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.

Methods and systems for 3D printing use a 3D printing device defined by a polar coordinate frame including an r-axis, a z-axis, and a rotational theta axis. The device includes a base, a rotatably attached printing stage is rotatably attached, a z-axis aligned pair of towers, an r-axis aligned rail slidably coupled to the towers, a print head slidably disposed on the rail, a printing tool coupling component (“master”) joined to the print head, and a rotatable tool carousel with bays housing printing tools, each including a printing tool body (“slave”). The slave may be coupled with and locked to or unlocked from the master to form a coupled tool assembly through a mechanical actuation assembly. With the coupled tool assembly, a printing tool is removable from a respective bay when the coupled tool assembly moves along the r-axis in a direction opposite from the rotatable tool carousel.

Methods and systems for 3D printing use a 3D printing device defined by a polar coordinate frame including an r-axis, a z-axis, and a rotational theta axis. The device includes a base, a rotatably attached printing stage is rotatably attached, a z-axis aligned pair of towers, an r-axis aligned rail slidably coupled to the towers, a print head slidably disposed on the rail, a printing tool coupling component (“master”) joined to the print head, and a rotatable tool carousel with bays housing printing tools, each including a printing tool body (“slave”). The slave may be coupled with and locked to or unlocked from the master to form a coupled tool assembly through a mechanical actuation assembly. With the coupled tool assembly, a printing tool is removable from a respective bay when the coupled tool assembly moves along the r-axis in a direction opposite from the rotatable tool carousel.

Described herein are bioprinters comprising: one or more printer heads, wherein a printer head comprises a means for receiving and holding at least one cartridge, and wherein said cartridge comprises contents selected from one or more of: bio-ink and support material; a means for calibrating the position of at least one cartridge; and a means for dispensing the contents of at least one cartridge. Further described herein are methods for fabricating a tissue construct, comprising: a computer module receiving input of a visual representation of a desired tissue construct; a computer module generating a series of commands, wherein the commands are based on the visual representation and are readable by a bioprinter; a computer module providing the series of commands to a bioprinter; and the bioprinter depositing bio-ink and support material according to the commands to form a construct with a defined geometry.

Described herein are bioprinters comprising: one or more printer heads, wherein a printer head comprises a means for receiving and holding at least one cartridge, and wherein said cartridge comprises contents selected from one or more of: bio-ink and support material; a means for calibrating the position of at least one cartridge; and a means for dispensing the contents of at least one cartridge. Further described herein are methods for fabricating a tissue construct, comprising: a computer module receiving input of a visual representation of a desired tissue construct; a computer module generating a series of commands, wherein the commands are based on the visual representation and are readable by a bioprinter; a computer module providing the series of commands to a bioprinter; and the bioprinter depositing bio-ink and support material according to the commands to form a construct with a defined geometry.

Full-automatic microelectronic printer comprising a printing platform, a control component, a feeding component, a camera component, a machine vision device, an ink droplet observation device, and a CAD/CAM system. The printing platform comprises a four-axis linkage system, a printing worktable, a base, a protective housing, an automatic ink cartridge turning device, and an automatic cleaning device; the feeding component comprises a switching control device, an ink cartridge, and an auxiliary processing component; the control component comprises a core control integrated circuit board, a plurality of drive control circuit boards, and a control module interface. The feeding component switches the ink cartridges and the auxiliary processing components to the printing platform in response to the control component which drives the ink cartridges and auxiliary processing components to print, and the protective housing removes fine particles and gas odors. CAD/CAM system assists in designing, generating, and sending instruction to the control component, printing platform, and feeding component to operate and realize full-automatic multi-layer printing.

An additive layer manufacturing method, preferably using selective laser sintering, for manufacturing a solid article, the method including applying a layer of a powder, the powder including at least one powdered (co)polymer, onto a solid substrate in a processing chamber; fusing the powder layer onto the solid substrate; subsequently depositing successive layers of the powder, wherein each successive layer is selectively fused prior to deposition of the subsequent layer of powder so as to form the article. In some embodiments, the powder further includes abrasive particles having a hardness greater than or equal to that of aluminum oxide.

An additive layer manufacturing method, preferably using selective laser sintering, for manufacturing a solid article, the method including applying a layer of a powder, the powder including at least one powdered (co)polymer, onto a solid substrate in a processing chamber; fusing the powder layer onto the solid substrate; subsequently depositing successive layers of the powder, wherein each successive layer is selectively fused prior to deposition of the subsequent layer of powder so as to form the article. In some embodiments, the powder further includes abrasive particles having a hardness greater than or equal to that of aluminum oxide.

An apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects formed of successive layerwise consolidation of layers of a build material which can be consolidated by an energy beam. The apparatus may include a determination device confirmed to determine at least one parameter of the energy beam for a specific build material, wherein the determination device comprises at least one determination base body arrangeable or arranged in a beam guiding plane, in particular a build plane; and a tempering unit confirmed to temper the determination base body. Determination devices, along with methods, are also provided for determining at least one parameter of an energy beam of an apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects.

A machine (10) for additive manufacturing by powder bed deposition comprises a work surface (12), a device (16) for selective consolidation, a device (18) for extracting the fumes, the selective consolidation device emitting at least two beams (F1, F2) of energy or heat. The work surface is divided into at least two work zones (Z1, Z2) adjacent to one another, and a first beam (F1) consolidates the powder in a first work zone (Z1) and a second beam (F2) consolidates the powder in a second work zone (Z2). The fume extraction device (18) comprises at least one central gas suction and/or gas blowing manifold (40) which is mounted to be translationally movable above an overlap zone (ZR) of the different adjacent work zones, and two side gas suction and/or gas blowing manifolds (42, 44) which are fixedly mounted and arranged on either side of the work surface, whcrcin the central manifold (40) extends at least over a maximum dimension of the work surface.