Patent ID: 8668859
Filing Date: 2014-03-11
Classification: B29C,B33Y

Abstract:
1. An apparatus comprising: a build platform including a surface that is rigid and substantially planar, the surface including a plurality of areas; an extruder including a chamber to receive a build material and an extrusion tip that extrudes the build material at a controlled volumetric rate; a x-y-z positioning assembly adapted to three-dimensionally position the extrusion tip within the working volume; a controller electrically coupled to each of the build platform, the extruder, and the x-y-z positioning assembly, the controller operable to control the build platform, the extruder, and the x-y-z positioning assembly to fabricate an object in three-dimensions from the build material; and a plurality of heating elements disposed within the build platform, each one of the plurality of heating elements associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of areas of the surface of the build platform, each one of the plurality of heating elements coupled in a communicating relationship with the controller, wherein the controller is configured to independently control each one of the plurality of heating elements to provide different heating to each one of the plurality of areas of the surface of the build platform.