Layerwise heating, linewise heating, plasma heating and multiple feed materials in additive manufacturing

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system that includes a platen, a feed material delivery system configured to deliver feed material to a location on the platen specified by a computer aided design program and a heat source configured to raise a temperature of the feed material simultaneously across all of the layer or across a region that extends across a width of the platen and scans the region across a length of the platen. The heat source can be an array of heat lamps, or a plasma source.

1 . An additive manufacturing system comprising:
 a platen;   a feed material dispenser assembly configured to deliver a first feed material over the platen in a pattern specified in a computer-readable medium to form a layer of feed material over the platen;   a heat source configured to apply heat to all of the layer of feed material simultaneously; and   a controller configured to cause the heat source to raise a temperature of all of the layer of feed material simultaneously to a temperature sufficient to cause the first feed material to fuse.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source comprises an array of heat lamps configured to heat all of the layer simultaneously. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source comprises a plasma source. 
     
     
         4 . An additive manufacturing system comprising:
 a platen;   a feed material dispenser apparatus configured to deliver a first feed material over the platen in a pattern specified in a computer-readable medium to form a layer of feed material over the platen;   a heat source configured to apply heat simultaneously to a region of the layer of feed material extending across a width of the platen and to scan the region across a length of the platen; and   a controller configured to cause the heat source to raise a temperature of the region of the layer of feed material simultaneously to a temperature sufficient to cause the first feed material to fuse.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the region is substantially linear and the heat source is configured to scan the region in a direction perpendicular to a primary axis of the region. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the heat source comprises a laser to generate a laser beam and the system comprises optics that receive the laser beam and expand a cross section of the laser beam along the width of the platen. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the heat source comprises a linear array of heat lamps. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 4 , comprising an actuator coupled to at least one of the heat source or platen to cause the region to scan across the length of the platen. 
     
     
         9 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1  or  4 , comprising a secondary heat source configured to raise the layer of feed material to a temperature below a temperature at which the first feed material fuses. 
     
     
         17 - 18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the heat source to apply heat to all of the layer of feed material simultaneously after the secondary heat source heats the layer of feed material. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  or  4  wherein the feed material delivery system comprises a first dispenser configured to dispense the first feed material and a second dispenser configured to dispense a second feed material, the layer of feed material comprising the first material and the second material. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the first feed material fuses at a first temperature and the second feed material fuses at a second temperature, the first temperature being lower than the second temperature. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the heat source to raise the temperature of the layer of feed material simultaneously to a temperature below the second temperature. 
     
     
         23 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the first dispenser and the second dispenser each comprises a gate that is individually controllable and the gate is configured to release respective first or second feed material at locations on the platen according to the pattern specified in the computer-readable medium. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the gate comprises an element selected from the group consisting of a piezoelectric printhead, a pneumatic valve, a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) valve, a solenoid valve and a magnetic valve. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 1  or  4 , wherein the feed material delivery system comprises a line of dispensers configured to deliver a line of feed material simultaneously, the line of dispensers configured to be translated across the platen to deliver a layer of feed material. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 1  or  4 , wherein the feed material delivery system comprises a two dimensional array of dispensers configured to deliver all of the layer simultaneously. 
     
     
         31 . A method of additive manufacturing, comprising:
 dispensing a layer of a first feed material over a platen in a pattern specified in a computer-readable medium; and   heating all of the layer of feed material simultaneously above a temperature at which the first feed material fuses.   
     
     
         32 . A method of additive manufacturing, comprising:
 dispensing a layer of feed material over a platen in a pattern specified in a computer-readable medium;   simultaneously heating a region of the layer of feed material that extends across a width of the platen to a temperature above a temperature at which the feed material fuses; and   scanning the region across a length of the platen.   
     
     
         33 . (canceled)