Abstract: A method of printing a part using an additive manufacturing system includes identifying a part or parts to print and orienting a digital representation of the part(s) in a build volume. A digital representation of porous support structures for the part(s) is generated to form a digital representation of a part block of the part(s) to be printed. In the part block, a porosity of the support structure increases as a distance from an outer surface of the part increases within the print volume. The digital representation of the part block, including the part(s) and porous support structures, is sliced for printing.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system and process for printing a three-dimensional part, which includes one or more electrophotography engines configured to develop layers of the three-dimensional part, a printing assembly configured to print the three-dimensional part from the developed layers, and a planarizer configured to conduct solvent-assisted planarizations on intermediate build surfaces of the three-dimensional part after one or more of the developed layers are printed.

Abstract: A liquefier assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, which includes a rigid member having a gap, a liquefier tube operably disposed in the gap, one or more heater assemblies disposed in the gap in contact with the liquefier tube, and configured to heat the liquefier tube in a zone-by-zone manner, preferably one or more thermal resistors disposed in the gap between the rigid member and the heater assemblies, and preferably one or more sensors configured to operably measure pressure within the liquefier tube. The one or more heater assemblies may be operated to provide dynamic heat flow control.

Abstract: A liquefier assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, which includes a rigid member having a gap, a liquefier tube operably disposed in the gap, one or more heater assemblies disposed in the gap in contact with the liquefier tube, and configured to heat the liquefier tube in a zone-by-zone manner, preferably one or more thermal resistors disposed in the gap between the rigid member and the heater assemblies, and preferably one or more sensors configured to operably measure pressure within the liquefier tube. The one or more heater assemblies may be operated to provide dynamic heat flow control.

Abstract: A liquefier assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, which includes a rigid member having a gap, a liquefier tube operably disposed in the gap, one or more heater assemblies disposed in the gap in contact with the liquefier tube, and configured to heat the liquefier tube in a zone-by-zone manner, preferably one or more thermal resistors disposed in the gap between the rigid member and the heater assemblies, and preferably one or more sensors configured to operably measure pressure within the liquefier tube. The one or more heater assemblies may be operated to provide dynamic heat flow control.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system and process for producing three-dimensional parts, which includes forming layers of the three-dimensional part from a part material at a first resolution, and ablating selected voxels of the formed layers with a laser beam at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution.

Abstract: A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system includes providing a bitslice stack having a plurality of bitslices and printing a plurality of successive layers of the three-dimensional part with the additive manufacturing system based on the bitslices in the bitslice stack. The method includes measuring density of the three-dimensional part under construction near an intermediate build surface after one or more of the successive layers are printed. The method includes determining differences across the intermediate build surface of the measured density to a targeted density to identify one or more density error regions across the intermediate build surface, wherein the density error regions comprise low density regions, and modifying the bitslice stack to compensate for the one or more density error regions.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system and process for producing three-dimensional parts, which includes forming layers of the three-dimensional part from a part material at a first resolution, and ablating selected voxels of the formed layers with a laser beam at a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution.

Abstract: A method and program for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system, the method including generating or otherwise providing strain data from a digital model of the three-dimensional part, orienting the digital model to align the directions of high tensile strain in a build plane, and printing the three-dimensional part in a layer-by-layer manner based on the oriented digital model with the additive manufacturing system.

Abstract: In a method for printing a three-dimensional (3D) parts with an additive manufacturing system, a developed layer of an electrically charged powder material is produced on a transfer medium using an electrophotographic (EP) engine. The transfer medium and the developed layer are fed in a feed direction. A position of the developed layer on the transfer medium is detected using a first sensor having a first output that indicates the position. A position of a moveable build platform is adjusted relative to the transfer medium to reduce one or more overlay errors between the developed layer and an intermediate build surface of a three-dimensional structure retained on the moveable build platform based on the first output. The developed layer is transferred to the intermediate build surface using a pressing element.

Abstract: A payout tube for enabling payout of a consumable filament from a consumable assembly that is configured for use with an additive manufacturing system, the payout tube comprising a tip end having an inlet opening, a base end having an outlet opening, and a tube body having an average effective outer diameter that is substantially greater than an effective inner diameter of the inlet opening.

Abstract: A method for printing a three-dimensional part with an additive manufacturing system includes providing a bitslice stack having a plurality of bitslices and printing a plurality of successive layers of the three-dimensional part with the additive manufacturing system based on the bitslices in the bitslice stack. The method includes measuring density of the three-dimensional part under construction near an intermediate build surface after one or more of the successive layers are printed. The method includes determining differences across the intermediate build surface of the measured density to a targeted density to identify one or more density error regions across the intermediate build surface, wherein the density error regions comprise low density regions, and modifying the bitslice stack to compensate for the one or more density error regions.

Abstract: A method of printing a three-dimensional part includes dividing each of a plurality of layers of a model of the three-dimensional part into a plurality of passes, where each of the plurality of passes is separated from one or more adjacent passes by a gap. The gap between passes in a first layer is offset from the gap between passes in an adjacent layer, such that the gap between passes in the first layer does not align with or stack with the gap between passes in the adjacent layer.

Abstract: A method and system for printing a three-dimensional part, which includes producing a developed layer of a part material with one or more electrophotography engines of an additive manufacturing system, transferring the developed layer from the one or more electrophotography engines to a transfer assembly of the additive manufacturing system sintering the developed layer at the transfer assembly to produce a sintered contiguous film, cooling the sintered contiguous film down to a transfer temperature, and pressing the cooled sintered contiguous film into contact with an intermediate build surface of the three-dimensional part with a low applied pressure.

Abstract: A consumable material and sensor assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system, the consumable material comprising an exterior surface having encoded markings that are configured to be read by the sensor assembly, where the consumable material is configured to be consumed in the additive manufacturing system to build at least a portion of a three-dimensional model.

Abstract: A slot extruder for use with an additive manufacturing system, which includes a plenum configured to receive a photocurable resin, an elongated slot positioned at a bottom end of the plenum and configured to receive the photocurable resin from the plenum, one or more resin inlet ports extending into the plenum, and one or more mechanisms configured to controllably pressurize and depressurize the photocurable resin in the plenum.

Abstract: A method and system for printing a three-dimensional part, which includes printing a plurality of successive layers of the three-dimensional part with the additive manufacturing system based on bitslices in a bitslice stack, measuring surface heights of the successive layers after each of the successive layers are printed, determining differences between the measured surface heights and predicted stack heights of the bitslices, identifying one or more topographical error regions based on the determined differences, and modifying the bitslice stack to compensate for the one or more topographical error regions.

Abstract: A laser assembly for use with an additive manufacturing system, which includes a base block configured to be moved along a scan direction axis in the additive manufacturing system, a plurality of laser emitters preferably arranged in an array of at least two rows of two or more laser emitters. At least a portion of a heat sink assembly is configured to draw heat away from the base block and/or the laser emitters. The assembly includes a controller assembly a controller assembly configured to control a movement of the base block along the first axis and to independently control at least timing and duration of energy emitted from each laser emitter of the plurality of laser emitters as the base block moves along the first axis.

Abstract: A print assembly for use in an additive manufacturing system to print three-dimensional parts, which includes a coarse positioner, a fine positioner, and a liquefier assembly, where a portion of the liquefier assembly is operably mounted to the fine positioner such that the fine positioner is configured to move the portion of the liquefier assembly relative to the coarse positioner.

Abstract: A ribbon liquefier comprising an outer liquefier portion configured to receive thermal energy from a heat transfer component, and a channel at least partially defined by the outer liquefier portion, where the channel has dimensions that are configured to receive the ribbon filament, and where the ribbon liquefier is configured to melt the ribbon filament received in the channel to at least an extrudable state with the received thermal energy to provide a melt flow. The dimensions of the channel are further configured to conform the melt flow from an axially-asymmetric flow to a substantially axially-symmetric flow in an extrusion tip connected to the ribbon liquefier.