A method of manufacturing an integral impeller and motor rotor. The method includes manufacturing an impeller with a shroud, modifying a radially outer surface of the shroud to prepare the radially outer surface for additive manufacturing, additively manufacturing a motor rotor onto the radially outer surface of the shroud such that the motor rotor has a magnetic field with a geometry designed by computer modeling, and magnetizing the rotor.

The present invention relates to a method of printing a composite material (1), for example polymeric, carbonaceous, siliconic or metallic comprising steps of: i) providing a plurality of bundles (2) of reinforcement fibres (4), wherein the reinforcement fibres (4) have a length in the range 3-50 mm and are in the number of about 1,000-100,000 in each bundle (2); ii) aligning the bundles (2) along a predetermined path (X, X′); iii) incorporating at least part of the bundles (2) into a matrix (6, 8), for example polymeric, carbonaceous, siliconic or metallic, preserving the alignment along said path (X, X′); iv) laying and solidifying at least one layer (8) of the matrix (6, 8) of step iii) to make the composite material (1).

The present invention relates to a method of printing a composite material (1), for example polymeric, carbonaceous, siliconic or metallic comprising steps of: i) providing a plurality of bundles (2) of reinforcement fibres (4), wherein the reinforcement fibres (4) have a length in the range 3-50 mm and are in the number of about 1,000-100,000 in each bundle (2); ii) aligning the bundles (2) along a predetermined path (X, X′); iii) incorporating at least part of the bundles (2) into a matrix (6, 8), for example polymeric, carbonaceous, siliconic or metallic, preserving the alignment along said path (X, X′); iv) laying and solidifying at least one layer (8) of the matrix (6, 8) of step iii) to make the composite material (1).

Examples of methods are described. In some examples, a method may include printing a first solid material phase region. In some examples, the method may include printing a second solid material phase region distanced from the first solid material phase region. In some examples, the method may include printing a plurality of distanced beams, each having a thickness that is not more than one millimeter, to form a weak material phase region between the first solid material phase region and the second solid material phase region. In some examples, the weak material phase region has a volumetric density less than one.

Examples of methods are described. In some examples, a method may include printing a first solid material phase region. In some examples, the method may include printing a second solid material phase region distanced from the first solid material phase region. In some examples, the method may include printing a plurality of distanced beams, each having a thickness that is not more than one millimeter, to form a weak material phase region between the first solid material phase region and the second solid material phase region. In some examples, the weak material phase region has a volumetric density less than one.

A double dump valve apparatus has the doors flap open in opposite horizontal orientations and directions.

A double dump valve apparatus has the doors flap open in opposite horizontal orientations and directions.

A method to fabricate hierarchical graded materials includes providing a reservoir of functionalized particles, mixing at least some of the functionalized particles using a mixer in the print head having a mixed fluid volume control on an order of a voxel to produce mixed functionalized particles, and actuating a print head to deposit the mixed functionalized particles on a substrate.

A device for producing a three-dimensional shaped object, including a substrate part having a base surface for holding the shaped object, a first reservoir for holding a flowable first material, a second reservoir for holding a flowable second material, a dispensing mechanism for dispensing material portions of the first material, a material application mechanism including an application roll and a coating mechanism for applying a second material layer of the second material, and a fixation mechanism for solidifying the material layers composed of the first material and the second material. The transfer body rotates about an axis of rotation disposed parallel to the base surface, the dispensing mechanism and the application roll r relative to the substrate part about an axis disposed normal to the base surface, the application roll is conical, and an axis of rotation of the application roll intersects the axis disposed normal to the base surface.

3-D printing transfers build material and support from an intermediate transfer belt (ITB) to a platen. The build material is the same as the support material, except that the build material includes a photoinitiator and the support material does not. The platen moves to make contact with the ITB, and the ITB transfers successive layers of build material and support material each time the platen contacts the ITB. The platen and a portion of the ITB that is adjacent the platen are heated prior to the platen contacting the ITB, and the same is exposed so as to crosslink polymers of build material, without crosslinking polymers of support material. The polymers of build material being crosslinked and the polymers of support material not being crosslinked makes the support material selectively soluble in a solvent.