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.

This disclosure pertains to a system, methods, and apparatus configured for generating singulated metal droplets and collecting powder metal. The system comprises crucible apparatus each including a crucible housing, a gas inlet, and an alloy nozzle. The crucible housing is operatively coupled to an induction heating element and power supply to provide induction heating of the crucible housing and electromagnetically levitate a mass of molten metal. The gas inlet is operatively coupled to a gas supply and configured to receive a pressurized gas pulse via the gas supply, the pressurized gas pulse being directed at the mass of molten metal. The alloy nozzle is configured to release a metal droplet singulated from the mass of molten level due to the pressurized gas pulse. The system includes a powder collection unit configured to collect powder from one or more dispensing channel configured to catch the falling singulated liquid metal droplet.

System and method for additive casting of metal objects by constructing production layers having mold regions and object regions includes a mold construction unit to construct a mold region of the current production layer; a Preparation-Deposition-Post (PDP) unit including: a molten metal depositor to deposit molten metal in an object region; a holder for holding the molten metal depositor; at least one induction heating unit; a build table for supporting the vertical stack of production layers; a movable platform to provide relative movement between the PDP unit and the build table; and a controller for controlling the PDP unit and the movable platform to deposit molten metal in a fabrication area, and to control the PDP unit to perform (1) pre-heating the fabrication area before molten metal deposition, to a pre-deposition temperature, and/or (2) post-heating the fabrication area after molten metal deposition, to a post-deposition temperature.

A method and an apparatus for manufacturing a metallic article involve providing a non-metallic feedstock, for example in the form of an oxide of a desired metal or a mixture of oxides of the components of a desired metal alloy. A manufacturing apparatus has a reduction apparatus for electrochemically reducing the feedstock to a metallic product and a processor for converting the metallic product to a metallic powder. The powder is fed into an additive-manufacturing apparatus for fabricating the metallic article from the metallic powder. At least the reduction apparatus and the processor, and preferably also the additive-manufacturing apparatus, are collocated, or located in the same container, or in the same building, or on the same site.

A computer representation of a printable product part and a plan for the printable product part to be deposited using an additive manufacturing process are received. The printable product part comprises an accumulation of material deposited by the additive manufacturing process. The plan comprises a tool-path representation of the printable product part and process parameters. A plurality of as-printed shapes of the printable product part are determined after it has been deposited according to the plan. Geometric differences between any of the plurality of as-printed shapes with the computer representation of the product part are determined.

A system for jetting metal is also disclosed, which includes a nozzle orifice in connection with the inner cavity and configured to eject one or more droplets of liquid metal, a source of printing material located external to the ejector, and an alloying system located between the source of printing material and the ejector. A method for metal jetting is disclosed, which includes introducing a printing material from a feed source into an alloying system. The method for metal jetting also includes depositing an alloying material within the alloying system onto the printing material to produce an alloyed printing material, introducing the alloyed printing material into an ejector defining a cavity which can retain a printing material, melting the alloyed printing material in the cavity of the ejector, ejecting the alloyed printing material from the ejector.

A method of making an ejector device. The method includes providing a substrate and forming one or more ejector conduits on the substrate. The one or more ejector conduits comprise: a first end configured to accept a print material; a second end comprising an ejector nozzle, the ejector nozzle comprising a first electrode pair that includes a first electrode and a second electrode, at least one surface of the first electrode being exposed in the ejector nozzle and at least one surface of the second electrode being exposed in the ejector nozzle; and at least one passageway for allowing the print material to flow from the first end to the second end. A method of printing a three-dimensional object and a method for jetting print material from a printer jetting mechanism are also disclosed.

A three-dimensional (“3D”) printer. The 3D printer comprises: a feeder mechanism for advancing a print material; a plurality of ejector conduits arranged in an array, each ejector conduit comprising a first end positioned to accept the print material from the feeder mechanism, a second end comprising an ejector nozzle, and a passageway defined by an inner surface of the ejector conduit for allowing the print material to pass through the ejector conduit from the first end to the second end, the ejector nozzle comprising a first electrode and a second electrode, at least one surface of the first electrode being exposed in the passageway and at least one surface of the second electrode being exposed in the passageway; a current pulse generating system in electrical contact with the ejector nozzle of each of the plurality of ejector conduits, the current pulse generating system being configured to flow an electrical current between the first electrode and the second electrode to provide sufficient thermal expansion so as to eject an electrically conductive print material in the event the electrically conductive print material is positioned in the ejector nozzle; and a positioning system for controlling the relative position of the array with respect to a print substrate in a manner that would allow the print substrate to receive print material jettable from the ejector nozzle of each of the plurality of ejector conduits during operation of the 3D printer.

A method of printing a three-dimensional object. The method comprises supplying a print material that is electrically conductive to a plurality of ejector conduits arranged in an array, the ejector conduits comprising first ends configured to accept the print material and second ends comprising ejector nozzles; advancing the print material in one or more of the ejector conduits of the array until the print material is disposed in the ejector nozzle of the one or more ejector conduits; flowing electrical current through the print material positioned in at least one of the ejector nozzles, thereby heating and expanding the print material in the at least one of the ejector nozzles so as to eject at least a portion of the print material from the at least one of the ejector nozzles onto a print substrate; and repeating both the advancing and the flowing electrical current through the print material to form a three-dimensional object on the print substrate.

A method of printing a three-dimensional object. The method comprises: supplying a print material that is electrically conductive to a plurality of ejector conduits arranged in an array, the ejector conduits comprising first ends configured to accept the print material and second ends comprising an ejector nozzle; advancing the print material in one or more of the ejector conduits of the array until the print material is disposed within the ejector nozzle of the one or more ejector conduits; providing a flux region in the print material disposed within the ejector nozzle; flowing electrical current through the print material in the flux region to thereby generate a Lorentz force on the print material and eject at least a portion of the print material from the ejector nozzle onto a print substrate; and repeating both the advancing of the print material and the flowing electrical current through the flux region to form a three-dimensional object on the print substrate.