| CPC B29C 64/379 (2017.08) [B29C 64/209 (2017.08); B29C 64/245 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] | 7 Claims |
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1. A method comprising:
controlling a first robotic arm to hold a build part suspended above a floor, wherein the build part includes an appendage that projects from a main body of the build part;
controlling a second robotic arm, that is mechanically coupled to a print head, to move the print head relative to the first robotic arm and the floor during a build process to modify an angle of the print head relative to the build part;
depositing source material layer by layer on the build part from a nozzle of the print head, both before and after the second robotic arm moves the print head to modify the angle, to construct the build part during the build process; and
controlling the first robotic arm to move the build part from a first orientation to a second orientation relative to the print head and the floor during the build process to modify an angle of a surface layer of the build part relative to the print head and the floor, wherein the second orientation is selected such that an angle defined between a downskin surface of the appendage and a gravitational force direction is less than a threshold angle to avoid forming a support underneath the downskin surface during the build process,
wherein depositing the source material comprises depositing a first amount of the source material prior to the first robotic arm moving the build part to form, upon the first amount solidifying, a first set of layers of the build part in the first orientation, and depositing a second amount of the source material after the first robotic arm moves the build part to form, upon the second amount solidifying, a second set of layers of the build part in the second orientation, wherein the first set of layers of the build part is transverse to the second set of layers of the build part.
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