Systems and methods for additive manufacturing powder assessment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10906101-B2
Application number	US-201815866223-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2018
Priority date	Jan 9, 2018
Publication date	Feb 2, 2021
Grant date	Feb 2, 2021

Abstract

A powder quality control system includes a powder container, a piston, and at least one sensor. The powder container is configured to contain a powder sample. The piston is configured to compact the powder sample in the powder container. The at least one sensor is configured to measure at least one parameter when the piston compacts the powder sample to facilitate determining a powder quality measurement for the powder sample.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A powder quality control system comprising:
a powder container configured to contain a powder sample;
a piston configured to compact the powder sample in said powder container; and
at least one sensor including a load cell configured to measure a load on said powder container, said piston, and the powder sample when said piston compacts the powder sample to facilitate determining a powder quality measurement for the powder sample by comparing the load to a known load for a pedigree powdered build material.

2. The powder quality control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensor further comprises a linear variable displacement transducer configured to measure a distance travelled by said piston when said piston compacts the powder sample.

3. The powder quality control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said powder container has a cylindrical shape.

4. The powder quality control system in accordance with claim 3 , wherein said piston has a cylindrical shape complementary to the cylindrical shape of said powder container.

5. The powder quality control system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a computing device configured to calculate the powder quality measurement for the powder sample based on the load.

6. The powder quality control system in accordance with claim 1 , wherein said load cell is disposed below said powder container.

7. An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a laser device configured to generate a laser beam;
a build plate configured to contain a powdered build material, wherein the laser beam is configured to generate a melt pool from the powdered build material; and
a powder quality control system including a load cell configured to measure a load on a powder container, a piston, and a powder sample to facilitate determining a powder quality measurement for the powdered build material by comparing the load to a known load for a pedigree powdered build material.

8. The additive manufacturing system in accordance with claim 7 , wherein said powder quality control system comprises:
said powder container configured to contain the powder sample of the powdered build material;
said piston configured to compact the powder sample in said powder container; and
at least one sensor including said load cell configured to measure the load when said piston compacts the powder sample to facilitate determining the powder quality measurement.

9. The additive manufacturing system in accordance with claim 7 further comprising said powder storage container configured to store the powdered build material and a powder distribution device configured to transport the powdered build material from said powder storage container to at least one of said build plate and said powder quality control system.

10. The additive manufacturing system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said powder storage container comprises a barrel.

11. The additive manufacturing system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said powder distribution device comprises an automated distribution mechanism.

12. The additive manufacturing system in accordance with claim 9 , wherein said powder distribution device is configured to transport the powdered build material to said build plate after said powder quality control system determines the powder quality measurement.

13. A method of testing a powdered build material for use in an additive manufacturing system, said method comprising:
loading a powder sample of the powdered build material into a powder container of a powder quality control system, the powder quality control system including the powder container, a piston, and at least one sensor including a load cell;
compacting the powder sample with the piston, the piston travelling a predetermined distance;
measuring, once the piston has travelled the predetermined distance, a load on the powder container, the piston, and the powder sample using the load cell; and
determining a powder quality measurement for the powder sample based on the load by comparing the load to a known load for a pedigree powdered build material.

14. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the at least one sensor further includes a linear variable displacement transducer.

15. The method in accordance with claim 13 , wherein measuring the load with the at least one sensor comprises measuring an additional load with the load cell, the additional load including a load on the powder container and the powder sample.

16. The method in accordance with claim 14 , wherein measuring the load with the at least one sensor comprises measuring a first distance with the linear variable displacement transducer, the first distance including a distance travelled by the piston during compacting.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Weaver Scott Andrew
• Vinciquerra Anthony Joseph

Classifications

• G07C3/146 Primary

  during manufacturing process · CPC title

• B33Y99/00 Primary

  Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• B22F12/90

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

• B22F10/25

  Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] · CPC title

• B22F10/34

  of powder characteristics, e.g. density, oxidation or flowability · CPC title