Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the additive manufacturing methods comprise increasing the temperature of a plurality of foam particles with actinic radiation under conditions effective to fuse a portion of the plurality of foam particles comprising one or more thermoplastic elastomers. Increasing the temperature of the foam particles can be carried out for one or multiple iterations. The disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that exhibit differing degrees of fusion between the foam particles, thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

Methods for manufacturing articles of footwear are provided. In various aspects, the methods comprise utilizing additive manufacturing methods with foam particles. In some aspects, the additive manufacturing methods comprise increasing the temperature of a plurality of foam particles with actinic radiation under conditions effective to fuse a portion of the plurality of foam particles comprising one or more thermoplastic elastomers. Increasing the temperature of the foam particles can be carried out for one or multiple iterations. The disclosed methods can be used to manufacturer articles with sub-regions that exhibit differing degrees of fusion between the foam particles, thereby resulting in sub-regions with different properties such as density, resilience, and/or flexural modulus. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

A level sensor assembly (552) for estimating a level of a dielectric powder (412) in a container assembly (544) includes a first electrode member (554) that is coupled to the container assembly (544); a second electrode member (556) that is coupled to the container assembly (544): and a control system (424). The second electrode member (556) is spaced apart from the first electrode member (554) and configured so that powder (512) in the container assembly (544) is positioned at least partly between the electrode members (554) (556). The control system (424) utilizes a capacitance between the electrode members (554) (556) to estimate the level of the powder (512) in the container assembly (544).

A method of producing an object by sequentially printing layers of construction material one on top of the other, the method comprising: providing the construction material at a first lower temperature; flowing the construction material through a heated flow path in a flow structure to heat the construction material and delivering the heated construction material to a heated reservoir in a printing head; and dispensing the heated construction material from the reservoir to build the object layer by layer.

A method for producing a three-dimensional, multi-cell object, in which polymerized structures are produced in layers by the irradiation of light radiation. To this end, use is made of photopolymerizable liquids which at least partly comprise biological cells. The invention also relates to a device for carrying out such a method and to the use of this device for producing an artificial organ.

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.

The invention provides a powder bed printing system and process which reduces the time period needed to complete the recoating and heating of each material layer in the process, thereby reducing process overhead and printing time.

The invention provides a powder bed printing system and process which reduces the time period needed to complete the recoating and heating of each material layer in the process, thereby reducing process overhead and printing time.

A molding device that molds a stereoscopic molding object through a layered molding method, where after molding of at least one molding object is started and before the molding of the at least one molding object is completed, molding of another molding object is started. The molding device 10, for example, includes an ejection head, and a molding object supporter, the molding object supporter includes, for example, a plurality of molding tables, at least an opposing surface of each molding table is independently movable, an ejection head ejects a material toward the opposing surface of at least one molding table to mold the molding object on the molding table, and at least the opposing surface of the molding table on which the molding object is molded is moved in a perpendicular direction to move the molding object in the perpendicular direction.

A molding device that molds a stereoscopic molding object through a layered molding method, where after molding of at least one molding object is started and before the molding of the at least one molding object is completed, molding of another molding object is started. The molding device 10, for example, includes an ejection head, and a molding object supporter, the molding object supporter includes, for example, a plurality of molding tables, at least an opposing surface of each molding table is independently movable, an ejection head ejects a material toward the opposing surface of at least one molding table to mold the molding object on the molding table, and at least the opposing surface of the molding table on which the molding object is molded is moved in a perpendicular direction to move the molding object in the perpendicular direction.