Patent ID: 11911958
Assignee: STRATASYS, INC.
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. A method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
(a) delivering, by a feed motor, a filament comprising a polymer to a first zone, wherein the feed motor draws the filament;
(b) preheating, by a first light beam and at the first zone, the filament to a preheat temperature that is (i) in excess of a glass transition temperature of the polymer, (ii) less than a melting point of the polymer, and (iii) dependent on stiffness of the polymer at the glass transition temperature of the polymer, to provide a pre-heated filament, wherein the filament is preheated, by the first light beam and at the first zone, from a temperature that is less than the glass transition temperature of the polymer;
(c) depositing the pre-heated filament adjacent to a build surface to form a deposited filament; and
(d) melting, by a second light beam, the deposited filament to provide a melted filament, wherein the second light beam is different from the first light beam.