In a method of producing a 3D part using an electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system, a plurality of layers of a powder-based material are developed using at least one electrophotography (EP) engine. The developed layers are transferred to a transfer medium. The layers on the transfer medium are dried by heating the layers without fully fusing the powder-based material to itself using a dryer. This reduces a water content of the layers. The dried layers are heated on the transfer medium to at least a fusion temperature, at which the power-based material fuses together, using a pre-transfusion heater. The dried layers are then transfused together on a build platform using a transfusion assembly to build the part in a layer-by-layer manner.

An image-forming apparatus contains a hardware processor for forming first and second reference marks on both surfaces of a first recording medium by using respective recorder. The first reference mark includes scale marks indicating coordinates in a position range relative to a first image-forming area, and the second reference mark includes an indicator indicating a position relative to a second image-forming area. The indicator is formed in a position indicating the relative position range as seen from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the recording medium. The hardware processor is also for implementing settings for adjusting the recording action of the recorder so that positional misalignment of the first and second image-forming areas diminishes based on coordinates inputted by an input section and indicated by the indicator. The hardware processor causes respective adjusted ordinary images to be formed on both surfaces of a second recording medium by the recorder.

An image-forming apparatus contains a hardware processor for forming first and second reference marks on both surfaces of a first recording medium by using respective recorder. The first reference mark includes scale marks indicating coordinates in a position range relative to a first image-forming area, and the second reference mark includes an indicator indicating a position relative to a second image-forming area. The indicator is formed in a position indicating the relative position range as seen from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the recording medium. The hardware processor is also for implementing settings for adjusting the recording action of the recorder so that positional misalignment of the first and second image-forming areas diminishes based on coordinates inputted by an input section and indicated by the indicator. The hardware processor causes respective adjusted ordinary images to be formed on both surfaces of a second recording medium by the recorder.

An electrophotography-based additive manufacturing system (e.g., 10; 100; 200; 300; 350; 500; 700) having at least one electrophotography (EP) or electrostatographic engine (e.g., 12; 12p; 12s; 612p; 612p; 712-1; 712-2) and being configured such that a plurality of independently movable parts is built in parallel at a plurality of decoupled processing stations.

An electrostatic-based layer-wise manufacturing system (e.g., 200; 200-1; 250; 282; 300) decouples a layer imaging process from a layer transfusion process. The layer imaging process is performed in a first batch process that is independent from the layer transfusion process that is performed in a second batch process

A method of printing a part in an additive manufacturing system includes printing a support structure for the part, printing a boundary surrounding the support structure, and printing the part on the support structure. An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part includes a transfer medium configured to receive and transfer imaged layers of a thermoplastic-based powder for a boundary, a thermoplastic-based powder for a support, and a thermoplastic-based powder for the part from at least two imaging engines, a heater configured to heat the imaged layers on the transfer medium to at least a fusion temperature of the thermoplastic-based powder, and a layer transfusion assembly including a build platform, the layer transfusion assembly being configured to transfuse the heated layers in a layer-by-layer manner onto the build platform to print the three-dimensional part.

A method of printing a part in an additive manufacturing system includes printing a support structure for the part, printing a boundary surrounding the support structure, and printing the part on the support structure. An additive manufacturing system for printing a three-dimensional part includes a transfer medium configured to receive and transfer imaged layers of a thermoplastic-based powder for a boundary, a thermoplastic-based powder for a support, and a thermoplastic-based powder for the part from at least two imaging engines, a heater configured to heat the imaged layers on the transfer medium to at least a fusion temperature of the thermoplastic-based powder, and a layer transfusion assembly including a build platform, the layer transfusion assembly being configured to transfuse the heated layers in a layer-by-layer manner onto the build platform to print the three-dimensional part.

In a method and an apparatus for forming on a substrate (214) a pattern of a material, a material layer is provided on an intermediate carrier (204) and an adhesive layer is provided on the material layer, wherein at least one of the material layer or the adhesive layer comprises a pattern corresponding to the pattern to be formed on the substrate (214). The material is transferred to the substrate (214) with the adhesive fixing the material to a surface (216) of the substrate (214).

In a method and an apparatus for forming on a substrate (214) a pattern of a material, a material layer is provided on an intermediate carrier (204) and an adhesive layer is provided on the material layer, wherein at least one of the material layer or the adhesive layer comprises a pattern corresponding to the pattern to be formed on the substrate (214). The material is transferred to the substrate (214) with the adhesive fixing the material to a surface (216) of the substrate (214).

A method for forming on a substrate (108; 214) a pattern of a material, the method comprising: providing (S100) a material layer (104); providing (S104, S106) an adhesive layer (106), wherein at least one of the material layer (104) or the adhesive layer (106) comprises a pattern corresponding to the pattern to be formed on the substrate (108; 214); and transferring (S108) the material to the substrate (108; 214) with the adhesive fixing the material to a surface (110; 216) of the substrate (108; 214). This solves the problem of forming on a substrate a pattern of a material that, in general, cannot be applied to the substrate directly due to the fact that the material cannot be printed and/or has no or reduced adherence properties with respect to the substrate.