A method of fabricating an article by fused filament fabrication. The method comprises providing a filament (3) comprising a first set RF of reinforcement fibres (300), including a first reinforcement fibre (300A), surrounded, at least in part, with a first polymeric composition (30); forming a first discontinuity (310A) of a first set D1 of discontinuities (310) in the first reinforcement fibre (300A); and depositing the filament (3), including the first discontinuity (310A) of the first set D1 of discontinuities (310) formed in the first reinforcement fibre (300A), comprising softening, at least in part, the first polymeric composition (30) and solidifying the softened first polymeric composition (30); wherein depositing the filament (3), including the first discontinuity (310A) of the first set D1 of discontinuities (310) formed in the first reinforcement fibre 300A, comprises depositing the filament (30), including the first discontinuity (310A) of the first set D1 of discontinuities (310) formed in the first reinforcement fibre (300A), in a first arc (320) of a set of arcs A.

A method of compensating for shrinking and distortion of an object resulting from a manufacturing process. A scan is performed of an object following a manufacturing process to produce scan data. The scan data is aligned to a part mesh of the object. The part mesh is adjusted to substantially coincide with the scan data by moving part mesh vertices. Delta vectors are computed by subtracting initial part mesh vertex positions from final part mesh vertex positions. The inverse of the delta vectors are applied to the preprocessed part mesh to give a scan adjusted pre-processed shape.

A method of compensating for shrinking and distortion of an object resulting from a manufacturing process. A scan is performed of an object following a manufacturing process to produce scan data. The scan data is aligned to a part mesh of the object. The part mesh is adjusted to substantially coincide with the scan data by moving part mesh vertices. Delta vectors are computed by subtracting initial part mesh vertex positions from final part mesh vertex positions. The inverse of the delta vectors are applied to the preprocessed part mesh to give a scan adjusted pre-processed shape.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for volumetric kernel representation of three dimensional models include: modeling a three dimensional object using a volumetric representation including fields that determine volumetric properties, each of the fields being parameterized by an input and output tensor structure, and at least one of the fields mapping tensor output of a first of the fields to tensor input of a second of the fields to provide a unified framework for geometry manipulation and composition that encompasses both discrete and continuous representations of materials in the three dimensional space; evaluating the fields including using coverage values that determine compositing behavior to generate output data corresponding to the volumetric properties; and providing the output data for the three dimensional object having physical characteristics that vary from point to point within a volume of the three dimensional object in accordance with the volumetric properties.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for volumetric kernel representation of three dimensional models include: modeling a three dimensional object using a volumetric representation including fields that determine volumetric properties, each of the fields being parameterized by an input and output tensor structure, and at least one of the fields mapping tensor output of a first of the fields to tensor input of a second of the fields to provide a unified framework for geometry manipulation and composition that encompasses both discrete and continuous representations of materials in the three dimensional space; evaluating the fields including using coverage values that determine compositing behavior to generate output data corresponding to the volumetric properties; and providing the output data for the three dimensional object having physical characteristics that vary from point to point within a volume of the three dimensional object in accordance with the volumetric properties.

A method of making a metal-polymer composite includes dealloying metallic powder to yield porous metal particles, monitoring a temperature of the mixture, controlling the rate of combining, a maximum temperature of the mixture, or both, and combining the porous metal particles with a polymer to yield a composite. Dealloying includes combining the metallic powder with an etchant to yield a mixture. A metal-polymer composite includes porous metal particles having an average particle size of about 0.2 μm to about 500 μm and a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer. The polymer composite comprises at least 10 vol % of the porous metal particles. A powder mixture includes porous metal particles having an average particle size of about 0.2 μm to about 500 μm and a metal powder. The powder mixture includes about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the porous metal particles.

A method of making a metal-polymer composite includes dealloying metallic powder to yield porous metal particles, monitoring a temperature of the mixture, controlling the rate of combining, a maximum temperature of the mixture, or both, and combining the porous metal particles with a polymer to yield a composite. Dealloying includes combining the metallic powder with an etchant to yield a mixture. A metal-polymer composite includes porous metal particles having an average particle size of about 0.2 μm to about 500 μm and a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer. The polymer composite comprises at least 10 vol % of the porous metal particles. A powder mixture includes porous metal particles having an average particle size of about 0.2 μm to about 500 μm and a metal powder. The powder mixture includes about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the porous metal particles.

A method of making a metal-polymer composite includes dealloying metallic powder to yield porous metal particles, monitoring a temperature of the mixture, controlling the rate of combining, a maximum temperature of the mixture, or both, and combining the porous metal particles with a polymer to yield a composite. Dealloying includes combining the metallic powder with an etchant to yield a mixture. A metal-polymer composite includes porous metal particles having an average particle size of about 0.2 μm to about 500 μm and a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer. The polymer composite comprises at least 10 vol % of the porous metal particles. A powder mixture includes porous metal particles having an average particle size of about 0.2 μm to about 500 μm and a metal powder. The powder mixture includes about 1 wt % to about 99 wt % of the porous metal particles.

Disclosed are Self-Gelling materials and structures or materials or structures having one or more self-gelling components that overcome existing gel limitations due to hydrogel localization for medical applications by providing, for example, 1) microstructurally, or physically, anchored characteristics to help localize the gel, and the overall printed, or otherwise formed structure, giving structural form to the gel that allows the gel to be localized within the body, and even sutured in place, and mitigates gel migration and extends its residence time; 2) to provide an underlying 3D printed structure to help contain and support the gel after implantation; and more. Self-Gelling 3D printed structures may be further processed via milling to yield deconstructed scaffold micro-granules, with the composition and nano-/micro- structure of the original larger structure. Deconstructed scaffold micro-granules may be hydrated to form a micro-granule embedded gel network that can be injected, giving form to injectable gels.

Disclosed are Self-Gelling materials and structures or materials or structures having one or more self-gelling components that overcome existing gel limitations due to hydrogel localization for medical applications by providing, for example, 1) microstructurally, or physically, anchored characteristics to help localize the gel, and the overall printed, or otherwise formed structure, giving structural form to the gel that allows the gel to be localized within the body, and even sutured in place, and mitigates gel migration and extends its residence time; 2) to provide an underlying 3D printed structure to help contain and support the gel after implantation; and more. Self-Gelling 3D printed structures may be further processed via milling to yield deconstructed scaffold micro-granules, with the composition and nano-/micro- structure of the original larger structure. Deconstructed scaffold micro-granules may be hydrated to form a micro-granule embedded gel network that can be injected, giving form to injectable gels.