An apparatus for manufacturing an article from powder material including a first table, a second table rotatably mounted on the first table about a first axis and a third table rotatably mounted on the second table about a second axis. A hollow canister is supported by the third table. A vibrator is arranged to vibrate the canister. A first device is arranged to rotate the second table about the first axis and a second device is arranged to rotate the third table about the second axis. A hopper is arranged to supply powder material into the canister and a valve controls the flow of powder material from the hopper into the canister. A processor is arranged to control the valve, the vibrator, the first device and the second device to control the filling and packing density of the canister.

At least one parameter of a material is determined with a pressing tool usable for producing a green compact and a pressing tool for producing at least one green compact. The pressing tool has at least one planar surface which is formed at least in part by a die which, starting from the surface, extends along an axial direction and, on the surface, has a cavity which extends from the surface along the axial direction and has an inner circumferential surface; wherein the cavity forms a receptacle for a powdery material which can be pressed in the cavity by at least one punch plunging into the cavity along the axial direction to form the green compact.

In an example, a method includes identifying, by processing circuitry, a feature of less than a threshold size of an object to be generated in additive manufacturing. In some examples the method further includes determining, by processing circuitry, a first density of a print agent to be applied to build material when generating the identified feature of the object based on an intended flexibility of the feature of the object. The method may further include determining, by processing circuitry, a second density of print agent to be applied to build material when generating another feature of the object.