A system and method for manufacturing a set of cast stones includes a set of spray stations, a set of fill stations, a set of vibration tables, a drying rack, and a demolder connected to the drying rack. A controller is connected to each of the set of spray stations, the set of fill stations, the set of vibration tables, the drying rack, and the demolder, each of which has a set of sensors connected to the controller. The set of spray stations include a set of release stations and a set of color stations. A mold is sprayed with a release product, a set of colors, and then filled with a cementitious material. Once vibrated, the cementitious material is dried to form the set of cast stones, which is then automatically released from the mold utilizing the demolder.

A method for the surface treatment of an article (2) by means of a robotic device (3) comprising a robotic arm (5) and a spraying head (4) fitted on the robotic arm (5); the method comprises a learning step, during which the operator moves the spraying head (4) by means of a handling device (9) and the movements made by the spraying head (4) are stored by a storage unit (8); and a reproduction step, which is subsequent to the learning step and during which the robotic arm (5) is operated so that the spraying head (4) repeats the movements stored by the storage unit (8).

A method for additive manufacturing of an object, in particular a hybrid object, based on a data record describing an object to be additively manufactured, includes providing a data record describing the object to be additively manufactured, subdividing the data record into at least two sub-data records, wherein a first sub-data record describes a first sub-object forming a first object part of the object to be additively manufactured, and at least one other sub-data record describes another sub-object forming another object part of the object to be additively manufactured, forming the first sub-object based on the first sub-data record in a first additive construction process, and forming the at least one other sub-object based on the at least one other sub-data record in at least one separate other additive construction process, wherein the at least one other sub-object is formed at least partially, especially completely, on the first sub-object.

The method comprises the steps of: a) supplying building material; and b) fusing the building material using a light beam (2); wherein steps a) and b) are carried out so as to progressively produce the object out of the fused building material. In step b), the beam (2) is projected onto the building material so as to produce a primary spot on the building material, the beam being repetitively scanned in two dimensions in accordance with a first scanning pattern so as to establish an effective spot (21) on the building material, said effective spot having a two-dimensional energy distribution. The effective spot (21) is displaced in relation to the object being produced to progressively produce the object by fusing the building material.

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, and systems using, inter alia, a controller that regulates formation of at least one 3D object (e.g., in real time during the 3D printing); and a non-transitory computer-readable medium facilitating the same. For example, a controller that regulates a deformation of at least a portion of the 3D object. The control may be in situ control. The control may be real-time control during the 3D printing process. For example, the control may be during a physical-attribute pulse. The present disclosure provides various methods, apparatuses, systems and software for estimating the fundamental length scale of a melt pool, and for various tools that increase the accuracy of the 3D printing.

A method of printing includes mixing a clay mixture with an alkaline agent to form a printable mixture; forming pellets from the printable mixture; ejecting the pellets from a print head onto a printing surface; and curing the pellets.

Disclosed is a method for supervision of an additive manufacturing process for producing a manufacturing product by selectively solidifying build-up material in a process chamber. The build-up material is irradiated according to predefinable irradiation control data; and a process chamber supervisory data set is generated based on the irradiation control data, supervisory data being encoded process chamber point by process chamber point in said data set. Quality data concerning the manufacturing process are determined based on the process chamber supervisory data set. A description is further given of a supervisory device suitable therefor a control device for an apparatus for additive manufacturing of manufacturing products, and an apparatus for additive manufacturing of manufacturing products comprising such a control device.

An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. The two-dimensional energy patterning system may be used to control the rate of cooling experienced by each successive additive layer. Accordingly, the system may be used to heat treat the various additive layers.

An additive manufacturing method that can use a two-dimensional energy patterning system is disclosed. Information related to a part is provided, with the information including CAD files, material type, selected additive manufacturing process type, and tolerances of selected design features. Manufacture of a part is simulated and compared to selected design tolerance. If the simulated manufactured part is outside selected design tolerances, simulation parameters can be adjusted until results indicate the simulated manufactured part is within selected design tolerances. In certain embodiments, manufacturing the part uses a real-time sensor monitoring system, along with post processing analysis of selected design features to improve simulated manufacture of the part.

Disclosed is an apparatus for and method of determining spreading behavior of a powder material during an additive manufacturing process. The method deposits a powder mound, moves a spreader to distribute a layer of powder over a build supported on a build area, operates an energy source to cast intercept the powder mound in the path of the source and onto an optical sensor during displacement of the powder mound, and analyzes an output of the optical sensor to identify features relating to the spreading behavior of the powder.