A connecting device for receiving a cartridge container and for positioning at a connection point in an installation for producing three-dimensional components by successively solidifying layers of a powdered building material, having a housing, having a cartridge receiver which is provided at the housing and to which the cartridge container can be fastened, having a connection side on the housing opposite the cartridge receiver, which connection side has a passage for delivering powdered building material from the cartridge container or for feeding powdered building material into the cartridge container, having a closure member which is provided between the cartridge receiver and the connection side and by which the passage can be activated for opening and closing the passage.

A connecting device for receiving a cartridge container and for positioning at a connection point in an installation for producing three-dimensional components by successively solidifying layers of a powdered building material, having a housing, having a cartridge receiver which is provided at the housing and to which the cartridge container can be fastened, having a connection side on the housing opposite the cartridge receiver, which connection side has a passage for delivering powdered building material from the cartridge container or for feeding powdered building material into the cartridge container, having a closure member which is provided between the cartridge receiver and the connection side and by which the passage can be activated for opening and closing the passage.

A method for manufacturing a target material is provided and includes installing a substrate, providing a raw material powder to the substrate, melting the raw material powder on the substrate by a laser, and repeating the step of providing the raw material powder to the substrate to melting the raw material powder on the substrate by the laser to form a target material and rapidly cooling the formed target material. As such, the target material is produced by the method of lamination manufacturing via the rapid cooling property, so as to avoid the problems of high cost, long man-hours and poor quality of the target material in the conventional techniques.

A method for manufacturing a target material is provided and includes installing a substrate, providing a raw material powder to the substrate, melting the raw material powder on the substrate by a laser, and repeating the step of providing the raw material powder to the substrate to melting the raw material powder on the substrate by the laser to form a target material and rapidly cooling the formed target material. As such, the target material is produced by the method of lamination manufacturing via the rapid cooling property, so as to avoid the problems of high cost, long man-hours and poor quality of the target material in the conventional techniques.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing section that includes a drive motor, a heater, and a screw rotated by the drive motor and that plasticizes a material to form a shaping material, an ejection section that ejects the shaping material toward a stage, a moving mechanism section that changes a relative position of the ejection section to the stage, a prediction section that predicts a residual service life of the heater from an observation result of a state observation section that observes a state of the heater, and a control unit that controls the plasticizing section and the moving mechanism section to shape a three-dimensional shaped article. The control unit has a first mode in which a temperature of the heater is set to a first temperature and a second mode in which the temperature of the heater is set to a temperature lower than the first temperature, and shapes the three-dimensional shaped article in the first mode when a first residual service life when the temperature of the heater is set to the first temperature exceeds a first value, and shapes the three-dimensional shaped article in the second mode when the first residual service life is equal to or less than the first value.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing section that includes a drive motor, a heater, and a screw rotated by the drive motor and that plasticizes a material to form a shaping material, an ejection section that ejects the shaping material toward a stage, a moving mechanism section that changes a relative position of the ejection section to the stage, a prediction section that predicts a residual service life of the heater from an observation result of a state observation section that observes a state of the heater, and a control unit that controls the plasticizing section and the moving mechanism section to shape a three-dimensional shaped article. The control unit has a first mode in which a temperature of the heater is set to a first temperature and a second mode in which the temperature of the heater is set to a temperature lower than the first temperature, and shapes the three-dimensional shaped article in the first mode when a first residual service life when the temperature of the heater is set to the first temperature exceeds a first value, and shapes the three-dimensional shaped article in the second mode when the first residual service life is equal to or less than the first value.

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes: a chamber, including a front plate; a door, provided at an opening of the front plate; an irradiator; a gas supplier, supplying an inert gas to the chamber; and a gas discharger, discharging the inert gas from the chamber. The gas supplier includes a middle nozzle and a lower nozzle. The middle nozzle is provided so as to cross the opening when the door is closed, has one end swingably supported on the front plate, and swings independently of opening and closing of the door.

An additive manufacturing apparatus includes: a chamber, including a front plate; a door, provided at an opening of the front plate; an irradiator; a gas supplier, supplying an inert gas to the chamber; and a gas discharger, discharging the inert gas from the chamber. The gas supplier includes a middle nozzle and a lower nozzle. The middle nozzle is provided so as to cross the opening when the door is closed, has one end swingably supported on the front plate, and swings independently of opening and closing of the door.

An apparatus includes a build plate, a powder application apparatus that applies metal powder onto the build plate to form a powder layer, a beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates the powder layer with an electron beam, and a control unit that controls the powder application apparatus and the beam irradiation apparatus. When the powder layer is preheated by irradiation with the electron beam, the control unit sets a beam size and an irradiation position of the electron beam such that lines of the electron beam do not overlap each other at least at a start of preheating, and controls the beam irradiation apparatus to gradually increase at least one of a beam current and the beam size of the electron beam from the start of preheating to an end of preheating.

An apparatus includes a build plate, a powder application apparatus that applies metal powder onto the build plate to form a powder layer, a beam irradiation apparatus that irradiates the powder layer with an electron beam, and a control unit that controls the powder application apparatus and the beam irradiation apparatus. When the powder layer is preheated by irradiation with the electron beam, the control unit sets a beam size and an irradiation position of the electron beam such that lines of the electron beam do not overlap each other at least at a start of preheating, and controls the beam irradiation apparatus to gradually increase at least one of a beam current and the beam size of the electron beam from the start of preheating to an end of preheating.