Stack forming apparatus and manufacturing method of stack formation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10759002-B2
Application number	US-201415124566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 12, 2014
Priority date	Mar 18, 2014
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

A stack forming apparatus includes a nozzle device that includes a nozzle configured to supply powder to a target and to irradiate the target with an energy beam, and a supply device which selectively supplies the nozzle with a powdery forming material to form layers that form a formation, and a powdery support material to form a support layer which permits the layers formed by the forming material to be formed on the top surface thereof. The stack forming apparatus further includes an optical system which outputs the energy beam to the nozzle, and a controller which drives the nozzle and which is configured to control the supply amount of the forming material to be supplied to the nozzle and the supply amount of the support material and which stacks the layers formed by the forming material and the support layer on the target.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A manufacturing method of a stack formation, the method comprising:
supplying a powdery forming material which forms a formation from a nozzle to a target;
irradiating the forming material supplied by the nozzle with an energy beam to form layers, the energy beam being output from an optical system and being configured to melt the forming material;
supplying a support material that comprises a powdery main material and a metallic bind material to the target from the nozzle, the support material forming a support layer which permits the layers formed by the forming material to be formed on the top surface thereof, the main material having a melting point higher than that of the forming material and having a non-dissolution property to an etching solution, the bind material being dissolvable in the etching solution; and
irradiating the support material injected onto the target by the nozzle with the energy beam to form the support layer, the energy beam being output from the optical system and being configured to partly melt the support material, wherein
in the supplying the support material, the main material and the bind material are mixed together in the nozzle.

2. The manufacturing method of the stack formation according to claim 1 , wherein the bind material is powdery and is formed to have a particle diameter smaller than that of the main material.

3. The manufacturing method of the stack formation according to claim 1 , wherein the bind material is powdery and is made of a material lower in melting point than the main material.

4. The manufacturing method of the stack formation according to claim 1 , further comprising removing, by a removing device, the support layer formed by the support material.

5. The manufacturing method of the stack formation according to claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring, by a measurement device, shapes of the stack formation and a support formation;
comparing the measurement device with thresholds, the thresholds being stored in a storage and being the layers and the support layer which are formed by the forming material and the support material and which have predetermined shapes; and
removing, by a trimming device, the forming material and the support material on the target which have deviated from the thresholds on the target.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Okada Naotada

Classifications

• B22F10/385

  Overhang structures · CPC title

• B22F10/364

  for post-heating, e.g. remelting · CPC title

• B22F12/90

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

• B22F12/86

  Serial processing with multiple devices grouped · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title