An apparatus and method for preparing high-purity spherical magnesium and/or high-purity magnesium powder are provided. The apparatus includes a vertical furnace body, a heating zone, and a condensing zone, where a periphery of the condensing zone is provided with a first thermal insulation device and a second thermal insulation device sequentially from bottom to top, and each of the first thermal insulation device and the second thermal insulation device is removably arranged; the periphery of the condensing zone is further provided with a liquid cooling device; a gas inlet and a gas outlet are formed in the condensing zone; and an inner wall of the condensing zone is provided with an arrangement structure configured to arrange a collection device. A heating temperature of a material and condensation conditions in the condensing zone are controlled to make an evaporated magnesium vapor condensed on the collection device in the condensing zone.

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing processes, apparatuses, software, and systems for the production of at least one desired 3D object. The 3D printer system (e.g., comprising a processing chamber, build module, or an unpacking station) described herein may retain a desired (e.g., inert) atmosphere around the material bed and/or 3D object at multiple 3D printing stages. The 3D printer described herein comprises one or more build modules that may have a controller separate from the controller of the processing chamber. The 3D printer described herein comprises a platform that may be automatically constructed. The invention(s) described herein may allow the 3D printing process to occur for a long time without operator intervention and/or down time.

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing processes, apparatuses, software, and systems for the production of at least one desired 3D object. The 3D printer system (e.g., comprising a processing chamber, build module, or an unpacking station) described herein may retain a desired (e.g., inert) atmosphere around the material bed and/or 3D object at multiple 3D printing stages. The 3D printer described herein comprises one or more build modules that may have a controller separate from the controller of the processing chamber. The 3D printer described herein comprises a platform that may be automatically constructed. The invention(s) described herein may allow the 3D printing process to occur for a long time without operator intervention and/or down time.

According to one aspect, there is provided a method of removing liquid from a build chamber containing build material and liquid. The method comprises starting a liquid extraction process to extract liquid from the build chamber, and determining when a predetermined threshold of liquid has been removed from the build chamber, and thereby stopping the liquid extraction process.

According to one aspect, there is provided a method of removing liquid from a build chamber containing build material and liquid. The method comprises starting a liquid extraction process to extract liquid from the build chamber, and determining when a predetermined threshold of liquid has been removed from the build chamber, and thereby stopping the liquid extraction process.

A process chamber housing for an additive manufacturing apparatus with a process chamber (having a bottom, a ceiling, and side walls that jointly enclose a volume of the process chamber), an inert gas inlet in a front wall of the side walls (to provide an inert gas into the process chamber) and an inert gas outlet in a rear wall of the side walls (to release the inert gas out of the process chamber). When the inert gas inlet and the inert gas outlet are positioned at opposite sides of the opening of the housing and face towards each other to establish an inert gas flow in a main flow direction from the inert gas inlet over the opening to the inert gas outlet, the quality of laser beam(s) employed in the additive manufacturing process is improved.

A process chamber housing for an additive manufacturing apparatus with a process chamber (having a bottom, a ceiling, and side walls that jointly enclose a volume of the process chamber), an inert gas inlet in a front wall of the side walls (to provide an inert gas into the process chamber) and an inert gas outlet in a rear wall of the side walls (to release the inert gas out of the process chamber). When the inert gas inlet and the inert gas outlet are positioned at opposite sides of the opening of the housing and face towards each other to establish an inert gas flow in a main flow direction from the inert gas inlet over the opening to the inert gas outlet, the quality of laser beam(s) employed in the additive manufacturing process is improved.

A powder cleaning system can include a fluidized bed reactor configured to retain powder and fluidize the powder to remove adsorbate and/or other contaminants from the powder, and one or more gas sources configured to be in selective fluid communication with the fluidized bed reactor via at least one inlet line to selectively provide an inlet flow having one or more gases to the fluidized bed reactor to fluidize the powder with the one or more gases within the fluidized bed reactor. The system can include at least one outlet line in fluid communication with the fluidized bed reactor and configured to allow removal of outlet flow which comprises the adsorbate and/or other contaminants from the fluidized bed reactor.

A powder cleaning system can include a fluidized bed reactor configured to retain powder and fluidize the powder to remove adsorbate and/or other contaminants from the powder, and one or more gas sources configured to be in selective fluid communication with the fluidized bed reactor via at least one inlet line to selectively provide an inlet flow having one or more gases to the fluidized bed reactor to fluidize the powder with the one or more gases within the fluidized bed reactor. The system can include at least one outlet line in fluid communication with the fluidized bed reactor and configured to allow removal of outlet flow which comprises the adsorbate and/or other contaminants from the fluidized bed reactor.

The titanium-based porous body according to the present invention is in a form of a sheet and contains titanium, and the titanium-based porous body has a thickness of 0.8 mm or less, a porosity of 30% to 65%, a maximum height Rz1 of one sheet surface of 30 ?m or less, a ratio of a maximum height Rz2 of other sheet surface to the maximum height Rz1 of the one sheet surface (Rz2/Rz1) of 1.2 or more, and a compression deformation rate of 19% or less.