A method of additive manufacture is disclosed. The method may include providing a powder bed and directing a shaped laser beam pulse train consisting of one or more pulses and having a flux greater than 20 kW/cm.sup.2 at a defined two dimensional region of the powder bed. This minimizes adverse laser plasma effects during the process of melting and fusing powder within the defined two dimensional region.

A method for displacing a continuous energy beam includes emitting a continuous energy beam in a direction of a powder material and displacing the energy beam by overlaying an optical deflection of the energy beam using of a deflection device and a mechanical deflection of the energy beam using of a scanner device. The mechanical deflection is configured to position the energy beam at a plurality of irradiation positions, and the optical deflection is configured to deflect the energy beam around each of the irradiation positions within a beam region of the deflection device onto at least one beam position in a sequence of beam positions. The optical deflection and the mechanical deflection are controlled such that the energy beam successively scans subsequences with an abrupt change of the optical deflection such that two spatially separated subsequences are successively adopted by the energy beam.

A high-speed additive manufacturing apparatus includes a main body, a sintering module, a product carrying member, a raw material carrying member, and a raw material wiper. The main body includes a printing tank and a raw material tank adjacent to the printing tank. The sintering module is arranged on the main body. The sintering module includes a plurality of sintering light source assemblies. Each of the sintered light source assemblies has a light beam emitting end. The light beam emitting end emits a sintering light beam. The light beam emitting ends of the sintering light source assemblies are arranged in a plurality of rows. Each light beam emitting end in one row is unaligned with the light beam emitting end in adjacent rows along a direction in which the light beam emitting end moves.

A high-speed additive manufacturing apparatus includes a main body, a sintering module, a product carrying member, a raw material carrying member, and a raw material wiper. The main body includes a printing tank and a raw material tank adjacent to the printing tank. The sintering module is arranged on the main body. The sintering module includes a plurality of sintering light source assemblies. Each of the sintered light source assemblies has a light beam emitting end. The light beam emitting end emits a sintering light beam. The light beam emitting ends of the sintering light source assemblies are arranged in a plurality of rows. Each light beam emitting end in one row is unaligned with the light beam emitting end in adjacent rows along a direction in which the light beam emitting end moves.

Additive manufacturing processes, such as fused filament fabrication, may be employed to form printed objects in a range of shapes. It is sometimes desirable to form conductive traces upon the surface of a printed object. Conductive traces and similar features may be introduced in conjunction with fused filament fabrication processes by incorporating a metal precursor in a polymer filament having a filament body comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and forming a printed object from the polymer filament through layer-by-layer deposition, in which the metal precursor remains substantially unconverted to metal while forming the printed object. Suitable polymer filaments compatible with fused filament fabrication may comprise a thermoplastic polymer defining a filament body, and a metal precursor contacting the filament body, in which the metal precursor is activatable to form metal islands upon laser irradiation.

Additive manufacturing processes, such as fused filament fabrication, may be employed to form printed objects in a range of shapes. It is sometimes desirable to form conductive traces upon the surface of a printed object. Conductive traces and similar features may be introduced in conjunction with fused filament fabrication processes by incorporating a metal precursor in a polymer filament having a filament body comprising a thermoplastic polymer, and forming a printed object from the polymer filament through layer-by-layer deposition, in which the metal precursor remains substantially unconverted to metal while forming the printed object. Suitable polymer filaments compatible with fused filament fabrication may comprise a thermoplastic polymer defining a filament body, and a metal precursor contacting the filament body, in which the metal precursor is activatable to form metal islands upon laser irradiation.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for additively manufacturing a product in a layer-by-layer sequence, wherein the product is formed using powder particles deposited on an interface layer of a substrate. A laser generates first and second beam components. The second beam component has a higher power level and a shorter duration than the first beam component. A mask creates a 2D optical pattern in which only select portions of the second beam components can irradiate the powder particles. The first beam component heats the powder particles close to a melting point, where the particles experience surface tension forces relative to the interface layer. While the particles are heated, the second beam component further heats the particles and also melts the interface layer before the surface tension forces can act on and distort the particles, enabling the particles and the interface layer are able to bond together.

The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for additively manufacturing a product in a layer-by-layer sequence, wherein the product is formed using powder particles deposited on an interface layer of a substrate. A laser generates first and second beam components. The second beam component has a higher power level and a shorter duration than the first beam component. A mask creates a 2D optical pattern in which only select portions of the second beam components can irradiate the powder particles. The first beam component heats the powder particles close to a melting point, where the particles experience surface tension forces relative to the interface layer. While the particles are heated, the second beam component further heats the particles and also melts the interface layer before the surface tension forces can act on and distort the particles, enabling the particles and the interface layer are able to bond together.

A three-dimensional printing system for fabricating a three-dimensional article includes a motorized build platform, a dispensing module, a pulsed light source, an imaging module, a movement mechanism, and a controller. The imaging module receives radiation from the pulsed light source and includes a two-dimensional mirror array. The movement mechanism imparts lateral motion between the imaging module and the build platform. The controller is configured to operate the motorized build platform and the dispensing module to form a layer of build material at a build plane, operate the movement mechanism to laterally scan the imaging module over the build plane, operate the pulsed light source to generate a sequence of radiation pulses that illuminate the mirror array, and operate the mirror array to selectively image the build material.

A three-dimensional printing system for fabricating a three-dimensional article includes a motorized build platform, a dispensing module, a pulsed light source, an imaging module, a movement mechanism, and a controller. The imaging module receives radiation from the pulsed light source and includes a two-dimensional mirror array. The movement mechanism imparts lateral motion between the imaging module and the build platform. The controller is configured to operate the motorized build platform and the dispensing module to form a layer of build material at a build plane, operate the movement mechanism to laterally scan the imaging module over the build plane, operate the pulsed light source to generate a sequence of radiation pulses that illuminate the mirror array, and operate the mirror array to selectively image the build material.