Devices, systems, and methods are directed to applying magnetohydrodynamic forces to liquid metal to eject liquid metal from a nozzle along a controlled pattern, such as a controlled three-dimensional pattern as part of additive manufacturing of an object. A feeder system can provide a continuous or substantially continuous supply of a solid metal to the nozzle to facilitate a correspondingly continuous or substantially continuous process for ejecting liquid metal as part of a commercially viable manufacturing process.

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 a titanium alloy that is the same as the titanium metal powder to prevent contamination of titanium metal powder therein. The inner surfaces of some or all components of the apparatus in a flow path following the atomization chamber may also be coated with or formed entirely of the titanium alloy or CP-Ti.

Devices, systems, and methods are directed to applying magnetohydrodynamic forces to liquid metal to eject liquid metal along a controlled pattern, such as a controlled three-dimensional pattern as part of additive manufacturing of an object. Magnets used to form the magnetohydrodynamic forces are thermally managed to facilitate directing strong magnetic fields into liquid metals at high temperatures. Such strong magnetic fields can be useful for imparting, under otherwise equivalent conditions, higher magnetohydrodynamic forces to liquid metal being ejected from a nozzle to form an object.

Devices, systems, and methods are directed to applying magnetohydrodynamic forces to liquid metal to eject liquid metal along a controlled pattern, such as a controlled three-dimensional pattern as part of additive manufacturing of an object. Magnets used to form the magnetohydrodynamic forces are thermally managed to facilitate directing strong magnetic fields into liquid metals at high temperatures. Such strong magnetic fields can be useful for imparting, under otherwise equivalent conditions, higher magnetohydrodynamic forces to liquid metal being ejected from a nozzle to form an object.

The invention relates to a printhead (1) for a 3D printer, particularly a metal printer, comprising a housing (3), a device (28) for supplying a metal (14), a reservoir (7, 27), a nozzle device (2) and a piston (5), the nozzle device (2) comprising a guide sleeve (11), a nozzle plate (9) provided with an outlet (10), and a clamping device (4). The nozzle plate (9) and the guide sleeve (11) are mutually elastically braced by means of the clamping device (4), and the guide sleeve (11) and the reservoir (7, 27) are mutually elastically braced by means of the clamping device (4).

The invention relates to a printhead (1) for a 3D printer, particularly a metal printer, comprising a housing (3), a device (28) for supplying a metal (14), a reservoir (7, 27), a nozzle device (2) and a piston (5), the nozzle device (2) comprising a guide sleeve (11), a nozzle plate (9) provided with an outlet (10), and a clamping device (4). The nozzle plate (9) and the guide sleeve (11) are mutually elastically braced by means of the clamping device (4), and the guide sleeve (11) and the reservoir (7, 27) are mutually elastically braced by means of the clamping device (4).

An ejector for a printing system is disclosed. The ejector body may include an internal cavity, a nozzle in communication with the internal cavity, one or more segmented solenoid coils wrapped at least partially around the ejector body, and a piston disposed within the internal cavity of the ejector body. A method of ejecting liquid from an ejector is also disclosed, including introducing a material for ejection into an ejector cavity. The method of ejecting liquid from an ejector may include advancing a piston configured for translational motion within an ejector towards an ejector nozzle which may further include de-energizing a first segment of a segmented solenoid wrapped partially around the ejector, energizing a second solenoid segment of a segmented solenoid wrapped partially around the ejector. The method of ejecting liquid from an ejector may also include ejecting a drop of the material for ejection from the ejector nozzle.

A metal powder manufacturing device includes: an atomization tank; a crucible in which a molten metal is stored; a molten metal nozzle that allows the molten metal stored in the crucible to flow downward into the atomization tank; and a fluid spraying nozzle including a plurality of spraying holes that spray a fluid to an atomization tank side end part of the molten metal nozzle to pulverize a molten metal flow flowing downward from the molten metal nozzle. The molten metal nozzle includes a molten metal nozzle body and an orifice part having an inside diameter equal to or smaller than an inside diameter of the molten metal nozzle body, and a material of the orifice part is harder than a material of the molten metal nozzle body.

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to methods and/or apparatuses involving the formation of pore-free or nearly pore-free liquid droplets. As may be implemented in accordance with one or more embodiments, liquid droplets including metal are formed having pores within the liquid droplets. This may involve, for example, atomizing liquid metal with a gas and forming the droplets having pores. The pores are then driven out of the liquid droplets by heating the liquid droplets from a first state in which an outer surface of the droplets has a lower temperature than an inner region thereof, to a second state in which the outer surface has a higher temperature than the inner region.

A nozzle for a 3D printer includes a structure and a layer positioned at least partially within the structure. The layer is configured to decrease a settling time of a meniscus of a printing material after a drop of the printing material is ejected from the nozzle.