An additive manufacturing system including a two-dimensional energy patterning system for imaging a powder bed is disclosed. Improved optical systems supporting beam combining, beam steering, and both patterned and unpatterned beam recycling and re-use are described.

The present invention relates to an optical code including a film of a charge-transfer material, as well as methods thereof. Described herein are optical codes having anisotropic and/or isotropic regions within the film, which can be provided in a pattern that serves as an optical code.

An apparatus and a method for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing involve a multiple-chamber design achieving a high efficiency and throughput. The multiple-chamber design features concurrent printing of one or more print jobs inside one or more build chambers, side removals of printed objects from build chambers allowing quick exchanges of powdered materials, and capabilities of elevated process temperature controls of build chambers and post processing heat treatments of printed objects. The multiple-chamber design also includes a height-adjustable optical assembly in combination with a fixed build platform method suitable for large and heavy printed objects.

An optical display device includes a coherent light source generating a coherent light beam in visible, ultraviolet, or infrared ranges. The coherent light beam is directed at a liquid crystal component. A plurality of liquid crystals and a plurality of nanoparticles having an average diameter of ≤about 450 nm are disposed in an interior compartment. An electrical source is in electrical communication with the first and the second electrodes. When no voltage or current is applied, a filtered light beam transmitted or reflected from the liquid crystal component exhibits a first speckle contrast ≥about 0.28. When voltage or current is applied, the microparticles are induced to move and the filtered light beam has a second speckle contrast that is ≤about 0.2 and in certain aspects may be ≤about 0.03. A method of reducing speckle in an optical device having a coherent light source is also provided.

An optical display device includes a coherent light source generating a coherent light beam in visible, ultraviolet, or infrared ranges. The coherent light beam is directed at a liquid crystal component. A plurality of liquid crystals and a plurality of nanoparticles having an average diameter of ≤about 450 nm are disposed in an interior compartment. An electrical source is in electrical communication with the first and the second electrodes. When no voltage or current is applied, a filtered light beam transmitted or reflected from the liquid crystal component exhibits a first speckle contrast ≥about 0.28. When voltage or current is applied, the microparticles are induced to move and the filtered light beam has a second speckle contrast that is ≤about 0.2 and in certain aspects may be ≤about 0.03. A method of reducing speckle in an optical device having a coherent light source is also provided.

An apparatus and a method for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing involve a multiple-chamber design achieving a high efficiency and throughput. The multiple-chamber design features concurrent printing of one or more print jobs inside one or more build chambers, side removals of printed objects from build chambers allowing quick exchanges of powdered materials, and capabilities of elevated process temperature controls of build chambers and post processing heat treatments of printed objects. The multiple-chamber design also includes a height-adjustable optical assembly in combination with a fixed build platform method suitable for large and heavy printed objects.

The present invention relates to an optical code including a film of a charge-transfer material, as well as methods thereof. Described herein are optical codes having anisotropic and/or isotropic regions within the film, which can be provided in a pattern that serves as an optical code.

A method of additive manufacture is disclosed. The method may include restricting, by an enclosure, an exchange of gaseous matter between an interior of the enclosure and an exterior of the enclosure. The method may further include running multiple machines within the enclosure. Each of the machines may execute its own process of additive manufacture. While the machines are running, a gas management system may maintain gaseous oxygen within the enclosure at or below a limiting oxygen concentration for the interior.

A method and an apparatus pertaining to recycling and reuse of unwanted light in additive manufacturing can multiplex multiple beams of light including at least one or more beams of light from one or more light sources. The multiple beams of light may be reshaped and blended to provide a first beam of light. A spatial polarization pattern may be applied on the first beam of light to provide a second beam of light. Polarization states of the second beam of light may be split to reflect a third beam of light, which may be reshaped into a fourth beam of light. The fourth beam of light may be introduced as one of the multiple beams of light to result in a fifth beam of light.

A method and an apparatus pertaining to polarization combining in additive manufacturing may involve emitting two or more beams of light with a first intensity. Each of the two or more beams of light may be polarized and may have a majority polarization state and a minority polarization state. A respective polarization pattern may be applied on the majority polarization state of each of the two or more beams of light. The two or more beams of light may be combined to provide a single beam of light.