Patent ID: 11951563
Assignee: VULCANFORMS INC.
Field: Materials, metallurgy (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC B  Y | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a build plate vertically supported by two or more support columns, wherein each support column comprises a heater disposed on or in the associated support column;
a powder deposition system configured to deposit a powder layer along an upper surface of the build plate, wherein the powder deposition system is vertically displaceable relative to the build plate;
an optics assembly configured to direct laser energy from one or more laser energy sources towards the build plate, wherein exposure of the powder layer to the laser energy melts at least a portion of the powder layer;
a build plate sensor configured to sense an orientation of the build plate; and
at least one processor operatively coupled to each heater and to the build plate sensor, the at least one processor configured to adjust a length of each support column based at least in part on the sensed orientation of the build plate by independently setting a temperature set point for each heater to adjust a temperature profile along each support column.