This invention relates to processes and systems of rapid prototyping and production. Its features includes flexible material deposition along tangential directions of surfaces of a part to be made, thereby eliminating stair-shape surface due to uniform horizontal layer deposition, increasing width of material deposition to increase build up rate, applying the principles of traditional forming/joining processes, such as casting, fusion welding, plastic extrusion and injection molding in the fabrication process so that various industrial materials can be processed, applying comparatively low cost heating sources, such as induction heating and arc-heating. Additional features include varying width and size of material deposition in accordance with geometry to be formed and applying a differential molding means for improved shape formation and surface finishing.

This invention relates to processes and systems of rapid prototyping and production. Its features includes flexible material deposition along tangential directions of surfaces of a part to be made, thereby eliminating stair-shape surface due to uniform horizontal layer deposition, increasing width of material deposition to increase build up rate, applying the principles of traditional forming/joining processes, such as casting, fusion welding, plastic extrusion and injection molding in the fabrication process so that various industrial materials can be processed, applying comparatively low cost heating sources, such as induction heating and arc-heating. Additional features include varying width and size of material deposition in accordance with geometry to be formed and applying a differential molding means for improved shape formation and surface finishing.

Provided is a method of preparing an alloy powder, comprising the steps of: melting the metal elements to produce the alloy solution; atomizing the alloy solution into small drops under oxygen-containing atmosphere; forcing the small drops to be quickly cooled under the driving of the atomizing flow to obtain the alloy powder; wherein, when the method is used to prepare CuInGa alloy powder, Cu/(In+Ga) is 0.5 to 1.1, In/(In+Ga) is 0.2 to 0.9, Ga/(In+Ga) is 0.1 to 0.8, In/(In+Ga)+Ga/(In+Ga) is 1. Also provided is an alloy powder and a method of preparing CuInGa alloy powder.

The present invention relates to a fluid supply system for a 3D printer including a fluid pressure generating device for generating a pressurized fluid flow and with a fluid heating device for heating the fluid flow, wherein the 3D printer has at least one construction chamber which is delimited by a construction chamber with respect to the surroundings of the 3D printer and is sealed in a fluid-tight manner, wherein the fluid pressure generating device, the fluid heating device and the construction chamber housing are in fluid connect ion, whereby the fluid flow can flow through the construction chamber, and wherein the fluid pressure generating device, the fluid heating device and the construction chamber housing define a closed fluid circuit for the fluid flow which is heated by the fluid heating device before entry into the construction chamber.

A metal powder additive manufacturing system and method are disclosed that use increased trace amounts of oxygen to improve physical attributes of an object. The system may include: a processing chamber; a metal powder bed within the processing chamber; a melting element configured to sequentially melt layers of metal powder on the metal powder bed to generate an object; and a control system configured to control a flow of a gas mixture within the processing chamber from a source of inert gas and a source of an oxygen containing material, the gas mixture including the inert gas and oxygen from the oxygen containing material. The method may result in an object having a surface porosity of no greater than approximately 0.1%, and an effective density of greater than approximately 99.9%.

A metal powder additive manufacturing system and method are disclosed that use increased trace amounts of oxygen to improve physical attributes of an object. The system may include: a processing chamber; a metal powder bed within the processing chamber; a melting element configured to sequentially melt layers of metal powder on the metal powder bed to generate an object; and a control system configured to control a flow of a gas mixture within the processing chamber from a source of inert gas and a source of an oxygen containing material, the gas mixture including the inert gas and oxygen from the oxygen containing material. The method may result in an object having a surface porosity of no greater than approximately 0.1%, and an effective density of greater than approximately 99.9%.

A method of printing a three dimensional article (201) can include forming a bottom layer of the three dimensional article (201) by spraying a dry build material powder (210) onto a build platform (230) while heating the dry build material powder (210). The dry build material powder (210) can include metal or ceramic particles mixed with a polymeric binder having a softening point temperature. The dry build material powder (210) can be heated to a temperature above the softening point temperature such that the dry build material powder (210) adheres to the build platform (230). Subsequent layers can be formed by spraying dry build material powder (210) onto a lower layer while heating the dry build material powder (210) such that the dry build material powder (210) adheres to the lower layer.

An additive manufacturing device includes a molding unit including a molding tank accommodating a manufactured object and forming the manufactured object in the molding tank, a pressure vessel accommodating the molding unit, and a gas supply unit connected to the pressure vessel, supplying a gas into the pressure vessel, and configured to pressurize an inner portion of the pressure vessel.

An additive manufacturing device includes a molding unit including a molding tank accommodating a manufactured object and forming the manufactured object in the molding tank, a pressure vessel accommodating the molding unit, and a gas supply unit connected to the pressure vessel, supplying a gas into the pressure vessel, and configured to pressurize an inner portion of the pressure vessel.

The invention relates to a method for producing hard metal powder suitable for manufacturing hard metal products comprising metal carbides and a binder. To provide a method which is easy to carry out and which provides high quality hard metal powder, the method is characterized by the steps of: a) dissolving in water, water soluble raw materials and a binder source to form an aqueous solution, b) drying the aqueous solution to form a precursor powder having the raw materials homogenously distributed throughout the precursor powder, c) decomposing the precursor powder by heating the powder in an inert atmosphere to remove gas evolved in the decomposition of the raw materials, d) grinding the precursor powder and mixing it with a liquid media to produce a suspension, e) spray drying the suspension to agglomerate the precursor powder, and f) heat treating the agglomerated precursor powder to form a hard metal powder containing agglomerates of carbides evenly distributed and bonded to a metallic matrix.