Abstract: An additive manufacturing system is disclosed including multiple conveying pipelines, a mixer and a nozzle. The multiple conveying pipelines are connected to respective material sources. The multiple conveying pipelines are connected to the mixer which is configured to mix in real time powder materials supplied via the multiple conveying pipelines during additive manufacturing. The mixer is connected via a supply pipeline to the nozzle which is configured to deliver mixed material onto a substrate to perform the additive manufacturing. Each of the multiple conveying pipelines is configured to change conveying amount or speed of the powder materials in real time. An additive manufacturing method for the above additive manufacturing system is also disclosed. The additive manufacturing system and method can adjust in real time types or proportions of the materials so as to meet different property requirements for different parts of a product.

Abstract: Methods and systems for producing a structure having selectable piezoelectric properties via additive manufacturing. Such methods can include coupling an ultrasound generating device to a print head of the additive manufacturing apparatus; transmitting acoustic energy from the ultrasound generating device to the print head to vibrate the print head in an oscillatory manner; extruding a feed material from the print head; moving the print head in at least one dimension relative to a substrate on which the structure is being manufactured; and dispensing layers sequentially on top of each other to form the structure. Such systems can include an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising a print head movable in at least one dimension relative to a base configured to support the structure being produced; and an ultrasound generating device that is connected to the print head.

Abstract: A method of selectively combining particulate material, comprising: (i) providing a layer of particulate material to a part bed; (ii) providing radiation to sinter a portion of the material of the layer; (iii) providing a further layer of particulate material overlying the prior layer of particulate material including the previously sintered portion of material; (iv) providing radiation to sinter a further portion of the material within the overlying further layer and to sinter said further portion with the previously sintered portion of material in the prior layer; (v) successively repeating blocks (iii) and (iv) to form a three-dimensional object; and wherein at least some of the layers of particulate material are pre-heated with a heater prior to sintering a portion of the material of the respective layer, the heater being configured to move relative to, and proximate, the particulate material.

Abstract: Systems and methods for manufacturing elongate medical devices including internal components embedded between multiple jacket layers. The system including a heating cartridge, a heating element, a filament handling system, a substrate handling system, and a controller to feed and melt each of the filaments for forming the multiple jacket layers. The system may include a single heating cartridge adapted to make multiple passes to form a first and second jacket or multiple heating cartridges that sequentially form a first and second jacket.

Abstract: A powder feeding device includes: a hopper including a discharge port for discharging powder; and a conveyance device configured to move a conveyance surface disposed below the discharge port in a first direction and invert the conveyance surface in a front end portion. The hopper includes a front wall portion positioned on a downstream side of the discharge port in the first direction. A predetermined gap is formed between a lower end of the front wall portion and the conveyance surface. In the powder feeding device, powder deposited on the conveyance surface is conveyed in the first direction by the conveyance device with a thickness corresponding to the gap and dropped from the front end portion.

Abstract: The invention provides method for producing a 3D item (1) by means of fused deposition modelling, the method comprising: —a 3D printing stage comprising layer-wise depositing an extrudate (321) comprising 3D printable material (201), wherein during at least part of the 3D printing stage the extrudate (321) comprises a core-shell extrudate (1321) comprising a core (2321) comprising a core material (2011), and a shell (2322) comprising a shell material (2012), to provide the 3D item (1) comprising 3D printed material (202), wherein the 3D item (1) comprises a plurality of layers (322) of 3D printed material (202), wherein one or more of layers (322) comprises one or more core-shell layer parts (3322), wherein each of the core-shell layer parts (3322) comprises a layer core (3321) comprising the core material (2011), and a layer shell (3322) comprising the shell material (2012), wherein the 3D item (1) has an item surface (252) defined by at least part of the 3D printed material (202); —an exposure stage compris

Abstract: A method for assembling an assembly comprising a tape (100) of retaining elements and a substrate (200), said method comprising the following steps: a step of forming a tape of retaining elements by dispensing a molding material into a molding device (1), so as to form a tape (100) of retaining elements comprising a base (51) presenting a bottom face (511) and a top face (512), the top face (511) of the base (51) being provided with retaining elements; and a step of applying a substrate (200) against the bottom face (511) of the base (51) prior to said bottom face (512) of the base (51) solidifying in such a manner as to cause the substrate (200) to penetrate at least in part beyond a plane defined by the bottom face (511) of the base (51) of the tape (100).

Abstract: Systems and methods for low-cost and morphologically stable 3D printing are disclosed. A solution-based method for 3D printing, comprising i) providing a substrate comprising a flat surface; ii) providing a first solution of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) molecule comprising a functional group at each end of the SAM molecule; iii) applying the first solution to the flat surface of the substrate to form a first SAM comprising a first liquid surface; iv) providing a second solution of a metal precursor; v) applying the second solution on the first liquid surface to form a second liquid surface over the first SAM; vi) applying a first force to cross-link the first SAM; vii) repeating steps iii) and v)-vi) to form a multiple layer of the SAM; and viii) either applying a second force to anneal the multiple layer of the SAM to form a soft material or applying a third force to anneal the multiple layer of the SAM to form a hard material.

Abstract: The present inventive concept relates to a method for improving a lifespan of a liquid crystal display (LCD) of a masked stereolithography (MSLA) 3D printer, the method including the steps of: slicing a three-dimensional (3D) image into two-dimensional (2D) images; outputting the 2D images to the LCD; calculating irradiation area coordinates of UV LEDs in accordance with the 2D images; and irradiating UV light of the UV LEDs on an area matching with the 2D images in accordance with the calculated irradiation area coordinates of the UV LEDs.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. The two-dimensional energy patterning system may be used to control a state of matter of each successive additive layer. Accordingly, the system may be used to alter the chemical bond arrangement of the material forming the various additive layers.

Abstract: A 3D printer and method for increasing the speed of 3D printing, wherein said 3D printer comprises a heating block, a nozzle (1) attached to the heating block, and a hole through the heating block and the centre of the nozzle (1). In said hole there is a heat conductive material (7) attached in at least one place on the inner side wall of the hole for transferring heat (5) from the side wall towards the centre of the hole.

Abstract: A convergent three-dimensional (3D) additive manufacturing system is disclosed which includes a header, a base, a first dispensing system mounted onto the header, the space between the header and the base adjacent to the first dispensing system defining a first zone, a second dispensing system mounted onto the header, the space between the header and the base adjacent the second dispensing system defining a second zone, the first zone, and the second zone are separated by a screen adapted to prevent contamination across the first and second zones, the first dispensing system carrying raw material for a first product, and the second dispensing system carrying raw material for a second product.

Abstract: The disclosed invention resolves the problem of manufacturing three-dimensional objects by stacking two-dimensional layers of material in the third direction z. Described are a machine and a method for additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects in which a predetermined final object is fabricated using the steps of the printing process (100) of individual curved three-dimensional print volumes (1, 2, 3 . . . Z) in a sequence (51). Powdered material (102) is melted in a melting volume (280) which is inside an intersection volume (28) and in which the energy exerted by at least two particle clusters (160,170) emitted from at least two spatially positioned sources (11, 12) of particles with mass adds up and exceeds the threshold required for melting of the powdered material. Machine and method according to the disclosed invention enable the fabrication in multiple different printing directions simultaneously.

Abstract: A forming method of a composite magnetic sheet. The forming method comprises a preparing step, a forming step and a heat-treating step. In the preparing step, magnetic slurry is prepared by mixing at least a soft magnetic powder having a flat shape, a first resin having a solid component and a second resin having a solid component, weight loss of the solid component of the first resin being 4.0% or less at 220° C., weight loss of the solid component of the second resin being 5.0% or more at 220° C. In the forming step, the magnetic slurry is formed into an intermediate body having a sheet-like shape. In the heat-treating step, the intermediate body is heat-treated at a heat-treatment temperature between 220° C. and 400° C. (both inclusive).

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for a caul plate having a feature for removal. One embodiment is a caul plate for forming a composite part. The caul plate includes a body that includes a lower surface which faces the composite part, and an upper surface that is opposite to the lower surface. The caul plate also includes a groove in the upper surface to accept a tool to slide the caul plate laterally from the composite part.

Abstract: A method of three-dimensional manufacturing including depositing a layer of powder in a powder bed, the layer comprising particles of at least a first component of a two-component reactive material, dispensing a first solution containing at least one of a solvent and a second component of the two-component reactive material the solvent selected to cause the two components to form one or more cross-linked regions of a three-dimensional object, iterating the depositing and dispensing to form subsequent layers of the three-dimensional object until the object is formed, and removing any unwanted particles from the object. A three-dimensional manufacturing system has a powder bed to hold layers of particles, and one or more print heads positioned to dispense liquid onto the powder bed to cause the particles for form one or more cross-linked regions in layers of a solid object.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing system may include a heating cartridge defining an interior volume and at least one filament port. The system may include a heating element thermally coupled to the heating cartridge to heat the interior volume. The system may also include a filament handling system to feed at least one filament through the at least one filament port. The system may include a substrate handling system having at least a head stock. The system may include a controller configured to initiate or control movement of a substrate relative to the heating cartridge to apply a jacket to the substrate.

Abstract: A method for producing a three-dimensional component by means of a laser melting process, in which the component is produced by consecutively solidifying individual layers made of building material by melting the building material, wherein said building material can be solidified by the action of radiation, wherein the melting area produced by a punctiform and/or linear energy input is detected by a sensor device and sensor values are derived therefrom in order to evaluate the component quality. The sensor values detected in order to evaluate the component quality are stored together with the coordinate values that locate the sensor values in the component and are displayed by means of a visualization unit in two- and/or multi-dimensional representation with respect to the detection location of the sensor values in the component.

Abstract: Various methods and systems are provided for mixing and dispensing viscous materials for the creation of additive structures. As one example, during a mixing and dispensing operation of a multi-dimensional printing apparatus, one or more liquids may flow into a mixing chamber via one or more material inlets arranged in a wall of the mixing chamber below a high pressure bearing of a mixing rod positioned within the mixing chamber; and movement of a mixing rod positioned within the mixing chamber is adjusted based on an operating condition of the printing apparatus.

Abstract: A method of making a workpiece in an additive manufacturing process includes determining a preferred angular orientation of the grid array about a build axis extending perpendicular to a layer to be built for a first layer of a workpiece. The preferred angular orientation is selected to align an edge of one or more pixels with an edge of the layer of the workpiece being built. The method further includes orienting a patterned image of radiant energy to the preferred angular orientation by rotating a projector before solidifying a portion of a resin that forms the first layer of the workpiece.