Apparatus for fusing of multiple layers in additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10882111-B2
Application number	US-201615212098-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 15, 2016
Priority date	Jul 17, 2015
Publication date	Jan 5, 2021
Grant date	Jan 5, 2021

Abstract

Additive manufacturing includes successively forming a plurality of layers on a support. Depositing a layer from the plurality of layers includes dispensing first particles, selectively dispensing second particles in selected regions corresponding to a surface of the object, and fusing at least a portion of the layer. The layer has the first particles throughout and the second particles in the selected regions. Alternatively or in addition, forming the plurality of layers includes depositing multiple groups of layers. Depositing a group of layers includes, for each layer in the group of layers dispensing a feed material to provide the layer, and after dispensing the feed material and before dispensing a subsequent layer fusing a selected portion of the layer. After all layers in the group of layers are dispensed, a volume of the group of layers that extends through all the layers in the group of layers is fused.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An additive manufacturing apparatus for forming an object, comprising:
a support;
a dispenser to deliver feed material on the support or an underlying layer;
an energy source to fuse the feed material, the energy source comprising a single laser;
a controller coupled to the dispenser and the energy source and configured to cause the apparatus to successively form a plurality of layers on a support, wherein the plurality of layers includes multiple groups of layers, and wherein the controller is configured to form a group of layers from the multiple groups by causing the apparatus to
for each layer in the group of layers, dispense a feed material on a support or an underlying layer to provide the layer;
for each layer in the group of layers, after dispensing the feed material to provide the layer and before dispensing a subsequent layer, fuse a selected portion of the layer corresponding to the object by applying a first laser beam from the single laser to the selected portion of the layer; and
after all layers in the group of layers are dispensed, fuse a volume of the group of layers that extends through all the layers in the group of layers by applying a second laser beam from the single laser to the volume of the group of layer at greater power than the first laser beam.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured such that the selected portion of the layer corresponds to a surface of the object.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the selected portion corresponds to an exterior surface of the object.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dispenser comprises a first dispenser to dispense first particles on the support or an underlying layer and a second dispenser to selectively dispense second particles on the support or the underlying layer in selected regions.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured such that the layer has the first particles throughout and the second particles in the selected regions.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , comprising a first reservoir to hold the first particles and a second reservoir to hold the second particles, wherein the first particles have a first mean diameter and the second particles have a second mean diameter at least two times smaller than the first mean diameter.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the second dispenser to dispense the second particles after the first dispenser dispenses the first particles so that the second particles infiltrate into a layer of first particles.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ng Hou T
• Patibandla Nag B
• Joshi Ajey M
• Swaminathan Bharath
• Kumar Ashavani
• Ng Eric
• Frey Bernard
• Krishnan Kasiraman

Classifications

• B22F1/052 Primary

  characterised by a mixture of particles of different sizes or by the particle size distribution · CPC title

• B22F1/10

  Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material · CPC title

• B22F12/63

  Rollers · CPC title

• B22F12/53

  Nozzles · CPC title

• B22F12/222

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