The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) objects, 3D printing processes, as well as methods, apparatuses and systems for the production of a 3D object. Methods, apparatuses and systems of the present disclosure may reduce or eliminate the need for auxiliary supports. The present disclosure provides three dimensional (3D) objects printed utilizing the printing processes, methods, apparatuses and systems described herein.

A method and an apparatus of a powder bed fusion additive manufacturing system that enables a quick change in the optical beam delivery size and intensity across locations of a print surface for different powdered materials while ensuring high availability of the system. A dynamic optical assembly containing a set of lens assemblies of different magnification ratios and a mechanical assembly may change the magnification ratios as needed. The dynamic optical assembly may include a transitional and rotational position control of the optics to minimize variations of the optical beam sizes across the print surface.

To provide a three-dimensional printing device that irradiates approximately the same ranges on the surface of a powder layer simultaneously with a plurality of electron beams having different beam shapes. An electron beam column 200 of the three-dimensional printing device 100 includes a plurality of electron sources 20 including electron sources having anisotropically-shaped beam generating units, and beam shape deforming elements 30 that deform the beam shapes of electron beams output from the electron sources 20 on a surface 63 of a powder layer 62. A deflector 50 included in the electron beam column 200 deflects an electron beam output from each of the plurality of electron sources 20 by a distance larger than the beam space between electron beams before passing through the deflector 50.

A method and an apparatus for collecting powder samples in real-time in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing may involves an ingester system for in-process collection and characterizations of powder samples. The collection may be performed periodically and uses the results of characterizations for adjustments in the powder bed fusion process. The ingester system of the present disclosure is capable of packaging powder samples collected in real-time into storage containers serving a multitude purposes of audit, process adjustments or actions.

An electron beam welding appliance (10), characterised in that it comprises: an electron gun (11) capable of generating an electron beam (FE); a focusing means (12) capable of orienting the electron beam along a first axis (Z); an arm (13) extending parallel to the first axis, the arm comprising: a means (14) for converting a density distribution of the electron beam in a plane perpendicular to the first axis (Z); and a means (15) for bypassing the electron beam along a second axis (X) substantially perpendicular to the first axis.

Examples of a system for additive manufacturing are described. The system comprises a powder reservoir for storing the metal powder operatively coupled to a working chamber that includes a powder feeder with a housing that defines an inner cavity with an inlet and a number of nozzles in communication with the inner cavity of the powder feeder defining an outlet of the feeder. The number of nozzles are positioned around a center axis of a generated energy beam. A powder feeder's driver is configured to drive flow of the powder through the nozzles directly into a beam path such that an exact amount of the powder is placed into the beam path to be melted or sintered onto a powder bed.

A method and an apparatus for collecting powder samples in real-time in powder bed fusion additive manufacturing may involves an ingester system for in-process collection and characterizations of powder samples. The collection may be performed periodically and uses the results of characterizations for adjustments in the powder bed fusion process. The ingester system of the present disclosure is capable of packaging powder samples collected in real-time into storage containers serving a multitude purposes of audit, process adjustments or actions.

An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. Improved chamber designs, multiple chambers, powder handling and re-use systems, and powder characterization methods are disclosed.

Additive manufacturing systems, and methods of encoding and decoding data within a build chamber of an additive manufacturing system are disclosed. An additive manufacturing system includes a build chamber having a patterned surface, the patterned surface having indicia therein or thereon. The additive manufacturing system further includes an energy beam (EB) gun configured to emit an energy beam and a sensor configured to detect one or more x-ray emissions that are generated as a result of impingement of the energy beam on the patterned surface. The one or more x-ray emissions include characteristics that correspond to the indicia such that data encoded in the indicia can be obtained from the characteristics of the one or more x-ray emissions.

Additive manufacturing can involve dispensing a powdered material to form a layer of a powder bed on a support surface of a build platform. A portion of the layer of the powder bed may be selectively melted or fused to form one or more temporary walls out of the fused portion of the layer of the powder bed to contain another portion of the layer of the powder bed on the build platform