US 11,999,110 B2
Quality assurance in formation of three-dimensional objects
Benyamin Buller, Cupertino, CA (US); Gregory Ferguson Brown, San Jose, CA (US); Jatinder Randhawa, Milpitas, CA (US); Gustavo A. Tapia Imbaquingo, San Francisco, CA (US); Josiah Franklin Willard, Santa Clara, CA (US); Aqi He, Livermore, CA (US); Alexander Varlakhanov, San Carlos, CA (US); Aram Yegiazaryan, Lafayette, CA (US); Alexander Talalai, Sunnyvale, CA (US); Zachary Ryan Murphree, San Jose, CA (US); Pieter Coulier, Arlington, MA (US); Erel Milshtein, Cupertino, CA (US); and Sergey Korepanov, Los Altos, CA (US)
Filed by Velo3D, Inc., Fremont, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 26, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/584,881.
Application 17/584,881 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2020/042596, filed on Jul. 17, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/879,048, filed on Jul. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0250328 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B29C 64/165 (2017.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/393 (2017.08) [B29C 64/165 (2017.08); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 60 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for assuring quality in printing at least one three-dimensional object, the method comprising:
(a) comparing three-dimensional printers to a standard to generate a printer comparison, the three-dimensional printers being selected by a user, the standard relating to components of the three-dimensional printers;
(b) outputting the printer comparison to the user for a choice of a three-dimensional printer of the three-dimensional printers;
(c) analyzing a first data collected by a first sensor to identify a first deviation from a first expected value, the first sensor being configured to sense a first aspect of the printing of the at least one three-dimensional object, the first aspect comprising a first variable of the printing;
(d) analyzing a second data collected by a second sensor to identify a second deviation from a second expected value, the second sensor being configured to sense a second aspect of the printing of the at least one three-dimensional object, the second sensor being different from the first sensor in sensor type and/or in sensor location, the second aspect comprising a second variable of the printing;
(e) assessing the quality of the printing of the at least one three-dimensional object to generate a result by considering at least (I) the first deviation and (II) the second deviation, the result comprising a third aspect, the third aspect being different from the first aspect, the third aspect being different from the second aspect, the result comprising an integration of (i) the first data collected by the first sensor and (ii) the second data collected by the second sensor, wherein the integration is based at least in part on the choice of the three-dimensional printer utilized for the printing among the three-dimensional printers; and
(f) directing the three-dimensional printer chosen to print the at least one three-dimensional object based at least in part on the result.