A z-lift and leveling assembly for leveling a platen in a heated chamber of a 3D printer includes first, second, third, and fourth z-actuators in a rectangular configuration. Each z-actuator includes a linear drive configured to supply motion in the z-direction and a mounting bracket secured to the linear drive and configured to move with the linear drive in the z-direction. The assembly includes a set of four pin couplings each associated with one of the first, second, third and fourth z-actuators. Each pin coupling includes a pivot block secured to the mounting bracket with a first pivot pin forming a first pin joint between the mounting bracket and the pivot block, where the pivot block is configured to move relative to the mounting bracket about a first pivot axis of the first pivot pin. The pivot block is secured to the platen or an arm of the platen with a second pivot pin forming a second pin joint such that the pivot block and the platen move relative to each other about a second pivot axis. As the mounting bracket is moved, the pivot block moves relative to the mounting bracket about the first pivot axis and the pivot block moves relative to the platen about the second pivot axis such that a z-position of the platen can be manipulated to and maintained in a substantially level configuration in the z-direction though the independent manipulation of the first, second, third and fourth z-actuators and wherein the substantially level configuration can be maintained when the platen is incremented in the z-direction during printing of a part.

A testing apparatus for use with a laser processing system that includes a laser for generating a non-stationary laser beam and a work plane positioned at a working distance relative to the non-stationary laser beam, wherein the testing apparatus includes a support tube; a protective window mounted in the support tube for protecting components mounted within the support tube; a reimaging lens mounted in the support tube for enlarging the non-stationary laser beam for characterization thereof; a pin-hole defining structure mounted in the support tube for receiving laser light generated by the laser beam, wherein the pin-hole is located at a predetermined distance from the reimaging lens; a fiber optic cable disposed within the pin-hole defining structure that has a proximal end at which the laser light is received through the pin-hole and a distal end to which the laser light is delivered; and a photodetector located at the distal end of the fiber optic cable that converts the laser light delivered to the photodetector into electrical voltage output signals based on intensity of the laser light received through the pin-hole.

A calibration method of an additive manufacturing apparatus includes an irradiation trace forming step, an imaging step, a specifying step, and a correction step. The irradiation trace forming step scans laser beams with each of a plurality of scanners with respect to a plurality of target positions on a calibration plate installed on a molding region, and forms a plurality of irradiation traces having different shapes for each of the plurality of scanners. The imaging step simultaneously images the plurality of irradiation traces formed with respect to the same target position. The specifying step specifies a plurality of irradiated positions of the laser beam scanned by each of the plurality of scanners. The correction step generates correction data that specifies a deviation amount at any point of a laser coordinate system related to each of the plurality of scanners.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for setting a working distance of an additive manufacturing system, including: moving a deposition element towards a build surface; detecting, via a contact detection system, a contact between the deposition element and the build surface; stopping the moving of the deposition element in response to detecting the contact between the deposition element and the build surface; and moving the deposition element away from the build surface a determined working distance.

Certain aspects of the present disclosure provide a method for setting a working distance of an additive manufacturing system, including: moving a deposition element towards a build surface; detecting, via a contact detection system, a contact between the deposition element and the build surface; stopping the moving of the deposition element in response to detecting the contact between the deposition element and the build surface; and moving the deposition element away from the build surface a determined working distance.

A three-dimensional shaping device includes a nozzle that discharges a shaping material, a stage that includes a stacking surface on which the shaping material is stacked, a moving mechanism that changes a relative position between the nozzle and the stage, a distance measurement mechanism that is disposed at a position facing the nozzle, a cleaning mechanism that cleans a tip end surface of the nozzle, and a control unit that controls the moving mechanism while discharging the shaping material from the nozzle towards the stacking surface so as to shape a three-dimensional shaped object. The control unit measures a first value relating to a distance between the tip end surface of the nozzle and the stacking surface after the tip end surface of the nozzle is cleaned, and controls the moving mechanism based on the first value to adjust the distance between the stacking surface and the tip end surface of the nozzle to a predetermined distance to shape the three-dimensional shaped object.

A three-dimensional shaping device includes a nozzle that discharges a shaping material, a stage that includes a stacking surface on which the shaping material is stacked, a moving mechanism that changes a relative position between the nozzle and the stage, a distance measurement mechanism that is disposed at a position facing the nozzle, a cleaning mechanism that cleans a tip end surface of the nozzle, and a control unit that controls the moving mechanism while discharging the shaping material from the nozzle towards the stacking surface so as to shape a three-dimensional shaped object. The control unit measures a first value relating to a distance between the tip end surface of the nozzle and the stacking surface after the tip end surface of the nozzle is cleaned, and controls the moving mechanism based on the first value to adjust the distance between the stacking surface and the tip end surface of the nozzle to a predetermined distance to shape the three-dimensional shaped object.

In order to allow real-time monitoring of a tracing process during additive manufacture, a device is disclosed for the additive manufacture of a workpiece. A scanning unit (2) is designed to direct a fusing beam (3) onto a tracing spot (4). The device also has a local-resolution optical detector (5), a control unit (6) and an imaging unit (7). The imaging unit (7) is designed to image a portion (8) of the tracing surface (1) on the detector (5). The control unit (6) is designed to control the device in order to change the position of the portion (8) during manufacture.

Disclosed is the measurement and control of height in the Z-axis of layers produced in an additive manufacturing process. The height of layers being deposited can be monitored, which may involve the use of a fiducial tower to measure a global errors or optical or other means to measure layers on a layer-by-layer basis. Droplet size, pitch and other conditions may be modified to ameliorate or correct detected errors.

Disclosed is the measurement and control of height in the Z-axis of layers produced in an additive manufacturing process. The height of layers being deposited can be monitored, which may involve the use of a fiducial tower to measure a global errors or optical or other means to measure layers on a layer-by-layer basis. Droplet size, pitch and other conditions may be modified to ameliorate or correct detected errors.