Support structures in additive manufacturing

1. A method of manufacturing an object using additive manufacturing techniques, the method comprising:

providing a base plate comprising a body portion and an insert, wherein the insert comprises a torque application portion and a shaft portion, wherein the body portion includes at least one opening configured to receive the shaft portion;

positioning an end of the insert in a first xy plane;

using additive manufacturing techniques to build a support, wherein the support is configured to at least partially support the object during additive manufacturing, and wherein the support is built on top of the insert, contacting only a top surface of the insert; and

using additive manufacturing techniques to build the object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the torque application portion and the shaft portion are formed as a single, joined component.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one opening is configured to allow the shaft portion to rotate within the at least one opening.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the shaft portion comprises threads formed on an external surface, and wherein the at least one opening comprises complimentary threads on an internal surface.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the shaft portion is configured to be screwed into the at least one opening to engage the insert with the body portion.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body portion further comprises a cut-out along a same axis as a center of the at least one opening.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the cut-out has a diameter sufficient to fit the torque application portion within the cut-out.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein a diameter of the cut-out is further sufficient to allow a tool to interact with the torque application portion.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the body portion and the insert are configured for positioning within an additive manufacturing device, and wherein the additive manufacturing device is configured to build the support above a portion of the insert that is exposed on top of the base plate.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying torque to the torque application portion in order to break the insert from the support.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the insert is configured to break from the support at the portion of the insert that is exposed on top of the base plate.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the support is configured to at least partially support the object by providing at least one of a heat sink function, a distortion prevention function, and a horizontal support function.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising building the support and object as part of a single additive manufacturing process.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first xy plane is a plane where additive manufacture of the object begins.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing on the base plate a first portion of a coupling element, the coupling element comprising the first portion of the coupling element and a second portion of the coupling element, wherein the first portion of the coupling element is configured to detachably couple to the second portion of the coupling element.

16. A method of manufacturing an object using additive manufacturing techniques, the method comprising:

providing a support for the object, the support being configured to at least partially support the object during additive manufacture of the object;

providing a base plate, wherein the support is configured to couple at a first end with a first portion of the object and to couple at a second end with one of a second portion of the object, the base plate, and another object;

providing, on the support, a first portion of a coupling element, the coupling element comprising the first portion of the coupling element and a second portion of the coupling element, wherein the first portion of the coupling element is configured to detachably couple to the second portion of the coupling element;

providing, on at least one of the support, the object, the other object, and the base plate, the second portion of the coupling element,

wherein the coupling element comprises a sliding coupling element configured to slide in a horizontal plane with respect to a build direction of the object, wherein the sliding coupling element comprises a receiving element that slides with respect to a sliding element, the sliding element and receiving element having complimentary shapes that prevent movement in a vertical direction with respect to the build direction of the object when the sliding element and the receiving element are engaged; and

sliding the sliding element out of the receiving element to disengage the first portion of the object from the one of the second portion of the object, the base plate, and the other object.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the sliding element comprises a plurality of separate blocks.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the sliding element is configured to rotationally slide with respect to the receiving element.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the sliding element is configured to rectilinearly slide with respect to the receiving element.

20. A method of manufacturing an object using additive manufacturing techniques, the method comprising:

controlling of building, using additive manufacturing, a support at a position above a portion of an insert that is exposed on top of a base plate comprising a body portion and the insert, wherein the insert comprises a torque application portion and a shaft portion, wherein the body portion includes at least one opening configured to receive the shaft portion, and

controlling of building the object on top of the support to a least partially support the object during additive manufacturing, and wherein the support is built on top of the insert, contacting only a top surface of the insert.

21. A method of manufacturing an object using additive manufacturing techniques, the method comprising:

controlling building, using additive manufacturing, a support for the object, the support being configured to at least partially support the object during additive manufacture of the object, wherein the support is configured to couple at a first end with a first portion of the object and to couple at a second end with one of a second portion of the object, a base plate, and another object, wherein a first portion of a coupling element is provided on the support, the coupling element comprising the first portion of the coupling element and a second portion of the coupling element, wherein the first portion of the coupling element is configured to detachably couple to the second portion of the coupling element, wherein the second portion of the coupling element is provided on at least one of the support, the object, the other object, and the base plate, wherein the coupling element comprises a sliding coupling element configured to slide in a horizontal plane with respect to a build direction of the object, wherein the sliding coupling element comprises a receiving element that slides with respect to a sliding element, the sliding element and receiving element having complementary shapes that prevent movement in a vertical direction with respect to the build direction of the object when the sliding element and the receiving element are engaged;

controlling of building the object on top of the support to a least partially support the object during additive manufacturing; and

sliding the sliding element out of the receiving element to disengage the first portion of the object from the one of the second portion of the object, the base plate, and the other object.