An assembly for calibrating a head system of a power radiation source of an additive manufacturing apparatus comprises: a calibration plate comprising a plurality of reference marks, and a firing medium made of at least one material that is sensitive to the radiation of the source, this medium leaving visible the reference marks of the calibration plate when it is in place on the latter, characterized in that the firing medium comprises a plurality of windows that are distributed so as to be superposed with the various reference marks of the calibration plate and to leave said marks visible when the firing medium is in place on the calibration plate. There is also a method for calibrating such a system.

An assembly for calibrating a head system of a power radiation source of an additive manufacturing apparatus comprises: a calibration plate comprising a plurality of reference marks, and a firing medium made of at least one material that is sensitive to the radiation of the source, this medium leaving visible the reference marks of the calibration plate when it is in place on the latter, characterized in that the firing medium comprises a plurality of windows that are distributed so as to be superposed with the various reference marks of the calibration plate and to leave said marks visible when the firing medium is in place on the calibration plate. There is also a method for calibrating such a system.

Described herein are additive manufacturing systems and methods for printing 3D objects.

A method of inspecting a structure during additive manufacturing of the structure and additive manufacturing systems are presented. An additive manufacturing system comprises additive manufacturing equipment comprising a casing and an additive manufacturing head configured to form a plurality of layers of a structure within the casing; and an x-ray backscatter imaging system configured to send an x-ray beam into a structure formed within the additive manufacturing equipment and detect scattered x-rays for imaging and analysis of the structure during fabrication.

A method for producing a three-dimensional shaped article includes a first shaping step of shaping a first portion of the three-dimensional shaped article by ejecting a shaping material to a stage, and a second shaping step of shaping a second portion of the three-dimensional shaped article having an overlapping portion overlapping with the first portion, and a non-overlapping portion that does not overlap with the first portion, that forms a space between the same and the first portion, and that is in contact with the overlapping portion at one end. In the second shaping step, the overlapping portion is shaped by ejecting the shaping material onto the first portion, and thereafter, the non-overlapping portion is shaped by ejecting the shaping material so as to be in contact with the overlapping portion.

A method for producing a three-dimensional shaped article includes a first shaping step of shaping a first portion of the three-dimensional shaped article by ejecting a shaping material to a stage, and a second shaping step of shaping a second portion of the three-dimensional shaped article having an overlapping portion overlapping with the first portion, and a non-overlapping portion that does not overlap with the first portion, that forms a space between the same and the first portion, and that is in contact with the overlapping portion at one end. In the second shaping step, the overlapping portion is shaped by ejecting the shaping material onto the first portion, and thereafter, the non-overlapping portion is shaped by ejecting the shaping material so as to be in contact with the overlapping portion.

Systems and methods for forming an object using additive manufacturing. One method includes receiving a digital model of the object, predicting a shrinking characteristic or receiving a predicted shrinking characteristic of the object that will occur during thermal processing of the object, once formed, and generating, based on the shrinking characteristic of the object, instructions for forming a raft on which the object will be formed. The instructions for forming the raft are configured to form a raft having a shrinking characteristic that reflects the shrinking characteristic of the object.

Systems and methods for forming an object using additive manufacturing. One method includes receiving a digital model of the object, predicting a shrinking characteristic or receiving a predicted shrinking characteristic of the object that will occur during thermal processing of the object, once formed, and generating, based on the shrinking characteristic of the object, instructions for forming a raft on which the object will be formed. The instructions for forming the raft are configured to form a raft having a shrinking characteristic that reflects the shrinking characteristic of the object.

An additive manufacturing device manufactures an additively manufactured article by preheating a powder material by irradiating the powder material with a charged particle beam and then melting the powder material by irradiating the powder material with the charged particle beam. The additive manufacturing device includes a beam emitting unit emitting the charged particle beam and irradiating the powder material with the charged particle beam, and a position detection unit detecting a position of scattering of the powder material when the powder material scatters by being irradiated with the charged particle beam. When the powder material scatters by being irradiated with the charged particle beam, the beam emitting unit emits the charged particle beam such that a thermal dose of the preheating is increased at the position of scattering.

A system for manufacturing a three-dimensional article includes a controller configured to: receive an input file defining a geometry of the three-dimensional article; receive information specifying an interface surface of the article over which the article will fit against a three-dimensional body; slice the geometry; identify intersecting slices that intersect the interface surface; and for the intersecting slices, alter a halftone range along the interface surface. Along the interface surface, the article slidingly engages the three-dimensional body. The sliding engagement can be sufficient to provide a fluid seal along the interface surface.