A spacecraft includes an additive manufacturing (A/M) subsystem and one or both of a thermal control arrangement and a contamination control arrangement. The A/M subsystem includes an A/M tool, feedstock and a workpiece and is configured to additively manufacture the workpiece using material from the feedstock. The thermal control arrangement is operable, in an on-orbit space environment characterized by near vacuum pressure and near zero-g force, to maintain temperature of at least one of the A/M tool, the feedstock, and the workpiece within respective specified ranges. The contamination control arrangement is operable, in the on-orbit space environment, to control outgassing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

A plurality of scanned prints of a product part and a scan-path are received. A shape of a minimum printable feature of the product part is determined by analyzing the respective prints in a scan-path representation. A manufacturing error of the minimum printable feature is determined based on the analysis. A manufacturing error of a shape of the part is determined based on the determined manufacturing error of the minimum printable feature. An estimated manufactured shape of the part is produced based on the determined manufacturing error of the part.

A 3D screen-printing apparatus for producing a shaped article includes: a printing table; a printing screen with a printing mask having a layer geometry for producing the shaped article layer by layer; an application unit to apply a printing material to the printing screen and to work it into the printing masks to produce a shaped-article layer; and a first positioning unit configured to increase the distance between the printing table and the printing screen by way of a first relative movement after the production of each shaped-article layer. The printing screen has printing masks, and the 3D screen-printing apparatus has a second positioning unit configured to perform a second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen so different printing masks of the one printing screen can be positioned one after the other at a shaped-article position where an individual shaped article is to be built.

A 3D screen-printing apparatus for producing a shaped article includes: a printing table; a printing screen with a printing mask having a layer geometry for producing the shaped article layer by layer; an application unit to apply a printing material to the printing screen and to work it into the printing masks to produce a shaped-article layer; and a first positioning unit configured to increase the distance between the printing table and the printing screen by way of a first relative movement after the production of each shaped-article layer. The printing screen has printing masks, and the 3D screen-printing apparatus has a second positioning unit configured to perform a second relative movement between the printing table and the printing screen so different printing masks of the one printing screen can be positioned one after the other at a shaped-article position where an individual shaped article is to be built.

To provide a plasticizing device capable of easily executing maintenance of a barrel. A plasticizing device includes: a drive motor; a flat screw having a groove forming surface in which a groove is formed, and rotating around a rotation axis of the drive motor; a barrel having a facing surface facing the groove forming surface and having a communication hole formed therein; and a heating unit configured to heat a material supplied between the flat screw and the barrel. The barrel has a separate structure including, when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the rotation axis, a first barrel having the facing surface, and a second barrel separated from the facing surface.

The invention relates to a device and to a method for producing 3D moulded parts, wherein a preheating container is used.

The invention relates to a device and to a method for producing 3D moulded parts, wherein a preheating container is used.

A three-dimensional shaping device includes a chamber that has a shaping space; a heating unit configured to heat the shaping space; a base that has a shaping surface exposed to the shaping space; a discharge unit configured to discharge a shaping material toward the shaping surface while moving in a first direction in the shaping space heated by the heating unit and shape a three-dimensional shaped article; a first drive unit configured to move the base in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a tubular first heat resistant member that is disposed between a peripheral part of a first opening formed in a partition wall of the chamber and the base, configured to extend and contract in the second direction in accordance with a movement of the base in the second direction, and defines a separation space separated from the shaping space, in which at least a part of the first drive unit is disposed in the separation space.

A three-dimensional shaping device includes a chamber that has a shaping space; a heating unit configured to heat the shaping space; a base that has a shaping surface exposed to the shaping space; a discharge unit configured to discharge a shaping material toward the shaping surface while moving in a first direction in the shaping space heated by the heating unit and shape a three-dimensional shaped article; a first drive unit configured to move the base in a second direction crossing the first direction; and a tubular first heat resistant member that is disposed between a peripheral part of a first opening formed in a partition wall of the chamber and the base, configured to extend and contract in the second direction in accordance with a movement of the base in the second direction, and defines a separation space separated from the shaping space, in which at least a part of the first drive unit is disposed in the separation space.

A 3D printing module, a build unit and a method are disclosed herein. The 3D printing module comprises a build unit receiving interface to receive a build unit. The build unit comprises a build platform with a build platform drive interface. The 3D printing module further comprises a driving mechanism engageable with the build platform drive interface to controllably move the build platform.