An additive manufacturing method for fabricating a component having a surface substantially free of imperfections may include providing a mold having a configuration corresponding to the component, and depositing a material on at least one surface of the mold to fabricate the component having the surface substantially free of imperfections.

A method for making a three-dimensional (3D) part with an electrostatographic based additive manufacturing system includes establishing first and second control parameter profiles, establishing a transfusion sequence, and transfusing n+m layers on a bonding region of previously accumulated layers of the 3D part according to the transfusion sequence. The first and second control parameter profiles each include a different combination of temperature and pressure parameters usable to transfuse a single layer of the 3D part. The transfusion sequence specifies the use of each of the first and second control parameter profiles in a specified order. A total thickness of the n+m layers is less than a thermal diffusion depth. The transfusion step includes transfusing n layers according to the first control parameter profile, and, after transfusing then layers, transfusing m layers according to the second control parameter profile.

A method for making a three-dimensional (3D) part with an electrostatographic based additive manufacturing system includes establishing first and second control parameter profiles, establishing a transfusion sequence, and transfusing n+m layers on a bonding region of previously accumulated layers of the 3D part according to the transfusion sequence. The first and second control parameter profiles each include a different combination of temperature and pressure parameters usable to transfuse a single layer of the 3D part. The transfusion sequence specifies the use of each of the first and second control parameter profiles in a specified order. A total thickness of the n+m layers is less than a thermal diffusion depth. The transfusion step includes transfusing n layers according to the first control parameter profile, and, after transfusing then layers, transfusing m layers according to the second control parameter profile.

A method for additively manufacturing a component includes receiving, via an additive manufacturing system, a geometry of the component and melting and fusing, via an energy beam of the additive manufacturing system, material layer by layer atop a build platform according to the geometry so as to build up a plurality of layers that form the component. The method also includes determining a surface area change from one of the plurality of layers to the next based on the geometry. Further, the method includes temporarily discontinuing melting and fusing of the material by the energy beam between building of one or more of the plurality of layers so as to provide a delay after building one or more of the plurality of layers when the surface area change is above a predetermined threshold. As such, the delay allows for one or more previously built layers to at least partially cool so as to eliminate and/or reduce build failures from occurring in the final component.

Provided is a method of making a cured object having a surface coating bonded thereto, which may include: providing an intermediate object produced in an additive manufacturing process such as stereolithography by light polymerization of a dual cure resin, the resin comprising a mixture of (i) a light polymerizable first component, and (ii) a second component that is different from the first component; applying a first reactive coating composition to a surface portion of the object to form a first coating thereon; optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, applying a second reactive coating composition to the first coating to form a second coating thereon; and heating the object at (and for) a time and to a temperature sufficient to bond the first coating to the surface portion, and bond the second coating when present to the first coating, and form the cured object having a surface coating bonded thereto.

Provided is a method of making a cured object having a surface coating bonded thereto, which may include: providing an intermediate object produced in an additive manufacturing process such as stereolithography by light polymerization of a dual cure resin, the resin comprising a mixture of (i) a light polymerizable first component, and (ii) a second component that is different from the first component; applying a first reactive coating composition to a surface portion of the object to form a first coating thereon; optionally, but in some embodiments preferably, applying a second reactive coating composition to the first coating to form a second coating thereon; and heating the object at (and for) a time and to a temperature sufficient to bond the first coating to the surface portion, and bond the second coating when present to the first coating, and form the cured object having a surface coating bonded thereto.

Methods and apparatus for the fabrication of solid three-dimensional objects from liquid polymerizable materials at high resolution. A material is coated on a film non-digitally, excess material is removed digitally, by laser, leaving an image of a layer to be printed, and the image is then engaged with existing portions of an object being fabricated and exposed to a non-digital UV curing light source. Since the only part of the process that is digital is the material removal, and this part is done by laser, the speed of printing and the robustness of the manufacturing process is improved significantly over conventional additive or 3D fabrication techniques.

Methods and apparatus for the fabrication of solid three-dimensional objects from liquid polymerizable materials at high resolution. A material is coated on a film non-digitally, excess material is removed digitally, by laser, leaving an image of a layer to be printed, and the image is then engaged with existing portions of an object being fabricated and exposed to a non-digital UV curing light source. Since the only part of the process that is digital is the material removal, and this part is done by laser, the speed of printing and the robustness of the manufacturing process is improved significantly over conventional additive or 3D fabrication techniques.

Apparatuses and methods are provided that provide adaptive multi-process additive manufacturing systems for monitoring, measuring, and controlling additive manufacturing processes. A first laser (e.g., a fiber laser) is used for melting and consolidating the powder, and a second laser is utilized for dual purpose: (a) for metrology to measure the surface roughness, dimensional accuracy, material properties, etc., and (b) based on the evaluated measurements to take corrective actions (laser ablation, etc.) to attain the desired surface finish and dimensional accuracy. Various elements provide defect detection, defect identification, and defect response actions which remove defect related material or address under print or missing material in a build object.

A method for the additive manufacturing of a component, in which method the component is configured layer-by-layer from a base material which is solidified at least in regions in each layer, the method includes introducing at least one cooling gas flow for cooling at least the region to be solidified by way of at least one cooling medium nozzle into a carrier gas flow so as to form a cooling gas flow, wherein the cooling medium is present so as to be liquid and/or gaseous, wherein the cooling gas flow is guided through a de Laval nozzle, wherein the cooling medium flow is introduced such that the outflow of the cooling medium flow into the carrier gas flow takes place within or downstream of the de Laval nozzle, and the cooling gas flow is directed onto the component.