Movable Oven Lid Build Chamber for AM Stress Relief Heating

The patent applies preliminary action by implementing stress relief heating during the additive manufacturing process before the workpiece is complete. The system periodically heats the workpiece to elevated temperatures to relieve residual stresses as they accumulate during building, preventing cracking and warping before they occur. This proactive approach allows the fabrication of large or less ductile workpieces that would otherwise be prone to failure.

The patent implements periodic action by applying stress relief heating at intervals during the additive manufacturing process rather than continuously. The system monitors residual stresses and applies heating only when thresholds are exceeded, allowing the build process to continue otherwise. This periodic intervention reduces total process time compared to continuous heating while still preventing cracking and warping.

The patent applies universality by designing the build chamber to serve multiple functions: it provides structural enclosure for the additive manufacturing process, acts as a heating furnace for stress relief treatments, and enables temperature control during building. By making the build chamber multi-functional, the system achieves improved temperature control without proportionally increasing device complexity, as the same hardware structure supports multiple operations.