Additive metal casting system and apparatus

A casting system for casting a metallic object by constructing a plurality of production layers forming a vertical stack, wherein production layers of the plurality of production layers have mold regions, wherein production layers of the plurality of production layers have object regions bounded by the mold regions, and wherein a current production layer is constructed upon a top surface of a previous production layer of the vertical stack, the system comprising:

• a mold construction unit operative to construct a mold region of the current production layer, the mold region having a mold height;
• a Preparation-Deposition-Post treatment (PDP) unit including:
• a holder;
• at least one surface induction heating unit attached to the holder and having a hole therein, the at least one surface induction heating unit being operative to heat at least a portion of previously-deposited metal in the object region bounded by the mold region of the current production layer;
• a molten metal depositor attached to the holder and operative to melt a portion of a metal rod to provide a melt flow of molten metal through the hole in the at least one surface induction heating unit and into the object region bounded by the mold region of the current production layer;
• at least one powder introduction unit attached to the holder configured for delivering an allocated amount of at least one cast-property modifying powder through the hole in the at least one surface induction heating unit and into said object region;
• and
• the holder to hold the molten metal depositor, the at least one surface induction heating unit and the at least one powder introduction unit together in pre-defined locations for combined movement above the top surface;
• a build table for supporting the vertical stack of production layers;
• and
• a movable unit attached to the PDP unit and operative to move the PDP unit with respect to the build table.