Devices, systems, and methods for monitoring a powder layer in additive manufacturing are disclosed. A method of monitoring a powder layer includes receiving image data corresponding the powder layer supported by a powder bed within a build chamber from imaging devices, determining leading and trailing regions of interest located adjacent to a leading end and a trailing end of the moving powder distributor, respectively, the leading and trailing regions of interest moving according to movement of the moving powder distributor, selecting at least one point located in the leading region of interest from the image data, determining first characteristics of the point, when the point is located within the trailing region of interest, determining second characteristics of the point, and comparing the first characteristics to the second characteristics.

Devices, systems, and methods for monitoring a powder layer in additive manufacturing are disclosed. A method of monitoring a powder layer includes receiving image data corresponding the powder layer supported by a powder bed within a build chamber from imaging devices, determining leading and trailing regions of interest located adjacent to a leading end and a trailing end of the moving powder distributor, respectively, the leading and trailing regions of interest moving according to movement of the moving powder distributor, selecting at least one point located in the leading region of interest from the image data, determining first characteristics of the point, when the point is located within the trailing region of interest, determining second characteristics of the point, and comparing the first characteristics to the second characteristics.

Devices, systems, and methods for monitoring a powder layer in additive manufacturing are disclosed. A method of monitoring a powder layer includes receiving image data corresponding the powder layer supported by a powder bed within a build chamber from imaging devices, determining leading and trailing regions of interest located adjacent to a leading end and a trailing end of the moving powder distributor, respectively, the leading and trailing regions of interest moving according to movement of the moving powder distributor, selecting at least one point located in the leading region of interest from the image data, determining first characteristics of the point, when the point is located within the trailing region of interest, determining second characteristics of the point, and comparing the first characteristics to the second characteristics.

A process for producing a powder witness coupon including additively manufacturing a container simultaneously with a primary part, filling at least a portion of the container with a feed material employed for the part simultaneously with the additive manufacturing of the primary part, and sealing the container during the additive manufacturing of the primary part. An in-situ feed material powder witness coupon including a container additively manufactured simultaneously with a primary part, and a plurality of individual chambers within the container, at least one of the chambers being removable intact from the container. Further, a method for enhancing examination of feed material in an additively manufactured part including additively manufacturing a container simultaneously with a primary part, capturing feed material, density and environment in the container, and sealing the container.

A process for producing a powder witness coupon including additively manufacturing a container simultaneously with a primary part, filling at least a portion of the container with a feed material employed for the part simultaneously with the additive manufacturing of the primary part, and sealing the container during the additive manufacturing of the primary part. An in-situ feed material powder witness coupon including a container additively manufactured simultaneously with a primary part, and a plurality of individual chambers within the container, at least one of the chambers being removable intact from the container. Further, a method for enhancing examination of feed material in an additively manufactured part including additively manufacturing a container simultaneously with a primary part, capturing feed material, density and environment in the container, and sealing the container.

A method for prefabricating a poor fusion defect by controlling a LMD process, including: obtaining a model, with a shaping zone and a defect prefabricated zone that has a preset defect; and performing a layerwise slicing process on the model. For each deposition layer of the defect prefabricated zone, the preset defect has a maximum dimension a0 in a perpendicular direction; for the shaping zone, performing a shaping process under predetermined shaping process parameters of the LMD process; and for the defect prefabricated zone, controlling shaping process parameters as follows: when a0<D, with respect to the shaping zone, changing a scan pitch between shaping paths and a powder feed rate in the deposition layer, thereby prefabricating the poor fusion defect; and when a0≥D, with respect to the shaping zone.

A method for prefabricating a poor fusion defect by controlling a LMD process, including: obtaining a model, with a shaping zone and a defect prefabricated zone that has a preset defect; and performing a layerwise slicing process on the model. For each deposition layer of the defect prefabricated zone, the preset defect has a maximum dimension a0 in a perpendicular direction; for the shaping zone, performing a shaping process under predetermined shaping process parameters of the LMD process; and for the defect prefabricated zone, controlling shaping process parameters as follows: when a0<D, with respect to the shaping zone, changing a scan pitch between shaping paths and a powder feed rate in the deposition layer, thereby prefabricating the poor fusion defect; and when a0≥D, with respect to the shaping zone.

The invention relates to a method for producing three-dimensional components (14) by successively solidifying layers of a powder construction material (9) which can be solidified by means of electromagnetic radiation (18), in particular bundled radiation such as laser radiation or electron radiation, at the locations corresponding to the respective cross-section of the component (14), in particular an SLM (selective laser melting) or SLS (selective laser sintering) method. A device (1) comprising a support device (7), the height of which can be adjusted within a construction chamber (6), is provided for supporting the component (14), comprising a coating device (12) for applying layers of the construction material (9) onto the support device or onto a previously formed layer and comprising an irradiating device (15) for irradiating layers of the construction material (9) in some regions in order to solidify the layers. A surface (13) section to be coated is scanned with respect to the evenness of the section prior to the application of a new layer, and in the event of an unevenness which exceeds a known tolerance range, the unevenness is removed or leveled out.

A three-dimensional object fabrication method of the present disclosure includes forming a fabrication layer including a fabrication material, applying a fabrication liquid to the fabrication layer, flattening the fabrication layer, monitoring a scattering condition of the fabrication material in the forming and the flattening, and adjusting at least one of the forming and the flattening, based on a monitoring result of the scattering condition in the monitoring.

A printing apparatus for printing a three-dimensional object. The printing apparatus includes an operative surface and a plurality of supply hoppers configured for dispensing a powder. The powder is configured to be melted by an energy beam. The supply hoppers are configured to form a plurality of vertically-aligned powder beds adjacent to one another on the operative surface simultaneously. An energy source is configured to emit an energy beam onto each powder bed simultaneously to melt or fuse a topmost layer of the powder bed onto an underlying powder bed layer or substrate.