Vitriforming is a method for forming material into complex geometries within a vitreous substance. Liquid material is formed inside the vitreous substance through external forces applied to the vitreous forming medium. This technique can be broken down into four categories of operations: encasement, setup, forming, and extraction. All operations involve a forming medium, and a workpiece. The workpiece can be composed of any material so long as the forming medium is temperature, viscosity, and chemically compatible. The vitreous forming medium translates outside forces into the workpiece to create various geometries. This forming medium can remain a part of the final assembly or get extracted after forming takes place. Workpiece geometry is affected by forming tool geometry, initial setup, heat, and material properties. This process can be used as a fast, efficient means of forming metal or other materials with unique abilities to control material combinations, surface chemistry, texture, and overall geometry.

A three-dimensional (3D) printer includes a nozzle and a camera configured to capture a real image or a real video of a liquid metal while the liquid metal is positioned at least partially within the nozzle. The 3D printer also includes a computing system configured to perform operations. The operations include generating a model of the liquid metal positioned at least partially within the nozzle. The operations also include generating a simulated image or a simulated video of the liquid metal positioned at least partially within the nozzle based at least partially upon the model. The operations also include generating a labeled dataset that comprises the simulated image or the simulated video and a first set of parameters. The operations also include reconstructing the liquid metal in the real image or the real video based at least partially upon the labeled dataset.

A casting system for casting an object, wherein the casting system may include a mold system, a replaceable material provision system, and a molten metal processing system. The casting system may be configured to additively produce multiple production layers, one currently-produced production layer after the other. For each currently-produced production layer: (i) the mold system is configured to form one or more mold-layers, (ii) the replaceable material provision system is configured to provide one or more replaceable material layers; and (iii) the molten metal processing system is configured to form one or more current object regions of the currently-produced production layer by providing molten metal that replace the one or more replaceable material layers.

A casting system for casting an object, wherein the casting system may include a mold system, a replaceable material provision system, and a molten metal processing system. The casting system may be configured to additively produce multiple production layers, one currently-produced production layer after the other. For each currently-produced production layer: (i) the mold system is configured to form one or more mold-layers, (ii) the replaceable material provision system is configured to provide one or more replaceable material layers; and (iii) the molten metal processing system is configured to form one or more current object regions of the currently-produced production layer by providing molten metal that replace the one or more replaceable material layers.

An alloy for structural direct-writing additive manufacturing comprising a base element selected from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni) and a combination thereof, and a rare earth element selected from the group consisting of cerium (Ce), lanthanide (La) and a combination thereof, and a eutectic intermetallic present in said alloy in an amount ranging from about 0.5 wt. % to 7.5 wt. %. The invention is also directed to a method of structural direct-write additive manufacturing using the above-described alloy, as well as 3D objects produced by the method. The invention is also directed to methods of producing the above-described alloy.

A dross abatement system for a printer is disclosed. The dross abatement system includes a print head ejector, a pump in communication with the print head ejector having an inner cavity, a first inlet coupled to the inner cavity, a supply of printing material external to the print head ejector, a heating element configured to heat the printing material in the ejector, and a supply of absorbent material external to the print head ejector. A method of abating dross in a metal jetting printer is also disclosed, which includes pausing an operation of the printer, advancing an absorbent material into a melt pool within a nozzle pump reservoir, wherein the melt pool may include a metal printing material, absorbing dross from the metal printing material, removing the absorbent material including the dross, and resuming operation of the metal jetting printer.

The method can include: using a mold, casting an encapsulation onto a workpiece including solidifying the encapsulation around the workpiece in the mold and extracting the encapsulation from the mold, and cooling the extracted encapsulation using a vortex tube.

An array-spraying additive manufacturing apparatus and method for manufacturing a large-sized equiaxed crystal aluminum alloy ingot, comprising: a liquid aluminum spraying mechanism having array nozzles disposed in an atmospheric pressure chamber, a movable condensing mechanism disposed in the atmospheric pressure chamber below the liquid aluminum spraying mechanism, and a control mechanism. The control mechanism sends an upward guiding command to a release mechanism and issues a three-dimensional movement command to the movable condensing mechanism, such that liquid aluminum in the liquid aluminum spraying mechanism is sprayed at the surface of the movable condensing mechanism in a continuous array of liquid flows according to a preset path and is rapidly condensed to form an ingot. Also disclosed is an additive manufacturing method employing the apparatus.

A three-dimensional (3D) metal object manufacturing apparatus has a plurality of thermally insulative members that float in a volume of heat transfer lubricating fluid in which a X-Y translation mechanism moves to position a platform opposite an ejector. The apparatus also includes a housing having an internal volume in which the platform and X-Y translation mechanism are located. The heat transfer lubricating fluid can be a molten salt, such as a molten fluoride, chloride, or nitrate molten salt. The thermally insulative members can be spheres made of zirconium oxide or zirconium dioxide. The thermally insulative layer formed by the members floating in the fluid protects the X-Y mechanism while the housing helps keep the surface temperature of the object being formed on the platform in an optimal range for bonding of melted metal drops ejected from the ejector to a surface of a metal object being formed on the platform.

A method of preparing a structure is provided. The method includes providing an initial structure; casting a first material in one or more void volumes of the initial structure; removing the initial structure from the first material; obtaining a cast structure comprising the first material; coating a second material on the cast structure; casting a third material using the coated cast structure; removing the first material; and obtaining a final structure. In various embodiments, the initial structure can include a first initial structure and a second initial structure and casting a first material in one or more first void volumes of the first initial structure and in one or more second void volumes of the second initial structure. In various embodiments, the method includes assembling the first cast structure and the second cast structure and obtaining an assembled structure comprising the first cast structure and the second cast structure.