Abstract: An apparatus for holding three-dimensional parts for printing includes a frame with sides and a solid bottom and a part gripping membrane mounted across the face of the frame. A biasing membrane is mounted at the midpoint of the frame height to form an air chamber between the frame bottom and the biasing membrane and a vacuum chamber between the biasing membrane and the part gripping membrane positioned on the face of the frame. To grip a part, the gripping membrane is stretched over the part, positive pressure is applied to the air chamber to compress the granular material within the air chamber and further stretch the gripping membrane over the part, and then vacuum is applied to the vacuum chamber between the two membranes to maintain the granular material compression and grip on the part when air pressure is relieved from the air chamber.

Abstract: A universal object holder device for securing 3-D objects for printing on the objects includes one or more ball shaped conformable grippers filled with irregular-shaped granular material with the one or more ball shaped conformable grippers each possessing an integrated vacuum gripper extending through an outer surface thereof. The combination of ball and vacuum gripper enables the universal object holder device to pick up a wider range of objects including those whose diameter is larger than the diameter of each gripper ball.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object is disclosed. The method includes operating a first ejector of a three-dimensional object printer to eject a first material towards a platen to form an object. The method further includes operating a second ejector of the three-dimensional object printer to eject a second material towards the platen to form support for portions of the object, the support being configured to provide support for portions of the object during the operation of the first ejector to form the object, at least one portion of the support having a body with at least one fluid path that connects at least one opening in the body to at least one other opening in the body. The method further includes connecting a fluid source to the at least one fluid path of the support to enable fluid to flow through the at least one fluid path to remove at least an inner portion the support from the object.

Abstract: A system uses microwave energy to remove support material from a three-dimensional printed object with reduced risk of damage to the object. The system includes a microwave source, a three port device, a susceptor, a temperature sensor, and a controller. The controller operates the microwave source to direct microwave energy into a first port of the three port device, which emits the microwave at a second port of the three port device to irradiate the three-dimensional object and melt the support material. Reflected microwave increases as the amount of support material contacting the object is reduced and enters the second port of the three port device, which directs the reflected energy to the susceptor coupled to a third port of the three port device. The controller monitors the signal generated by the temperature sensor and deactivates the microwave source in response to a predetermined condition being reached.

Abstract: An inkjet printhead prints test patches of magnetic ink having magnetic particles using different ink droplet sizes on print media. A sensor scans the test patches to determine test patch densities. A processor determines a table-based density that produces a user-selected magnetic strength by applying the selected magnetic strength to a density and magnetic strength relationship table. The processor identifies a matching test patch as one of the test patches having a density that most closely matches the table-based density, identifies a selected droplet size as the ink droplet size used to print the matching test patch, and controls the printhead to produce magnetic ink droplets of the selected droplet size when printing a print job for the selected magnetic strength.

Abstract: A personalized packaging production system includes an in-feed tray, an out-feed tray, a cutting table disposed intermediate the in-feed tray and the out-feed tray and an interchangeable cutting/creasing assembly. A sheet feeder is positioned between the in-feed tray and the cutting table to feed media sheets from the in-feed tray to the cutting table, and an exit nip is positioned between the out-feed tray and the cutting table to remove media sheets from the cutting table to the out-feed tray.

Abstract: A universal gripper includes a set of pivoting fingers on pins mounted uniformly around a fixed ring. The fingers attached by springs to a movable ring are able to rotate inward, toward the center, until they meet an object and stop. Multiple universal grippers could be stacked to allow for different contours throughout objects and facilitate the pivoting fingers conforming and wrapping around a centerline of the objects. Once the universal gripper fingers are in contact with the surface of the object, they stop moving and springs attached to the fingers elongate as the movable ring continues to move over its full range of motion. An alignment tool can be used for staging and acquiring objects in a repeatable and consistent manner.

Abstract: A holder plate containing sliding spring-loaded shutter plates with conformable elastic tubes filled with granular material attached to each shutter plate. A part is placed between the shutter plates that close and compress the tubes against the part. The tubes conform to the part surface. Vacuum is applied to each tube. Atmospheric air pressure compresses the elastic tubes and compacts the material inside the by forming a rigid gripper on each side of the part.

Abstract: A universal staging platen for many types of objects in Direct to Object printing has a datum surface which is configured to represent the plane of optimal print head distance. The universal staging platen has an array of small pins protruding from it that conform under spring load to an object placed on the datum surface. Once in a conformed state, an operator can lock the pin position so that the object is precisely positioned for acquisition by a gripper mechanism. An added benefit of locking the pin position is that subsequent copies of the object may be loaded without any additional alignment or setup. The distance the contour pins protrude through the datum surface may be adjusted so that the pin ends are sufficiently far away from the gripper mechanism being used.

Abstract: A system for securing, holding and aligning an object in a rigid subassembly include a conformable gripper ball. The gripper ball having the capability to conform to an object and then hold the object after contact. The conformability of the gripper ball is changed with air pressure to allow the gripper ball to hold the object. The gripper ball is mounted onto a rigid frame, which can then be docked into a loading station of a printer that prints on 3-D objects. With the addition of a vision system, the gripper assembly could be used with alignment markings on the loading station to allow manual alignment of the object to the rigid subassembly prior to loading into the printer.

Abstract: A generic holder includes a generic holder plate and a 3-D insert plate. The 3-D insert plate contains locating features mirrored to the backside of the part to be printed and vacuum grippers to secure the part in the insert plate. The insert plate is secured in the generic holder plate that includes vacuum couplings. The part is located on the insert plate and vacuum is applied to the generic holder plate and insert plate to hold the part for printing.

Abstract: A universal object holding mechanism for holding three-dimensional objects for printing thereon uses an array of suction cups reciprocally connected to a vacuum box to acquire objects from a staging platen while in a horizontal position and then pivot into a vertical position for movement of the objects past print heads. A plenum connected to the vacuum box is valve controlled to allow a low flow rate to the vacuum box to acquire objects and then a high flow rate pulse to close off all un-sealed suction cups with ball valves.

Abstract: A universal object holding mechanism for holding three-dimensional objects for printing thereon uses multiple conformable balls mounted within a pattern of holes in a two part back plate. The multiple conformable balls are pressed into an object which in turn is pressed against a datum surface that represents desired spacing away from print heads. Vacuum is applied to the multiple conformable balls which grip the object. The multiple conformable balls are filled with particulates that cause the multiple conformable balls to become rigid when the vacuum is applied. This contributes to keeping the object from moving when it is being moved past a print head.

Abstract: A universal gripper includes a set of pivoting fingers on pins mounted uniformly around a fixed ring. The fingers attached by springs to a movable ring are able to rotate inward, toward the center, until they meet an object and stop. Multiple universal grippers could be stacked to allow for different contours throughout objects and facilitate the pivoting fingers conforming and wrapping around a centerline of the objects. Once the universal gripper fingers are in contact with the surface of the object, they stop moving and springs attached to the fingers elongate as the movable ring continues to move over its full range of motion. An alignment tool can be used for staging and acquiring objects in a repeatable and consistent manner.

Abstract: A system for securing, holding and aligning an object in a rigid subassembly include a conformable gripper ball. The gripper ball having the capability to conform to an object and then hold the object after contact. The conformability of the gripper ball is changed with air pressure to allow the gripper ball to hold the object. The gripper ball is mounted onto a rigid frame, which can then be docked into a loading station of a printer that prints on 3-D objects. With the addition of a vision system, the gripper assembly could be used with alignment markings on the loading station to allow manual alignment of the object to the rigid subassembly prior to loading into the printer.

Abstract: A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional object facilitates the removal of support material from the object. The system includes a controller configured to move a platen to position the object at a position opposite a microwave radiator and then operate the microwave radiator to change the phase of the support material from solid to liquid. The controller either monitors the expiration of a predetermined time period or a temperature of the object to determine when the microwave radiator operation is terminated. The microwave radiation does not damage the object because the support material has a dielectric loss factor that is greater than the dielectric loss factor of the object.

Abstract: A sheet stacking system is disclosed that has improved tolerance for sheets that are not flat. Successive sheets are aligned onto a stack by a plurality of registration belts. The heights of the pivoting registration belts are compared with one another to determine the unevenness of the top of the stack. This unevenness is represented by the difference between the heights of the highest and lowest registration belt ?stack-height and is monitored to quantify the planarity of the top of the stack. When the unevenness (?stack-height) exceeds a threshold, the system switches to a modified method to control the elevation of the stack. This method may include stopping the machine from stacking before the unevenness is too large for the registration belts to uniformly drive sheets. This invention prevents the stacker from attempting to stack when sheets are expected to skew thereby preventing jams and unusable stacks.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object facilitates the removal of support material from the object. The method includes moving the object to a position opposite a microwave radiator and operating the microwave radiator to change the phase of the support material from solid to liquid. A controller either monitors the expiration of a predetermined time period or a temperature of the object to determine when the microwave radiator operation is terminated. The microwave radiation does not damage the object because the support material has a dielectric loss factor that is greater than the dielectric loss factor of the object.

Abstract: A system treats uneven surfaces of additive manufactured objects to improve the transparency and glossiness of the surfaces. The system operates a sprayer to apply fluid material used to form the uneven surface to the uneven surface to smooth the surface or the system operates an actuator to dip the additive manufactured object into a bath of fluid material that is the same as the material used to form the uneven surface to smooth the surface. A heater is provided to dry non-UV curable material applied to the uneven surface and a source of UV radiation is provided to cure UV curable material applied to the uneven surface.

Abstract: A universal gripper of objects includes two elastomer membranes separating a bed of rounded tipped nails that allow for object conformation. The object is pushed into a membrane that contacts the object with a known air pressure behind an inner membrane inside the gripper. The air pressure provides conformance and maximum resolution of object curvature to the bed of nails. At least one pin guide and locking plate having flexure fingers is actuated causing a small displacement which clamps each nail in its deformed position. The air pressure on the inner membrane is now removed and afterwards, a vacuum blower is turned ON causing the object to be gripped for removal from a staging platen and moved to a position to receive an image from a printer.