Patent ID: 11865780
Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
Field: Other special machines (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 14:
15. An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a foil;
a feed module configured to operably couple with a first end portion of the foil;, a take-up module configured to operably couple with a second end portion of the foil;
at least one stage configured to hold one or more cured layers of a resin that form a component;
a radiant energy device positioned opposite to the at least one stage, the radiant energy device operable to generate and project radiant energy in a predetermined pattern; and
an accumulator positioned downstream of the at least one stage and the radiant energy device and upstream of the take-up module, the accumulator defining a cavity configured to retain at least a section of an intermediate portion of the foil to allow a first portion of the foil upstream of the accumulator to move at a first speed and a second portion of the foil downstream of the accumulator to move at a second speed during a defined time period, wherein a length of the intermediate portion of foil within the cavity is varied based on a difference between the first end portion of the foil and the second end portion of the foil.