The metal powder production apparatus includes: a spray tank; and a plurality of spray nozzles each including a molten metal nozzle that lets molten metal flow down into the spray tank and a gas injection nozzle that injects gas from a plurality of injection holes to the molten metal flowing down from the molten metal nozzle. The sectional area A1 [mm.sup.2] of the spray tank has a value obtained by multiplying the number n (n is an integer equal to or greater than 2) of the spray nozzles by a predetermined area value c1.

An atomization powder making device suitable for atomizing molten metal to produce powder includes a housing defining an atomizing chamber, a vessel mounted inside the housing and defining a receiving space for receiving the molten metal, and a flow guide unit extending from the bottom of the vessel and having at least one liquid flow channel for conveying the molten metal from the receiving space to the atomizing chamber. A push unit is disposed in the receiving space for pushing the molten metal to flow through the at least one liquid flow channel. A gas supply unit is configured to supply an atomizing gas for atomizing the molten metal flowing out of the liquid flow channel.

A plasticizing device that plasticizes a material to produce a molten material includes a driving motor, a screw that has a grooved surface on which a groove is formed and rotates by the driving motor; and a barrel having a facing surface that faces the grooved surface and has a communication hole formed in the center and a heater, wherein the screw has a cooling medium flow path provided inside the screw, an inlet portion that communicates with the cooling medium flow path and introduces a cooling medium from the outside of the screw, and an outlet portion that communicates with the cooling medium flow path and discharges the cooling medium to the outside of the screw.

A caster assembly configured to process and store a material includes a reaction chamber, a storage assembly configured to store material processed in the reaction chamber, and a blower configured to process and store the material. The reaction chamber includes a vessel configured to hold the material in a melted state prior to processing and a powder generating assembly configured to receive the material from the melting vessel. The powder generating assembly includes a feeding chamber and a feeding device disposed at least partially within the feeding chamber. The feeding device includes at least one nozzle configured to inject inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two into the feeding chamber and a material inlet through which the material is configured to flow into the feeding chamber to be exposed to the inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing portion plasticizing a material to generate a shaping material, a nozzle having a discharge port discharging the shaping material toward a table, a movement mechanism changing a relative position between the nozzle and the table, a discharge control mechanism provided in a flow path which connects the plasticizing portion to the nozzle and controlling a discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle, and a control portion controlling the plasticizing portion, the movement mechanism, and the discharge control mechanism to shape the three-dimensional shaping object. The control portion controls the discharge control mechanism so that when a relative movement speed between the nozzle and the table is a first speed, the discharge amount of the shaping material is set to a first discharge amount, and when the relative movement speed between the nozzle and the table is a second speed which is slower than the first speed, the discharge amount of the shaping material is set to a second discharge amount which is smaller than the first discharge amount.

A three-dimensional shaping apparatus includes a plasticizing portion plasticizing a material to generate a shaping material, a nozzle having a discharge port discharging the shaping material toward a table, a movement mechanism changing a relative position between the nozzle and the table, a discharge control mechanism provided in a flow path which connects the plasticizing portion to the nozzle and controlling a discharge amount of the shaping material from the nozzle, and a control portion controlling the plasticizing portion, the movement mechanism, and the discharge control mechanism to shape the three-dimensional shaping object. The control portion controls the discharge control mechanism so that when a relative movement speed between the nozzle and the table is a first speed, the discharge amount of the shaping material is set to a first discharge amount, and when the relative movement speed between the nozzle and the table is a second speed which is slower than the first speed, the discharge amount of the shaping material is set to a second discharge amount which is smaller than the first discharge amount.

Embodiments relate to an apparatus for forming nano-structures with tailored properties on objects while fabricating the objects. The apparatus includes a reservoir that holds compositions therein. Each of the compositions includes a nano-structural material, a plurality of grain growth inhibitor nano-particles, and at least one of a tailoring solute and a plurality of tailoring nano-particles. A nozzle is operatively coupled to the reservoir and a translatable stage is positioned proximate to the nozzle. The stage includes a substrate holder adapted to hold a substrate. A surface profile determination device is positioned proximate to the stage to obtain profile data of the substrate. A control unit is operatively coupled to the device and the stage and regulates manufacture of a pinned nano-structure. The control unit forms deposition layers positioned proximal to the substrate with the compositions through electrospray techniques.

A method for producing metal powders by gas atomization is provided, including providing a metal charge; melting the metal charge inside an electric-arc furnace, controlling its composition until a molten metal bath having a desired composition is obtained; tapping the bath from the furnace, collecting it inside a ladle; refining the bath under controlled atmosphere, vacuum, or overpressure condition; atomizing the refined bath by feeding it into a gas atomizer, inside which a molten metal bath flow is produced, and impinging the molten metal bath flow with an atomization inert gas stream for the atomization of the molten metal bath into metal powders; and extracting the obtained metal powders from the gas atomizer.

A multistage centrifugal atomizer comprises an outer shell that contains an inlet port and an outlet port and that encloses a tundish, a first inclined rotating surface and a second inclined rotating surface. The first inclined rotating surface is opposedly disposed to the second inclined rotating surface. The inlet is used to introduce a molten material into the multistage atomizer and the outlet is used to remove ultrafine particles having a D50 of less than 20 micrometers.

A caster assembly configured to process and store a material includes a reaction chamber, a storage assembly configured to store material processed in the reaction chamber, and a blower configured to process and store the material. The reaction chamber includes a vessel configured to hold the material in a melted state prior to processing and a powder generating assembly configured to receive the material from the melting vessel. The powder generating assembly includes a feeding chamber and a feeding device disposed at least partially within the feeding chamber. The feeding device includes at least one nozzle configured to inject inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two into the feeding chamber and a material inlet through which the material is configured to flow into the feeding chamber to be exposed to the inert fluid, where the fluid is a gas, liquid, or combination of the two.