Patent ID: 9486878
Filing Date: 2016-11-08
CPC Classification: B22F,B23K,B28B,B29C,B29K,B33Y,C04B,C22C,H05B,Y02P

Claim Text:
1. A method for generating a three-dimensional object, comprising: (a) providing a powder bed in an enclosure, wherein the powder bed comprises a powder material having an elemental metal, metal alloy, ceramic, or an allotrope of elemental carbon; (b) directing an energy beam at the powder material along a path to transform at least a portion of the powder material to form a transformed material, which transformed material hardens into a hardened material as part of the three-dimensional object; and (c) using a heat sink adjacent to an exposed surface of the powder bed to remove thermal energy from the powder bed, wherein during removal of thermal energy from the powder bed, the heat sink is separated from the exposed surface by a gap, wherein the exposed surface of the powder bed is a top surface of the powder bed, and wherein a relative position of the heat sink with respect to the powder bed is adjustable while directing the energy beam at the powder material along the path.