Methods and systems for electrochemical machining of an additively manufactured component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10029325-B2
Application number	US-201514927611-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 30, 2015
Priority date	Jul 1, 2013
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

A system of manufacturing a component comprises forming a component on a conductive build plate. The component defines at least one access port and includes an inner surface that defines at least one internal passage. The system further includes forming at least one electrode within the at least one internal passage, wherein the at least one electrode is electrically isolated from the component. An electromotive force is applied to the at least one electrode to facilitate smoothing the inner surface.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a component, wherein said component includes an inner surface and at least one internal passage;
at least one electrode formed within said at least one internal passage and electrically isolated from the component, wherein said component and said at least one electrode are formed using additive manufacturing; and
a power source operatively connected to said at least one electrode, wherein said power source is configured to apply an electromotive force to facilitate smoothing said inner surface with said electrode.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one electrode and the component are formed substantially simultaneously.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein the power source is operatively connected to said at least one electrode and to said component.

4. The system according to claim 1 wherein the component is coupled to a support plate.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said support plate is formed from a non-conductive material electrically isolating the at least one electrode from the component.

6. The system according to claim 4 , wherein said support plate further comprises a non-conductive material on at least some portions of the support plate electrically isolating the at least one electrode from the component.

7. The system according to claim 1 further comprising at least one access port through the component and providing access to said at least one internal passage.

8. The system according to claim 7 further comprising at least one anchor coupled between a support plate and said at least one electrode and said anchor extending through said at least one access port.

9. The system according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one anchor is formed simultaneously with at least one of said component and said at least one electrode.

10. The system according to claim 8 , wherein said at least one anchor is configured to electrically isolate the electrode from the component.

11. The system according to claim 1 , wherein a polarity of the electromotive force is reversed to at least partially dissolve said at least one electrode.

12. The system according to claim 1 further comprising an electrolyte fluid source in flow communication with said at least one internal passage.

13. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said component and said at least one electrode are formed from the same material.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one said electrode is a lattice-structured electrode.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the component is formed from a superalloy.

16. A component produced by a process comprising:
forming the component by additive manufacturing, wherein the component includes an inner surface and at least one internal passage;
forming at least one electrode by additive manufacturing within the at least one internal passage, wherein the electrode and the internal passage are formed substantially simultaneously;
electrically isolating the at least one electrode from the component; and
applying an electromotive force to the at least one electrode to facilitate smoothing the inner surface.

17. The additively manufactured component of claim 16 wherein the at least one electrode is at least partially removed from the internal passage.

18. The additively manufactured component of claim 16 wherein the at least one electrode remains in the internal passage.

19. The additively manufactured component of claim 16 wherein the component is at least partially a superalloy.

20. The additively manufactured component of claim 16 wherein the component comprises one of a fuel nozzle, fuel injector, turbine blade, turbine nozzle, and bearing.

21. The additively manufactured component of claim 16 wherein the component and the at least one electrode are formed from the same material.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Carter William Thomas
• Deaton Jr John Broddus
• Trimmer Andrew Lee
• Fornasiero Michael John

Classifications

• B22F1/00

  Metallic powder; Treatment of metallic powder, e.g. to facilitate working or to improve properties · CPC title

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B23H3/00

  Electrochemical machining, i.e. removing metal by passing current between an electrode and a workpiece in the presence of an electrolyte · CPC title