A 3-dimensional printing system for manufacturing a part is provided. The system includes a building platform having a deposited pattern of metal powder, a sand dispensing nozzle selectively supplying sand to the building platform, a binder dispensing nozzle selectively supplying binder material to the building platform, a robotic arm supporting one or more of the sand dispensing nozzle and the binder dispensing nozzle, the robotic arm moving the one or more of the sand dispensing nozzle and the binder dispensing nozzle, and a processor controlling the robotic arm to position the one or more of the sand dispensing nozzle and the binder dispensing nozzle relative to the deposited pattern of metal powder and control the sand dispensing nozzle and the binder dispensing nozzle to supply powdered sand and binder, respectively, based on a Computer Aided Drafting file associated with the part.

A 3-dimensional printing system for manufacturing a part is provided. The system includes a building platform having a deposited pattern of metal powder, a sand dispensing nozzle selectively supplying sand to the building platform, a binder dispensing nozzle selectively supplying binder material to the building platform, a robotic arm supporting one or more of the sand dispensing nozzle and the binder dispensing nozzle, the robotic arm moving the one or more of the sand dispensing nozzle and the binder dispensing nozzle, and a processor controlling the robotic arm to position the one or more of the sand dispensing nozzle and the binder dispensing nozzle relative to the deposited pattern of metal powder and control the sand dispensing nozzle and the binder dispensing nozzle to supply powdered sand and binder, respectively, based on a Computer Aided Drafting file associated with the part.

An additively manufactured in-process structure includes, a base, a first cantilever element extending from the base, and a first heat sink adjacent to the first cantilever element and configured for absorbing heat from the first cantilever element during an additive manufacturing process. A gap is formed between the first cantilever element and the first heat sink and the first heat sink is spaced from any rigid substrate underlying and supporting the first heat sink.

An additively manufactured in-process structure includes, a base, a first cantilever element extending from the base, and a first heat sink adjacent to the first cantilever element and configured for absorbing heat from the first cantilever element during an additive manufacturing process. A gap is formed between the first cantilever element and the first heat sink and the first heat sink is spaced from any rigid substrate underlying and supporting the first heat sink.

A three-dimensional (3D) metal object manufacturing apparatus is configured to increase the oxidation of ejected melted metal drops for the formation of metal support structures during manufacture of a metal object with the apparatus. The oxidation can be increased by either increasing a distance between the ejector head and a platform supporting the metal object or by providing an air flow transverse to the direction of movement of the melted metal drops, or both.

A metal laminating/shaping device includes a base, a head unit including a base material injection device, and drive devices that change a positional relationship between the base and the head unit in a spatial coordinate system. The base material injection device includes a base material heating unit that heats a base material that is a metal piece having a fixed shape such that a temperature of an interior of the base material is raised to a temperature below a melting point and a temperature of a surface of the base material is raised to the melting point, and a base material injection unit that injects the heated base material toward the base. The metal laminating/shaping device can form a metal shaped article having a complicated structure at a low cost.

A system for forming a product with different size particles is disclosed. The system comprises at least one print head region configured to retain a first group of print heads configurable to additively print at least a first portion of the product with a first material and a second group of print heads configurable to additively print at least a second portion of the product with a second material. The described system may also comprise a processor configured to regulate the first group of print heads and the second group of print heads to distribute the first material and the second material. A method of making an object by ink jet printing using the disclosed system is also disclosed.

Apparatuses and methods for removing support material from and/or smoothing surfaces of an additive-manufactured part are disclosed. Apparatuses may include a spraying chamber, a support surface within the spraying chamber, and one or more nozzles having the ability to spray a fluid at the additive-manufactured parts. The fluid may include a liquid and solid particles carried by the liquid. The support surface may have the ability to support the additive manufactured part. The apparatus may include a tank having the ability to hold at least some of the fluid. A heater may be included for heating the fluid to a desired temperature.

An apparatus is disclosed to create a breakaway junction for 3D printed parts. Powder is spread along a target zone, such as a build bed. A liquid functional agent is selectively dispensed upon the powder to form a 3D object, a supporting part, and the breakaway junction between them.

A method for forming a multi-material part by selective laser melting includes the following steps. Modeling is performed by regularly distributing and arraying a combination of materials that meets forming requirements such that a part model is designed. The designed part model is subjected to a dimension compensation, a shape compensation, a chamfering setting, a margin design and a design of a process support to obtain a process model. The obtained process model is sliced into a series of layers. Type, distribution and boundary information of materials in each layer are collected to generate a control file. All materials required for part forming are loaded into an additive manufacturing equipment. After a state of the additive manufacturing equipment meets forming requirements, a part is formed under the control of the generated control file. Post-processing is performed after the part is formed.