Build material particle layering

• Main Author: Barnes, Arthur H
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.09.2023
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

According to an example, an apparatus may include a recoater, an energy source, a carriage supporting the energy source, and a controller. The controller may control the recoater to spread build material particles into a layer on top of a previously applied layer containing fused build material particles and the carriage to move ahead of the recoater to cause the energy source to apply energy onto build material particles in the previously applied layer prior to the recoater spreading the build material particles onto the previously applied layer. The energy source is to heat the fused build material particles to or maintain the fused build material particles at a temperature above a certain temperature and the recoater is to be controlled to spread the build material particles on top of the previously applied layer prior to the fused build material particles falling below the certain temperature.