipment that needs an alternative, is then performed and provided to the user as alternatives to the equipment.

A method and apparatus for designing and manufacturing a component in a computer-aided design and manufacturing environment is disclosed. A method includes obtaining a geometric model of a component from a geometric model database, and determining at least one orientation parameter value associated with the geometric model of the component. The at least one orientation parameter value is associated with an orientation parameter that defines orientation of the component during additive manufacturing of the component. The method includes performing volumetric analysis of the component based on the at least one orientation parameter value associated with the component using the geometric model of the component. The method also includes computing one or more overheating areas in the component corresponding to the at least one orientation parameter value based on the volumetric analysis of the geometric model of the component, and outputting a multi-dimensional visual representation of the geometric model of the component Indicating one or more overheating areas in the component.

Systems and a method determine an amount of printing material powder for 3D printing an object a multi-object printing job. Data on the following is received: a 3D-model of the object, a volume and a surface of the object, data on a thickness of a powder, on characteristics of the build chamber, a volume of a no build zone and a volume of a net build zone, an estimation of a volume of recyclable interstitial powder, on a powder density and on a solid density of the printing material and on a recycling ratio. The following quantities are determined: a volume of the powder layer around the object, a dilated object contribution, the amount of used powder due the dilated object, the amount of lost powder in the no build zone, the amount of lost powder in the net build zone and the amount of printing material required.