In one example, a system for loading a build material powder supply receptacle for a 3D printer includes a reconditioner having a container and a heater to burn unwanted residue from used build material powder in the container, to form reconditioned build material powder, a conveyor operatively connected to the reconditioner to convey used build material powder to the container, and a dispenser operatively connected to the reconditioner to dispense reconditioned build material powder from the container into the supply receptacle.

In one example, a system for loading a build material powder supply receptacle for a 3D printer includes a reconditioner having a container and a heater to burn unwanted residue from used build material powder in the container, to form reconditioned build material powder, a conveyor operatively connected to the reconditioner to convey used build material powder to the container, and a dispenser operatively connected to the reconditioner to dispense reconditioned build material powder from the container into the supply receptacle.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing portion plasticizing a material to generate a shaping material, a nozzle having a discharge port discharging the shaping material toward a table, a movement mechanism changing a relative position between the nozzle and the table, a discharge control mechanism provided in a flow path which connects the plasticizing portion to the nozzle and controlling a discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle, and a control portion controlling the plasticizing portion, the movement mechanism, and the discharge control mechanism to shape the three-dimensional shaping object. The control portion controls the discharge control mechanism so that when a relative movement speed between the nozzle and the table is a first speed, the discharge amount of the shaping material is set to a first discharge amount, and when the relative movement speed between the nozzle and the table is a second speed which is slower than the first speed, the discharge amount of the shaping material is set to a second discharge amount which is smaller than the first discharge amount.

A three-dimensional (3D) printing method and apparatus are disclosed for freeform fabrication of metal articles. 3D printed articles are formed from a build material comprising metal powder(s), polymer(s), and solvent(s). A coagulation agent, such as a nebulized non-solvent, is disposed onto/about the build material during 3D printing to cause at least partial solidification of the build material to form a green body structure. Multiple build materials can be mixed at a variable ratio to achieve a composition gradient through the green body structure. The 3D printed green body structure can be heated to remove some or all of the polymer, solvent, and/or for debinding. The debinded green body structure can be sintered at a specific sintering temperature or over a temperature gradient, for a period of time, in accordance with the sintering properties of the particular metal powder in the debinded green body structure, to form a finished metal part.

A three-dimensional (3D) printing method and apparatus are disclosed for freeform fabrication of metal articles. 3D printed articles are formed from a build material comprising metal powder(s), polymer(s), and solvent(s). A coagulation agent, such as a nebulized non-solvent, is disposed onto/about the build material during 3D printing to cause at least partial solidification of the build material to form a green body structure. Multiple build materials can be mixed at a variable ratio to achieve a composition gradient through the green body structure. The 3D printed green body structure can be heated to remove some or all of the polymer, solvent, and/or for debinding. The debinded green body structure can be sintered at a specific sintering temperature or over a temperature gradient, for a period of time, in accordance with the sintering properties of the particular metal powder in the debinded green body structure, to form a finished metal part.

Systems, apparatus, computer-readable medium, and associated methods to monitor, analyze, and adjust at least one of 1) additive machine health and configuration or 2) build health and configuration are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an analytics processor, separate from and in a trusted relationship with an additive manufacturing machine building a part, to process, based on a trigger, data from monitoring of the additive manufacturing machine and the build of the part, the analytics processor including a hybrid model fusing additive process physics and data science to process the data to identify an abnormality in at least one of the build or the additive manufacturing machine and to adjust a configuration of the additive manufacturing machine during the build to address the abnormality.

Systems, apparatus, computer-readable medium, and associated methods to monitor, analyze, and adjust at least one of 1) additive machine health and configuration or 2) build health and configuration are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an analytics processor, separate from and in a trusted relationship with an additive manufacturing machine building a part, to process, based on a trigger, data from monitoring of the additive manufacturing machine and the build of the part, the analytics processor including a hybrid model fusing additive process physics and data science to process the data to identify an abnormality in at least one of the build or the additive manufacturing machine and to adjust a configuration of the additive manufacturing machine during the build to address the abnormality.

In example implementations, a powder level sensor is provided. The powder level sensor includes a capacitive sensor, a processor, and a cleaning mechanism. The processor is communicatively coupled to the capacitive sensor. The processor interprets a measurement of the capacitive sensor to detect a layer of residual build material on a surface of the powder level sensor. The cleaning mechanism may be communicatively coupled to the processor. The processor activates the cleaning mechanism to remove the layer of residual build material on the surface of the powder level sensor.

A three-dimensional shaped article production method is a three-dimensional shaped article production method for producing a three-dimensional shaped article by stacking layers and includes a first metal powder supply step of supplying a first metal powder having a first average particle diameter to a shaping table, a layer formation step of forming the layer by compressing the first metal powder supplied to the shaping table, a first liquid supply step of supplying a first liquid containing a second metal powder having a second average particle diameter and a binder to a portion of a constituent region of the three-dimensional shaped article, a second liquid supply step of supplying a second liquid containing at least either the second meal powder at a lower concentration than the first liquid or a third metal powder having a larger average particle diameter than the second average particle diameter and containing a binder to at least a portion of a surface layer region, and a sintering step of sintering a metal in the constituent region by heating a stacked body.

A three-dimensional shaping device includes: a discharge unit having a nozzle and configured to discharge a material toward a stage; a cleaning mechanism configured to clean the nozzle; and a moving unit configured to move the discharge unit and the cleaning mechanism relative to the stage. The moving unit is configured to move the cleaning mechanism relative to the stage in conjunction with the movement of the discharge unit relative to the stage.