An apparatus and method for removing support material from and/or smoothing surfaces of an additively manufactured part (the “AM part”) is disclosed. The apparatus may include a chamber, a support surface within the chamber, one or more nozzles within the chamber, a tank positioned below the nozzles, and a diverter positioned between the nozzles and the tank. The support surface may be configured to support the AM part and may have one or more openings configured to allow the fluid to pass through the opening(s). The nozzles may be configured to spray a fluid at the AM part, and the spray may be an atomized or semiatomized spray of the fluid. The diverter comprises an umbrella or a diverter shield and diverts sprayed fluid from directly impacting the fluid being collected in the tank, whereby foaming of the fluid in the tank is reduced.

An apparatus and method for removing support material from and/or smoothing surfaces of an additively manufactured part (the “AM part”) is disclosed. The apparatus may include a chamber, a support surface within the chamber, one or more nozzles within the chamber, a tank positioned below the nozzles, and a diverter positioned between the nozzles and the tank. The support surface may be configured to support the AM part and may have one or more openings configured to allow the fluid to pass through the opening(s). The nozzles may be configured to spray a fluid at the AM part, and the spray may be an atomized or semiatomized spray of the fluid. The diverter comprises an umbrella or a diverter shield and diverts sprayed fluid from directly impacting the fluid being collected in the tank, whereby foaming of the fluid in the tank is reduced.

A method of building a heat exchanger includes forming the heat exchanger with layer-by-layer additive manufacturing. A first hollow annulus is formed. A body of the heat exchanger is formed to be integrally connected to and grown upwards from the first hollow annulus. The body includes an exterior wall and a heat exchanger core disposed within the exterior wall. The body defines an interior that is cylindrically shaped with an axis oriented parallel to a direction of gravity. The first annulus is disposed on a gravitational bottom of the body. A second hollow annulus is formed integrally connected to and grown upwards from a gravitational top of the body. Residual powder is removed from a bottom of the heat exchanger.

An example multi-dimensional component building system includes a first chamber having at least one base disposed therein, a second chamber adjacent to and in fluid communication with the first chamber through a first door, and a third chamber adjacent to and in fluid communication with the second chamber through a second door. The second chamber is fluidly sealed from the first chamber if the first door is in a closed position. The second chamber is configured to receive the at least one base via a first transfer mechanism if the fluid parameters of the first chamber are approximately equal to the fluid parameters of the second chamber. The second chamber includes a directed heat source and a build-up material configured to form a component on the at least one base by melting or sintering. The third chamber is fluidly sealed from the second chamber if the first door is in a closed position. The third chamber is configured to receive the at least one base, having a formed component disposed thereon, via a second transfer mechanism if the second door is in an open position. The fluid parameters of the second chamber are not substantially affected by fluid communication with the first chamber or the third chamber.

A tool includes a head that extends form the flexible section, an emitter within the head; and a nozzle to eject a cooling fluid therefrom. A method of additively manufacturing a component including delivering series of thermal shocks to a conglomerated powder within an internal passage of an additively manufactured component to facilitate removal of the conglomerated powder.

In one aspect, 3D printing systems for fabricating 3D soap objects are described herein. Such systems can form 3D soap objects from a particulate material and a fluid binder material based on design data, such as digital design data. In some cases, a 3D printing system comprises a build chamber comprising a build bed, a particulate material distribution device, and a fluid binder material dispenser. The particulate material distribution device can be configured to distribute successive layers of the particulate material on the build bed. The fluid binder material dispenser can be configured to selectively apply the fluid binder material to portions of the successive layers of particulate material in an amount sufficient to consolidate the portions to define cross-sectional portions of the object. In addition, the particulate material comprises a soap component in an amount of about 10 to 100% by weight.

Structures with integrally formed property enhancing fill material, and a method for fabricating such structures, are presented. In one or more embodiments, the method of the present invention includes forming the structural members of a structure out of a powdered material using selective laser sintering (“SLS”) such that the structural members of the structure enclose one or more internal cavities. In one or more embodiments, the structure is provided with an internal passage that forms a direct connection between first and second external apertures. One or more internal apertures and or passages form a passage from one or more of the internal cavities to the internal passage connecting the external apertures. The internal passages and internal and external apertures are configured such that most of the compressed air applied to one of the external apertures flows directly to and out of the other external aperture without traversing the internal cavities, such that the bulk of unsintered powder remains in the cavities. In one or more embodiments, the powdered material is left inside selective portions of the structure's interior volume, while being removed from others.

A method for forming a metallization structure is provided, including forming a metallic powder layer on a substrate; performing a first laser sintering on a first portion of the metallic powder layer to form a metal layer; and in the presence of oxygen, performing a second laser sintering on a second portion of the metallic powder layer to form a metal oxide layer to serve as a first dielectric layer.

A method for producing a molded body is proposed, comprising: applying a layer of particles and applying a binder and curing a molded body; and a device for producing a metallic or ceramic molded body, having a storage volume, which is configured for receiving a suspension of metallic or ceramic particles that are dispersed in a suspension fluid, a layer-forming application device, which is configured for removing an amount of suspension repeatedly from the storage volume and transferring it into a working volume and applying it there as a layer, a dehumidifying device, which is configured for dehumidifying the applied layer in the working volume, a binder application device, which is configured for applying a binder locally to the dehumidified layer in accordance with a layer model of the molded body to be produced, in such a way that particles in the dehumidified layer are adhesively bonded locally to one another and optionally in addition to particles of at least one layer lying under the dehumidified layer, and a demolding device, which is configured for demolding the molded body by detaching binder-free residual material from the particles bonded to another with the aid of the binder; and also a rapid prototyping method, comprising: producing a green body and sintering the green body.

In an example of a three-dimensional (3D) printing method, a build material (consisting of an inorganic particle and a polymer attached thereto) is applied. The polymer is a continuous coating having a thickness from about 3 nm to about 1500 nm, or nano-beads having an average diameter from about 3 nm to about 1500 nm. The build material is heated to a temperature from about 5° C. to about 50° C. below the polymer's melting point. A coalescent dispersion (including a coalescent agent and inorganic nanoparticles) is selectively applied on a portion of the build material, and the applied build material and coalescent dispersion are exposed to electromagnetic radiation. The coalescent dispersion absorbs the electromagnetic radiation and heats up the portion of the build material in contact therewith to fuse the portion of the build material in contact with the coalescent dispersion and to form a layer of a 3D object.