	US 12,233,476 B2
	Additive manufacturing systems and methods
Martin C. Feldmann, Somerville, MA (US); Jan Pawel Komsta, Northborough, MA (US); and Matthew Sweetland, Bedford, MA (US)
Assigned to VulcanForms Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed by VulcanForms Inc., Burlington, MA (US)
Filed on Dec. 3, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/110,843.
Application 17/110,843 is a division of application No. 15/940,315, filed on Mar. 29, 2018, granted, now 10,875,094.
Prior Publication US 2021/0107062 A1, Apr. 15, 2021
Int. Cl. B23K 26/073 (2006.01); B22F 10/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/36 (2021.01); B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B22F 12/41 (2021.01); B22F 12/45 (2021.01); B22F 12/46 (2021.01); B22F 12/60 (2021.01); B23K 26/06 (2014.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/366 (2021.01); B22F 10/66 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)

CPC B23K 26/0732 (2013.01) [B22F 10/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/36 (2021.01); B22F 12/226 (2021.01); B22F 12/41 (2021.01); B22F 12/45 (2021.01); B22F 12/46 (2021.01); B22F 12/60 (2021.01); B23K 26/0626 (2013.01); B23K 26/0648 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/366 (2021.01); B22F 10/66 (2021.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)]

40 Claims

18. A method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising;

emitting laser energy from a plurality of laser energy sources;

shaping the laser energy using an array of micro-lenses and one or more objective lenses positioned after the array of micro-lenses to form an array of laser energy pixels;

controlling the plurality of laser energy sources to control a power level of each laser energy pixel of the array of laser energy pixels;

exposing a layer of material on a build surface to the array of laser energy pixels; and

melting a portion of the layer of material due to exposure of the portion to the array of laser energy pixels.