Optical fibers including endcaps for use in additive manufacturing
AssigneeVulcanForms Inc.
InventorsManuel Joseph Leonardo, Martin C. Feldmann
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Abstract
Systems and methods for additive manufacturing are generally described. According to certain aspects, endcaps optically coupled to optical fibers of additive manufacturing systems are provided. In some aspects, methods for reducing a power area density of laser energy within an endcap are provided. The endcaps described herein may be used to at least partially mitigate thermal cycling that may result from the transmission of laser energy through interfaces of an additive manufacturing system.
Claims20
A method for additive manufacturing, comprising:
- transmitting laser energy from a laser energy source along an axial dimension of an optical fiber;
- reducing, using an endcap disposed on and optically coupled with the optical fiber, a power area density of the laser energy by increasing a first transmission area of the laser energy transferred from a distal end of the optical fiber by a factor greater than or equal to 10 within the endcap relative to a second transmission area within the optical fiber;
- and
- directing laser energy output from the endcap onto a build surface to form a laser energy spot on the build surface.
A method for additive manufacturing, comprising:
- transmitting laser energy from a laser energy source along an axial dimension of an optical fiber;
- reducing, using an endcap disposed on and optically coupled to the optical fiber, a first power area density of the laser energy transferred from a distal end of the optical fiber by a factor greater than or equal to 10 within the endcap relative to a second power area density within the optical fiber;
- and
- directing laser energy output from the endcap onto a build surface to form a laser energy spot on the build surface.
A method for additive manufacturing, comprising:
- transmitting laser energy from a plurality of laser energy sources along respective ones of a plurality of optical fibers;
- reducing, using one or more endcaps disposed on and optically coupled with a distal end of each optical fiber, a first power area density of the laser energy transferred from the distal end of each optical fiber by a factor greater than or equal to 10 within the one or more endcaps relative to a second power area density within each optical fiber;
- and
- directing laser energy output from the one or more endcaps onto a build surface to form a laser energy spot on the build surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.