Additive manufacturing by spatially controlled material fusion

1. A method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

exposing at least a portion of a layer of material to a first projection of laser energy to heat the portion of the layer of material to a first temperature below a melting temperature of the layer of material;

exposing the portion of the layer of material to a second projection of laser energy to heat the portion of the layer of material to a second temperature higher than the melting temperature of the layer of material after the portion of the layer of material has been heated to the first temperature;

fusing at least part of the portion of the layer of material by exposure of the layer of material to the first and second projections of laser energy; and

scanning the first and second projections of laser energy across the layer of material so as to fuse the portion of the layer of material in a desired shape.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein an intensity of the first projection is constant along a length of the first projection, and wherein an intensity of the second projection is constant along a length of the second projection.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one selected from the first and second projections of laser energy is a dot projection, the method further comprising moving the dot projection relative to the other of the first and second projections while moving the at least one of the first and second projections of laser energy relative to the layer of material.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the layer of material on a build surface, wherein providing the layer of material includes depositing the layer of material with at least one selected from a powder spreading system, an inkjet deposition system, an electro-hydrodynamic deposition system, and an extrusion nozzle.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring at least one property of the layer of material and adjusting at least one selected from an intensity of the first and second projections and the movement of the first and second projections based on the at least one measured property.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first projection is a non-modulated line projection, and wherein the second projection is a modulated line projection.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a position of the first and second projections of laser energy relative to a build surface using a mirror-based system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein an intensity of the first projection is constant along a length of the first projection, and wherein an intensity of the second projection is constant along a length of the second projection.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one selected from the first and second projections of laser energy is a dot projection, the method further comprising moving the dot projection relative to the other of the first and second projections while moving the first and second projections of laser energy relative to the layer of material.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the layer of material on a build surface, wherein providing the layer of material includes depositing the layer of material with at least of one of a powder spreading system, an inkjet deposition system, an electro-hydrodynamic deposition system, or an extrusion nozzle.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring at least one property of the layer of material and adjusting at least one selected from an intensity of the first and second projections and the movement of the first and second projections based on the at least one measured property.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first projection is a non-modulated line projection, and wherein the second projection is a modulated line projection.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting a position of at least one selected from the first and second projections of laser energy relative to a build surface using a mirror-based system.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein fusion of the layer of material is caused by at least partially overlapping the first and second projections of laser energy.

15. A method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

exposing at least a portion of a layer of material to a first projection of laser energy to heat the portion of the layer of material to a first temperature below a melting temperature of the layer of material;

exposing the portion of the layer of material to a second projection of laser energy to heat the portion of the layer of material to a second temperature higher than the melting temperature of the layer of material after the portion of the layer of material has been heated to the first temperature;

fusing at least part of the portion of the layer of material by exposure of the layer of material to the first and second projections of laser energy;

moving the first and second projections of laser energy relative to the layer of material so as to fuse the portion of the layer of material in a desired shape;

varying at least one selected from a length and a width of the first projection while moving the first projection of laser energy; and

varying at least one selected from a length and a width of the second projection while moving the second projection of laser energy.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein an intensity of the first projection is constant along a length of the first projection, and wherein an intensity of the second projection is constant along a length of the second projection.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein at least one selected from the first and second projections of laser energy is a dot projection, the method further comprising moving the dot projection relative to the other of the first and second projections while moving the first and second projections of laser energy relative to the layer of material.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising providing the layer of material on a build surface, wherein providing the layer of material includes depositing the layer of material with at least of one of a powder spreading system, an inkjet deposition system, an electro-hydrodynamic deposition system, or an extrusion nozzle.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising measuring at least one property of the layer of material and adjusting at least one selected from an intensity of the first and second projections and the movement of the first and second projections based on the at least one measured property.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first projection is a non-modulated line projection, and wherein the second projection is a modulated line projection.

21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising adjusting a position of at least one selected from the first and second projections of laser energy relative to a build surface using a mirror-based system.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein fusion of the layer of material is caused by at least partially overlapping the first and second projections of laser energy.

23. A method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

exposing at least a portion of a layer of material to a first projection of laser energy to heat the portion of the layer of material to a first temperature below a melting temperature of the layer of material;

exposing the portion of the layer of material to a second projection of laser energy to heat the portion of the layer of material to a second temperature higher than the melting temperature of the layer of material after the portion of the layer of material has been heated to the first temperature;

fusing at least part of the portion of the layer of material by exposure of the layer of material to the first and second projections of laser energy;

moving the first and second projections of laser energy relative to the layer of material so as to fuse the portion of the layer of material in a desired shape; and

modulating an intensity of at least one selected from the first and second projections along at least one selected from a length of the projection and a width of the projection.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein an intensity of the first projection is constant along a length of the first projection, and wherein an intensity of the second projection is constant along a length of the second projection.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein at least one selected from the first and second projections of laser energy is a dot projection, the method further comprising moving the dot projection relative to the other of the first and second projections while moving the first and second projections of laser energy relative to the layer of material.

26. The method of claim 23 , further comprising providing the layer of material on a build surface, wherein providing the layer of material includes depositing the layer of material with at least one selected from a powder spreading system, an inkjet deposition system, an electro-hydrodynamic deposition system, and an extrusion nozzle.

27. The method of claim 23 , further comprising measuring at least one property of the layer of material and adjusting at least one selected from an intensity of the first and second projections and the movement of the first and second projections based on the at least one measured property.

28. The method of claim 23 , wherein the first projection is a non-modulated line projection, and wherein the second projection is a modulated line projection.

29. The method of claim 23 , further comprising adjusting a position of at least one selected from the first and second projections of laser energy relative to a build surface using a mirror-based system.

30. The method of claim 23 , wherein fusion of the layer of material is caused by at least partially overlapping the first and second projections of laser energy.

31. A method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

exposing at least a portion of a layer of material to a first projection of laser energy to heat the portion of the layer of material to a first temperature below a melting temperature of the layer of material;

exposing the portion of the layer of material to a second projection of laser energy to heat the portion of the layer of material to a second temperature higher than the melting temperature of the layer of material after the portion of the layer of material has been heated to the first temperature, wherein the first projection is a line projection, and the second projection is a dot projection;

fusing at least part of the portion of the layer of material by exposure of the layer of material to the first and second projections of laser energy; and

moving the first and second projections of laser energy relative to the layer of material so as to fuse the portion of the layer of material in a desired shape.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein an intensity of the first projection is constant along a length of the first projection, and wherein an intensity of the second projection is constant along a length of the second projection.

33. The method of claim 31 , further comprising moving the dot projection relative to the line projection while moving the first and second projections of laser energy relative to the layer of material.

34. The method of claim 31 , further comprising providing the layer of material on a build surface, wherein providing the layer of material includes depositing the layer of material with at least of one of a powder spreading system, an inkjet deposition system, an electro-hydrodynamic deposition system, or an extrusion nozzle.

35. The method of claim 31 , further comprising measuring at least one property of the layer of material and adjusting at least one selected from an intensity of the first and second projections and the movement of the first and second projections based on the at least one measured property.

36. The method of claim 31 , wherein the line projection is a non-modulated line projection.

37. The method of claim 31 , wherein the line projection is a modulated line projection.

38. The method of claim 31 , further comprising adjusting a position of at least one selected from the first or second projections of laser energy relative to a build surface using a mirror-based system.

39. The method of claim 31 , wherein fusion of the layer of material is caused by at least partially overlapping the first and second projections of laser energy.