Powder delivery for additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10322574-B2
Application number	US-201615266420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2016
Priority date	Sep 16, 2015
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus includes a platen and a dispensing system overlying the platen. The dispensing system includes a powder source. The dispensing system further includes a powder conveyor extending over the top surface of the platen, rings arranged coaxially along a longitudinal axis of the powder conveyor, and a cap plate extending along a length of the tube. The powder conveyor is configured to receive powder from the powder source. The powder conveyor is configured to move the powder. The rings form a tube surrounding the powder conveyor to contain the powder. Each concentric ring includes a ring opening. Each ring is configured to be independently rotatable. The cap plate includes a cap plate opening. The powder is dispensed from the tube through the ring opening and the cap plate opening when the ring opening and the cap plate opening are aligned.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An additive manufacturing apparatus for forming an object, the additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a platen to support the object being formed;
a dispensing system overlying the platen, the dispensing system comprising
a powder source configured to hold powder to be dispensed over a top surface of the platen,
a powder conveyor extending over the top surface of the platen, the powder conveyor comprising a proximal end configured to receive the powder from the powder source, the powder conveyor being configured to move the powder carried within the powder conveyor along a length of the powder conveyor,
a plurality of rings arranged coaxially along a longitudinal axis of the powder conveyor and forming a tube surrounding the powder conveyor and configured to contain the powder, and each concentric ring comprising at least one ring opening; and
a cap plate extending along a length of the tube, the cap plate comprising at least one cap plate opening wherein each ring is configured to be independently rotatable such that the at least one ring opening of the respective concentric ring is movable into or out of alignment with the at least one cap plate opening, wherein the powder is dispensed from the tube through the at least one ring opening and the at least one cap plate opening when the at least one ring opening and the at least one cap plate opening are aligned; and

an energy source to apply energy to the powder dispensed on the top surface of the platen to form a fused portion of the powder.

2. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the powder conveyor is rotatable about the longitudinal axis to move the powder carried within the powder conveyor along the length of the powder conveyor.

3. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the powder conveyor further comprises a screw conveyor coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the powder conveyor and rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the powder conveyor such that, when the screw conveyor rotates, the screw conveyor moves the powder carried within the powder conveyor along the length of the powder conveyor.

4. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 3 , wherein:
the screw conveyor is configured such that when the screw conveyor rotates in a first direction about the longitudinal axis, the screw conveyor carries the powder along the longitudinal axis away from the proximal end of the powder conveyor and when the screw conveyor rotates in a second direction about the longitudinal axis, the screw conveyor carries the powder along the longitudinal axis toward the proximal end of the powder conveyor.

5. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 4 , comprising a motor to drive the screw conveyor and a controller coupled to the motor, wherein the controller is configured to cause the screw conveyor to alternate between rotation in the first direction and the second direction during dispensing of the powder to form the object.

6. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the screw conveyor is configured to compact the powder when the screw conveyor rotates in the first direction.

7. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a controller is configured to cause the screw conveyor to, prior to the dispensing, rotate in the first direction until powder extends along substantially all of the tube.

8. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each ring comprises a plurality of positions spaced angularly around the ring, each position having one or more openings and having a distinct combination of a number of openings and opening size.

9. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein each ring is movable between the positions such that a different position is aligned with the at least one cap plate opening.

10. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the combination further defines the at least one cap plate opening of each concentric ring, the combination further comprising a number of openings of and a position of the at least one cap plate opening for each concentric ring.

11. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the powder conveyor extends over the top surface of the platen and is closed to prevent the powder from exiting the powder conveyor through the distal end.

12. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cap plate opening comprises a slot extending along a longitudinal axis of the cap plate.

13. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cap plate opening comprises a plurality of openings for each ring.

14. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tube surrounds the cap plate.

15. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the cap plate surrounds the tube.

16. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a drive system of each concentric ring comprises:
a motor with a rotational axis offset from and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the powder conveyor, and
a linkage system connected to the motor such that rotation of the motor about its rotational axis causes rotation of the concentric ring about the longitudinal axis of the powder conveyor.

17. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the motor of the drive system of each of the plurality of rings comprises a distinct shaft length.

18. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a drive system of each concentric ring comprises a solenoid configured to generate an electromagnetic field to rotate the concentric ring about the longitudinal axis of the powder conveyor.

19. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the dispensing system is a first dispensing system,
the powder is a first powder,
the additive manufacturing apparatus further comprises a second dispensing system configured to receive a second powder to be dispensed over the top surface of the platen, and
the second powder comprises a diameter—smaller than a diameter of the first powder.

20. The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy source comprises a plurality of heaters configured to apply the energy to the powder, the plurality of heaters being addressable such that that the energy is selectively applied to the powder dispensed through the at least one ring opening and the concentric at least one cap plate opening.

21. A dispensing system comprising:
a powder source configured to hold powder to be dispensed over a top surface of a platen;
an powder conveyor extending over the top surface of the platen, the powder conveyor comprising a proximal end configured to receive the powder from the powder source, the powder conveyor being configured to move the powder carried within the powder conveyor along a length of the powder conveyor;
a plurality of rings arranged coaxially along a longitudinal axis of the powder conveyor and forming a tube surrounding the powder conveyor and configured to contain the powder, and each concentric ring comprising at least one ring opening; and
a cap plate extending along a length of the tube, the cap plate comprising at least one cap plate opening wherein each ring is configured to be independently rotatable such that the at least one ring opening of the respective concentric ring is movable into or out of alignment with the at least one cap plate opening, wherein the powder is dispensed from the tube through the at least

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ng Hou T
• Zehavi Raanan
• Patibandla Nag B

Classifications

• B22F12/57

  Metering means · CPC title

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title

• B22F12/52

  Hoppers · CPC title

• B22F12/224

  for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer · CPC title