Patent ID: 7942987

Claim:
A method for building a three-dimensional object in a layer-by-layer manner with a digital manufacturing system, the method comprising: substantially removing oxygen-containing gases from a build chamber of the digital manufacturing system; heating the build chamber to one or more temperatures of at least about 400° C.; providing an alloy comprising aluminum; heating the alloy to a temperature that is above a solidus temperature of the alloy and that is below a liquidus temperature of the alloy; depositing the heated alloy in a predetermined pattern from a deposition head disposed at least partially within the build chamber onto a build platform—disposed within the build chamber controlling a flow of the alloy from the deposition head by selectively relaying a coolant from a coolant solenoid located outside of the build chamber to a freeze valve assembly of the deposition head disposed within the build chamber; and solidifying the deposited alloy.