The present disclosure provides bonded abrasive articles including abrasive particles retained in a binder. The abrasive particles are oriented at a predetermined angle greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees with respect to a longitudinal axis of the bonded abrasive article. Fifty percent or more of the abrasive particles are oriented within 15 degrees above or below the angle, as measured using microscopy image analysis under magnification. The present disclosure further provides a method of making a bonded abrasive article, the method comprising sequential steps. The steps include (a) a sub-process comprising sequentially: i) depositing a layer of loose powder particles in a confined region, wherein the loose powder particles comprise matrix particles and abrasive particles; ii) spreading the layer of loose powder particles with a spreading bar or roller to provide a substantially uniform thickness, wherein a gap between the spreading bar or roller and a base plane of the confined region is selected to be shorter than an average length of the abrasive particles; and iii) selectively treating an area of the layer of loose powder particles to bond powder particles together. Step b) includes independently carrying out step a) a number of times to generate a bonded abrasive article preform including the bonded powder particles and remaining loose powder particles. Step c) includes separating remaining loose powder particles from the bonded abrasive article preform. Step d) includes heating the bonded abrasive article preform to provide the bonded abrasive article. Further, methods are provided, including receiving, by a manufacturing device having one or more processors, a digital object comprising data specifying a bonded abrasive article; and generating, with the manufacturing device by an additive manufacturing process, a bonded abrasive article preform based on the digital object. A system is also provided, including a display that displays a 3D model of a bonded abrasive article; and one or more processors that, in response to the 3D model selected by a user, cause a 3D printer to create a physical object of a bonded abrasive article preform.

Systems and methods of thermoforming stone slabs are provided, such as by heating a stone slab while forming it to a mold. Curved stone slabs may be produced having low radii of curvature.

A 3D printer is described which is configured to build up a three-dimensional component in layers by forming layers of particulate construction material lying one upon the other and by selectively solidifying a partial region of the respective construction material layer. The 3D printer is configured to build up one or more first three-dimensional components in a first construction space and simultaneously one or more second three-dimensional components in a second construction space which is arranged adjacent to the first construction space. The 3D printer has a coating device arrangement which is displaceable across the first and the second construction space and a printing device which is displaceable across the first and the second construction space.

The invention provides a porous glass ceramic composition manufactured using conventional raw materials and one or more waste materials, wherein the waste materials are capable of producing glass forming oxides, glass modifying oxides and pore forming oxides. The waste materials are selected from a group that includes cullet, pozzolanic waste and fly ash. The invention also provides a method for manufacturing the porous glass ceramic composition.

A 3D printer is described which is configured to build up a three-dimensional component in layers by forming layers of particulate construction material lying one upon the other and by selectively solidifying a partial region of the respective construction material layer. The 3D printer is configured to build up one or more first three-dimensional components in a first construction space and simultaneously one or more second three-dimensional components in a second construction space which is arranged adjacent to the first construction space. The 3D printer has a coating device arrangement which is displaceable across the first and the second construction space and a printing device which is displaceable across the first and the second construction space.

A 3D printer 100 is described, which is configured to build up a three-dimensional component in layers by forming layers of particulate construction material lying one upon each other and by selectively solidifying a partial region of the respective construction material layer. The 3D printer 100 is configured to simultaneously build up one or more first three-dimensional components in a first construction space B1, which is arranged in the 3D printer, and one or more second three-dimensional components in a second construction space B2 which is arranged adjacent to the first construction space at a horizontal distance therefrom in the 3D printer.

Systems and methods of thermoforming stone slabs are provided, such as by heating a stone slab while forming it to a mold. Curved stone slabs may be produced having low radii of curvature.

A 3D printer 100 is described, which is configured to build up a three-dimensional component in layers by forming layers of particulate construction material lying one upon each other and by selectively solidifying a partial region of the respective construction material layer. The 3D printer 100 is configured to simultaneously build up one or more first three-dimensional components in a first construction space B1, which is arranged in the 3D printer, and one or more second three-dimensional components in a second construction space B2 which is arranged adjacent to the first construction space at a horizontal distance therefrom in the 3D printer.

A method includes: providing a mold having a plurality of mold cavities, wherein each mold cavity is bounded by a plurality of faces joined along common edges; filling at least some of the mold cavities with a sol-gel composition that includes a release agent dispersed therein; at least partially drying the sol-gel composition thereby forming shaped ceramic precursor particles; calcining at least a portion of the shaped ceramic precursor particles to provide calcined shaped ceramic precursor particles; and sintering at least a portion of the calcined shaped ceramic precursor particles to provide ceramic shaped abrasive particles. A sol-gel composition, shaped ceramic precursor particles, and ceramic shaped abrasive particles associated with practice of the method are also disclosed.

An abrasive particle includes at most three surfaces and at least one edge which has a corner at at least one end. The abrasive particle may contain a ceramic material, particularly polycrystalline -Al.sub.2O.sub.3. Abrasive particles as a whole, methods for producing abrasive particles, moulds, abrasive articles, methods for producing abrasive articles, and methods for abrading a surface are also disclosed.