Patent ID: 9573193
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: B22F,B23K,B28B,B29C,B29K,B33Y,C04B,C22C,H05B,Y02P

Claim:
1. An apparatus for forming a three-dimensional object, comprising a controller that is programmed to: (a) direct a supply of powder material from a powder dispenser to a powder bed operatively coupled to the powder dispenser, wherein the supply of powder material comprises supply of (i) a first layer of powder material to form a powder bed at a first time (t (b) direct an energy beam generated by an energy source to the powder bed to transform at least a portion of the powder material to a transformed material that subsequently hardens to yield the three-dimensional object, wherein the energy beam is operatively coupled to the controller; and (c) direct a cooling member disposed adjacent to at least one of the first layer and the second layer to remove thermal energy from the second layer at a time interval from t