Methods to fabricate objects by 3D printing of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) and copolymers thereof have been developed. In one method, these objects are produced by continuous fused filament fabrication using an apparatus and conditions that overcome the problems of poor feeding of the filament resulting from the low softening temperature of the filament and heat creep along the fed filament. Methods using an apparatus including a heat sink, a melt tube, a heating block and nozzle, and a transition zone between the heat sink and heating block, with the melt tube extending through the heat sink, transition zone, and heat block to the nozzle are disclosed. 3D objects are also printed by fused pellet deposition (FPD), melt extrusion deposition (MED), selective laser melting (SLM), printing of slurries and solutions using a coagulation bath, and printing using a binding solution and polymer granules.

Methods to fabricate objects by 3D printing of poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB) and copolymers thereof have been developed. In one method, these objects are produced by continuous fused filament fabrication using an apparatus and conditions that overcome the problems of poor feeding of the filament resulting from the low softening temperature of the filament and heat creep along the fed filament. Methods using an apparatus including a heat sink, a melt tube, a heating block and nozzle, and a transition zone between the heat sink and heating block, with the melt tube extending through the heat sink, transition zone, and heat block to the nozzle are disclosed. 3D objects are also printed by fused pellet deposition (FPD), melt extrusion deposition (MED), selective laser melting (SLM), printing of slurries and solutions using a coagulation bath, and printing using a binding solution and polymer granules.

An additive manufacturing device includes a recoater configured to push powder onto a build platform. The recoater defines an advancing direction for pushing powder. A first baffle is mounted to a first end of a leading edge of the recoater and a second baffle mounted to a second end of the leading edge of the recoater opposite the first end. Each of the first and second baffles includes a base mounted to the recoater, a first wall that extends obliquely ahead of and laterally outward from the base relative to the advancing direction, and a second wall opposite the first wall. The second wall extends obliquely ahead of and laterally inward from the base relative to the advancing direction. A volume is defined between the first and second wall with capacity to collect powder as the recoater advances.

An additive manufacturing system may include a heating cartridge defining an interior volume and at least one filament port. The system may include a heating element thermally coupled to the heating cartridge to heat the interior volume. The system may also include a filament handling system to feed at least one filament through the at least one filament port. The system may include a substrate handling system having at least a head stock. The system may include a controller configured to initiate or control movement of a substrate relative to the heating cartridge to apply a jacket to the substrate.

Disclosed are a device for 3D printing and a control method thereof. The device includes: a feeding pipe, wherein an opening extending along an axial direction of the feeding pipe is disposed on an outer wall of the feeding pipe; a sleeve sleeved on the feeding pipe, wherein a discharge port in communication with the opening is disposed on an outer wall of the sleeve, the sleeve enables to rotate around an axis of the feeding pipe relative to the feeding pipe, to make the discharge port and the opening communicated or no longer communicated. Compared with conventional designs, the device utilizes a sleeve to provide a discharge port and sleeves the sleeve and the feeding pope together, thereby making the structure of the entire device more compact; moreover, printing suspension is realized by rotating the sleeve around the axis of the feeding pipe relative to the feeding pipe.

Disclosed are a device for 3D printing and a control method thereof. The device includes: a feeding pipe, wherein an opening extending along an axial direction of the feeding pipe is disposed on an outer wall of the feeding pipe; a sleeve sleeved on the feeding pipe, wherein a discharge port in communication with the opening is disposed on an outer wall of the sleeve, the sleeve enables to rotate around an axis of the feeding pipe relative to the feeding pipe, to make the discharge port and the opening communicated or no longer communicated. Compared with conventional designs, the device utilizes a sleeve to provide a discharge port and sleeves the sleeve and the feeding pope together, thereby making the structure of the entire device more compact; moreover, printing suspension is realized by rotating the sleeve around the axis of the feeding pipe relative to the feeding pipe.

A molding device includes a color inkjet head that ejects a color ink, and a clear inkjet head that ejects a clear ink. The color ink is ejected from the color inkjet head and layered to color and form a molded object, and the clear ink is ejected from the clear inkjet head to compensate the layering amount of the color ink. The molding device includes an input part that inputs the compensation amount of the clear ink such that the impact frequency of the clear ink becomes low at a place where the impact frequency of the color ink in coloring and forming the molded object is high, and the impact frequency of the clear ink becomes high at a place where the impact frequency of the color ink is low for each layer forming the molded object.

A molding device includes a color inkjet head that ejects a color ink, and a clear inkjet head that ejects a clear ink. The color ink is ejected from the color inkjet head and layered to color and form a molded object, and the clear ink is ejected from the clear inkjet head to compensate the layering amount of the color ink. The molding device includes an input part that inputs the compensation amount of the clear ink such that the impact frequency of the clear ink becomes low at a place where the impact frequency of the color ink in coloring and forming the molded object is high, and the impact frequency of the clear ink becomes high at a place where the impact frequency of the color ink is low for each layer forming the molded object.

A method of printing one or more three-dimensional objects comprises: providing a volume of a photopolymerizable liquid in a closed container including an entry port and an exit port, the entry port and the exit port being connected by a channel therebetween, the container including at least one printing zone comprising at least an optically transparent window to facilitate irradiating excitation light at a first wavelength into a printing zone through the at least an optically transparent window, wherein the photopolymerizable liquid displays non-Newtonian rheological behavior such that the object formed in the photopolymerizable liquid within the printing zone remains at a fixed position or is minimally displaced in the unpolymerized photopolymerizable liquid during formation, directing the excitation light through the at least an optically transparent window into the printing zone to selectively photopolymerize the photopolymerizable liquid in the printing zone without support structures to form a printed object, wherein the printed object remains at a fixed position or is minimally displaced in the unpolymerized photopolymerizable liquid during formation, and applying pressure to the contents of the closed container and/or pumping additional photopolymerizable liquid into the closed container through the entry port to at least transport the printed object out of the printing zone toward the exit port, thereby discharging at least a portion of contents of the closed container out of the closed container through the exit port. Systems for printing one or more three-dimensional objects are also disclosed.

A three-dimensional (“3D”) printing system for printing on a substrate, the printing system including a plurality of powder feeders, the plurality of powder feeders dispensing a powder on the substrate in a first direction and in a second direction; and a powder uniformization device located adjacent to the plurality of powder feeders, the powder uniformization device rotatable along the substrate in directions opposing the first direction and the second direction.