Powder bed fusion additive printer build platform drive mechanism

A method of making an annular part with a powder bed fusion (PBF) additive manufacturing system, comprising:

• installing in the PBF additive manufacturing system an annular build plate positioned on a build piston, wherein the annular build plate includes an inner radius wall and an outer radius wall that define a build area on the annular build plate between the inner radius wall and the outer radius wall and wherein the annular build plate and the build piston are configured to rotate and translate vertically simultaneously and continuously;
• delivering, with a powder delivery mechanism, build powder to the build area to form a build powder bed;
• distributing, with a recoater, the build powder in the build powder bed to provide even distribution of the build powder in the build powder bed;
• directing energy, from an optical array positioned over the build area on the build plate, to the build powder in the build powder bed to form a melt pool in the build powder bed;
• selectively sintering, using energy from the optical array, build powder from the melt pool to form a layer of a consolidated part;
• and
• continuously rotating the build plate at a selected rate that is coupled with a selected rate of vertical translation of the build plate to cause the build plate to descend in a helical pattern and to create a corresponding helical layer structure in the annular part;
• wherein the energy directed from the optical array to the build powder is controlled to provide a selected energy density on the build powder based on the rate of rotation and vertical translation of the build piston.