An additive manufacturing apparatus includes a stage configured to hold a component. A radiant energy is device operable to generate and project radiant energy in a patterned image. An actuator is configured to change a position of the stage relative to the radiant energy device. A deposition assembly is upstream of the stage and configured to deposit a resin on a resin support. The deposition assembly includes a reservoir housing configured to retain a volume of resin between the upstream wall and the downstream wall. The deposition assembly also includes an application device operably coupled with the reservoir housing. A computing system is operably coupled with the application device. The computing system is configured to intermittently initiate a flush operation between successive layers of the component, wherein the application device is moved from a first position to a second position during the flush operation.

Disclosed is a coater assembly 1 for a 3D printer, comprising a coater 3 having a container 5 which defines an inner cavity for receiving particulate construction material which opens into a container opening 7 for outputting the particulate construction material from the container 5, and an output region 9 which defines a coater output opening 11 for outputting the particulate construction material from the coater 3 onto a construction field. The container 5 is movable relative to the coater output opening 11 so that by moving the container 5 relative to the coater output opening a discharge of particulate construction material from the inner cavity through the container opening 7 and the coater output opening 11 onto the construction field is variable.

The present invention relates to a powder distribution device that can uniformly distribute powder using powder flow due to the weight of the powder itself, and a 3D printing device including the same. The powder distribution device of the present invention comprises a powder distribution unit that includes: an outer frame having an empty powder material inlet port; and at least one distribution plate disposed inside the outer frame to disperse introduced powder, wherein the powder can be broken down using the powder flow without additional power from a feed screw, a motor, or the like.

The manufacturing rate of selective production methods is increased by using thicker powder layers.

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, and a compacting and/or smoothing element (45) arranged between the two recoating rollers (41, 42) in the first direction (B1) and extending into the second direction. The recoating unit (40) is adapted to draw-out building material to a regular layer (31a, 32a), depending on the movement of the recoating unit into the first direction (B1) or into its reverse direction (B2), using the recoating roller (41, 42) arranged ahead in the respective moving direction (B1, B2), and to compact or smoothen the layer (31a, 32a) drawn-out by the recoating roller (41, 42) arranged ahead using the compacting and/or smoothing element (45).

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, and a compacting and/or smoothing element (45) arranged between the two recoating rollers (41, 42) in the first direction (B1) and extending into the second direction. The recoating unit (40) is adapted to draw-out building material to a regular layer (31a, 32a), depending on the movement of the recoating unit into the first direction (B1) or into its reverse direction (B2), using the recoating roller (41, 42) arranged ahead in the respective moving direction (B1, B2), and to compact or smoothen the layer (31a, 32a) drawn-out by the recoating roller (41, 42) arranged ahead using the compacting and/or smoothing element (45).

The present disclosure generally relates to methods for additive manufacturing (AM) for fabricating multi-walled structures. A multi-walled structure includes a first wall having a first surface and a second wall having a second surface facing the first surface to define a passage having a width between the first surface and the second surface in a first direction. The multi-walled structure also includes an enlarged powder removal feature connecting the first wall and the second wall. The enlarged powder removal feature has an inner dimension greater than the width in the first direction and at least one open end in a direction transverse to the first width.

A method of repairing a component using an additive manufacturing process is presented. The method includes submerging the component into a powder bed so that a portion of the component to be repaired is level with a surface of the powder bed and a protruding portion of the component protrudes above the surface of the powder bed, positioning a split wiper that includes a first wiper segment and a second wiper segment in the powder bed at the surface, advancing a quantity of powder by translating the first wiper segment and the second wiper segment across the surface of the powder bed, and directing a laser beam across the surface to fuse powder particles of the powder bed to the underlying substrate forming a layer of the component. Each of the first wiper segment and the second wiper segment follow a different contour of the protruding portion at the surface.

An additively manufactured assembly including an additively manufactured component with an edge oriented with respect to a recoater blade direction and an non-contact support that does not form a part of the additively manufactured component, the additively manufactured support located adjacent the edge. A method of additively manufacturing a component includes additively manufacturing an component with an edge oriented with respect to a recoater blade direction simultaneous with additively manufacturing an non-contact support that does not form a part of the component, the additively manufactured support located adjacent the edge.

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.