Consolidating a build material substrate for additive manufacturing

Abstract

In one example, a non-transitory processor readable medium with instructions thereon that when executed cause an additive manufacturing machine to consolidate powdered build material in a volume of a substrate of powdered build material to form a consolidated volume of substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-transitory processor readable medium having instructions thereon that when executed cause an additive manufacturing machine to consolidate powdered build material in a volume of a substrate of powdered build material to form a consolidated volume of substrate. 
     
     
         2 . The medium of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to form a consolidated volume of substrate include instructions to:
 heat unconsolidated powdered build material in the substrate to a temperature at least as high as a boiling point of a liquid binder; and then   apply the liquid binder to a volume of heated substrate.   
     
     
         3 . The medium of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions to form a consolidated volume of substrate include instructions to:
 apply a light-curable liquid binder to an unheated, unconsolidated powdered build material in the substrate; and then   expose the substrate to light where binder was applied to the build material.   
     
     
         4 . The medium of  claim 1 , wherein the instructions include instructions to:
 form a layer of unconsolidated powdered build material on the substrate; and   solidify powdered build material in the layer within a perimeter of the consolidated volume of substrate to form a slice   
     
     
         5 . The medium of  claim 4 , wherein the instructions to solidify include instructions to:
 dispense a coalescing agent on to powdered build material in the layer in a pattern to form patterned build material; and   expose the patterned build material to light.   
     
     
         6 . A computer program product that includes the processor readable medium of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         7 . An additive manufacturing machine controller that includes the processor readable medium of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         8 . An additive manufacturing process, comprising:
 forming a substrate of unconsolidated powdered build material;   consolidating powdered build material in a volume of the substrate to form a consolidated dry volume of substrate;   forming a layer of powdered build material on the consolidated volume of substrate; and   solidifying powdered build material in the layer to form a slice.   
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the consolidating includes:
 heating dry powdered build material in the substrate including the volume of the substrate to a temperature at least as high as a boiling point of a liquid binder; and then   applying the liquid binder to the heated first volume of substrate.   
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the consolidating includes:
 applying a light-curable liquid binder to an unheated, unconsolidated powdered build material in the substrate; and then   exposing the substrate to light where binder was applied to the build material.   
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the solidifying includes:
 dispensing a coalescing agent on to powdered build material in the layer in a pattern to form patterned build material; and   applying light energy to the patterned build material.   
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 9 , wherein the solidifying includes:
 dispensing a coalescing agent on to powdered build material in the layer in a first pattern to form first patterned build material;   dispensing a coalescence modifier agent on to first patterned build material in a second pattern to form second patterned build material; and then   applying light energy to the first patterned build material and the second patterned build material.   
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 10 , comprising separating the slice from the substrate. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 8 , wherein the consolidating includes:
 applying a liquid binder to the volume of substrate; and   evaporating liquid from the volume.   
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 14 , wherein the evaporating includes applying the liquid binder to powdered build material in the substrate that has been heated to a temperature at or above the boiling point of liquid in the binder. 
     
     
         16 . An additive manufacturing machine, comprising:
 a first device to layer powdered build material;   a second device to dispense a binder on to build material;   a third device to dispense a coalescing agent on build material;   a heater to heat build material;   a light source to apply light energy to build material; and   a controller to execute instructions to:
 cause the first device to layer a substrate of build material; 
 cause the heater to heat build material in the substrate; 
 cause the second device to dispense a binder on to heated build material in the substrate; 
 cause the first device to layer build material on the substrate where the binder has been dispensed; 
 cause the third device to dispense a coalescing agent on to the layer of build material; and 
 cause the light source to apply light energy to the layer of build material where coalescing agent has been dispensed. 
   
     
     
         17 . The machine of  claim 16 , comprising a fourth device to dispense a coalescence agent modifier on to build material and wherein the controller is to execute instructions to cause the fourth device to dispense a coalescence modifier agent on to the layer of build material where coalescing agent has been dispensed before applying light energy to the layer.