This invention quickly supplies a predetermined amount of powder from a hopper to a recoater. A powder supply apparatus includes, as its feature, a hopper, a powder spreader, a powder replenisher, and a pivoting unit. The hopper of the powder supply apparatus stores a powder. The powder spreader spreads the powder on a shaping surface. The powder replenisher of the powder supply apparatus is provided between the hopper and the powder spreader, and replenishes the powder spreader with a predetermined amount of powder. The pivoting unit of the powder supply apparatus causes the powder replenisher to pivot.

This invention quickly supplies a predetermined amount of powder from a hopper to a recoater. A powder supply apparatus includes, as its feature, a hopper, a powder spreader, a powder replenisher, and a pivoting unit. The hopper of the powder supply apparatus stores a powder. The powder spreader spreads the powder on a shaping surface. The powder replenisher of the powder supply apparatus is provided between the hopper and the powder spreader, and replenishes the powder spreader with a predetermined amount of powder. The pivoting unit of the powder supply apparatus causes the powder replenisher to pivot.

In order to be capable of reliably supplying a prescribed amount of fiber materials into a heating cylinder for each cycle and continuously manufacturing a homogeneous composite material, a plasticizing unit is provided with a fiber supply device 3 that supplies prescribed amount of fiber materials A2 having a prescribed length into the heating cylinder 1. The fiber supply device 3 is provided with: a cutting section 12 that cuts off a long fiber material A1 pulled out from a reel 11 into a prescribed length; a pressure-feeding section 13 that presses the fiber materials A2 having the prescribed length cut off by the cutting section 12 into the heating cylinder 1; and a fiber transfer device 45 that forcibly transfers the fiber materials A2 accumulated in the cutting section 12 to the pressure-feeding section 13. The pressure-feeding section 13 is constituted by a press cylinder 41 and a press piston 42, and the fiber transfer device 45 is constituted by a vacuum device.

In order to be capable of reliably supplying a prescribed amount of fiber materials into a heating cylinder for each cycle and continuously manufacturing a homogeneous composite material, a plasticizing unit is provided with a fiber supply device 3 that supplies prescribed amount of fiber materials A2 having a prescribed length into the heating cylinder 1. The fiber supply device 3 is provided with: a cutting section 12 that cuts off a long fiber material A1 pulled out from a reel 11 into a prescribed length; a pressure-feeding section 13 that presses the fiber materials A2 having the prescribed length cut off by the cutting section 12 into the heating cylinder 1; and a fiber transfer device 45 that forcibly transfers the fiber materials A2 accumulated in the cutting section 12 to the pressure-feeding section 13. The pressure-feeding section 13 is constituted by a press cylinder 41 and a press piston 42, and the fiber transfer device 45 is constituted by a vacuum device.

A thermoplastic resin pellet is columnar. A cross-sectional shape taken along a plane orthogonal to a height direction of the thermoplastic resin pellet has a longer diameter represented by a and a shorter diameter represented by b. A ratio a/b is greater than or equal to 1.0, and the ratio a/b is less than or equal to 2.6. A ratio of a unit height volume of a cylindrical portion of a hopper of a molding machine, into which the thermoplastic resin pellet is loaded, to a volume of the thermoplastic resin pellet is greater than 16. A method for manufacturing an electric cable includes supplying the thermoplastic resin pellet to the hopper, melting the thermoplastic resin pellet in the cylinder to supply molten resin to the die, and extruding the molten resin from the die to form a sheath on a core wire.

In one example, a replaceable cartridge to hold build material in an additive manufacturing machine includes a rigid exterior structured to fit into a receptacle in the machine, an anti-static interior to partially or fully contain an unfused build material, and an opening through which unfused build material may leave the antistatic interior.

According to examples, an apparatus may include a controller to identify a property of particulate material contained in a container and to determine, based upon the identified property of the particulate material, a parameter of a supply of gas fed into a conditioning assembly to condition the particulate material contained in the container. The controller may further control a mechanism to supply the gas at the determined parameter into the conditioning assembly.

An additive-manufacturing build-material container (201) comprises a reservoir to hold build material, an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir, an outlet tube structure including a longitudinal collection unit to collect build material from the bottom and guide the build material to the outlet opening at the top, upon application of a suction force at the other end thereof, and to guide the collected build material to the outlet opening at the top; and a vent opening in a top portion of the reservoir to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the reservoir to follow a gas flow path through the vent opening, through the reservoir and into the one end of the longitudinal collection tube; wherein on the gas flow path there is at least one turbulent gas-flow-generation feature (237) to generate turbulent gas flow in a region that is within the reservoir and outside the longitudinal collection tube.

An additive-manufacturing build-material container (201) comprises a reservoir to hold build material, an outlet opening in a top portion of the reservoir, an outlet tube structure including a longitudinal collection unit to collect build material from the bottom and guide the build material to the outlet opening at the top, upon application of a suction force at the other end thereof, and to guide the collected build material to the outlet opening at the top; and a vent opening in a top portion of the reservoir to admit gas from outside the reservoir into the reservoir to follow a gas flow path through the vent opening, through the reservoir and into the one end of the longitudinal collection tube; wherein on the gas flow path there is at least one turbulent gas-flow-generation feature (237) to generate turbulent gas flow in a region that is within the reservoir and outside the longitudinal collection tube.

In one example, a powdered build material supply system for additive manufacturing includes a supply deck, a dispenser to dispense a ribbon of powdered build material on to the supply deck, and a spreader to spread powdered build material from the ribbon over a work area adjacent to the supply deck.