The present disclosure provides an additive manufacturing method for manufacturing an object. The method comprises depositing successive layers of a granular metal construction material. The method comprises selectively binding a first region of each layer to form a bound shell of the construction material defining an exterior of the object by depositing a binder into the first region surrounding a second region that remains unbound. The method comprises separating the shell and the enclosed unbound construction material from the construction material remaining outside the shell. The present disclosure also provides apparatuses implementing the manufacturing method, and objects manufactured by the manufacturing method.

We describe a process chamber, an apparatus, a modular system, a method, a safety device, a positioning system and a system for producing a three-dimensional workpiece and/or for use thereof when producing a three-dimensional workpiece. The process chamber for producing the three-dimensional workpiece via an additive layer construction method comprises: a material supply unit comprising a substantially ring-like shaped end portion at a first side of the process chamber, wherein the material supply unit is adapted to supply, via the end portion, material to a carrier on which the material is to be processed by the process chamber for producing the three-dimensional workpiece, and an opening at the first side of the process chamber for processing, by the process chamber, the material supplied on the carrier in order to produce the three-dimensional workpiece, wherein the substantially ring-like shaped end portion surrounds the opening.

The present disclosure generally relates to methods for additive manufacturing (AM) that utilize support leading edge structures in the process of building objects, as well as novel leading edge support structures to be used within these AM processes. The support structure is positioned adjacent the object between the object and a first side of the powder bed. The support structure has a shape that tapers outward in the direction from the first side to the object

A body and a table located on the body that allows powders to be laid thereon by a laying apparatus is disclosed. At least one layer is created by sintering or fusing the powders laid on the table, a part that is produced by piling up the layers using additive manufacturing method, at least one heat source that is located on the body and applies heat treatment to powders laid on the table, at least one sensor for detecting position and operating status of the heat source and at least one control unit controlling the heat source based on information received from the sensor.

A body and a table located on the body that allows powders to be laid thereon by a laying apparatus is disclosed. At least one layer is created by sintering or fusing the powders laid on the table, a part that is produced by piling up the layers using additive manufacturing method, at least one heat source that is located on the body and applies heat treatment to powders laid on the table, at least one sensor for detecting position and operating status of the heat source and at least one control unit controlling the heat source based on information received from the sensor.

A method for manufacturing impellers is described. The method provides for manufacturing a plurality of tubular components, each tubular component forming an inner passage, which is shaped as one of the flow passages of the final impeller. The tubular components are assembled together forming a semi-finished impeller. The semi-finished impeller is provided with annular cavities extending around the rotation axis of the impeller and gaps between adjacent tubular components. The gaps and cavities are filled with metal powder and the semi-finished impeller is subject to hot isostatic pressing, to densify the metal powder and form a monolithic final impeller.

A powder is supplied to a shaping chamber without interrupting processing of shaping a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a shaping chamber in which a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped, a powder storage that stores a powder conveyed to the shaping chamber, an intermediate powder storage that is provided between the shaping chamber and the powder storage, is connected to the shaping chamber via a first valve, is connected to the powder storage via a second valve, and temporarily stores the powder, a valve controller that controls opening/closing of each of the first valve and the second valve, and an atmosphere controller that controls an atmosphere in the intermediate powder storage and an atmosphere in the shaping chamber.

A shaping method includes a first ejection step of ejecting a first curable viscous fluid, a planarization step of planarizing the first curable viscous fluid, a first curing step of curing the first curable viscous fluid, a cured layer forming step of repeatedly executing the first ejection step, the planarization step, and the first curing step to form a cured layer, a second ejection step of ejecting a second curable viscous fluid onto a surface of the cured layer, a second curing step of forming a smooth surface on the surface of the cured layer by curing the second curable viscous fluid, a third ejection step of ejecting a fluid containing metal particles onto the smooth surface, and a third curing step of curing the fluid containing the metal particles ejected in the third ejection step to form a metallic conductor on the smooth surface.

A process chamber housing for an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising a process chamber with a bottom, a ceiling, and sidewalls jointly enclosing a volume of the process chamber, with a gas inlet in a front wall and a gas outlet in a rear wall of the sidewalls. The gas inlet and outlet are positioned at opposite sides of an opening in the bottom and face each other, which allows for an improved removal of smoke out of the process chamber if the gas inlet has a width w.sub.i, the opening has a width w.sub.s, and the gas outlet has a width w.sub.0, such that at least one of the relations (i) w.sub.i≥w.sub.s±4 cm and w.sub.0≥w.sub.s±4 cm; (ii) w.sub.i≥w.sub.s and/or w.sub.0≥w.sub.s; and (iii) w.sub.i≥w.sub.s+1 cm and/or w.sub.0≥w.sub.s+1 cm is satisfied.

An additive manufacturing system includes a platen, a dispenser apparatus positioned above the platen to dispense a layer of powder over the platen, and an energy source to selectively fuse the layer of powder. The dispenser apparatus includes a support structure, a dispenser secured to the support structure and including a reservoir to hold the powder and one or more openings configured to deliver powder from the reservoir in a linear region that extends along a first axis, a spreader extending along the first axis and secured to the support structure and positioned to spread powder already delivered on the platen by the dispenser, and a drive system to move the support structure along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis such that the dispenser and blade move together to sweep the linear region along the second axis to deposit and level the powder.