A powder is supplied to a shaping chamber without interrupting processing of shaping a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a shaping chamber in which a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped, a powder storage that stores a powder conveyed to the shaping chamber, an intermediate powder storage that is provided between the shaping chamber and the powder storage, is connected to the shaping chamber via a first valve, is connected to the powder storage via a second valve, and temporarily stores the powder, a valve controller that controls opening/closing of each of the first valve and the second valve, and an atmosphere controller that controls an atmosphere in the intermediate powder storage and an atmosphere in the shaping chamber.

A three-dimensional (3D) printer and method are provided, including a substrate, a liquid deposition device configured to deposit a liquid dispersion including a suspension of a particulate material in a liquid vehicle, the liquid vehicle including a solvent but devoid of a binder material, onto the substrate to form a non-patterned layer on the substrate, a solvent removal device configured to remove at least a portion of the solvent from the liquid vehicle from the non-patterned layer to form a dried non-patterned layer, and a liquid binder print head configured to deposit a liquid binder onto the dried non-patterned layer to form a printed pattern on the dried non-patterned layer.

There is provided improved laser sintering systems that increase the powder density and reduce anomalies of the powder layers that are sintered, that measure the laser power within the build chamber for automatic calibration during a build process, that deposit powder into the build chamber through a chute to minimize dusting, and that scrubs the air and cools the radiant heaters with recirculated scrubbed air. The improvements enable the laser sintering systems to make parts that are of higher and more consistent quality, precision, and strength, while enabling the user of the laser sintering systems to reuse greater proportions of previously used but unsintered powder.

The present invention relates to granular composite density enhancement, and related methods and compositions. The application where the properties are valuable include but are not limited to: 1) additive manufacturing (“3D printing”) involving metallic, ceramic, cermet, polymer, plastic, or other dry or solvent-suspended powders or gels, 2) concrete materials, 3) solid propellant materials, 4) cermet materials, 5) granular armors, 6) glass-metal and glass-plastic mixtures, and 7) ceramics comprising (or manufactured using) granular composites.

The present invention relates to granular composite density enhancement, and related methods and compositions. The application where the properties are valuable include but are not limited to: 1) additive manufacturing (“3D printing”) involving metallic, ceramic, cermet, polymer, plastic, or other dry or solvent-suspended powders or gels, 2) concrete materials, 3) solid propellant materials, 4) cermet materials, 5) granular armors, 6) glass-metal and glass-plastic mixtures, and 7) ceramics comprising (or manufactured using) granular composites.

A process chamber housing for an additive manufacturing apparatus comprising a process chamber with a bottom, a ceiling, and sidewalls jointly enclosing a volume of the process chamber, with a gas inlet in a front wall and a gas outlet in a rear wall of the sidewalls. The gas inlet and outlet are positioned at opposite sides of an opening in the bottom and face each other, which allows for an improved removal of smoke out of the process chamber if the gas inlet has a width w.sub.i, the opening has a width w.sub.s, and the gas outlet has a width w.sub.0, such that at least one of the relations (i) w.sub.i≥w.sub.s±4 cm and w.sub.0≥w.sub.s±4 cm; (ii) w.sub.i≥w.sub.s and/or w.sub.0≥w.sub.s; and (iii) w.sub.i≥w.sub.s+1 cm and/or w.sub.0≥w.sub.s+1 cm is satisfied.

A system for determining a temperature of an object includes a three-dimensional (3D) printer configured to successively deposit a first layer of material, a second layer of material, and a third layer of material to form the object. The 3D printer is configured to form a recess in the second layer of material. The material is a metal. The system also includes a temperature sensor configured to be positioned at least partially with the recess and to have the third layer deposited thereon. The temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the first layer of material, the second layer of material, the third layer of material, or a combination thereof.

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed in the chamber at a first elevation, and a lower gas inlet disposed at a second elevation and configured to supply a lower gas flow. The AM system includes a contoured surface extending between the lower gas inlet and the build platform to direct the lower gas flow from the second elevation at the lower gas inlet to the first elevation at the build platform, where the contoured surface discharges the lower gas flow in a direction substantially parallel to the build platform. The AM system also includes one or more gas delivery devices coupled to the lower gas inlet to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the lower gas flow, and a gas outlet configured to discharge the lower gas flow.

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber, a build platform disposed in the chamber at a first elevation, and a lower gas inlet disposed at a second elevation and configured to supply a lower gas flow. The AM system includes a contoured surface extending between the lower gas inlet and the build platform to direct the lower gas flow from the second elevation at the lower gas inlet to the first elevation at the build platform, where the contoured surface discharges the lower gas flow in a direction substantially parallel to the build platform. The AM system also includes one or more gas delivery devices coupled to the lower gas inlet to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the lower gas flow, and a gas outlet configured to discharge the lower gas flow.

Systems and methods that prevent oxygen inhibition of a light-initiated polymerization reaction by purging the oxygen from reaction surfaces using inert gas flow. In some embodiments, oxygen is purged using a gas diffusion system that introduces, via a diffuser, an inert gas into a workspace between a UV light source and a UV curable layer of a workpiece. The diffuser may be made of a transparent or diffuse material to allow UV light to pass through it, and includes an array of micro-holes for the gas to pass through towards the workpiece. The inert gas flow may be heated to maintain a desired and uniform reaction temperature.