Abstract: A metal object manufacturing apparatus is configured to eject melted metal drops to form a continuous metal line over a line of spatially separated pillars in a single pass. The ejection frequency for forming the continuous metal line is different than the frequency used to form the pillars. In one embodiment, the ejection frequency for forming the pillars is about 100 Hz and the frequency used to form the continuous metal line over the line of spatially separated pillars is about 300 Hz with a drop spacing of about 0.2 mm. Continuous metal lines are formed to extend the continuous metal lines over the pillars laterally to fill the gaps between the continuous metal lines over the pillars. These continuous metal lines that fill the gaps are formed while operating the ejection head at the 300 Hz frequency with a drop spacing of 0.28 mm.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) metal object manufacturing apparatus is operated to form sloping surfaces having a slope angle of more than 45° from a line that is perpendicular to the structure on which the layer forming the slope surface is formed. The angle corresponds to a step-out distance from the perpendicular line and a maximum individual step-out distance determined from empirically derived data. Multiple passes of an ejection head of the apparatus can be performed within a layer to form a sloped edge and the mass of the sloped structure is distributed within the sloped edge so the edge is formed without defects.

Abstract: A metal object manufacturing apparatus is configured to eject melted metal drops to form a continuous metal line over a line of spatially separated pillars in a single pass. The ejection frequency for forming the continuous metal line is different than the frequency used to form the pillars. In one embodiment, the ejection frequency for forming the pillars is about 100 Hz and the frequency used to form the continuous metal line over the line of spatially separated pillars is about 300 Hz with a drop spacing of about 0.2 mm. Continuous metal lines are formed to extend the continuous metal lines over the pillars laterally to fill the gaps between the continuous metal lines over the pillars. These continuous metal lines that fill the gaps are formed while operating the ejection head at the 300 Hz frequency with a drop spacing of 0.28 mm.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3D) metal object manufacturing apparatus is operated to form sloping surfaces having a slope angle of more than 45° from a line that is perpendicular to the structure on which the layer forming the slope surface is formed. The angle corresponds to a step-out distance from the perpendicular line and a maximum individual step-out distance determined from empirically derived data. Multiple passes of an ejection head of the apparatus can be performed within a layer to form a sloped edge and the mass of the sloped structure is distributed within the sloped edge so the edge is formed without defects.