Additive manufacturing systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974337-B2
Application number	US-201615219003-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 25, 2016
Priority date	Aug 17, 2015
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

Present embodiments include an additive manufacturing tool configured to receive a metallic anchoring material and to supply a plurality of droplets to a part, wherein each droplet of the plurality of droplets comprises the metallic anchoring material and a mechanical oscillation system configured to mechanically oscillate a structural component of the additive manufacturing tool toward and away from the part, wherein the mechanical oscillation system comprises a motor, a cam coupled to the motor, and a piston coupled to the cam, wherein the piston is fixedly attached to the structural component.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
an additive manufacturing tool comprising a tool head configured to receive a metallic anchoring material and to supply a plurality of droplets to a part, wherein each droplet of the plurality of droplets comprises the metallic anchoring material, and the tool head is configured such that the metallic anchoring material extends through the tool head;
a liner fixed relative to the tool head, and disposed about the metallic anchoring material;
a mechanical oscillation system configured to mechanically oscillate the tool head of the additive manufacturing tool toward and away from the part at a fixed frequency, wherein the mechanical oscillation of the tool head causes periodic retraction of the metallic anchoring material via retraction of the liner, wherein the mechanical oscillation system causes an initial retraction of the liner without corresponding retraction of the metallic anchoring material due to a gap between the liner and the metallic anchoring material, and causes a retraction of the metallic anchoring material via retraction of the liner past the initial retraction; and
a controller configured to:
independently control the formation and application of each droplet of the plurality of droplets to the part; and
control placement of each of the plurality of droplets such that multiple layers of the droplets are deposited to build up the part to include the multiple layers.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical oscillation system comprises:
a motor;
a cam coupled to the motor; and
a piston coupled to the cam, wherein the piston is fixedly attached to the structural component.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein oscillation of the piston has a fixed travel distance.

4. The system of claim 1 , comprising a power source configured to supply power to the additive manufacturing tool wherein the controller is configured to regulate operation of the power source based on a position of the structural component detected by at least one sensor.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust a current level of the power based on the position of the structural component.

6. The system of claim 1 , comprising a power source configured to supply a power to the additive manufacturing tool, wherein the power source is a current-regulated power source.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the additive manufacturing tool comprises a welding torch and the metallic anchoring material comprises a welding wire, the welding torch is configured to apply a power output to the welding wire to supply the plurality of droplets to the part.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the tool head of the additive manufacturing tool comprises a mixer configured to receive and combine multiple anchor materials, including the metallic anchoring material, into an electrode having a combination of the multiple anchor materials.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the placement of the plurality of droplets such that at least a portion of the droplets are deposited as a second layer onto a first layer that was deposited prior to the second layer.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the placement of the plurality of droplets to form the multiple layers based on a three-dimensional model of the part.

11. A system, comprising:
an additive manufacturing tool comprising a tool head configured to receive a metallic anchoring material and to supply a plurality of droplets to a part, wherein each droplet of the plurality of droplets comprises the metallic anchoring material, and the tool head is configured such that the metallic anchoring material extends through the tool head;
a liner fixed relative to the tool head, and disposed about the metallic anchoring material;
a mechanical oscillation system configured to mechanically oscillate the tool head of the additive manufacturing tool toward and away from the part to deposit the plurality of droplets on the part via short circuit, wherein the mechanical oscillation of the tool head causes retraction of the metallic anchoring material via retraction of the liner, wherein the mechanical oscillation system causes an initial retraction of the liner without corresponding retraction of the metallic anchoring material due to a gap between the liner and the metallic anchoring material, and causes a retraction of the metallic anchoring material via retraction of the liner past the initial retraction; and
a controller configured to:
independently control the formation and application of each droplet of the plurality of droplets to the part; and
control placement of each of the plurality of droplets such that multiple layers of the droplets are deposited to build up the part to include the multiple layers.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the placement of the plurality of droplets such that at least a portion of the droplets are deposited as a second layer onto a first layer that was deposited prior to the second layer.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the placement of the plurality of droplets to form the multiple layers based on a three-dimensional model of the part.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Holverson Todd Earl
• Hsu Christopher

Classifications

• B23K9/02 Primary

  Seam welding; Backing means; Inserts · 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

• B22F12/50

  Means for feeding of material, e.g. heads · CPC title

• B22F12/10

  Auxiliary heating means · CPC title