In one example, a device for dispensing build material powder in an additive manufacturing machine includes a first dispenser including a first scoop rotatable in a first direction to scoop build material powder into the first dispenser, a second dispenser including a second scoop rotatable in a second direction opposite the first direction to scoop build material powder into the second dispenser, and a leveler between the first dispenser and the second dispenser.

A coating device arrangement 1 for a 3D printer 100 is described, comprising a coating device 3 having a carrier structure 21a to 21c and a container 17 fixed to the carrier structure, defining an inner cavity for receiving particulate construction material, which leads to an opening for outputting the particulate construction material, a vibration device 23 configured to vibrate particulate construction material received in the container and thereby to influence the discharge of construction material from the opening, and a stroking member 15a attached to the coating device, configured to stroke particulate construction material output from the opening to thereby level and/or compress the output particulate material, and/or a closing device 31 configured to selectively close the opening and comprising a closing member 31a attached to the coating device 3, wherein the stroking member 15a and/or the closing member 31a are fixed to the carrier structure to be vibration-decoupled from the vibration generated by means of the vibration device in the container 17.

The disclosure is of and includes at least an apparatus, system and method for a print head for additive manufacturing. The apparatus, system and method may include at least two proximate hobs suitable to receive and extrude therebetween a print material filament for the additive manufacturing, each of the two hobs comprising two halves, wherein each of the hob halves comprises teeth that are offset with respect to the teeth of the opposing hob half; a motor capable of imparting a rotation to at least one of the two hobs, wherein the extrusion results from the rotation; and an interface to a hot end capable of outputting the print material filament after at least partial liquification to perform the additive manufacturing.

A powder handling system that includes a first powder deposition device for depositing a primary powder on a surface at a predetermined speed; and a second powder deposition device for depositing a secondary powder onto the primary powder in at least two directions relative to the surface, wherein the second powder deposition device includes a reservoir for containing the secondary powder; and a rotating shaft connected to the reservoir, wherein the rotating shaft includes a speed of rotation, an angle of rotation, a number of rotations, and a notch geometry, and wherein the rotating shaft is adapted to deposit the secondary powder onto the primary powder at a predetermined rate of deposition, and wherein the predetermined rate of deposition is controlled by adjusting the speed of rotation of the shaft, adjusting the angle of rotation of the shaft, adjusting the number of rotations of the shaft, adjusting the notch geometry of the shaft, or a combination thereof.

An additive manufacturing system can include a powder dispenser; a gate adjacent to the powder dispenser; a recoater blade system; and a control operable to move the gate with respect to the powder dispenser to selectively dispense powder from the powder dispenser.

An additive manufacturing system can include a powder dispenser; a gate adjacent to the powder dispenser; a recoater blade system; and a control operable to move the gate with respect to the powder dispenser to selectively dispense powder from the powder dispenser.

A 3D printer is provided that includes a print head having an extruder (stepper) motor positioned to feed a filament into a heater, a X and Y print head positioning system configured to move the print head relative to a print surface, and a stepper driver operable to control the operation of the extruder motor. In one aspect, the 3D printer further includes a sensor module having a feed rate sensor positioned to detect a feed rate of the filament, and a control system programmed to: receive signals from the sensor module that are indicative of the feed rate of the filament, and control the operation of the stepper driver based on the signals from the sensor module. In a further aspect, the X and Y positioning system includes X and Y positioning motors and X and Y encoders positioned to sense the rotation of said positioning motors. The 3D printer further including a control system programmed to: send low level commands to the positioning motors to move the print head to a target position, and receive signals from the X and Y encoders indicative of the actual position of the print head and compensate for any detected errors.

In a method for the production and/or treatment of a three-dimensional object with a printing material which is dispensed at a target position in the form of discrete three-dimensional printing material elements, a metering device is moved to at least one reservoir in which a supply of printing material is kept and, by means of the metering device, printing material is picked up from that at least one reservoir. The metering device is transported to a target position defined in all three spatial dimensions and, at that target position, a metered quantity of printing material is applied to a substrate or to a three-dimensional object arranged thereon or being constructed thereon, in order to create a printing material element. The creation of a printing material element is repeated until the three-dimensional object has been fully constructed and/or treated. The use of a metering device for picking up, transporting and applying printing material makes it possible for virtually any desired printing materials to be processed and, accordingly, for objects to be produced and/or treated with virtually any desired printing materials.

In a method for the production and/or treatment of a three-dimensional object with a printing material which is dispensed at a target position in the form of discrete three-dimensional printing material elements, a metering device is moved to at least one reservoir in which a supply of printing material is kept and, by means of the metering device, printing material is picked up from that at least one reservoir. The metering device is transported to a target position defined in all three spatial dimensions and, at that target position, a metered quantity of printing material is applied to a substrate or to a three-dimensional object arranged thereon or being constructed thereon, in order to create a printing material element. The creation of a printing material element is repeated until the three-dimensional object has been fully constructed and/or treated. The use of a metering device for picking up, transporting and applying printing material makes it possible for virtually any desired printing materials to be processed and, accordingly, for objects to be produced and/or treated with virtually any desired printing materials.

The present disclosure describes an apparatus for additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object. The apparatus includes a radiation source, a carrier on which the three-dimensional object is made, an applicator assembly configured to apply a polymerizable liquid, and a frame, with the applicator assembly and the radiation source connected to the frame. A first drive assembly interconnects the applicator assembly and the frame and a second drive assembly interconnects the carrier and the frame. The frame defines a build region between the applicator assembly and the carrier. The applicator assembly includes a polymerizable liquid supply chamber, an application roller, and a metering roller. The applicator assembly may optionally include a post-metering roller. An apparatus comprising a first and a second applicator assembly and a smaller scale version of the apparatus are also described.