An ejector for a printing system is disclosed. The ejector body may include an internal cavity, a nozzle in communication with the internal cavity, one or more segmented solenoid coils wrapped at least partially around the ejector body, and a piston disposed within the internal cavity of the ejector body. A method of ejecting liquid from an ejector is also disclosed, including introducing a material for ejection into an ejector cavity. The method of ejecting liquid from an ejector may include advancing a piston configured for translational motion within an ejector towards an ejector nozzle which may further include de-energizing a first segment of a segmented solenoid wrapped partially around the ejector, energizing a second solenoid segment of a segmented solenoid wrapped partially around the ejector. The method of ejecting liquid from an ejector may also include ejecting a drop of the material for ejection from the ejector nozzle.

An ejector for an additive manufacturing printing system is disclosed, including an ejector body having a nozzle, a heating element to heat a solid printing material in the ejector, causing the solid printing material to change to a liquid printing material, and a piston disposed within the ejector body capable of translational motion. The ejector may include a segmented solenoid coil wrapped at least partially around the ejector body, which may be powered to cause the piston to translate along a longitudinal axis of the ejector thereby causing one or more drops of the liquid printing material to be jetted out of the nozzle. A method of ejecting liquid from an ejector is also disclosed, including melting a printing material within an ejector to form a liquid printing material, and moving a piston towards an ejector nozzle, and ejecting a drop of liquid printing material from the ejector nozzle.

An ejector for an additive manufacturing printing system is disclosed, including an ejector body having a nozzle, a heating element to heat a solid printing material in the ejector, causing the solid printing material to change to a liquid printing material, and a piston disposed within the ejector body capable of translational motion. The ejector may include a segmented solenoid coil wrapped at least partially around the ejector body, which may be powered to cause the piston to translate along a longitudinal axis of the ejector thereby causing one or more drops of the liquid printing material to be jetted out of the nozzle. A method of ejecting liquid from an ejector is also disclosed, including melting a printing material within an ejector to form a liquid printing material, and moving a piston towards an ejector nozzle, and ejecting a drop of liquid printing material from the ejector nozzle.

A plasticization device includes: a rotor rotated by a drive motor and having a groove forming surface in which a first groove portion is formed along a rotation direction; a rotor case configured to accommodate the rotor; a barrel facing the groove forming surface and having a through hole; a first heating unit configured to heat the rotor or the barrel; and a cooling mechanism configured to cool a side surface of the rotor. In the plasticization device, a material supplied between the first groove portion and the barrel is plasticized by rotation of the rotor and heating by the first heating unit to flow out from the through hole, and the side surface of the rotor has a material guiding port configured to guide the material to the first groove portion, and a second groove portion configured to feed the material supplied between the rotor and the rotor case to the material guiding port.

A build material dispensing device may include a material spreader to spread an amount of build material along a build platform, and at least one hopper for dispensing the build material. The at least one hopper dispenses a plurality of doses of the build material in front of the progression of the material spreader as the material spreader is moved over the build platform.

An apparatus and a method for fabricating a magnetic material with variable magnetic alignment are disclosed. For example, the apparatus includes a reservoir storing magnetic particles, a heater coupled to the reservoir to melt the magnetic particles, a nozzle coupled to the reservoir to receive the magnetic particles that are melted, wherein the nozzle includes a rotatable collar that includes at least one magnet, a platform below the nozzle to receive the magnetic particles that are melted that are dispensed by the nozzle, and a controller communicatively coupled to the heater, the nozzle, and the platform to control operation of the heater, the nozzle, the rotatable collar of the nozzle, and the platform.

A system for determining a temperature of an object includes a three-dimensional (3D) printer configured to successively deposit a first layer of material, a second layer of material, and a third layer of material to form the object. The 3D printer is configured to form a recess in the second layer of material. The material is a metal. The system also includes a temperature sensor configured to be positioned at least partially with the recess and to have the third layer deposited thereon. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the first layer of material, the second layer of material, the third layer of material, or a combination thereof.

An additive manufacturing method of producing a metal alloy article may involve: Providing a supply of a metal alloy in powder form; providing a supply of a nucleant material, the nucleant material lowering the nucleation energy required to crystallize the metal alloy; blending the supply of metal alloy powder and nucleant material to form a blended mixture; forming the blended mixture into a first layer; subjecting at least a portion of the first layer to energy sufficient to raise the temperature of the first layer to at least the liquidus temperature of the metal alloy; allowing at least a portion of the first layer to cool to a temperature sufficient to allow the metal alloy to recrystallize; forming a second layer of the blended mixture on the first layer; and repeating the subjecting and allowing steps on the second layer to form an additional portion of the metal alloy article.

A cleaning device 2 is for performing a preliminary cleaning step 110 to a cleaning step 120 of a cleaning method 100, and includes a preliminary cleaning tank 11 containing a preliminary cleaning agent LQ1, a cleaning tank 12 containing a cleaning agent LQ2, an outer container 21 containing the preliminary cleaning tank 11 and the cleaning tank 12, a temperature adjustment unit 30 for adjusting the temperature of water WT contained in the outer container 21, an ultrasonic unit 40 for applying an ultrasonic wave to the water WT, or to the preliminary cleaning agent LQ1 or the cleaning agent LQ2 through the preliminary cleaning tank 11 or the cleaning tank 12, and a controller 80 controlling each of the units.

A cleaning device 2 is for performing a preliminary cleaning step 110 to a cleaning step 120 of a cleaning method 100, and includes a preliminary cleaning tank 11 containing a preliminary cleaning agent LQ1, a cleaning tank 12 containing a cleaning agent LQ2, an outer container 21 containing the preliminary cleaning tank 11 and the cleaning tank 12, a temperature adjustment unit 30 for adjusting the temperature of water WT contained in the outer container 21, an ultrasonic unit 40 for applying an ultrasonic wave to the water WT, or to the preliminary cleaning agent LQ1 or the cleaning agent LQ2 through the preliminary cleaning tank 11 or the cleaning tank 12, and a controller 80 controlling each of the units.