CPC B29C 64/273 (2017.08) [B22F 10/22 (2021.01); B22F 10/25 (2021.01); B22F 12/43 (2021.01); B29C 64/223 (2017.08); B29C 64/236 (2017.08); B29C 64/245 (2017.08); B29C 64/321 (2017.08); B29C 64/371 (2017.08); C23C 14/048 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12)] | 36 Claims |
1. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
an enclosure, the enclosure defining an inlet, an exhaust, and an aperture and comprising a substrate upon which a workpiece is to be formed and an optically transparent support disposed between the aperture and the substrate;
a pulsed laser, disposed outside the enclosure, positioned to emit one or more pulses through the aperture and into the enclosure;
a feedstock comprising a sheet or ribbon of material that is moveable with respect to the transparent support;
a feedstock advancement device, at least partially disposed within the enclosure, to advance the feedstock within the enclosure and to maintain the feedstock adjacent the optically transparent support; and
a controller to cause the pulsed laser to emit one or more pulses through the aperture and the optically transparent support to impinge upon a selected portion of the feedstock to liquefy the selected portion of the feedstock and discharge a droplet of the material from the feedstock onto the substrate or onto a workpiece on the substrate.
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