An apparatus and device for creating a vertical strengthening feature within a 3D printed article of manufacture for improving mechanical performance in the Z-direction. Fill material is deposited in voids vertically crossing multiple layers during the build of 3D printing. The device includes a penetrating extension that fits within the void to create a vertical strengthening feature via heat and/or extruded fill material. The size and/or movement of the heated extension can impact the void side walls to reflow the build material and blend the layers together within the void side walls.

An apparatus and device for creating a vertical strengthening feature within a 3D printed article of manufacture for improving mechanical performance in the Z-direction. Fill material is deposited in voids vertically crossing multiple layers during the build of 3D printing. The device includes a penetrating extension that fits within the void to create a vertical strengthening feature via heat and/or extruded fill material. The size and/or movement of the heated extension can impact the void side walls to reflow the build material and blend the layers together within the void side walls.

A three-dimensional printer for manufacturing additive printed parts includes a housing defining a cavity and first and second fixed rails extending along a first axis. First and second movable rails extend along a second axis and move independent of other another along the first axis. First and second print heads move along the second axis on the first and second movable rails, respectively, and first, second, and third dividers collectively separate the cavity to partially define process and instrument chambers. The first divider is mounted to the housing and the first movable rail and expands and contracts with the movement of the first movable rail. The second divider is mounted to the housing and the second movable rail and expands and contracts with the movement of the second movable rail. The third divider is mounted to the movable rails and expands and contracts with the movement of the movable rails.

A three-dimensional printer for manufacturing additive printed parts includes a housing defining a cavity and first and second fixed rails extending along a first axis. First and second movable rails extend along a second axis and move independent of other another along the first axis. First and second print heads move along the second axis on the first and second movable rails, respectively, and first, second, and third dividers collectively separate the cavity to partially define process and instrument chambers. The first divider is mounted to the housing and the first movable rail and expands and contracts with the movement of the first movable rail. The second divider is mounted to the housing and the second movable rail and expands and contracts with the movement of the second movable rail. The third divider is mounted to the movable rails and expands and contracts with the movement of the movable rails.

A system and method for manufacturing three-dimensional structures is provided. The system comprises a plurality of printing stations for performing parallel printing in an confined space enclosed by a housing, wherein each printing station comprises a carrier, a deposition unit with at least one nozzle arranged for dispensing filaments of build material paste through an opening area thereof and a station controller configured to operate the deposition unit for deposition of filaments of a build material paste on the carrier in an interconnected arrangement in a plurality of stacked layers in order to form one or more three-dimensional structures, the at least one nozzle and the detachable carrier being relatively moveable with respect to each other, wherein the deposition unit is coupled to a reservoir unit configured to house the build material paste, wherein the reservoir unit includes at least one reservoir arranged outside of the confined space.

A system and method for manufacturing three-dimensional structures is provided. The system comprises a plurality of printing stations for performing parallel printing in an confined space enclosed by a housing, wherein each printing station comprises a carrier, a deposition unit with at least one nozzle arranged for dispensing filaments of build material paste through an opening area thereof and a station controller configured to operate the deposition unit for deposition of filaments of a build material paste on the carrier in an interconnected arrangement in a plurality of stacked layers in order to form one or more three-dimensional structures, the at least one nozzle and the detachable carrier being relatively moveable with respect to each other, wherein the deposition unit is coupled to a reservoir unit configured to house the build material paste, wherein the reservoir unit includes at least one reservoir arranged outside of the confined space.

Object model data is obtained, defining an object to be built by a three-dimensional printing apparatus. Data defining a protective structure to be built around the object by the three-dimensional printing apparatus is automatically generated. Different portions of the protective structure each have a structure defined by a respective structural parameter that determines the thermal properties of the portion, and each respective structural parameter is determined based on the object model data so as to provide a selected level of heat dissipation through the respective portion of the protective structure, when the object and protective structure are built by the three-dimensional printing apparatus.

Object model data is obtained, defining an object to be built by a three-dimensional printing apparatus. Data defining a protective structure to be built around the object by the three-dimensional printing apparatus is automatically generated. Different portions of the protective structure each have a structure defined by a respective structural parameter that determines the thermal properties of the portion, and each respective structural parameter is determined based on the object model data so as to provide a selected level of heat dissipation through the respective portion of the protective structure, when the object and protective structure are built by the three-dimensional printing apparatus.

A system including a container for holding a photosensitive medium adapted to change states upon exposure to a light source, an optical imaging system, configured to move above the container holding the photosensitive medium, and having the light source, and a control system configured to: slice a digital model of a three-dimensional object into a slice having a cross-section, generate a build cross-section by filling a two-dimensional image with one or more copies of the cross-section, add to the build cross-section a conformal lattice to fill space in the build cross-section around the one or more copies of the cross-section, and control movement of the optical imaging system above the container to cure a portion of the photosensitive medium corresponding to the build cross-section to produce a layer of a three-dimensional object.

The invention relates to a production system 1 for simultaneous additive manufacturing of several components 2 using selective laser sintering or laser melting methods, wherein in at least one production processing section 3 at least two construction apparatuses in the form of SLM and/or SLS apparatuses 4 are provided, each having at least one construction container 5 that can be removed from a process chamber of the apparatuses, at least one removal station 6 for extracting a finished component 2 from a construction container 5, at least one post-processing station 7 for thermal and/or mechanical surface post-treatment of finished removed components 2, and at least one storage section 8 for storing the components 2, wherein a production system control unit 10 to which the construction apparatuses 4, the removal station 6 and the post-processing stations 7 are connected to, and which is formed for controlling the apparatuses or stations as well as for requesting the operating status and the temporal availability of the apparatuses or stations, or for requesting the amounts and the type of construction material available in the apparatuses, wherein either the construction containers 5 and/or the finished components 2 extracted therefrom or construction plates 40 to be inserted into the construction containers can automatically be received by transport means 15 that are self-driven and can be directed and controlled by the production system control apparatus 10, can be transported to an apparatus or station, can there be inserted into a process chamber and can automatically be locked, or can be inserted into a post-processing station 7, the construction containers 5 or the components 2 after completion of an additive construction process can automatically be received by a self-driven transport means 15 through automatic unlocking and can be moved to an intermediate storage station or a removal station 6 in a program-controlled manner and can be inserted therein, wherein the construction containers 5, components 2 or construction plates 40 are fixed on or to the transport means 15 by at least one coupling apparatus 20 and can be brought into engagement with locking elements of an SLM or SLS apparatus 4, a post-processing station 7 or a height adjustable carrier 41 of a construction container 5, and the coupling apparatus 20 between transport means 15 and construction container 5, component 2