A method and apparatus for producing titanium metal powder from a melt. The apparatus includes an atomization chamber having an inner wall that is coated with or formed entirely of CP-Ti to prevent contamination of titanium metal powder therein. The inner surfaces of all components of the apparatus in a flow path following the atomization chamber may also be coated with or formed entirely of CP-Ti.

A method of producing iron powder by a water atomization process may include preparing a molten metal in a tundish, discharging the molten metal in a free-falling manner by opening an orifice formed on a bottom of the tundish, and producing iron powder by spraying water onto the free-falling molten metal using a pair of water spraying nozzles, an angle formed by the water spraying nozzles being at least 45.

A metal powder preparation system and method are provided. The metal powder preparation system includes a medium frequency smelting furnace, a homogeneous insulated quantitative pouring furnace, a precision-controlled liquid level temperature pouring ladle, and a plurality of groups of atomization mechanisms connected in sequence. The present application improves the preparation quality of the metal powder, so that the parameters such as the powder particle size, sphericity, fluidity, oxygen content, component distribution, and particle size distribution of the metal powder can all meet the requirements of high-quality metal additive manufacturing, achieving efficient and continuous preparation of the metal powder at the same time.

A printer fabricates an object from a build material based on a computerized model and a fused filament fabrication process. A nozzle for depositing the build material has an interior diameter approaching an outer diameter of build material fed to the nozzle in order to reduce extrusion and resistance forces imposed by the nozzle during deposition, while adequately constraining a planar position of the build material for accurate material deposition in a computer-controlled fabrication process.

A printer fabricates an object from a build material based on a computerized model and a fused filament fabrication process. A nozzle for depositing the build material has an interior diameter approaching an outer diameter of build material fed to the nozzle in order to reduce extrusion and resistance forces imposed by the nozzle during deposition, while adequately constraining a planar position of the build material for accurate material deposition in a computer-controlled fabrication process.

A printer fabricates an object from a computerized model using a fused filament fabrication process and a metallic build material. A plasma depassivation wash is applied during deposition to remove oxidation and improve interlayer bonding between successive layers of the metallic build material. Other techniques such as ultrasonic vibration, formation of energy directors, joule heating, and the like, may be used in combination to form a mechanically robust bond between layers.

A printer fabricates an object from a computerized model using a fused filament fabrication process and a metallic build material. A plasma depassivation wash is applied during deposition to remove oxidation and improve interlayer bonding between successive layers of the metallic build material. Other techniques such as ultrasonic vibration, formation of energy directors, joule heating, and the like, may be used in combination to form a mechanically robust bond between layers.

A printer fabricates an object from a computerized model using a fused filament fabrication process and a build material. One or more energy directors such as ridges are formed in an exposed surface of the deposited build material to provide regions of high, localized contact force that can improve interlayer bonding between successive layers of the build material. An ultrasonic vibrator can also usefully be incorporated into the printer to apply additional energy along these energy directors during deposition of a subsequent layer.

A printer fabricates an object from a computerized model using a fused filament fabrication process and a build material. One or more energy directors such as ridges are formed in an exposed surface of the deposited build material to provide regions of high, localized contact force that can improve interlayer bonding between successive layers of the build material. An ultrasonic vibrator can also usefully be incorporated into the printer to apply additional energy along these energy directors during deposition of a subsequent layer.

A printer fabricates an object from a computerized model using a fused filament fabrication process and a metallic build material. The Seebeck effect can be employed to monitor a temperature difference between a build material and a nozzle that is extruding the build material based on voltage. The temperature difference can, in turn, be used to control operation of the printer or to determine an absolute temperature based on direct measurement of a temperature of the nozzle.