Apparatus for producing an object by means of additive manufacturing

An apparatus for producing an object by additive manufacturing, the apparatus comprising:

• a process chamber configured to receive a bath of solidifiable material;
• a support structure disposed in the process chamber and configured to position the object relative to a surface level of the bath of solidifiable material;
• a solidifying device configured to selectively solidify a layer of the solidifiable material at the surface level of the bath of solidifiable material;
• an extractor fluidly connected to the process chamber and configured to extract material from the process chamber;
• a blower configured to induce a gaseous flow in the process chamber to affect material to be extracted by the extractor, wherein the blower comprises a plurality of blow nozzles fluidly connected to the process chamber and oriented in a plurality of different directions so as to create a multi-directional gaseous flow within the process chamber;
• and
• a controller operatively coupled to the solidifying device, the extractor, and the blower, the controller being configured to control operation of the solidifying device, to actuate the extractor to extract material from the process chamber, and to regulate the gaseous flow induced by the blower.