Patent ID: 7718933

Claim:
A direct manufacturing system comprising: a part bed; a plurality of temperature detectors disposed about the part bed; a deck disposed within the part bed, the deck divided into a plurality of heating zones; a heater configured to heat the workpiece area adjacent the deck, said heater comprising a plurality of individually movable heating elements, said heating elements being movable in a plane parallel with the deck, each said heating element individually rotatable about its respective heating element mounting point such that an amount of heat directed towards the workpiece area is controllable using the rotation, said heater is movable in a direction substantially normal to the deck; and control circuitry in communication with the heater and the temperature detectors, said control circuitry operable to individually control an output and a positioning of said heating elements, based on outputs of said temperature detectors, to maintain a temperature differential between the plurality of heating zones that is less than a predetermined value.