Print job processing

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a powder-based additive manufacturing printer, a print job defining a spatial arrangement of a series of objects to be printed in a build chamber of the printer, the build chamber having a maximum available height;

applying, by the printer, a geometrical calibration to the series of objects to account for dimensional object deformation during printing, resulting in a calibrated print job in which a height of the series of objects is greater in the calibrated print job than in the received print job;

determining, by the printer, a height of an object set of powder layers to be formed in the build chamber to generate the objects based on the calibrated print job;

determining, by the printer, a height of an annealing set of powder layers to be formed in the build chamber after the object set of powder layers, where no portion of any object is formed in the annealing set;

determining, by the printer, whether a sum of the heights of the object and annealing sets of powder layers exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber;

in response to determining that the sum does not exceed the maximum available height of the build chamber, printing, by the printer, the series of objects in accordance with the calibrated print job by forming the object set of powder layers, and then the annealing set of powder layers; and

in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, not printing, by the printer, the series of objects in accordance with the calibrated print job,

wherein the annealing set of powder layers are formed to insulate the printed series of objects to maintain a cooling profile during object cooling.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, modifying the calibrated print job by defining a new spatial arrangement that reduces the sum to below the maximum available height.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, modifying the calibrated print job by removing objects from the series of objects to reduce the sum to below the maximum available height.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber:

calculating an amount by which the sum exceeds the maximum available height;

calculating a difference between the determined height of the annealing set of powder layers and the amount by which the sum exceeds the maximum available height;

comparing the difference with a minimum height of powder layers to maintain the cooling profile during object cooling; and

determining whether to print the series of objects in accordance with the calibrated print job with less than the determined height of the annealing set of powder layers, based on a result of comparing the difference with the minimum height.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, indicating on a screen that the series of objects cannot be printed with the determined height of the annealing set of powder layers.

6 . A non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium storing instructions executable by a processor of a powder-based additive manufacturing printer to perform processing comprising:

receiving a print job defining a spatial arrangement of a series of objects to be printed in a build chamber of the printer, the build chamber having a maximum available height;

applying a geometrical calibration to the series of objects to account for dimensional object deformation during printing, resulting in a calibrated print job in which a height of the series of objects is greater in the calibrated print job than in the received print job;

determining a height of an annealing set of powder layers to be formed in the build chamber to generate the objects based on the calibrated print job;

determining a height of an annealing set of powder layers to be formed in the build chamber after the object set of powder layers, where no portion of any object is formed in the annealing set;

determining whether a sum of the heights of the object and annealing sets of powder layers exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber;

in response to determining that the sum does not exceed the maximum available height of the build chamber, printing the series of objects in accordance with the calibrated print job by forming the object set of powder layers, and then the annealing set of powder layers; and

in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, not printing the series of objects in accordance with the calibrated print job,

wherein the annealing set of powder layers are formed to insulate the printed series of objects to maintain a cooling profile during object cooling.

7 . The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the processing further comprises, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, modifying the calibrated print job by defining a new spatial arrangement that reduces the sum to below the maximum available height.

8 . The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the processing further comprises, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, modifying the calibrated print job by removing objects from the series of objects to reduce the sum to below the maximum available height.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the processing further comprises, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber:

calculating an amount by which the sum exceeds the maximum available height;

calculating a difference between the determined height of the annealing set of powder layers and the amount by which the sum exceeds the maximum available height;

comparing the difference with a minimum height of powder layers to maintain the cooling profile during object cooling; and

determining whether to print the series of objects in accordance with the calibrated print job with less than the determined height of the annealing set of powder layers, based on a result of comparing the difference with the minimum height.

10 . The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the processing further comprises, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, indicating on a screen that the series of objects cannot be printed with the determined height of the annealing set of powder layers.

11 . A powder-based additive manufacturing printer comprising:

a build chamber having a maximum available height;

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to perform processing comprising:

receiving a print job defining a spatial arrangement of a series of objects to be printed in the build chamber;

applying a geometrical calibration to the series of objects to account for dimensional object deformation during printing, resulting in a calibrated print job in which a height of the series of objects is greater in the calibrated print job than in the received print job;

determining a height of an object set of powder layers to be formed in the build chamber to generate the objects based on the calibrated print job;

determining a height of an annealing set of powder layers to be formed in the build chamber after the object set of powder layers, where no portion of any object is formed in the annealing set;

determining whether a sum of the heights of the object and annealing sets of powder layers exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber;

in response to determining that the sum does not exceed the maximum available height of the build chamber, printing the series of objects in accordance with the calibrated print job by forming the object set of powder layers, and then the annealing set of powder layers; and

in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, not printing the series of objects in accordance with the calibrated print job,

wherein the annealing set of powder layers are formed to insulate the printed series of objects to maintain a cooling profile during object cooling.

12 . The powder-based additive manufacturing printer of claim 11 , wherein the processing further comprises, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, modifying the calibrated print job by defining a new spatial arrangement that reduces the sum to below the maximum available height.

13 . The powder-based additive manufacturing printer of claim 11 , wherein the processing further comprises, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, modifying the calibrated print job by removing objects from the series of objects to reduce the sum to below the maximum available height.

14 . The powder-based additive manufacturing printer of claim 11 , wherein the processing further comprises, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber:

calculating an amount by which the sum exceeds the maximum available height;

calculating a difference between the determined height of the annealing set of powder layers and the amount by which the sum exceeds the maximum available height;

comparing the difference with a minimum height of powder layers to maintain the cooling profile during object cooling; and

determining whether to print the series of objects in accordance with the calibrated print job with less than the determined height of the annealing set of powder layers, based on a result of comparing the difference with the minimum height.

15 . The powder-based additive manufacturing printer of claim 11 , wherein the processing further comprises, in response to determining that the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber, indicating on a screen that the series of objects cannot be printed with the determined height of the annealing set of powder layers.

16 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, by the printer, a height of a warming set of powder layers to be formed on a bed of the build chamber before the object set of powder layers, where no portion of any object is formed in the warming set,

wherein the sum used in determining whether the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber further includes the height of the warming set of powder layers, such that the sum is of the heights of the warming, object, and annealing sets of powder layers,

wherein the series of objects is printed in accordance with the calibrated print job by forming the warming set of powder layers before the object set of powder layers, and then the annealing set of powder layers, are formed,

and wherein the warming set of powder layers are formed to improve thermal uniformity across the bed of the build chamber during object formation.

17 . The method of claim 1 , wherein printing the series of objects only when the sum does not exceed the maximum available height ensures that the series of objects do not suffer from defects due to the cooling profile not being maintained during object cooling.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the processing further comprises:

determining a height of a warming set of powder layers to be formed on a bed of the build chamber before the object set of powder layers, where no portion of any object is formed in the warming set,

wherein the sum used in determining whether the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber further includes the height of the warming set of powder layers, such that the sum is of the heights of the warming, object, and annealing sets of powder layers,

wherein the series of objects is printed in accordance with the calibrated print job by forming the warming set of powder layers before the object set of powder layers, and then the annealing set of powder layers, are formed,

and wherein the warming set of powder layers are formed to improve thermal uniformity across the bed of the build chamber during object formation.

19 . The powder-based additive manufacturing printer of claim 11 , wherein the processing further comprises:

determining a height of a warming set of powder layers to be formed on a bed of the build chamber before the object set of powder layers, where no portion of any object is formed in the warming set,

wherein the sum used in determining whether the sum exceeds the maximum available height of the build chamber further includes the height of the warming set of powder layers, such that the sum is of the heights of the warming, object, and annealing sets of powder layers,

wherein the series of objects is printed in accordance with the calibrated print job by forming the warming set of powder layers before the object set of powder layers, and then the annealing set of powder layers, are formed,

and wherein the warming set of powder layers are formed to improve thermal uniformity across the bed of the build chamber during object formation.