Abstract: The disclosure relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a metallic component, and corresponding methods. The apparatus may include a build plate with a build surface and an aperture. The apparatus may also include an actuator operable to translate a metallic component such that an end portion of the metallic component is positioned within the aperture of the build plate and below the build surface. The apparatus may further include a seal coupled within the aperture of the build plate and configured to engage the end portion of the metallic component. The aperture of the build plate, the seal, and the end portion of the metallic component may cooperate to form a powder bed to hold metallic powder therein. The apparatus may also include an external heat control mechanism operable to form a predetermined temperature profile of the end portion of the component to prevent cracking of the component.

Abstract: An interchangeable chamber is provided for a 3D printing device, wherein the interchangeable chamber includes a building space for receiving a building platform on which a three-dimensional object can be produced, which building space is designed to be temporarily open in the direction of a top of the interchangeable chamber, as well as optionally a storage container for storing building material and wherein the interchangeable chamber comprises a side wall and a cover, wherein the cover is adapted to close the interchangeable chamber at the top such that building material cannot get through the cover out of nor into the interchangeable chamber and the cover is coupled with the side wall.

Abstract: A method of layerwise building up an object from at least a first and a second light hardenable resin on a 3D printing device, and a 3D printing device that is configured to perform such a method. The 3D printing device has a build platform on which the object can be built up, a light-transmissive carrier comprising a plurality of recesses and a light projector for projecting a light-pattern through the carrier.

Abstract: A method of selecting a scanning sequence of a laser beam in a selective laser solidification process, in which one or more objects are formed layer-by-layer by, repeatedly, depositing a layer of powder on a powder bed and scanning a plurality of laser beams over the deposited powder to selectively solidify the powder layers, wherein a gas flow is passed over the powder bed in a gas flow direction. The method including selecting a scanning sequence for the plurality of laser beams to include the simultaneous exposure of an upstream point together with a downstream point located downstream of a flow of debris carried from the upstream point by the gas flow, the downstream and upstream points selected for simultaneous exposure based upon the downstream point being within a maximum separation distance from the upstream point.

Abstract: A method may include fused filament fabricating a fused filament fabricated component by delivering a softened filament to selected locations at or adjacent to a build surface. The softened filament may include a sacrificial binder and a powder including a shape memory alloy (SMA). The method also may include removing substantially all the sacrificial binder from the fused filament fabricated component to leave an unsintered component; and sintering the unsintered component to join particles of the SMA and form an SMA component.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a reservoir assembly for use in three-dimensional (3D) printing for building a 3D object, which includes a top frame that may be filled with liquid material, and a tensioned film being held underneath the top frame. The tensioned film may be air permeable and elastic at the same time, wherein surfaces of the tensioned film are micro textured so that the tensioned film becomes optically clear when it contacts with the liquid material. The tensioned film minimizes the creation of bubbles between the top and bottom surfaces. This also helps blurring the boundaries thereby enhancing the surface finish of the fabricated parts.

Abstract: A method of additive manufacture suitable for large and high resolution structures is disclosed. The method may include sequentially advancing each portion of a continuous part in the longitudinal direction from a first zone to a second zone. In the first zone, selected granules of a granular material may be amalgamated. In the second zone, unamalgamated granules of the granular material may be removed. The method may further include advancing a first portion of the continuous part from the second zone to a third zone while (1) a last portion of the continuous part is formed within the first zone and (2) the first portion is maintained in the same position in the lateral and transverse directions that the first portion occupied within the first zone and the second zone.

Abstract: A fabrication device includes a build surface to receive layers of material for production of a 3-dimensional solid representation of a digital model and an imaging component to bind respective portions of the build material into cross sections representative of portions of data contained in the digital model. The imaging component may be a programmable planar light source utilizing a micropixelation system and refractive pixel shifting mechanism, or other imaging system. The device may include a system for controlling the density of the printed part. The object may be a powder composite component using any of a variety of powder materials or a plastic component. The object may be further post-processed to produce a high precision metal or ceramic component.

Abstract: A method for producing a workpiece that is constructed layer-by-layer, and a workpiece that is constructed layer-by layer. The workpiece has a contour acting as an interior angle. Alternating undercuts are provided along a curve at which the surfaces that form the contour which acts as an interior angle intersect. The undercuts are formed in consecutive layers of the workpiece that is constructed layer-by-layer on different sides of the curve.

Abstract: The invention provides a stereo lithographic 3D printing assembly comprising a digital projection system for projecting a first pattern having a first resolution at a projection location, and a photo mask system for projecting a second pattern having a second resolution at said projection location. This provides a fast 3D printing assembly allowing high resolution details.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and/or apparatuses for making an object on a bottom-up stereolithography apparatus that includes a light source (11), a drive assembly (14), optionally a heater (34) and/or cooler (34), and a controller (15). The light source, optional heater and/or cooler, and/or the drive assembly have at least one adjustable parameter that is adjustable by said controller.

Abstract: The invention relates to a robot-mounted 3D printing apparatus for printing biocompatible materials for performing in-situ surgical repairs and comprises one UV curable reagent container and one cell supporting reagent container which are co-axially extruded from a tip and cured to perform in-situ repairs.

Abstract: A three-dimensional printing system for fabricating a three-dimensional article includes a resin vessel, a motorized platform, an imaging bar, a movement mechanism, a servicing module, and a controller. The motorized platform has an upper surface for supporting the three-dimensional article. The imaging bar has an array of light emitters arranged along a transverse axis which emitting light downwardly from an exit surface. The controller is configured to: operate the motorized build plate, the movement mechanism, and the imaging module to complete fabrication, and periodically during fabrication operate the movement mechanism to position the imaging bar in the servicing module to clean resin residue from the imaging bar.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus (1,29) for forming an object by means of additive manufacturing, the method comprising consecutively providing a plurality of layers (9) of building material (5, 6), and selectively curing one or more pixels (47) of each of the layers (9) during printing thereof. The method comprises a step of providing a first layer (9) of a first building material (5) onto a support surface (4, 30) or a preceding layer (9), and selectively exposing, in accordance with layer data, one or more pixels (47) in the first layer (9) to a dose of radiation (45, 45?). It further comprises the identifying, based on the layer data, of one or more contour pixels (47) in the first layer (9) that coincide with a contour of a featured region of a subsequent second layer (9), wherein the featured region of the second layer (9) is to be provided using a second building material (6) different from the first building material (5).

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing an object from a light polymerizable resin includes (a) an carrier platform on which an object can be produced; (b) a resin cassette configured for carrying a light-polymerizable resin, said cassette including a light-transmissive window having a liquid inhibitor supply bed therein, said supply bed having an inlet and an outlet; (c) a light source positioned beneath said resin cassette and configured for projecting an enlarged image through said window; (d) a drive operatively associated with said resin cassette and said carrier platform; (e) a gas exchanger comprising a liquid side, a gas side, and an oxygen permeable barrier therebetween; said liquid side having an inlet and an outlet, with said supply bed inlet connected to said liquid side outlet, and said supply bed outlet connected to said liquid side inlet; (f) an oxygen carrying liquid in said liquid inhibitor supply bed and said gas exchanger liquid side; and (g) a pump operatively associated with said supply bed and sa

Abstract: According to various embodiments, a device for formfree printing a three-dimensional object in layers using at least one printing material includes: at least one printing head to output printing material in at least one printing material string; a printing platen to receive the at least one printing material string output by the at least one printing head; a rod-shaped heating device movably arranged over the printing platen; a heat controller configured to control the rod-shaped heating device to emit a heat irradiation directed to the printing platen to heat the at least one printing material string; at least one motor coupled to the rod-shaped heating device to move it over the printing platen; a motor controller configured to control the at least one motor to move the rod-shaped heating device over the printing platen to harden the at least one printing material string printed on the printing platen.

Abstract: Systems and methods for continuous printing of a three-dimensional (3D) object are provided. The system includes a resin tank, an optical image source, a support fluid reservoir and a pumping structure. The resin tank is where the 3D object is printed and includes a print bed to form a base of the 3D object. The optical image source modulates light in accordance with a 3D image to vary a degree and pattern of crosslinking in a photocrosslinkable resin in the resin tank. The support fluid reservoir is in fluid communication with the resin tank and includes a support fluid which is immiscible with the photocrosslinkable resin. And the pumping structure is configured to transfer the support fluid from the support fluid reservoir to the resin tank such that the support fluid rises in the resin tank at a same rate as vertical height of a top of the 3D object as the 3D object is printed on the print bed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for making a three-dimensional object by solidifying a solidifiable material are shown and described. A photohardening inhibitor is admitted into a surface of a photohardenable material to create a “dead zone” where little or no solidification occurs. The dead zone prevents the exposed surface of the photohardenable material from solidifying in contact with a container bottom or film. As the solidified object areas get larger and the build platform speed increases, the dead zone increases which can cause the formation of channels in the resulting objects and delamination. A number of techniques including continuous/discontinuous mode switching, multiple illuminations of portions of the same layer, and the use of gray scaling are disclosed for regulating the size of the dead zone.

Abstract: A system for additive manufacturing comprises a dispensing head for dispensing building materials on a working surface, a hardening system for hardening the building materials, a cooling system for evacuating heat away from the building materials, and a computerized controller. A thermal sensing system is mounted above the working surface in a manner that allows relative motion between the sensing system and the working surface, and is configured to generate sensing signals responsively to thermal energy sensed thereby. The controller controls the dispensing head to dispense the building materials in layers, the sensing system to generate the sensing signals only when the sensing system is above the building materials once hardened, and the heat evacuation rate of the cooling system responsively to the sensing signals.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system includes a first laser device configured to generate a first laser beam and a second laser device configured to generate a second laser beam. The laser scanning devices include a first laser scanning device and a second laser scanning device. The first laser scanning device is configured to selectively direct the first laser beam from the first laser devices across a powder bed along a plurality of first hatching paths and a first contour path along a contour of the solid component. The second laser scanning device is configured to selectively direct the second laser beam from the second laser devices across the powder bed along a plurality of second hatching paths and a second contour path along the contour of the solid component. The first contour path includes a first hook extending into the plurality of second hatching paths.