There are provided an inexpensive copper powder, which has a low content of oxygen even it has a small particle diameter and which has a high shrinkage starting temperature when it is heated, and a method for producing the same. While a molten metal of copper heated to a temperature, which is higher than the melting point of copper by 250 to 700° C. (preferably 350 to 650° C. and more preferably 450 to 600° C.), is allowed to drop, a high-pressure water is sprayed onto the heated molten metal of copper in a non-oxidizing atmosphere (such as an atmosphere of nitrogen, argon, hydrogen or carbon monoxide) to rapidly cool and solidify the heated molten metal of copper to produce a copper powder which has an average particle diameter of 1 to 10 μm and a crystallite diameter Dx.sub.(200) of not less than 40 nm on (200) plane thereof, the content of oxygen in the copper powder being 0.7% by weight or less.

A method for densifying a metal part, including the following steps: coating the metal part with a leak-tight material, compacting the coated metal part under an isostatic pressure of a fluid, removing the coating from the metal part, and performing final annealing of the metal part.

A method for densifying a metal part, including the following steps: coating the metal part with a leak-tight material, compacting the coated metal part under an isostatic pressure of a fluid, removing the coating from the metal part, and performing final annealing of the metal part.

A control method of a metal powder manufacturing apparatus, the metal powder manufacturing apparatus including a crucible housed in a dissolving tank, a molten metal nozzle attached to a bottom surface of the crucible, a plurality of gas injecting nozzles arranged on a periphery of the molten metal nozzle within a spray tank, and an orifice portion disposed in an upstream portion of a flow passage in the molten metal nozzle, an inside diameter of the orifice portion being equal to or more than 0.8 mm and equal to or less than 3 mm, the control method including: making a pressure (Ps) of the spray tank higher than a total value of pressure (Ph) acting on an upper end of the molten metal nozzle and a pressure (Pm) of the dissolving tank when a melting raw material is molten within the crucible; and making the pressure (Ps) of the spray tank lower than the total value of the pressure (Ph) acting on the upper end of the molten metal nozzle and the pressure (Pm) of the dissolving tank when a molten metal within the crucible is made to flow down into the spray tank via the molten metal nozzle.

A device for measuring a force applied to a component when the component is being bonded to a component carrier, or when the component is being encapsulated includes a deformable portion and a contacting stem connected to the deformable portion. The deformable portion is configured to incorporate a sensor for detecting a degree of deformation of the deformable portion caused by application of the force in order to measure the force. In use, the contacting stem is positionable to contact the component or the component carrier so that the deformable portion is deformed when the force is applied to the component. One or more such devices may be included in a sintering or encapsulation apparatus for measuring the said force.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing section that forms a plasticized material, a flow channel for the plasticized material, a nozzle having an ejection port, from which the plasticized material is ejected to a shaping region, a position changing mechanism that changes a relative position of the nozzle to the table, a pressure measurement section that measures a pressure in the flow channel, and a cleaning mechanism that is provided in a cleaning region different from the shaping region and cleans the ejection port, wherein a cleaning process for causing the cleaning mechanism to perform cleaning by suspending a shaping process in the middle of the shaping process, and moving the nozzle to the cleaning region is executed, and the shaping process is resumed when the pressure is measured to be a reference value or less by the pressure measurement section after executing the cleaning process.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing section that forms a plasticized material, a flow channel for the plasticized material, a nozzle having an ejection port, from which the plasticized material is ejected to a shaping region, a position changing mechanism that changes a relative position of the nozzle to the table, a pressure measurement section that measures a pressure in the flow channel, and a cleaning mechanism that is provided in a cleaning region different from the shaping region and cleans the ejection port, wherein a cleaning process for causing the cleaning mechanism to perform cleaning by suspending a shaping process in the middle of the shaping process, and moving the nozzle to the cleaning region is executed, and the shaping process is resumed when the pressure is measured to be a reference value or less by the pressure measurement section after executing the cleaning process.

The method for making carbon-coated copper nanoparticles is a simple, one-step for coating copper nanoparticles with a carbon shell to prevent rapid oxidation of the carbon nanoparticle core. The method involves heating or autoclaving thin sheets of copper hydroxide nitrate (Cu.sub.2(OH).sub.3NO.sub.3) under supercritical conditions (a temperature of 300° C. and a pressure of 120 bar) for two hours. The autoclaving may be performed in the presence of an inert gas, such as argon, which may be used to remove any remaining gases, and the pressure may be released in the presence of the inert gas so that the product may be collected in the presence of air.

The present disclosure generally relates to powder packing for additive manufacturing (AM) methods and systems. Conventional powder packing methods are manual and non-standardized, and they result in operator fatigue and potentially product inconsistencies. Powder packing according to the present disclosure improves standardization and reduces turnaround time, with the potential to lower the cost of AM.

The present disclosure generally relates to powder packing for additive manufacturing (AM) methods and systems. Conventional powder packing methods are manual and non-standardized, and they result in operator fatigue and potentially product inconsistencies. Powder packing according to the present disclosure improves standardization and reduces turnaround time, with the potential to lower the cost of AM.