A three-dimensional PBF-AM apparatus includes a stage on which a powder material is spread, and a tubular build box disposed in a state of surrounding the stage. The build box includes a side wall portion having a first tubular member surrounding the stage and a second tubular member surrounding the stage with the first tubular member interposed therebetween and forming a space with the first tubular member, and moreover, a vacuum heat insulating layer can be formed inside the side wall portion by vacuuming the space.

A three-dimensional PBF-AM apparatus includes a stage on which a powder material is spread, and a tubular build box disposed in a state of surrounding the stage. The build box includes a side wall portion having a first tubular member surrounding the stage and a second tubular member surrounding the stage with the first tubular member interposed therebetween and forming a space with the first tubular member, and moreover, a vacuum heat insulating layer can be formed inside the side wall portion by vacuuming the space.

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber and a build platform disposed in a lower portion of the chamber. The AM system includes an upper gas inlet disposed in a side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet includes one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform. The AM system includes at least one gas delivery mechanisms to regulate flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, and includes a gas outlet to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.

An additive manufacturing (AM) system includes a housing defining a chamber and a build platform disposed in a lower portion of the chamber. The AM system includes an upper gas inlet disposed in a side-wall and in an upper portion of the chamber and configured to supply an upper gas flow parallel to the build platform. The AM system includes a lower gas inlet in the lower portion of the chamber, wherein the lower gas inlet includes one or more pairs of dividing walls extending from the side-wall toward the build platform and configured to guide the lower gas flow at one or more flow angles with respect to the build platform. The AM system includes at least one gas delivery mechanisms to regulate flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, and includes a gas outlet to discharge the upper and lower gas flows from the chamber.

A three-dimensional shaped object using a plurality of materials can be shaped, and replenishment of the materials is implemented during shaping without stopping an apparatus. A three-dimensional laminating and shaping apparatus includes a shaping chamber in which a three-dimensional laminated and shaped object is shaped, at least two material spreaders that are provided in the shaping chamber and spread materials of the three-dimensional laminated and shaped object, at least two material suppliers that supply the materials to the material spreaders, a controller that controls movements of the material spreaders and the material suppliers, and a beam irradiator that irradiates the materials with a beam. The material spreaders and the material suppliers are respectively paired, and the controller controls the movements of the material spreaders and the material suppliers so that each of the material spreaders is supplied, at a predetermined timing, with the material from a paired one of the material suppliers.

An apparatus (1) for manufacturing a three-dimensional object from particulate material, the apparatus comprising: a work space (100) bounded by a first side wall (100A) on a first side of the work space, and a second side wall (100B) on a second side of the work space, the first side wall opposing the second side wall; a build bed (170) having a build bed surface (160), the build bed surface being comprised in the floor of the work space and having a first edge (160′) on the first side of the work space, towards the first side wall, and a second edge (160″) on the second side of the work space, towards the second side wall; a first gas inlet (101A) at or near the first side wall; a second gas inlet (101B) at or near the second side wall; a first gas outlet (102A) above the floor (100C) of the work space, the position of the first gas outlet being coincident with the first edge of the build bed surface, or between the first edge of the build bed surface and the first gas inlet; and a second gas outlet (102B) above the floor of the work space, the position of the second gas outlet being coincident with the second edge of the build bed surface, or between the second edge of the build bed surface and the second gas inlet; wherein the first gas outlet is positioned higher in the work space than the first gas inlet, and the second gas outlet is positioned higher in the work space than the second gas inlet; and wherein one or more flow devices (210, 211, 212) are operable to create first and second gas flows between the first gas inlet and the first gas outlet, and between the second gas inlet and the second gas outlet, respectively, such as to create respective first and second gas curtains on the first and second sides of the work space in use.

Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.

Selective laser solidification apparatus is described that includes a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited and a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a predefined gas flow direction. A laser scanning unit is provided for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form a required pattern. The required pattern is formed from a plurality of stripes or stripe segments that are formed by advancing the laser beam along the stripe or stripe segment in a stripe formation direction. The stripe formation direction is arranged so that it always at least partially opposes the predefined gas flow direction. A corresponding method is also described.

A method of selecting a scanning sequence of a laser beam in a selective laser solidification process, in which one or more objects are formed layer-by-layer by, repeatedly, depositing a layer of powder on a powder bed and scanning a plurality of laser beams over the deposited powder to selectively solidify the powder layers, wherein a gas flow is passed over the powder bed in a gas flow direction. The method including selecting a scanning sequence for the plurality of laser beams to include the simultaneous exposure of an upstream point together with a downstream point located downstream of a flow of debris carried from the upstream point by the gas flow, the downstream and upstream points selected for simultaneous exposure based upon the downstream point being within a maximum separation distance from the upstream point.

A system and method of monitoring a powder-bed additive manufacturing process is provided where a layer of additive powder is fused using an energy source and electromagnetic emission signals are measured by a melt pool monitoring system to monitor the print process. The measured emission signals are analyzed to identify outlier emissions and clusters of outliers are identified by assessing the spatial proximity of the outlier emissions, e.g., using clustering algorithms, spatial control charts, etc. An alert may be provided or a process adjustment may be made when a cluster is identified or when a magnitude of a cluster exceeds a predetermined cluster threshold.