An apparatus, and corresponding method, feeds build material, in the form of rods, to a drive system in a three-dimensional (3D) printing system. The apparatus dispenses a rod to a media tray and into a first groove defined by a flipper arm. The flipper arm is in a substantially horizontal position supported by a bottom ridge of the media tray. The flipper arm is rotated away from the bottom ridge and toward a stopper coupled to the flipper arm and the media tray. The stopper defines a second groove. The apparatus deposits the rod into the drive system via a feed shaft formed by the first and second grooves of the flipper arm and stopper, respectively. The apparatus enables high-speed 3D printing using the rods by overcoming challenges in loading the rods due to brittleness of the rods.

Methods, systems, and devices for treating osteochondral defects (OCDs) are disclosed. The disclosed methods and systems include collecting joint surface data using image-free methods, generating a three-dimensional (3D) healthy bone model based on the joint surface data and a database of healthy bone anatomies, defining the OCD boundary on the joint, generating a 3D implant model based on the 3D healthy bone model and the OCD boundary, manufacturing an implant based on the 3D implant model, generating an implantation plan, the resected cavity on the joint. The implant includes a 3D-printed titanium alloy substrate having a first and second porous layer separated by a nonporous layer. A polymer material is over-molded onto the second porous layer and treated to exhibit properties that mimic cartilage, while the first porous layer allows the implant to fuse to patient bone.

A method is disclosed in which an identifier is to be printed on a surface of a part to be additive manufactured. The identifier is utilized during post-processing of the part at the manufacturing facility, then the identifier is modified so as to no longer be visible before leaving the facility.

A powder container (10) comprising a pressure vessel (12) for containing a quantity of powder (14) and a quantity of pressurised gas (32), an outlet through which, in use, the powder (14) can flow out of the pressure vessel (12), and an outlet valve (24) for selectively opening and closing the outlet, wherein the container (10) further comprises a data sensing and/or logging means (56, 58, 60, 62, 64) adapted to monitor and/or log various parameters of the powder (14) and/or the pressurised gas (32) and further comprising a control unit (54) adapted record and log the sensor readings either continuously, or at intervals, the control unit (54) comprising a communications module adapted to relay sensor readings, or log files, to a remote monitoring station.

A method of additive manufacture involves building a container 8 and a structure by fusing powder 12, 13, 14, such that the container contains the structure and unfused powder. The container 8 may be used in a method for predicting powder degradation in an additive manufacturing process. Containers containing different types of structure may be built to measure the effect of building different types of structures on powder degradation. A structure to be built may be characterised by classes of structural features it contains and information obtained used from building containers used to predict how building the structure will degrade powder.

A system and method are described for post-processing a 3D printed component. For example, support structures for the 3D printed component may be removed during post-processing. In the system and method, a marker is placed on the 3D printed component or on a support structure attached to the 3D printed component. The marker may be printed while the 3D printed component and the support structures are printed by a 3D printer. After printing, the marker may then be sensed to determine one or more cutting paths between the 3D printed component and the support structures. The 3D printed component may then be autonomously separated from the support structures by cutting through the cutting path.

A system and method are described for post-processing a 3D printed component. For example, support structures for the 3D printed component may be removed during post-processing. In the system and method, a marker is placed on the 3D printed component or on a support structure attached to the 3D printed component. The marker may be printed while the 3D printed component and the support structures are printed by a 3D printer. After printing, the marker may then be sensed to determine one or more cutting paths between the 3D printed component and the support structures. The 3D printed component may then be autonomously separated from the support structures by cutting through the cutting path.

A system and method are described for post-processing a 3D printed component. For example, support structures for the 3D printed component may be removed during post-processing. In the system and method, a marker is placed on the 3D printed component or on a support structure attached to the 3D printed component. The marker may be printed while the 3D printed component and the support structures are printed by a 3D printer. After printing, the marker may then be sensed to determine one or more cutting paths between the 3D printed component and the support structures. The 3D printed component may then be autonomously separated from the support structures by cutting through the cutting path.

An apparatus and a method for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing involve a multiple-chamber design achieving a high efficiency and throughput. The multiple-chamber design features concurrent printing of one or more print jobs inside one or more build chambers, side removals of printed objects from build chambers allowing quick exchanges of powdered materials, and capabilities of elevated process temperature controls of build chambers and post processing heat treatments of printed objects. The multiple-chamber design also includes a height-adjustable optical assembly in combination with a fixed build platform method suitable for large and heavy printed objects. A side removal mechanism of the build chambers of the apparatus improves handling and efficiency for printing large and heavy objects. Use of a wide range of sensors in the apparatus and by the method allows various feedback to improve quality, manufacturing throughput, and energy efficiency.

A method for additive manufacturing process parameter monitoring of additively manufactured articles and associated raw materials, the method comprising the steps of: at an additive manufacturing raw material supplier located at a first location, packaging a raw additive manufacturing material, which may be a metal powder, and placing a sensor device inside the packaging, wherein the sensor device, which is powered by ambient energy, monitors one or more material parameters, as the packaging moves through a supply chain, and wherein sensed parameters from the sensor device are recorded periodically until the raw material is loaded to an additive manufacturing tool at a second location, different from the first location; prior to utilizing the sensor device, registering an identity for the sensor with blockchain rules to establish a trust on data originating from the sensor device; at an additive manufacturing article supplier located at the second location, using an additive manufacturing tool, manufacturing an article in accordance with a design file provided to the additive manufacturing supplier from an additive manufacturing designer located at a location different from the first and second locations; at the additive manufacturing supplier, utilizing the sensor device to monitor one or more process parameters associated with manufacturing the article, wherein the sensor device is: (1) connected to wireless network, (2) powered by ambient energy, and (3) sized and configured for monitoring the process parameters in situ at the additive manufacturing tool; at the additive manufacturing supplier, sending data regarding the one or more process parameters from the sensor device to a network node associated with the additive manufacturing tool; at the additive manufacturing supplier, generating a cryptographic distributed ledger comprising the data regarding the one or more process parameters, wherein the ledger is generated in the manner of a blockchain; and from the additive manufacturing supplier, the distributed ledger that is also accessible to the additive manufacturing designer using a private network, wherein the analyses of the data regarding the one or more process parameters are performed automatically by the blockchain rules, where in rules defined by additive manufacturing designer, for any anomalies during the manufacture of the article.