An apparatus (200) for smoothing a surface of an object (100). The apparatus includes a chamber (210), a reservoir (324) configured to hold a liquid (322), and a nebulizer assembly (212) configured to generate a mist (104) from the liquid into the chamber. The nebulizer assembly includes a mesh (732), a vibrating element (731), and a wick (736). The object is received in the chamber and the mist is configured to surround the object.

A method and apparatus are for surface finishing of pieces obtained by 3D printing. The piece to be treated and a liquid process plasticizer are heated together in a hermetically sealed treatment chamber up to a working temperature lower than the boiling temperature of the process plasticizer. The air/vapor mixture is maintained in continuous circulation in the chamber to keep the temperature and concentration uniform and to contact the piece with the air/vapor mixture to avoid condensate formation on the piece surface and allow process plasticizer vapors to be absorbed by the piece surface without condensate formation. Vapor exposure time is fixed depending on the desired penetration depth. A chamber has heaters, a ventilator for circulating the air/vapor mixture in the chamber to maintain uniform temperature and concentration conditions. A unit separates the process plasticizer vapors from the air/vapor mixture by condensation. A unit filters the residual air/vapor mixture.

The present invention provides a method for preparing an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) composite material including the following steps: providing a substrate material having medical grade ultra high molecular weight polyethylene powders, drying the substrate material to obtain fully dried UHMWPE powders, and pressing the fully dried UHMWPE powders to form a UHMWPE board; immersing the UHMWPE board into a graphene oxide solution and performing an ultrasonic induction by an ultrasonic processor such that the graphene oxide solution infiltrates into the UHMWPE substrate to obtain an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene composite material with excellent biocompatibility and tribological properties. The graphene oxide can be adsorbed and evenly spread on the surface of UHMWPE substrate by ultrasonic induction to form a lubricating film which can effectively reduce wear.

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for treating a printed model. The methods may include placing at least a portion of the printed model into a heat treatment medium. The methods may further include performing a heat treatment on the printed model based at least in part on the heat treatment medium. The heat treatment medium may provide a constraint force to prevent a deformation of the printed model during the heat treatment. And the methods may also include obtaining a printed object based at least in part on the heat treatment performed on the printed model.

The present application describes apparatus (100) for colouring an additively manufactured polymer part, comprising a chamber (106) for locating at least one additively manufactured polymer part (105) to be coloured, a first reservoir (102) for containing dye pigment particles to be suspended in a gas, and fluidly coupled to the chamber, and a further reservoir (104) for containing a solvent vapour, and fluidly coupled to the chamber. A method of colouring an additively manufactured polymer part is also described.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a molded body (10), comprising the following steps: a) providing a molding tool (40) which has at least one receptacle (12) in which at least one material (30) which comprises at least one shape-memory material (31) is introduced, wherein the shape-memory material (31) is present in a first state (111), wherein the material (30) at least partially fills the receptacle (12) of the molding tool (40) in such a manner that said material adjoins at least one surface of the receptacle (12); b) creating a molded body (10) in the receptacle (12) of the molding tool (40) from the material (30), wherein the shape-memory material (31) is present in a second state (112), wherein a form (11) is embossed into the molded body (10) during the second state (112); c) transferring the shape-memory material (31) to a third state (113), wherein the molded body (10) can be deformed during the third state (113) in such a manner that the molded body (10) is demolded from the receptacle (12) of the molding tool (40); and d) at least partially restoring the form (11) of the molded body (10) by transferring the shape-memory material (31) to a fourth state (114), wherein the molded body (10) at least partially resumes the form (11) according to step b) during the fourth state (114).

Systems and methods for forming pellets from mixed plastic materials are disclosed. An example method may include a method for forming pellets from mixed plastic materials without needing to screen or filter the mixed plastic materials. The method may include disposing a mixed plastic material into an extrusion apparatus, advancing the mixed plastic material through a die to form strands, and cutting the strands into a plurality of pellets.

A device comprising; a controller arranged to receive data for an article to print; a sub-device comprising a resin source arranged to provide material for printing the article; a radiation source arranged to direct radiation for the printing of said article; a plurality of stations, said stations including a printing tank in which the article is printed, at least one cleaning station for cleaning the printed article and a curing station arranged to at least partially complete the curing of the printed article; a build surface upon which the article is arranged to be printed; wherein controller is arranged to move the build surface and the plurality of stations relative to each other.

A method of infusing, infiltrating or impregnating a three dimensional printed, free-form fabricated or additive manufactured object having pores or voids in or between particles or sheets of material from which the object is manufactured may include infusing the object with a thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material may be a linear or branched semi-crystalline aliphatic polyester with a melting point of between 40° C. and 65° C. which may have a solidification/crystalisation point between 20° C. and 40° C., and which may be introduced under controlled conditions of temperature and pressure. The thermoplastic material may be caused to penetrate the object by immersing the object in the thermoplastic material and controlling the frequency and amplitude of pressure oscillation to ensure sufficient infusion into the object to penetrate the pores or voids by at least 10% and bond particles or sheets of material from which the object is manufactured.

A method for removing powder from a component or part produced by a powder bed additive manufacturing system is provided. The method includes providing a part, the part having at least one internal cavity with at least one external opening, the at least one cavity being at least partly filled with powder grains, the powder grains being connected to each other and to the walls of the cavity by mechanical, frictional, electrical, physical, or chemical forces. The method further includes adding medium in liquid phase to the at least one cavity of the part, the liquid having the property that it expands in phase transition from liquid to solid phase; transforming added medium to solid phase to loosen and break up at least a fraction of the powder grains connections from each other; and removing powder from the at least one internal cavity.