Method for loading a component to be additively manufactured, device comprising a 3D printing device, and computer-readable medium

Abstract

Examples of methods for loading components with diffusion rings are described herein. In some examples, a first diffusion ring of a first portion of a component is determined. In some examples, a second diffusion ring of a second portion of the component is determined. In some examples, the component is loaded based on the first diffusion ring and the second diffusion ring.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to 3D printing. Background Art

[0002] Three-dimensional (3D) solid components can be produced from digital models using additive manufacturing. Additive manufacturing can be used in rapid prototyping, mold generation, mold master generation, and short-run manufacturing. Additive manufacturing involves applying successive layers of build material. This is different from some machining processes that typically remove material to create the final component. In some additive manufacturing techniques, the build material can be cured or fused. Summary of the Invention

[0003] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for loading a component to be additively manufactured, including: determining a first portion of the component, the first portion including features having dimensions less than a threshold; determining a first diffusion volume relative to the first portion of the component, wherein the first diffusion volume defines a first inter-component spacing; determining a second diffusion volume relative to a second portion of the component, wherein the second portion does not include features having dimensions less than the threshold, wherein the second diffusion volume defines a second inter-component spacing, and wherein the first inter-component spacing is greater than the second inter-component spacing; and loading the component based on the first diffusion volume and the second diffusion volume, wherein loading includes loading the component in a build volume such that the first diffusion volume and the second diffusion volume do not overlap with another component or another diffusion volume; wherein the method further includes using 3D printing to manufacture the component having the loading in the build volume.

[0004] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an apparatus including a 3D printing device, including: a memory; a display; a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to execute the above-described method for loading a component to be additively manufactured.

[0005] According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing executable code that, when executed, causes the execution of the above-described method for loading a component to be additively manufactured. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] Figure 1 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a method for component loading with a diffusion perimeter;

[0007] Figure 2 is a block diagram of an example of an apparatus that can be used in component loading with a diffusion perimeter;

[0008] Figure 3is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium for performing part packing with a diffusion perimeter; and

[0009] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a packing part with a diffusion perimeter in a build volume and an example of a packing part in the build volume. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Additive manufacturing can be used to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) parts. A part is an object that can be formed by additive manufacturing. 3D printing is an example of additive manufacturing. Performing additive manufacturing relies on packing. Packing is information that specifies the arrangement structure (e.g., positioning, location, orientation, placement, etc.) of parts in a build volume. The build volume is a 3D space. The build volume can correspond to the physical space in which additive manufacturing can be performed. It may be beneficial to increase the packing density in the build volume to increase production and / or reduce manufacturing costs. It may also be beneficial to customize the packing for printing and post-processing such that the parts placed in the build volume have a target yield. Some examples of the techniques described herein address packing density and yield.

[0011] Some parts have surface features where additional protection during manufacturing is beneficial. For example, it may be beneficial, for fine surface features, to use a greater inter-part spacing (e.g., a thicker powder fill). This can provide protection against, for example, de-caking.

[0012] In some techniques, the inter-part spacing can be specified as a constant distance in the build volume regardless of part size, geometry, and / or complexity (e.g., surface-to-volume ratio). For example, if the build includes parts with fine features, a greater-than-baseline inter-part spacing can be specified when packing the build. The part packing density can be very sensitive (superlinear) to the inter-part spacing. Reducing or minimizing the inter-part spacing may be beneficial.

[0013] Some of the techniques described herein enable the generation of a volume that can be referred to as an aura. In some examples, the aura of a given component can be a fine feature of the component but not provide additional powder fill elsewhere for the component, such that certain features can be protected while increasing packing density. Fine features are component features that are at or near the surface of the component for which additional protection from the manufacturing (e.g., printing) process and / or post-processing would be beneficial. For example, fine features can utilize additional protection to avoid degrading the fine feature during manufacturing (e.g., printing). In some examples, fine features can be features having one or more dimensions that are at a threshold (e.g., 800 microns or 1.5 millimeters) or less. In some examples, fine features can additionally or alternatively be indicated by another criterion or criteria (e.g., structure type, user-specified area, protected target area, etc.). For example, a fine feature can be an electrical circuit on or near the surface of a component, or an antenna printed on the surface of a component. For example, certain features may not necessarily be "small" (e.g., having dimensions less than or equal to a threshold), but can be considered fine features that are to be provided with additional protection. In some examples, other features (e.g., non-fine features) can be features that are not fine features (e.g., features having one or more dimensions greater than the threshold and / or features that are not protected targets).

[0014] In some examples, the inter-component spacing for component packing can be determined by creating an aura for a given component. In some examples, the aura can depend on the presence and characteristics (e.g., location, rank) of certain features (e.g., fine features). Additionally or alternatively, the aura can depend on the shape, size, and / or geometric complexity of the component. In some examples, different components within the same build can have (e.g., can utilize) different inter-component spacings, and / or different locations of the same component can have different inter-component spacings, depending on the presence and / or location of features. Some examples of the techniques described herein can allow shape-based component packing to increase packing density.

[0015] Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals can denote similar but not necessarily identical elements. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, and the dimensions of some parts can be enlarged to more clearly illustrate the examples shown. Additionally, the drawings provide examples and / or embodiments consistent with this specification; however, this specification is not limited to the examples and / or embodiments provided in the drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method 100 for component packing with a diffusion aura. Method 100 and / or one or more elements of method 100 can be performed by a device (e.g., an electronic device). For example, method 100 can be performed by the device 202 described in Figure 2 connection with.

[0017] The apparatus can determine a first diffusion perimeter for a first portion of component 102. The diffusion perimeter is relative to the volume of the component. For example, the diffusion perimeter can indicate the packing material around the component or the spacing from the component (e.g., inter-component spacing). In some examples, the diffusion perimeter can define a volume for the component such that during a loading process no other one or more components will be placed to overlap or intersect with the volume. In some examples, the diffusion perimeter can define a layer of loose powder filled around the component to provide protection for the component. The diffusion perimeter can correspond to a portion of the component or the entire component. In some examples, the diffusion perimeter for the entire component can include diffusion perimeters corresponding to multiple portions of the component. The diffusion perimeter can vary in terms of its size (e.g., thickness) on the component. The first portion is a subset for which additional protection (e.g., increased packing material or inter-component spacing) is targeted. For example, the first portion can be the portion of the component that includes fine features or is designated for additional protection.

[0018] The apparatus can determine a second diffusion perimeter for a second portion of component 104. The second portion is a subset of the component that is different from the first portion. In some examples, the second portion can be complementary to the first portion. The second portion may not be the target of additional protection. For example, the second portion can be the portion for baseline packing or inter-component spacing (e.g., no packing or a predetermined amount of packing). As used herein, "baseline" represents a predetermined or established amount. For example, the second portion can be the portion of the component that does not include fine features or is not designated for additional protection. In some examples, the first diffusion perimeter and the second diffusion perimeter can be regions of a single diffusion perimeter. For example, the first diffusion perimeter can be a region of the diffusion perimeter corresponding to the first portion of the component, and the second diffusion perimeter can be another region of the diffusion perimeter corresponding to the second region of the component.

[0019] In some examples, method 100 can include determining the first portion of the component based on a size of the component that is less than one or more thresholds. The one or more thresholds can be predetermined or determined based on received input. Examples of the one or more thresholds include 800 micrometers and 1.5 millimeters (mm). In some examples, the apparatus can determine the first portion based on component data (e.g., a model file).

[0020] In some examples, the component data (e.g., the model) includes geometric information (e.g., non-uniform rational basis spline (NURBS) information, face information, edge information, etc.), and the apparatus can determine the first portion based on the component data. For example, all edges less than the threshold can be marked as protected edges (e.g., included in the first portion). All faces that include protected edges can be marked as protected faces (e.g., included in the first portion).

[0021] In some examples, the component data (e.g., model) is a mesh model (e.g., 3D manufacturing format (3MF) file), and each surface mesh element (e.g., surface triangle) can be evaluated to calculate a characteristic length. All mesh elements having a characteristic length less than a threshold can be marked as protected meshes (e.g., included in the first part). In some examples, the device can select a process for determining the first part (e.g., geometric information method or mesh model method) based on the type of information provided and / or received (e.g., geometric information or mesh model).

[0022] In some examples, method 100 can include marking a first part of the component with a value. The one or more marked parts of the component can be included in the first part. In some examples, the marking can be a boolean value or a binary value. For example, pixels or voxels of the component can be marked as included in the first part (e.g., "1" or "true") or not included in the first part (e.g., "0" or "false").

[0023] In some examples, a set of multiple thresholds can be utilized. These thresholds can be predetermined or determined based on the received input (e.g., specified by user input). Examples of the set of thresholds can be 800 microns and 1.5 mm. The device can mark different parts of the component with different values. For example, a part having a size less than 800 microns can be marked with a first value (for highest protection), a part having a size greater than or equal to 800 and less than 1.5 mm can be marked with a second value (for high protection), and / or a part having a size greater than or equal to 1.5 mm can be marked with a third value (for baseline protection).

[0024] In some examples of classification marking, the values of different parts can indicate different protections (e.g., different thicknesses of loose powder for protection). In some examples of nominal marking, the marking can include a value such as the characteristic length of a feature. The characteristic length can be used in a formula to calculate a perimeter (e.g., a filler).

[0025] In some examples, determining the first part of the component can be based on the input received from a user interface. For example, the device can present a user interface depicting the component. The user interface can provide functions to erase the marking of the first part, add a marking to the first part, and / or select a region of the component. In some examples, determining the first part can be performed based on an automatic determination (based on geometric information) of the device, based on the input received from the user interface, or both.

[0026] In some examples, the marked component is presented via a user interface. The user interface may include one or more functions for marking the component. The one or more functions may include an erasing function (removing the mark), a mark adding function (adding a mark, such as a boolean value, a categorical value, or a nominal value), and / or a region selection function (selecting a region of the component for adding or erasing a mark). In some examples, the selection function may provide and / or present a spherical region centered on the input point, the spherical region having an adjustable radius (based on the input). Using the one or more functions, the device may mark the component for a first part and / or may change the automatically generated mark based on the received input.

[0027] In some examples, the component may be voxelized before, during, and / or after marking. Each voxel may present mark information. The mark information may be presented with one or more colors, one or more textures, one or more characters, hatching, shading, etc. For example, voxels without a mark may be presented as translucent white and may present different grayscale values to indicate different mark values. This may enable viewing of the first part (and / or other parts). Each voxel may be selected and / or edited using the user interface.

[0028] In some examples, determining 102 the first diffusion perimeter may be based on the marking of the first part. For example, determining 102 the first diffusion perimeter and / or determining 104 the second diffusion perimeter may include converting the marking of the first part into a thermal domain. The first diffusion perimeter may be calculated based on heat diffusion. The heat diffusion may be a technique for simulating the perimeter and may not represent actual thermal behavior in some examples.

[0029] In some examples, the perimeter may be determined by modeling a negative force as a function of distance. For example, the influence of the negative force may decrease with distance. In some examples, heat diffusion may be used as a model to simulate this effect.

[0030] In some examples, converting the first part into a thermal domain may include assigning an initial temperature value to the voxels outside the component. For example, for the voxels outside the component, an initial temperature value of T0 may be assigned. A base temperature value may be assigned to the voxels of the component. For example, for each component voxel, a base temperature T1 (T1 > T0) may be assigned. For example, each component voxel having this base temperature (which is not included in the first part) may be the second part of the component. A first part temperature value may be assigned to each voxel marked as the first part. For example, all voxels (e.g., fine feature voxels) included in the first part may be traversed (e.g., looped through). In some examples, the temperature value (T2) of each voxel of the first part may be based on a marking value. For example, if marked as a boolean value, a constant T2 (T2 > T1 > T0) may be assigned. If marked as categorical, the temperature value (T2) may be determined based on the marking value, where higher values (e.g., finer features) are assigned higher temperature values (T2). If the marking is nominal, the temperature value (T2) may be calculated as a difference (e.g., delta_T) based on the nominal marking, such that the trend of the difference (delta_T) is in the opposite direction to the marking, where T2 is the sum of T1 and delta_T. For example, the nominal marking may indicate or correspond to a dimension or feature length (e.g., smaller for smaller features).

[0031] Each component voxel may have an assigned temperature value as a fixed temperature boundary condition. The device may calculate heat diffusion based on the temperature value of the first part. For example, the device may calculate steady-state or transient heat diffusion over a predetermined duration. Thus, calculating the first diffusion perimeter may include calculating the heat diffusion of the first part temperature value.

[0032] In some examples, the device may calculate a first diffusion perimeter based on the heat diffusion. Calculating the first perimeter may include determining an iso-volume of an iso-surface having a boundary temperature along the heat diffusion. An iso-surface is a surface along a set of voxels having a certain value or range. For example, the iso-surface may be a surface passing through the voxels having the boundary temperature from the heat diffusion. This boundary temperature is the temperature or temperature range that establishes the iso-surface. For example, the device may use the boundary temperature (e.g., the lowest temperature) (TA) to determine the first perimeter, where the voxels having this boundary temperature include the iso-surface. In some examples, this boundary temperature may be set between T0 and T1. The boundary temperature may be pre-determined and / or received (via a user interface and / or another device). An iso-volume is the volume established by the iso-surface. For example, the volume inside the iso-surface may be the iso-volume.

[0033] Such volumes may include components for which heat diffusion is calculated. For example, all component voxels may be enclosed because the component voxel temperatures may be fixed and at least higher than T1. Thicker loose powders may be included in such volumes near fine features because they are larger "heat sources" into which heat (e.g., temperature) penetrates. Because the modeled heat from a first part of the component may be greater than that from a second part, a second diffusion perimeter (or second region of the diffusion perimeter) may be thinner than a first diffusion perimeter (or first region of the diffusion perimeter). Adjustments may be used to vary the perimeter thickness and distribution between features, which may be adjusted to trade off the risk of feature protection against a higher packing density.

[0034] The apparatus may pack components 106 based on the first and second diffusion perimeters. For example, the apparatus may use a packing process to pack components 106 in a build volume. The packing may be determined such that the first and second diffusion perimeters (e.g., regions of the diffusion perimeter of a component) do not overlap with another component or another diffusion perimeter. Thus, the inter-component spacing may be determined based on and / or constrained by the diffusion perimeters.

[0035] In some examples, packing components based on the first and second diffusion perimeters may include packing the components in a build volume such that the first and second diffusion perimeters do not overlap with another component or another diffusion perimeter. In some examples, a genetic process may be used to perform the packing. For example, the apparatus may use a multi-objective optimization engine using a genetic process for component packing. The genetic process is a shape-based packing process that increases the packing density compared to a pure bounding-box-based method. The optimization objectives may include packing density, height (e.g., z-height), and / or print process-specific features (e.g., heat-aware features such as minimizing re-radiation effects).

[0036] In some examples, the perimeters may be packed based on corresponding voxel representations. During packing, the orientation and placement of each perimeter may be recorded. By replacing the heat perimeter with the corresponding component, the component may be oriented and translated to fit the packing. In some examples, the orientation of the perimeter and / or component alignment may be well-defined. The translation of the heat perimeter and / or component alignment may depend on a predetermined reference point during perimeter generation.

[0037] It should be noted that some examples of the techniques described herein may be used in a variety of additive manufacturing. Some additive manufacturing techniques may be powder-based and driven by powder fusion. Some examples of the methods described herein may be used in powder bed fusion-based additive manufacturing, such as selective laser melting (SLM), selective laser sintering (SLS), multi-jet fusion (MJF), etc.

[0038] Figure 2It is a block diagram of an example of a device 202 that can be used in a component loading with a diffusion collar. The device 202 can be an electronic device, such as a personal computer, a server computer, a printer, a 3D printer, a smart phone, a tablet computer, etc. The device 202 can include and / or can be coupled to a processor 204 and / or a memory 206. In some examples, the device 202 can include a display 214 and / or an input / output interface 216. In some examples, the device 202 can communicate (e.g., be coupled to it, have a communication link with it) with an additive manufacturing device (e.g., a 3D printing device). Alternatively, the device 202 can be an example of a 3D printing device. Without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, the device 202 can include additional components (not shown), and / or some of the components described herein can be removed and / or modified.

[0039] The processor 204 can be any one of a central processing unit (CPU), a semiconductor-based microprocessor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or other hardware devices suitable for retrieving and executing instructions stored in the memory 206. The processor 204 can obtain, decode, and / or execute instructions (e.g., the isovolume determination instruction 210 and / or the loading instruction 212) stored in the memory 206. Additionally or alternatively, the processor 204 can include one or more electronic circuits that include electronic components for performing one or more functions of these instructions (e.g., the isovolume determination instruction 210 and / or the loading instruction 212). In some examples, the processor 204 can execute one, some, or all of the functions, operations, elements, methods, etc. described in conjunction with Figures 1-4 one, some, or all of those described in one of them.

[0040] The memory 206 can be any electronic, magnetic, optical, or other physical storage device that contains or stores electronic information (e.g., instructions and / or data). The memory 206 can be, for example, a random access memory (RAM), an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), a storage device, an optical disc, etc. In some examples, the memory 206 can be a volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), an EEPROM, a magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), a phase change RAM (PCRAM), a memristor, a flash memory, etc. In some embodiments, the memory 206 can be a non-transitory tangible machine-readable storage medium, where the term "non-transitory" does not cover transitory propagated signals. In some examples, the memory 206 can include multiple devices (e.g., a RAM card and a solid state drive (SSD)).

[0041] In some examples, the apparatus 202 may include an input / output interface 216 through which the processor 204 may communicate with one or more external devices (not shown) to, for example, receive and store information (e.g., part data 208) related to one or more objects to be fabricated (e.g., printed). The input / output interface may include hardware and / or machine-readable instructions to enable the processor 204 to communicate with the one or more external devices. The input / output interface may enable a wired or wireless connection to the one or more external devices. The input / output interface may also include a network interface card and / or may also include hardware and / or machine-readable instructions to enable the processor 204 to communicate with various input and / or output devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse, a display 214, a touch screen, a microphone, a controller, another apparatus, an electronic device, a computing device, etc., through which a user may input instructions into the apparatus 202.

[0042] In some examples, the memory 206 may store the part data 208. The part data 208 may be obtained (e.g., received) from an external device and / or may be generated on the apparatus 202. For example, the processor 204 may execute instructions ( Figure 2 not shown) to receive the part data 208 from an external device.

[0043] The part data 208 may include data representing the quantity of parts and the shape of the parts (e.g., 3D model, dimensions, etc.). For example, the part data 208 may indicate a set of parts for loading and / or fabrication.

[0044] In some examples, the processor 204 may present a user interface with parts on the display 214. For example, the parts may be depicted as two-dimensional (2D) or 3D models or images.

[0045] In some examples, the processor 204 may receive an input indicating a first portion of a part. This may be done as described in connection with Figure 1 For example, the processor 204 may receive one or more inputs indicating the execution of one or more functions (e.g., erasing a mark, adding a mark, and / or selecting a region of a part). The processor 204 may determine a first region based on the received input. In some examples, the processor 204 may additionally or alternatively automatically determine the first portion (and / or second portion) of the part based on the part data 208 (e.g., the dimensions of the part, one or more thresholds, etc.).

[0046] In some examples, the processor 204 may execute the isovolume determination instructions 210 to determine the isovolume of the part based on the first portion. This may be done as described in connection with Figure 1completed as described. The thickness of such volumes (e.g., between the isosurface and the part) may be different with respect to the first and second parts of the part. The second part of the part may be complementary to the first part of the part. For example, the thickness of the isovolume surrounding the second part of the part may be thinner than the thickness of the isovolume surrounding the first part of the part.

[0047] In some examples, the processor 204 may execute the loading instruction 212 to load the part based on such volumes. For example, the processor 204 may execute a search for loading the part in the build volume. In some examples, the loading instruction 212 may include a genetic process for loading the part as described in conjunction with Figure 1 described. In some examples, the loading instruction 212 may be executed to perform voxel-based loading. In some examples, the loading instruction 212 may be executed to perform grid-based loading using an isovolume (or diffusion envelope) representation.

[0048] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a computer-readable medium 318 for performing part loading with a diffusion envelope. The computer-readable medium is a non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium 318. The computer-readable medium 318 may be, for example, RAM, EEPROM, a storage device, an optical disc, etc. In some examples, the computer-readable medium 318 may be volatile and / or non-volatile memory, such as DRAM, EEPROM, MRAM, PCRAM, memristor, flash memory, etc. In some embodiments, the memory 206 described in conjunction with Figure 2 described may be an example of the computer-readable medium 318 described in conjunction with Figure 3 described.

[0049] The computer-readable medium 318 may include code (e.g., data and / or instructions). For example, the computer-readable medium 318 may include part data 308, part marking instructions 320, thermal diffusion calculation instructions 322, and / or loading instructions 312.

[0050] The part data 308 may include information indicating the part. For example, the part data 308 may indicate geometric information (e.g., NURBS data, surface data, edge data, etc.) and / or mesh model information.

[0051] In some examples, the part marking instructions 320 are code that causes the processor to mark the first part of the part. This may be done as described in conjunction with Figure 1 described. For example, the processor may execute the part marking instructions 320 to mark the first part based on the part size and one or more thresholds. For example, the part marking instructions 320 may include code that causes the processor to determine the first part based on the edge size of the part. Additionally or alternatively, the processor may execute the part marking instructions 320 to mark the first part based on the received input.

[0052] In some examples, the thermal diffusion calculation instruction 322 is code that causes the processor to calculate the thermal diffusion of a component based on the marked first portion. This can be done as described in connection with Figure 1 For example, the processor may execute the thermal diffusion calculation instruction 322 to determine the thermal diffusion of a component having a first portion with a temperature as a boundary condition.

[0053] In some examples, the loading instruction 312 is code that causes the processor to load a component based on the thermal diffusion. This can be done as described in connection with Figure 1 For example, the processor may execute the loading instruction 312 to load a component based on a perimeter determined according to the thermal diffusion.

[0054] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a loaded component 424 having a diffusion perimeter in a build volume and an example of a loaded component 426 in the build volume. As can be observed, the diffusion perimeter can be used to determine the loading of a set of components (e.g., component spacing). In some examples, the apparatus 202 described herein may determine a component loading having a diffusion perimeter for a set of components, as shown in the loaded component 424 having a diffusion perimeter in the build volume. In some examples, a component loading having a diffusion perimeter (e.g., the loaded component 424 having a diffusion perimeter) may be converted to a component loading for manufacturing or printing (e.g., the loaded component 426). For example, the diffusion perimeter may be removed from these components to determine the final loading (e.g., for transfer and / or manufacturing). For example, the apparatus 202 may remove the diffusion perimeter while keeping the corresponding components in place. An example of the loaded component 426 with the diffusion perimeter removed is illustrated.

[0055] Some methods for component loading may include a multi-objective optimization engine using a genetic process. The genetic process is a process for generating solutions to search problems (e.g., partial search processes). The genetic process may utilize one or more objectives to generate solutions. In some examples, the genetic process may be used as a shape-based loading process, which may achieve a higher loading density compared to a pure bounding box-based method. The objectives implemented may include loading density and height (e.g., z-axis height).

[0056] It should be noted that while various examples of systems and methods are described herein, the present disclosure should not be limited to these examples. Variations of the examples described herein may be implemented within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, functions, aspects, or elements of the examples described herein may be omitted or combined.

Claims

1. A method for loading a component to be additively manufactured, comprising: Determining a first portion of the component, the first portion including features having dimensions less than a threshold; Determining a first diffusion volume relative to the first portion of the component, wherein the first diffusion volume defines a first inter-component spacing; Determining a second diffusion volume relative to a second portion of the component, wherein the second portion does not include features having dimensions less than the threshold, wherein the second diffusion volume defines a second inter-component spacing, and wherein the first inter-component spacing is greater than the second inter-component spacing; and Loading the component based on the first diffusion volume and the second diffusion volume, wherein loading includes loading the component in a build volume such that the first diffusion volume and the second diffusion volume do not overlap with another component or another diffusion volume; Wherein the method further includes using 3D printing to manufacture the component with the loading in the build volume.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising marking the first part of the component with a value indicative of an expected level of protection for the first part, wherein, The level of protection is associated with the inter-component spacing.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein, Determining the first diffusion volume is based on the marking of the first portion.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein, Determining the first diffusion volume includes: Converting the marking of the first portion into a thermal domain; and Calculating the first diffusion volume based on heat diffusion.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein Converting the marking of the first portion into the thermal domain includes: Assigning an initial temperature value to voxels outside the component; Assigning a base temperature value to voxels of the component; and Assigning a first portion temperature value to each voxel marked as the first portion.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein Calculating the first diffusion volume includes: Calculating the heat diffusion of the first portion temperature value; and Determining an isovolume of an isosurface having a boundary temperature along the heat diffusion.

7. An apparatus including a 3D printing device, comprising: A memory; A display; A processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to cause the apparatus to perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. A non-transitory tangible computer-readable medium storing executable code, the executable code when executed causing performance of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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