Spacer flow guide for partitioning build chamber of an additive manufacturing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11020763-B2
Application number	US-201816107723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2018
Priority date	Aug 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to the manufacture and use of an additive manufacturing (AM) system that employs a spacer flow guide disposed or formed within a housing that defines a chamber of the AM system. The spacer flow guide may direct various portions of a gas flow within the chamber to respective exhaust channels. For example, in combination with portions of the housing, the spacer flow guide may define a main exhaust channel that extends between the chamber and a gas outlet formed in a downstream end of the housing. Additionally, a bypass exhaust channel may be defined between the chamber and a back surface of the spacer flow guide to fluidly couple an upper portion of the chamber to the main exhaust channel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An additive manufacturing (AM) system, comprising:
a housing defining a chamber, wherein a lower portion of the chamber comprises a build platform disposed therein that is configured to receive a powder material;
a gas inlet system coupled to a first side wall of the housing and configured to direct one or more gas flows through the chamber;

a gas outlet defined in a second side wall of the housing, disposed opposite the first side wall, wherein the gas outlet is configured to discharge the one or more gas flows from the chamber;
a spacer flow guide disposed within the chamber and configured to direct the one or more gas flows around the spacer flow guide;
a main exhaust channel defined between a first surface of the spacer flow guide and the housing, wherein the main exhaust channel is configured to direct a first portion of the one or more gas flows from the lower portion of the chamber into the gas outlet; and
a bypass exhaust channel defined between a second surface of the spacer flow guide and the housing, wherein the bypass exhaust channel is configured to direct a second portion of the one or more gas flows from an upper portion of the chamber to combine the first portion and the second portion of the one or more gas flows upstream of the gas outlet.

2. The AM system of claim 1 , wherein the spacer flow guide comprises a third surface upstream of the first surface and the second surface, wherein the third surface is inclined at a guiding angle relative to the first side wall, and wherein the third surface is configured to direct at least part of the first portion of the one or more gas flows into the main exhaust channel.

3. The AM system of claim 2 , wherein the guiding angle is between about 10 degrees and about 60 degrees.

4. The AM system of claim 2 , comprising an energy generating system configured to apply a focused energy beam to the powder material received by the build platform, wherein the guiding angle is substantially parallel to a beam angle of the focused energy beam.

5. The AM system of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:
a third side wall extending between a first edge of the first side wall and a first edge of the second side wall; and
a fourth side wall extending between a second edge of the first side wall and a second edge of the second side wall, wherein the bypass exhaust channel comprises a width defined between the first edge of the second side wall and the second edge of the second side wall.

6. The AM system of claim 1 , wherein an upstream portion of the bypass exhaust channel comprises a tapered neck that narrows along a flow direction of the second portion of the one or more gas flows along the bypass exhaust channel.

7. The AM system of claim 1 , comprising:
an interconnect exhaust channel extending through the spacer flow guide, wherein the interconnect exhaust channel is configured to direct a third portion of the one or more gas flows from an intermediate portion of the chamber and combine the third portion with the second portion of the one or more gas flows in the bypass exhaust channel, wherein the interconnect exhaust channel is positioned a vertical distance between the main exhaust channel and the bypass exhaust channel.

8. The AM system of claim 1 , wherein the gas inlet system comprises:
an upper gas inlet defined in the first side wall of the housing, wherein the upper gas inlet is configured to direct an upper gas flow of the one or more gas flows through the chamber; and
a lower gas inlet defined in the first side wall, positioned a vertical distance below the upper gas inlet, wherein the lower gas inlet is configured to direct a lower gas flow of the one or more gas flows toward the build platform.

9. The AM system of claim 8 , comprising one or more gas delivery devices coupled to the upper and lower gas inlets and configured to regulate one or more flow characteristics of the upper and lower gas flows, wherein the one or more gas delivery devices are configured to supply the upper and lower gas flows at a flow velocity ratio of the upper gas flow to the lower gas flow that is between about 3:1 and about 1:1, or about 2:1.

10. The AM system of claim 1 , comprising a laser window formed within a top wall of the housing, wherein the top wall extends between an upper edge of the first side wall and an upper edge of the second side wall, wherein the laser window protrudes into the chamber from the top wall, such that part of the one or more gas flows impinge on the laser window and are directed into the bypass exhaust channel.

11. A method of operating an additive manufacturing (AM) system, comprising:
depositing a bed of a powder material on a build platform positioned within a lower portion of a chamber defined by a housing;
supplying one or more gas flows into the chamber;
directing a first portion of the one or more gas flows along a main exhaust channel defined between the housing and a lower surface of a spacer flow guide disposed within the chamber, wherein the main exhaust channel fluidly couples the lower portion of the chamber to a gas outlet; and
directing a second portion of the one or more gas flows along a bypass exhaust channel defined between the housing and an upper surface of the spacer flow guide, wherein the bypass exhaust channel fluidly couples an upper portion of the chamber to the main exhaust channel.

12. The method of claim 11 , comprising:
receiving, via a control system of the AM system, feedback indicative of an operating parameter of the second portion of the one or more gas flows via a sensor fluidly coupled to the bypass exhaust channel;
determining, via the control system, whether the operating parameter is outside of an operating parameter threshold; and
in response to determining that the operating parameter is outside the operating parameter threshold, adjusting, via the control system, a flow rate of the one or more gas flows supplied into the chamber.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the operating parameter comprises a flow rate of the second portion of the one or more gas flows and the operating parameter threshold comprises a flow rate threshold.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the operating parameter comprises a particulate concentration of the second portion of the one or more gas flows and the operating parameter threshold comprises a particulate concentration threshold, and wherein the method comprises increasing the flow rate of the one or more gas flows in response to determining that the particulate concentration is above the particulate concentration threshold.

15. An additive manufacturing (AM) system, comprising:
a housing defining a chamber, wherein the chamber is configured to receive one or more gas flows therein;
a build platform disposed within a lower portion of the chamber and configured to receive a bed of powder material;
a gas outlet defined in a first side wall of the housing, wherein the gas outlet is configured to discharge the one or more gas flows from the chamber;
a spacer flow guide configured to direct a first portion of the one or more gas flows below the spacer flow guide and configured to direct a second portion of the one or more gas flows above the spacer flow guide;
a main exhaust channel defined between a lower surface of the spacer flow guide and the housing, wherein the main exhaust channel is configured to direct the first portion of the one or more gas flows into the gas outlet; and
a bypass exhaust channel defined between an upper surface of the spacer flow guide and the housing, wherein the bypass exhaust channel is co

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Shalaby Mohammed Mounir

Classifications

• B05B12/32 Primary

  Shielding elements, i.e. elements preventing overspray from reaching areas other than the object to be sprayed (nozzles with integral shielding elements B05B1/28) · CPC title

• B22F12/38

  Housings, e.g. machine housings · CPC title

• B22F10/77

  of gas · CPC title

• B22F10/322

  of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction · CPC title

• B22F12/70

  Gas flow means · CPC title