Complex Geometry Printing in 3D Manufacturing

Additively manufacturing magnetically enabled parts with customizable magnetic profiles that are not limited by the shape and composition of the part. The system uses magnetically permeable material that can be selectively concentrated in regions to create a bi-material part with unique magnetic properties. The additive manufacturing process allows freedom in design and geometry to create magnetically enabled parts like solenoids, rotors, and stators with unusual shapes and performance.

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3D printing silicone elastomer articles with complex shapes using water-based supports that can be easily removed and recycled. The method involves 3D printing a silicone elastomer with a cross-linkable composition and support with a composition containing nano clay and water. The clay-water support is compatible with the silicone printing material and allows for printing complex shapes. The support can be dissolved and reused after printing.

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Hydraulic valve components are manufactured via additive processes like 3D printing to provide a geometry that fine-tunes their various functions. The components include features like lattices, meshes, asymmetric shapes, undercut apertures, and varying aperture sizes to enhance valve performance compared to conventionally machined components. Additive manufacturing allows the creation of complex customized shapes that optimize flow areas, forces, stability, and metering characteristics.

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A 3D printed filter medium that can be manufactured with complex geometries and porosity to improve filtration efficiency and capacity. The filter is made layer-by-layer using 3D printing techniques with controlled movement patterns to create porous structures optimized for filtering fluids. The layering pattern can vary within the filter to gradually decrease pore size downstream to trap particles better.

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Polishing the inner wall of a 3D-printed metal part with a complex-shaped hollow structure. An electrochemical polishing method is used to overcome the limitations of traditional machining. The process involves printing the metal part with a coaxial cathode inside. After sealing the cavity, the inner wall is electrochemically polished using the cathode. Finally, the cathode is broken to remove it and obtain a polished metal part. This allows uniform polishing of the inner walls of complex-shaped 3D-printed metal parts that cannot be effectively machined.

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Selective electrodeposition and electroetching device and method for additive manufacturing and selective etching of three-dimensional models with complex structures. The device uses a wheel with a layered photoconductive surface that forms an electrode pattern when selectively illuminated. An ionic liquid layer is maintained between the wheel and a conductive platform holding the model. The localized electric field between the illuminated wheel electrodes and platform electrode allows precise selective electrodeposition or etching.

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Creating 3D structures of defined geometries for cell culture and tissue engineering using a dynamically tunable yield stress material. The method involves causing a phase change in a region of the yield stress material using focused energy and then displacing the material in the region with a second material like cells or hydrogel. This allows 3D printing of complex shapes directly in the yield stress material. The advantage is the yield stress material can be temporarily liquefied for printing and then re-solidify to support the structure. This allows the creation of custom 3D cell culture scaffolds without complex 3D printing equipment.

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A method for 3D printing complex-shaped metal or ceramic parts with full density and high mechanical properties. The method involves creating a sacrificial powder mold of the complex shape using a swellable binder. The mold is filled with unsintered powder and subjected to high pressure. After densification, the powder part is sintered to full density, and the sacrificial mold naturally self-destructs during sintering. This allows complex parts to be fabricated without complex tooling or debinding steps.

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Creating complex 3D finite element mesh models of irregular bodies for analysis and fabrication. The method involves slicing a 3D mapping of the body into horizontal layers, creating elements within each slice, and connecting common nodes between adjacent slices. This produces a linked hexahedral element mesh that approximates the complex body geometry.

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3D printing system that improves speed and quality of additive manufacturing by using a technique called "tool path synchronization" where the motion of the printer's stage and the tool's extrusion are precisely coordinated. This avoids issues like ringing and collisions that can degrade print quality at high speeds. The printer has a controller that generates synchronized tool and stage commands based on the 3D model geometry.

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A method for 3D printing items using semi-crystalline polymers like polyethylene that prevents warping and adhesion failures during printing. The method involves selectively cooling and heating the build plate and printed layers to optimize crystallization and melting. This allows the semi-crystalline polymers to adhere to the plate during printing and then solidify for strength. The steps include: 1) depositing the polymer on the plate at a high temperature to melt it and adhere it. 2) cooling the deposited layers below their crystallization temperature. 3) raising the plate temperature to below the polymer's melting point. 4) continuing printing with the higher plate temperature and lower layer temperature to prevent warping and adhesion failures. 5) removing the printed item at room temperature. This sequence enables the semi-crystall

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A method for 3D printing objects using a fused deposition modeling (FDM) printer that allows producing items with high filler content and smooth surfaces. The method involves using a core-shell nozzle with a separate feeder for particulate filler material and a feeder for filament. The filler is fed to the extruder and the filament to the shell of the nozzle. This enables creating a core-shell extrudate during printing with a filler-rich core enclosed by a filament shell. The core-shell extrudate is then deposited layer by layer to form the 3D printed object. The core filler content can be much higher than in conventional FDM printing. The core-shell structure also allows smoother surfaces compared to using fillers in the filament.

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A method for 3D printing objects with support structures that can be easily removed after printing. The method involves printing a lower support layer that contacts the object below and an upper support layer that contacts the object above. The conditions for printing these layers are selected differently from each other. This allows better balance between print accuracy and support structure removability compared to using the same conditions for both layers. By optimizing the conditions for each layer, the lower layer adheres well to the object below while the upper layer peels off easily.

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3D printing technique with support structures that can be easily removed without damaging the printed part. The technique involves creating a weak interface between the support structure and the printed part using a fracturable material like a polymer. This interface allows the support structure to be detached cleanly without damaging the printed part. The fracturable material is added during the printing process by layering it between the support and part. It forms a weak bond at the interface that can be broken when the support is removed.

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A method for planning scanning and filling paths in 3D printing of thin-walled parts with complex shapes that avoids overfilling, underfilling, and poor molding performance. The method generates filling paths that start and end at the part edges instead of internal points. It connects filling lines between adjacent contour points to form closed paths that fill the entire part. This allows starting each layer at once and prevents issues like overfilling and underfilling. The method uses an algorithm to calculate curvatures along the contour and generate filling lines with appropriate offsets based on the curvature values.

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Additive manufacturing method and system for creating objects with internal pillars surrounded by voids. The method involves using computer data to direct inkjet printing of layers with concave shapes representing the pillars. These shapes are superimposed on the layer data to create a periodic array of pillars. The voids between the pillars are left empty. This allows fabricating objects with reduced material usage, as the voids contain air instead of building material. The pillar shapes and distribution can be optimized to provide desired mechanical properties of the final object.

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Efficient encoding of 3D printing build data for additive manufacturing that reduces memory and processing requirements compared to voxel-based representation. The method involves processing the 3D model to extract boundary intersection points for rays instead of voxelizing the entire model. This pre-computed ray-based build data is used during printing to determine material deposition at each layer based on the ray height. It enables faster and more memory-efficient printing of complex objects with many material transitions.

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Using controlled crystallization in Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) 3D printing to improve support structure removal. The method involves printing supports with an interface layer that crystallizes when deposited. This layer touches the printed object and has a higher crystallinity than the object's surface. During printing, the object's surface melts when new layers are deposited, but the crystallized interface layer doesn't remelt. This allows the supports to be easily removed after printing without damaging the object. The higher crystallinity of the interface layer is achieved by keeping the deposited traces in the crystallization temperature range for an appropriate time.

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A method for 3D printing smooth surface objects using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) that involves printing a core-shell extrudate with an outer shell that dissolves in a specific solvent. This allows the shell to flow and smooth the surface while the core maintains structure. The core material has lower solubility than the shell material in the solvent. The printing stage involves depositing the core-shell extrudate layer by layer. The exposure stage involves immersing or vaporizing the solvent onto the printed object to dissolve the shell and leave a smooth surface.

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Method for manufacturing complex shaped components by using additive printing followed by pressure sintering. The method involves 3D printing a model, forming a porous or powdery preform from the printed model, and then pressure sintering the preform in a mold filled with sacrificial porous material. This allows complex shaped parts with undercuts to be removed from the mold without destruction. The sacrificial material is removed after sintering and the part is extracted.

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Three-dimensional printing method that improves surface accuracy of printed objects by reducing layer steps and artifacts. The method involves determining transition areas between adjacent slices based on intersection points of parallel lines through the model. In those areas, a printing mode with lower ink ejection is used compared to other areas. This reduces ink buildup and step artifacts when printing inclined surfaces.

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Additively manufacturing customized minimum surface structures for 3D printed parts to optimize performance and reduce stress by generating a digital minimal surface model based on local physical parameter requirements. The method involves creating a density field representing required parameter values, generating an adaptive Voronoi tessellation from it, and extracting skeletons to create a digital minimal surface model. This allows designing minimum surfaces that adapt to specific boundary conditions and parameters.

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Additively manufacturing shaped bodies like anatomic models with regions having different mechanical properties by site-selectively depositing thermoplastic and non-thermoplastic materials layer by layer. The method involves using a 3D printer with two print heads, one for thermoplastic material and one for non-thermoplastic material. The heads are moved independently to selectively deposit the materials in different regions to create shapes with varying mechanical properties. The non-thermoplastic material could be biocompatible materials like hydrogels or silicone rubbers to mimic soft tissues.

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3D printing low viscosity materials that cannot be printed by conventional methods without overspray between layers. The technique involves printing layers using two passes. The first pass creates a mold or support structure for the low viscosity material to be printed in the second pass. This allows printing of low viscosity materials without overspray by enclosing them in a mold. The mold material provides initial support until the low viscosity material gains enough strength to self-support. The mold is then removed.

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Additive manufacturing of 3D parts using selective deposition with dissimilar materials for improved resolution and faster printing speeds compared to using materials with similar rheologies. The process involves developing part and support layers using electrophotography, then transfusing them together. The part material has lower viscosity at the nip roller entrance temperature, while the support material has higher viscosity. This allows misregistration between part and support without overlapping and forming bumps. The dissimilar rheologies prevent gaps but enable transfusion.

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Method for 3D printing objects with unique optical properties by varying layer height during printing. The method involves depositing layers of 3D printing material with non-constant height at a fixed position. This creates wavy, zigzag or triangular edges depending on the function used. The layer height variation can be sinusoidal, triangular, sawtooth, etc. This provides optical effects like depth perception, transparency, refraction, etc. in the printed objects. The method allows creating 3D printed items with decorative edges, lenses, and other features by varying layer height during printing.

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3D printing method and article with improved features for creating objects like luminaires with openings. The method involves 3D printing layers with interruptions that define turns connecting opposite sides of the opening edge. These turns have short sections adjacent to the edge. This allows continuous printing of the object with openings while avoiding thicker layers at the edges. The turns connect the inner and outer sections of the layer, forming branches. The toolpath between turns is shorter than the full layer width.

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Additive manufacturing of 3D objects using removable sacrificial structures to enable easy removal of printed objects. The process involves overlaying objects with a flexible sacrificial material, followed by an intermediate layer of support material. This allows the objects to be separated from the sacrificial structure by pushing them out. The flexible sacrificial material can have a predetermined combination of modeling and support materials. Multiple objects can also be printed within a shared sacrificial structure with destructible skirt connections between them.

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Method for 3D printing objects with overhangs less than 45 degrees using fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing. The method involves a two-stage printing process: (1) vertical support printing with a first layer on the build plate, and (2) in-air printing with subsequent layers printed horizontally over the vertical layer. This allows printing objects with steep overhangs by supporting the initial layer vertically and then printing the horizontal layers on top. The horizontal layers overlap the vertical layer edge to securely attach.

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3D printing method and device for producing objects with improved strength and reduced support requirements compared to traditional layer-by-layer printing. The method involves creating a digital 3D model of the object and separating it into flat and curved layers. The curved layers are printed on a vertical receiving surface, while the flat layers are printed on a horizontal surface. This allows the object to be built vertically without interlayer binding issues. The vertical surface is rotated between curved and flat layer printing to create the object. The device has a print head, motors for motion, and a rotating receiving surface. The method avoids the need for support structures and allows printing objects with complex shapes.

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3D printing objects with improved visual and mechanical properties by optimizing powder spreading parameters on a per object basis. The method involves adjusting the speed of spreading the powder layers during 3D printing to create layers with different densities within the same object. This allows balancing visual quality and mechanical strength by tailoring the powder spreading parameters to each layer rather than using uniform settings for the entire object.

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3D printing objects with discrete elements that are partially connected. The method involves creating a unified 3D model with a transparent shell enveloping some of the discrete element shells. This allows the transparent shell to connect the discrete elements during printing. The transparent material is dispensed first, followed by the building materials for the discrete elements. The transparent material solidifies transparent, leaving connected elements.

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Reducing streaks and improving mechanical properties in 3D printed objects by changing the printing direction per layer. Instead of printing each layer in the same direction, the method alternates between two non-zero angle directions for each layer. This breaks up the streaks that can occur when printing in a single direction. The alternating directions also provides a more isotropic structure that improves the mechanical properties of the 3D printed part.

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Additive manufacturing of objects using a combination of materials and scanning modes to improve speed and functionality. The method involves sequentially forming layers of the object by selectively using raster scanning for some layers and vector scanning for others. Raster scanning is used with a dispenser head to lay down the main building material. Vector scanning is used with a separate dispenser head to add features like conductive tracks or long structures. This allows faster layer construction for simple shapes vs complex shapes, and enables separate materials like insulating vs conductive to be selectively deposited in the same layer.

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A method for 3D printing objects using powder bed fusion that improves strength and reduces defects. It involves calculating the optimal volume of binder to apply at each voxel location based on the surrounding voxels. This accounts for binder migration between layers to provide more uniform binder distribution and prevent excess binder from accumulating at the bottom of the object.

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3D printing method that reduces warping of printed objects by using a sandwich structure with layers of materials with different glass transition temperatures. The method involves 3D printing a part with alternating layers of a lower transition temperature material between layers of a higher transition temperature material. This prevents warping because the lower transition temperature material allows the part to expand and contract more than the higher transition temperature material during cooling, minimizing differential shrinkage and distortion. The part is printed on a heated surface above its glass transition temperature to further reduce warping. The lower transition temperature material can be a plasticizer or modified polymer to adjust its properties.

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3D printing method to prevent warping and deformation in 3D printed items, especially thin-walled objects like luminaires. The method involves reinforcing the printed segments to reduce bulging and buckling during cooling. This is achieved by printing coupling partitions between segments with wider layers than the segments themselves, or by recessing/protruding the partitions relative to the segments. The segment layers can also have alternating axes on opposite sides of a plane to create corrugations. These features prevent segment deformation by providing additional support and stiffness to the item part.

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A hybrid 3D printing technique that combines additive manufacturing and selective ablation to improve resolution and speed. The process involves dispensing a building material, straightening it, and then selectively ablating portions based on slice data. This is followed by dispensing additional building material to fill vacant areas. The ablation resolution is higher than the additive resolution. The technique allows features like texturized surfaces, debris removal, and curing between steps. It enables complex shapes with improved detail and faster build times compared to additive-only methods.

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A method to print 3D objects using a 3D printer that reduces delays and improves quality when printing objects with mixed organic and inorganic materials. The method involves printing layers clockwise and counterclockwise alternately, with the number of clockwise prints equal to the counterclockwise prints. This prevents layer distortion and warping that can occur when printing with mixed materials. The printed object has consistent layer thickness and geometry, avoiding issues like layer separation or uneven density.

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Method to generate metal additive manufacturing printing paths that reduce residual stress, thermal deformation, and improve surface quality and dimensional accuracy of parts compared to conventional methods. The method involves generating printing paths for metal additive manufacturing in a way that reduces residual stress, thermal deformation, and improves surface quality and dimensional accuracy of parts compared to conventional methods. The method involves dividing the part into small areas and scanning them in a random sequence using a random number sequence to generate the printing path. This random scanning order causes the residual stresses to cancel out, reduces the directional stress convergence, and minimizes thermal deformation. The small area scanning also reduces idle strokes and improves efficiency.

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A 3D printing method that allows fast printing of strong hollow parts by combining FDM and resin printing. The method involves first printing an open-topped hollow shell using FDM. Then, a resin is injected into the hollow shell to fill it completely. The resin cures inside the FDM structure, creating a solid part with an internal honeycomb-like lattice. This provides strength without the need for support structures during FDM printing, allowing faster printing speeds. The hollow structure is also lighter compared to a solid part.

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3D printer with improved accuracy for additive manufacturing by reducing shape error during printing. The printer has a printhead mounted on a carriage that moves along the X axis. The printhead orientation is perpendicular to the axis during printing. This orientation reduces errors in forming shapes like hemispheres by 15%. The printer also has features like a heated build plate and motorized Z axis movement.

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Additive manufacturing method for creating customized 3D objects with tailored material properties by using thread-like building materials with multiple components. The thread consists of two or more different material components with distinct physical or chemical properties. The components have different sections along the thread length with varying weight fractions. During 3D printing, the thread is extruded and solidified layer by layer to form the object. The localized distribution of component sections creates regions with specific properties within the printed object. This allows adjusting properties like hardness, strength, conductivity, etc. in certain areas without changing the overall material.

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Optimizing additive manufacturing (AM) of complex parts by dividing the part into sections with distinct print parameters before slicing into layers. This allows customizing print settings for different regions of the part instead of using constant parameters for all layers. The sections are printed sequentially with the adjusted parameters, then assembled into the final part. The slicing process prepares the sections with unique parameters before slicing into layers.

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A method and device for 3D printing objects with suspended structures that allows easier removal of support structures without damaging the printed object. The method involves printing the object using an interface layer material that insulates the printed layers from each other. The support structures are printed using a non-interface layer material that doesn't touch the printed layers. This allows the support material to be removed without affecting the printed object.

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Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing technique that improves print quality and reduces warping by splitting and splicing the model into separate sections. The technique involves breaking the 3D model into smaller sections, printing each section separately, and then joining the sections together. This allows optimizing the printing parameters for each section, such as infill density, to prevent warping and collapsing of the outer surface. By avoiding adjacent sections with different printing requirements, it improves surface quality and mechanical properties compared to continuous scanning.

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Method to produce counter-forms for manufacturing complex-shaped parts by sintering under pressure. The counter-forms are created using additive manufacturing like 3D printing. The counter-forms are formed of successive layers deposited digitally according to the part geometry. This allows complex shapes with undercuts and drafts that can't be easily molded. The counter-forms are dimensioned to anticipate material contraction during sintering. By using 3D printed counter-forms, specialized tools for complex shapes are avoided and assembly issues are eliminated. The parts are manufactured by inserting the powder into channels in the counter-forms, then pressing and sintering the powder to form the part.

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Method for rapidly manufacturing customized automotive parts like mufflers using 3D printing instead of traditional injection molding. The method involves creating a digital model of the part, then 3D printing it layer by layer using a dual-nozzle printer with a resin nozzle and a continuous fiber nozzle. The resin nozzle prints the main material, while the fiber nozzle adds reinforcement fibers at selective layer interfaces. This allows customized designs with integrated fiber reinforcement without requiring molds. The 3D printing process is faster and more versatile for small batch, multi-variety production compared to injection molding.

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Reducing material usage and cost for 3D printed metal components by optimizing support structures for sintering. The technique involves a hybrid approach where digital setters printed during the component build are combined with pre-existing analog setters. The digital setters are customized based on the component geometry to minimize material compared to full-size printed supports. The analog setters are fixed shapes that are selected based on component design. This allows optimized support structures using a mix of digitally printed and pre-formed physical supports.

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A method for 3D printing complex objects that have overhangs, cavities, gaps, or require support during printing. The method involves using a support structure made of the same material as the final object, printed layer by layer. This support structure is called a "mold edifice" because it has molding layers with additives that prevent fusion. The mold edifice is printed simultaneously with the object to provide support until completion. The mold layers cover contact points between the edifice and object. The mold additives prevent fusion during sintering. This allows separating the edifice and object without damage. The mold edifice can also be used for intertwined objects that need to move independently.

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