A vacuum pump that evacuates an inside of a vacuum chamber and powder capturing devices disposed on an intake side of the vacuum pump are included. The powder capturing devices include a plurality of flow path forming units that form a continuous gas flow path from an intake unit located on the vacuum chamber side to an exhaust unit located on the vacuum pump side. The plurality of flow path forming units include a first flow path forming unit having a first catching unit that causes the powder sucked from the intake unit to collide and then catch the powder, and a second flow path forming unit having a second catching unit that causes the powder passing through the first flow path forming unit to collide and then catch the powder.

A vacuum pump that evacuates an inside of a vacuum chamber and powder capturing devices disposed on an intake side of the vacuum pump are included. The powder capturing devices include a plurality of flow path forming units that form a continuous gas flow path from an intake unit located on the vacuum chamber side to an exhaust unit located on the vacuum pump side. The plurality of flow path forming units include a first flow path forming unit having a first catching unit that causes the powder sucked from the intake unit to collide and then catch the powder, and a second flow path forming unit having a second catching unit that causes the powder passing through the first flow path forming unit to collide and then catch the powder.

A multi-material 3-D printing system and method including at least two printing heads each with a transparent window circumscribed by an ejection nozzle. Each ejection nozzle is coupled to a respective pump that pumps resin from a respective vat onto a respective window. The resin is cured from below the window by exposure to a digital image displayed by a micro display chip. To switch resins, the sample is moved across a plurality of suction nozzles towards a second printing head. A respective one of the suction heads is coupled to a vacuum that effectuates the intake of residual resin from the underside of the sample.

A multi-material 3-D printing system and method including at least two printing heads each with a transparent window circumscribed by an ejection nozzle. Each ejection nozzle is coupled to a respective pump that pumps resin from a respective vat onto a respective window. The resin is cured from below the window by exposure to a digital image displayed by a micro display chip. To switch resins, the sample is moved across a plurality of suction nozzles towards a second printing head. A respective one of the suction heads is coupled to a vacuum that effectuates the intake of residual resin from the underside of the sample.

A computer-implemented dynamic supporting base creation method that interacts with a three-dimensional (3D) printer that prints an object, the method including providing a physical support, via a first robotic gripper, for an object during three-dimensional (3D) printing using a printing head of the 3D printer and transferring the object to a second robotic gripper to provide a physical support at a different location on the object.

There is disclosed an ink composition for three dimensional (3D) printing. The ink composition comprises: a liquid dispersion of tungsten carbide (WC) particles and cobalt (Co) particles, and, a carrier vehicle for the dispersion of tungsten carbide particles and the dispersion of cobalt particles. The ink composition is of a viscosity usable with ink jet print heads for 3D printing.

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber and a build platform disposed in a lower portion of the chamber. The AM system includes an upper gas inlet disposed in a side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet includes one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform. The AM system includes at least one gas delivery mechanisms to regulate flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, and includes a gas outlet to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber and a build platform disposed in a lower portion of the chamber. The AM system includes an upper gas inlet disposed in a side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet includes one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform. The AM system includes at least one gas delivery mechanisms to regulate flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, and includes a gas outlet to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.

Methods and systems for 3D printing use a 3D printing device defined by a polar coordinate frame including an r-axis, a z-axis, and a rotational theta axis. The device includes a base, a rotatably attached printing stage is rotatably attached, a z-axis aligned pair of towers, an r-axis aligned rail slidably coupled to the towers, a print head slidably disposed on the rail, a printing tool coupling component (“master”) joined to the print head, and a rotatable tool carousel with bays housing printing tools, each including a printing tool body (“slave”). The slave may be coupled with and locked to or unlocked from the master to form a coupled tool assembly through a mechanical actuation assembly. With the coupled tool assembly, a printing tool is removable from a respective bay when the coupled tool assembly moves along the r-axis in a direction opposite from the rotatable tool carousel.

The present application provides a 3D printing method. The present application can provide as a method for efficiently performing 3D printing, for example, a 3D printing method capable of more rapidly and efficiently producing a three-dimensional shape precisely realized up to a fine portion.