Abstract: A printing system to hold printing material comprises a sealing interface to seal a container with respect to a printing chamber volume of the printing system, the container to hold the printing material. The printing system comprises a lifting system to move the container between a first position in which the container is to be lifted and a second position at which the container is lifted and contacts the seal so as to seal the container. The lifting system is to non-hyperstatically constrain the container.

Abstract: According to one example, there is provided an apparatus to process volume of particulate build material. The apparatus comprises a sealable chamber to house a volume of particulate build material, a gas supply to supply the chamber with a predetermined gas, a gas circulator to circulate the gas within the volume of build material, a temperature controller to heat the circulated gas to a predetermined heating temperature to heat the volume of build material to the heating temperature and then to cool the circulated gas to a predetermined cooling temperature to cool the volume of build material to the cooling temperature.

Abstract: A 3D printing apparatus is disclosed herein. The apparatus comprises a container, a build material extraction module, an energy source and a controller. The container is to receive a build volume comprising portions in which an un-cured thermally curable binder has been applied to define a 3D object to be generated and portions on which no binder has been applied. The build material extraction module is to remove part of the build material on which no binder has been applied. The energy source to heat the contents of the container. And the controller is to control the build material extraction module to remove part of the build material on which no binder has been applied; and control the energy source to heat the build material to thermally cure any binder in the container.

Abstract: In one example, a system for loading a build material powder supply receptacle for a 3D printer includes a reconditioner having a container and a heater to burn unwanted residue from used build material powder in the container, to form reconditioned build material powder, a conveyor operatively connected to the reconditioner to convey used build material powder to the container, and a dispenser operatively connected to the reconditioner to dispense reconditioned build material powder from the container into the supply receptacle.

Abstract: According to one example, there is provided a 3D printing build unit comprising a build chamber, a build platform, and a heating element controllable to heat a portion of the contents of the build chamber to a temperature at or above a curing temperature whilst maintaining upper layers of the build chamber at or below a printing temperature.

Abstract: An additive manufacturing machine (34) comprising a build material spreading system (2). The spreading system (2) has a moveable spreader (4) with an exterior surface (8) to spread build material. The spreading system (2) also has a heater (10) located separate from the spreader (4). The heater (10) has a heat dissipater (20) extending around the spreader (4) to retain, between the dissipater (20) and the spreader (4), air (36) heated by the dissipater (20).

Abstract: According to one aspect, there is provided a method of removing liquid from a build chamber containing build material and liquid. The method comprises starting a liquid extraction process to extract liquid from the build chamber, and determining when a predetermined threshold of liquid has been removed from the build chamber, and thereby stopping the liquid extraction process.

Abstract: A printing system to hold printing material comprises a sealing interface to seal a container with respect to a printing chamber volume of the printing system, the container to hold the printing material. The printing system comprises a lifting system to move the container between a first position in which the container is to be lifted and a second position at which the container is lifted and contacts the seal so as to seal the container. The lifting system is to non-hyperstatically constrain the container.