GENERATING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

• Main Authors: Wright Jacob T, Novick Michael A, Gutierrez Bernardo A
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.01.2018
• 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

At least one agent distributor may be to selectively deliver coalescing agent onto portions of a layer of build material at a first density and at a second density lower than the first density. A controller may be to control the at least one agent distributor to selectively deliver the coalescing agent at the first and second densities onto respective first and second portions of the layer in respective first and second patterns derived from data representing the three-dimensional object to be generated, so that when energy is applied to the layer the build material may coalesce and solidify to form a slice of the three-dimensional object in accordance with the first pattern. The second portion may be in proximity to a boundary of the first portion. Presence of the coalescing agent in the second portion may be to prevent at least some heat from flowing away from the first portion when the energy is applied.