Systems and methods are disclosed for forming a three-dimensional object using additive manufacturing. One method includes depositing a first amount of powder material onto a powder print bed of a printing system, spreading the first amount of powder material across the powder print bed to form a first layer, measuring a density of powder material within the powder print bed, and adjusting a parameter of the printing system based on the measured density of the powder material within the powder print bed.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a shaping table, a layer forming section that forms a powder layer at the shaping table, a first head that ejects a liquid containing a binder to a shaping region from a first nozzle, a second head that ejects a liquid containing ceramic particles to a boundary region with respect to the shaping region from a second nozzle, and a control unit that controls movement of the first head and the second head with respect to the shaping table and driving of the first head and the second head by applying a voltage, wherein the control unit performs control so as to cause the first head to execute a first flushing operation and to cause the second head to execute a second flushing operation under a flushing condition different from that for the first flushing operation.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a shaping table, a layer forming section that forms a powder layer at the shaping table, a first head that ejects a liquid containing a binder to a shaping region from a first nozzle, a second head that ejects a liquid containing ceramic particles to a boundary region with respect to the shaping region from a second nozzle, and a control unit that controls movement of the first head and the second head with respect to the shaping table and driving of the first head and the second head by applying a voltage, wherein the control unit performs control so as to cause the first head to execute a first flushing operation and to cause the second head to execute a second flushing operation under a flushing condition different from that for the first flushing operation.

A powder supply apparatus includes a measuring shaft having a recess to be filled with powder, and a powder filling mechanism for filling the recess of the measuring shaft with the powder. The powder supply apparatus includes a rotary cylinder for sliding the measuring shaft along an axis of the measuring shaft, and a distal-end cover plate of a cylinder where the powder in the recess is leveled off by a slide of the measuring shaft. The rotary cylinder directs the recess downward by rotating the measuring shaft about the axis of the measuring shaft and supplies the leveled powder in the recess downward from the recess to a lifting plate at a predetermined position by dropping the powder.

A three-dimensional shaping device includes a plasticization unit configured to plasticize a material into a shaping material using a rotating screw; a drive unit configured to rotate the screw; a supply flow path through which the shaping material flows; a nozzle configured to discharge the shaping material; a discharge amount adjusting mechanism configured to switch between stop and restart of discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle by a valve portion provided in the supply flow path; a pressure measuring portion configured to measure a pressure of the shaping material in the supply flow path between the plasticization unit and the valve portion; and a control unit configured to adjust rotation of the screw by controlling the drive unit according to a measured value of the pressure which is measured. The control unit controls the drive unit under a first control during a period when the discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle is not stopped, and controls the drive unit under a second control during a period when the discharge of the shaping material from the nozzle is stopped, and a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the second control is smaller than a degree of adjustment of the rotation of the screw under the first control.

A slicer in a material drop ejecting three-dimensional (3D) object printer determines the number of material drops to eject to form a perimeter in an object layer and distributes a quantization error over the layers forming the perimeter. The slicer also identifies the location for the first material drop ejected to form the perimeter using a blue noise generator.

An improved additive manufacturing system for manufacturing metal parts by magnetohydrodynamic printing liquid metal. A monitoring system including at least one camera capturing light reflected from a strobe light source. Images of the droplets are captured during their jetting and analyzed to determine whether the jetting performance is meeting specifications. A nozzle of the system has a nozzle bottom and a nozzle stem extending outward therefrom on which a meniscus of liquid metal can form. The nozzle is cleaned by bringing a ceramic rod in the vicinity of the nozzle and jetting a bead of metal which is rotated against the nozzle to remove an amount of dross.

An additive manufacturing apparatus is an additive manufacturing apparatus that performs an additive manufacturing process by depositing a molten fabrication material at a working position while moving the working position on a workpiece, and forms a manufactured product by repeating the additive manufacturing process. The apparatus includes a height measurement unit that outputs a measurement result representing the height of the manufactured product having already been formed on the workpiece at a measurement position, and a control unit that controls a machining condition to be used when new deposition is made at the measurement position, in accordance with the measurement result.

An additive manufacturing apparatus is an additive manufacturing apparatus that performs an additive manufacturing process by depositing a molten fabrication material at a working position while moving the working position on a workpiece, and forms a manufactured product by repeating the additive manufacturing process. The apparatus includes a height measurement unit that outputs a measurement result representing the height of the manufactured product having already been formed on the workpiece at a measurement position, and a control unit that controls a machining condition to be used when new deposition is made at the measurement position, in accordance with the measurement result.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing section, a stage, an ejection section having a first nozzle and a second nozzle, each of which communicates with the plasticizing section, a first ejection adjusting section, a second ejection adjusting section, a moving section that relatively moves the ejection section with respect to the stage, and a control unit. The control unit performs a switching process for switching from a first state in which the ejection of the plasticized material from the first nozzle is stopped and the plasticized material is ejected from the second nozzle to a second state in which the plasticized material is ejected from the first nozzle and the second nozzle by controlling the first ejection adjusting section and the second ejection adjusting section, and an ejection amount decreasing process for decreasing the ejection amount of the plasticized material from the second nozzle by controlling the screw or the second ejection adjusting section before switching from the first state to the second state.