A method may comprise: placing a probe in a molten metal melt comprising a thixotropic metal alloy; injecting a gas into the molten metal melt to form a saturated slurry, the saturated slurry being at a temperature above a liquidus temperature of the thixotropic metal alloy after injecting the gas; removing the probe from the molten metal melt; and depositing the molten metal melt through an extruder of an additive manufacturing system.

A method may comprise: placing a probe in a molten metal melt comprising a thixotropic metal alloy; injecting a gas into the molten metal melt to form a saturated slurry, the saturated slurry being at a temperature above a liquidus temperature of the thixotropic metal alloy after injecting the gas; removing the probe from the molten metal melt; and depositing the molten metal melt through an extruder of an additive manufacturing system.

A removable build module to connect to a host apparatus, may include a build platform to support an object-to-be-built, a drive unit to move the build platform, a memory to receive and store build parameters, and an interface circuit to communicate the build parameters to the host apparatus.

A recoating unit (40) serves for equipping or retrofitting a device (1) for additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional object (2) by selectively solidifying a building material (15), preferably a powder, layer by layer. The device (1) comprises a recoater (16) movable across a build area (8) for applying a layer (31b, 32b) of the building material (15) within the build area (8) and a solidification device (20) for selectively solidifying the applied layer (31b, 32b) at positions corresponding to a cross-section of the object (2) to be manufactured. The device (1) is formed and/or controlled to repeat the steps of applying and selectively solidifying until the object (2) is completed. The recoating unit (40) comprises at least two recoating rollers (41, 42) spaced apart from each other in a first direction (B1) and extending into a second direction transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to the first direction. At least one of the recoating rollers (41, 42), preferably both of the recoating rollers (41, 42) are formed adjustable in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction in the recoating unit (40).

A sensor may be to detect a property indicative of a print dead zone caused by a defect of build material to be used for generating the three-dimensional object or a malfunction of a heater that is to heat the build material, a build material distributor that is to provide the material, or a carriage. A processor may be to receive, from the sensor, dead zone data relating to the print dead zone, and to prevent the malfunction of the heater, the build material distributor, or the carriage, or to modify data representing the three-dimensional object to cause the three-dimensional object to be shifted such that three-dimensional object is to be printed outside the print dead zone.

A calibration method serves for calibrating a manufacturing device for additively producing a three-dimensional object by applying layer by layer and selectively solidifying a building material. The manufacturing device comprises at least two scanning units, each of which is capable of directing a beam to different target points in the working plane, which are located within a scanning region assigned to the respective scanning unit, wherein the scanning regions region of the at least two scanning units overlap in an overlap area. At least a first of the at least two scanning units is assigned a first monitoring unit whose monitoring region extends to a target point of the first scanning unit and its proximity, wherein a change of a position of the monitoring region is carried out as a function of a change of a position of the target point.

An apparatus for the manufacture of an object, the apparatus having a print bed, a stencil, a heater arranged to heat the stencil, and a squeegee. The stencil comprises one or more apertures and is positionable over the print bed. The squeegee is movable to spread a printing material across the stencil and to thereby force printing material through the stencil aperture(s). One or both of the stencil and the print bed is movable to adjust the spacing between the stencil and the print bed.

A powder discharge unit for equipping and/or upgrading a device for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a selective layer-by-layer solidification of building material in powder form includes a powder container for receiving building material in powder form and a filling chamber for filling in building material in powder form into the powder container. The powder discharge unit is configured to fluidise the building material in powder form in the powder container and the building material in powder form in the filling chamber independently of one another.

The disclosure relates to a powdery filament composition for 3D printing, a 3D printer, and a method of additively manufacturing an object by the 3D printer, and more particularly to a powdery filament composition for 3D printing, which is suitable for home use because it does not produce toxic substances, a 3D printer, the size of which is suitable for home use because it does not require high power energy, high-temperature processing and the like conditions for additive manufacturing, and a method of additively manufacturing an object by the 3D printer.

The disclosure relates to a powdery filament composition for 3D printing, a 3D printer, and a method of additively manufacturing an object by the 3D printer, and more particularly to a powdery filament composition for 3D printing, which is suitable for home use because it does not produce toxic substances, a 3D printer, the size of which is suitable for home use because it does not require high power energy, high-temperature processing and the like conditions for additive manufacturing, and a method of additively manufacturing an object by the 3D printer.