Systems and methods directed fabrication using multi-material and precision alloy droplet jetting.

Apparatus and methods are described for performing additive manufacturing. The apparatus includes a vacuum chamber for fabricating a workpiece composed of deposited metal, a table positioned within the vacuum chamber, and configured to support fabrication of the workpiece on a substrate, and one or more multiple droplet emitters coupled to the vacuum chamber, and arranged to irradiate the workpiece with a stream of molten metal droplets during fabrication.

A slicer in a material drop ejecting three-dimensional (3D) object printer determines the number of material drops to eject to form a perimeter in an object layer and distributes a quantization error over the layers forming the perimeter. The slicer also identifies the location for the first material drop ejected to form the perimeter using a blue noise generator.

A composite equal additive manufacturing method: S1, obtaining molten metal by using a metal smelting device; S2, first, storing inflow molten metal in an intermediate container, and then transferring the molten metal into a crystallizer; S3, cooling the molten metal to a solid-liquid mixed state by using the crystallizer, and enabling a high-temperature blank body with a required section to flow out from an outlet of the crystallizer; S4, arranging plastic forming tools at a bottom of the outlet of the crystallizer, and performing plastic forming on the outflow high-temperature blank body; S5, fixing a lower end of a part after the plastic forming and slowly descending the part by a chuck; S6, machining the part by using point forming machines, and synchronously controlling the machining temperature of the part; and S7, descending the chuck to an appropriate position, and taking the formed part out from the machine frame.

The invention relates to a method for the additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional workpiece from a liquid material (1), in which method the liquid material (1) is fed to a displacement chamber (2) and discharged in drop form via a jet hole (4) by means of a pressure pulse which is generated with the aid of a reciprocating piston (3) delimiting the displacement chamber (2). According to the invention, in order to optimise the wetting properties of at least one surface (5, 6) which delimits the displacement chamber (2) and/or the jet hole (4), sound waves are coupled into the liquid material (1) for a limited period of time with the aid of the piston (3) which is caused to vibrate for this purpose. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method according to the invention.

An improved additive manufacturing system for manufacturing metal parts by magnetohydrodynamic printing liquid metal. A monitoring system including at least one camera capturing light reflected from a strobe light source. Images of the droplets are captured during their jetting and analyzed to determine whether the jetting performance is meeting specifications. A nozzle of the system has a nozzle bottom and a nozzle stem extending outward therefrom on which a meniscus of liquid metal can form. The nozzle is cleaned by bringing a ceramic rod in the vicinity of the nozzle and jetting a bead of metal which is rotated against the nozzle to remove an amount of dross.

A substrate for 3D printing using a cold spray technique. The substrate of the present invention has a porous surface with the size of pores smaller than approximately 24.4 times the mean particle size of feedstock powders for cold spray processing and larger than or equal to approximately 6.84 times the mean particle size. Due to no adhesion of a 3D-printed part to the porous regions of the substrate, the parts fabricated by cold spray can be easily removed from the porous substrate without cutting.

An implementation of the present teachings includes inner shell for a printer, such as a liquid metal printer, that mitigates problems associated with the formation of dross. The inner shell can be installed in a reservoir of the printer during a printing process where, during the printing process, a dross can form on an interior sidewall of the inner shell. Subsequently, the inner shell can be removed and either cleaned or replaced. During printing, the inner shell can be raised and/or lowered, or otherwise repositioned, so that the dross forms over a larger surface area of the inner shell, and at a decreased thickness, compared to an inner shell that is not repositioned.

A three-dimensional printing system, the system comprising a build platform and a printhead for depositing a conductive print material at deposition contact points of a build surface on the build platform. A heating system comprises at least one induction coil for preheating the deposition contact points of the build surface.

The invention relates to a method for the rapid manufacture of a three-dimensional workpiece from a molten material (1), in particular a molten metal, in which method the molten material (1) is supplied to a compression chamber (2) and delivered in drop form via an injector hole (4) by means of a pressure pulse which is generated with the aid of a reciprocating piston (3) that delimits the compression chamber (2). According to the invention, the compression chamber (2) is degassed before manufacturing begins and/or during a pause in the manufacturing. In a first step, ultrasonic waves are coupled into the molten material (1) in the compression chamber (2), which generate a force (F.sub.Bjrk) that makes the gas in the molten material (1) sink, and in a second step, after the ultrasonic excitation has ended, the piston (3) is introduced deeper into the compression chamber (2) in order to remove the rising gas via a conduit (5) of the piston (3). The invention also relates to a device for carrying out the method according to the invention.