An additive manufacturing method including repeatedly applying a layer of building material on a previously selectively solidified building material layer and scanning the layer at positions corresponding to the cross-section of the object in this layer, where the laser radiation is generated by a laser light source and is directed onto the building material layer via optical components. An optics compartment is encased by an optics compartment housing and accommodates the optical components. A defined gas atmosphere is maintained inside of the optics compartment, wherein the relative humidity of the defined gas atmosphere is kept below 3%.

A 3D printer includes a gantry configured to move in a plane substantially parallel to a x-y build plane and a print head configured to extrude molten material to print a 3D part in a layer-by-layer process. The 3D printer includes a platen configured to support the part being printed in the layer by layer process and positionable with a primary Z positioner along a z-axis substantially normal to the x-y build plane. The 3D printer includes a local Z positioner moved by the gantry, the local Z positioner comprising a linear motor configured to move the print head in the z-direction and having an operable range of motion extending from a nominal build position at which a nozzle of the print head is positioned in the x-y build plane to a raised position above the x-y build plane.

A system for additive manufacture uses a powder bed with powder distributed on a build surface. A nozzle directs and controls a flow stream of gas over the powder bed. The nozzle includes a peripheral duct wall defining a channel with an inlet and an outlet. The channel directs the flow stream and diverges from the inlet to the outlet of the nozzle. Vanes are distributed across the channel as symmetric airfoils to reduce turbulence of the flow stream. Guides extend between the vanes and are disposed at an angle selected to direct the gas over the powder bed without blowing the deposited powder off the build surface.

A system and method for three-dimensionally printing high viscosity materials using electrohydrodynamics is provided. The system uses a relatively low voltage electric field to draw high viscosity polymers (not in solution) from a nozzle to form three-dimensional objects with lines less than 10 microns in width. Pressurized gas at the nozzle outlet can be used to print large size/dimension parts, instead of or in addition to the electric field to draw the polymers from the nozzle.

A 3-D printer apparatus (three-dimensional printer apparatus) includes a bottom structure of a tank. The tank defines a printing area located above and spaced apart from the bottom structure. The bottom structure includes oxygen releasing electrodes. A resin curing device is configured to selectively provide light to the printing area. The electronic controller controls operation of the resin curing device and the oxygen releasing electrodes. The electronic controller selectively operates areas of the oxygen releasing electrodes thereby releasing oxygen to predetermined locations below the printing area in order to temporarily prevent the polymerization of a polymerizable resin within predetermined locations of the printing area during the printing process.

An additive manufacturing method includes providing a polymeric material and changing a cooling rate of the polymeric material by adding a second material to the polymeric material. The additive manufacturing method also includes providing the polymeric material and the added second material to an additive manufacturing apparatus and depositing the polymeric material, having the changed cooling rate, with the additive manufacturing apparatus at a deposition rate that is based at least in part on the changed cooling rate of the polymeric material.

Systems and methods for lens creations are disclosed. The method includes initiating light transmission from a light source through a diffuser into a container holding resin and a substrate. The light transmission is performed according to an irradiation pattern wherein each point in the resin is illuminated by at least 10% of the diffuser. This causes a lens to be formed. To achieve this illumination, at least 15% of the diffuser receives light from the light source. Further, a diameter of the diffuser is greater than or equal to a diameter of the substrate. The system performing the methods includes a polymerization apparatus and may include a resin conditioning and reservoir apparatus, a metrology unit, a resin drainage apparatus and an optional postcuring apparatus.

The present disclosure provides a flow control equipment and an automatic refilling system. The flow control equipment includes: a housing, including a discharge hole in a bottom of the housing; a liquid inlet tube connecting with a top of the housing; a motor located in the housing; a flow locking blade and a plurality of flow control blades connected to the motor, where leakage holes of different sizes are formed in the flow control blades, and the motor drives the flow control blades and the flow locking blade to rotate to align the different leakage holes with the discharge hole, or to seal the discharge hole; and a liquid outlet tube connecting with the discharge hole.

The present disclosure provides a flow control equipment and an automatic refilling system. The flow control equipment includes: a housing, including a discharge hole in a bottom of the housing; a liquid inlet tube connecting with a top of the housing; a motor located in the housing; a flow locking blade and a plurality of flow control blades connected to the motor, where leakage holes of different sizes are formed in the flow control blades, and the motor drives the flow control blades and the flow locking blade to rotate to align the different leakage holes with the discharge hole, or to seal the discharge hole; and a liquid outlet tube connecting with the discharge hole.

The present invention relates to a composition for 3D printing, a 3D printing method using the same, and a three-dimensional comprising the same, and provides a composition for 3D printing capable of realizing a three-dimensional shape having precision and excellent curing stability.