Abstract: A method for fusing a metal material with control of a melt pool on a substrate is provided. The method consists of providing a plurality of laser sources arranged on an imaginary hemispheric surface, wherein each laser source contains a laser tiltable relative to the longitudinal axis of the laser source housing and/or displaceable in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the housing. The optical axes of the lasers are inclined to the material feed direction toward a substrate. The optical axes of the inclined lasers intersect the material feed direction. The material is fed toward a substrate which is placed on a table that has at least three degrees of freedom for moving the substrate in a space relative to the focal points of the laser beams to impart to the object being printed a desired 3D configuration.

Abstract: An apparatus for 3D laser printing and a method for fusing a metal material with control of a melt pool on a substrate are provided. The apparatus contains a metal wire or powder feed unit and a plurality of laser sources symmetrically arranged on the surface of an imaginary hemisphere. Each laser source contains a laser with a laser beam focusing lens that focuses the laser beam in a focal point at a given distance from the focusing lens. The laser source is also provided with CPU/GPU-controlled devices for independently shifting each laser or a group of lasers along the optical axis and/or for tilting the lasers relative to the longitudinal axis of the source housing so that heating or fusing can be performed by placing the focal points of the lasers selectively at any point of the material or on a substrate for forming and controlling the melt pool.

Abstract: The apparatus for 3D laser printing by fusing a metal wire material is provided. The zone of fusion is heated and fused by a plurality of laser beams which uniformly converge into the focal area around the tip of the metal wire material by a focusing lens into a focal point on an object-formation table. The optical and wire feeding units are stationary, while the object-formation table is moveable under command of a computer along a pre-programmed spatial trajectory.

Abstract: An apparatus for 3D laser printing and a method for fusing a metal material with control of a melt pool on a substrate are provided. The apparatus contains a metal wire or powder feed unit and a plurality of laser sources symmetrically arranged on the surface of an imaginary hemisphere. Each laser source contains a laser with a laser beam focusing lens that focuses the laser beam in a focal point at a given distance from the focusing lens. The laser source is also provided with CPU/GPU-controlled devices for independently shifting each laser or a group of lasers along the optical axis and/or for tilting the lasers relative to the longitudinal axis of the source housing so that heating or fusing can be performed by placing the focal points of the lasers selectively at any point of the material or on a substrate for forming and controlling the melt pool.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an apparatus and method for 3D laser printing by fusing a metal wire material. The apparatus and method are characterized in that the zone of fusion is heated and fused not by a single beam but rather by a plurality of laser beams uniformly converged into the focal area around the tip of the wire material. This feature provides uniform distribution of heat and symmetry in the structure of the formed object and is achieved by using a plurality of laser sources that emit beams into collimators, which produce collimated beam that are converged by a focusing optical lens into a focal point on an object-formation table. The optical and wire feeding units are stationary, while assembly the object-formation table is moveable under command of a computer along a pre-programmed spatial trajectory.

Abstract: Secure streaming method in a numerically controlled manufacturing system, where the 3D file of the 3D object such as a CAD file or STL file is not sent to the manufacturing machine, but is kept in asecured system. Instead, only the instructions for controlling the manufacturing machine (e.g., so called G-codes) are streamed to the manufacturing machine. Such instructions are secured so that only a specific manufacturing machine can make use of them. To this end, the set of instructions may be encoded, e.g., hashed on a secure server, using a server hash table while the manufacturing machine is provided with a local lookup hash table that is synchronized, e.g., loosely synchronized with the serve's hash table for converting the hashed instructions back to instructions suitable for operating the manufacturing machine.

Abstract: A system and method of enforcing 3D restricted rights in a rapid manufacturing and prototyping environment may include, in response to receiving a 3D object data representative of a 3D object, performing at least one function on the 3D object data to determine a parameter set for each respective function. Business rule(s) may be applied to each parameter set for each respective function. At least one algorithm may be performed to determine whether at least a portion of the 3D object matches a rights restricted 3D object. In response to determining that at least a portion of the 3D object matches a restricted rights 3D object, an action may be caused to be taken, otherwise, in response to determining that at least a portion of the 3D object does not match a restricted rights 3D object, the 3D object may be enabled to be rapid manufactured or prototyped.