Formlabs has patented a method for generating support structures for 3D printed objects, featuring interconnected pillars, “hair” supports, and obliquely-angled tips. The technique allows for easy removal of support structures post-fabrication while providing sufficient support during the printing process. GlobalData’s report on Formlabs gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Formlabs, Additive manufacturing monitoring sensors was a key innovation area identified from patents. Formlabs's grant share as of February 2024 was 48%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
3d printing support structures that are easily removable
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US11926105B2) discloses a method for generating a support structure for an object represented by a 3D model to be fabricated via additive fabrication. The method involves generating a 3D model of the support structure with support pillars, contact structures, and trusses, where the placement of trusses is determined based on an untrussed length from the object. Instructions are then generated for an additive fabrication device to fabricate the object and support structure, followed by the removal of the support structure from the object.
The patent also includes additional claims such as calculating the untrussed length based on material properties or expected user-applied force, using different untrussed lengths for various regions of the object, incorporating support hairs with reduced thickness, and coupling support pillars to a raft structure. Furthermore, the method involves specific configurations such as aligning support pillar tip sections parallel to the object surface, coupling contact structures at oblique angles, and ensuring trusses are placed at distances greater than the untrussed length along the support pillars. These innovative features aim to enhance the structural integrity and fabrication process of objects using additive manufacturing techniques.
To know more about GlobalData’s detailed insights on Formlabs, buy the report here.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
