Apparatus and methods for sealing powder holes in additively manufactured parts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11020800-B2
Application number	US-201815968708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2018
Priority date	May 1, 2018
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for sealing powder holes in additively manufactured parts are presented herein. Powder holes are co-printed to facilitate post processing sealing. Embodiments include co-printed caps, friction welded caps, rivets, silicone plugs, co-printed tangs, multiple micro holes, layup, and spin forming. By using one or more of the above techniques, powder holes can be sealed on additively manufactured parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
an exterior structure comprising an inner surface and an external surface;
an internal lattice structure coupled to the inner surface and configured to mechanically support the exterior structure;
an aperture within the exterior structure, the aperture exposing a portion of the internal lattice structure; and
an overlay structure comprising at least one composite material, configured to cover the aperture, wherein the at least one composite material comprises Kevlar.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the internal lattice structure is honeycomb.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the internal lattice structure is additively manufactured and the aperture is configured for powder removal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exterior structure is a vehicle panel.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the overlay structure is attached to the external surface with an adhesive.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one composite material further comprises carbon fiber.

7. An apparatus comprising:
an exterior structure comprising an inner surface and an external surface;
an internal lattice structure coupled to the inner surface and configured to mechanically support the exterior structure;
an aperture within the exterior structure, the aperture exposing a portion of the internal lattice structure; and
an overlay structure comprising at least one composite material, the overlay structure configured to cover the aperture, wherein the at least one composite material comprises a prepreg.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the internal lattice structure is honeycomb.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the internal lattice structure is additively manufactured.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the aperture is configured for powder removal.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the overlay structure further comprises a lip overlapping the aperture.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one composite material further comprises carbon fiber.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the exterior structure is a vehicle panel.

Assignees

• Divergent Tech Inc

Inventors

• El Naga Eahab Nagi
• Byers Ross Harrison
• Fleming Keith Allen
• Massey Jr Steven Blair
• Lakshman Narender Shankar
• Martinez Antonio Bernerd

Classifications

• B22F10/68

  Cleaning or washing · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B33Y40/20

  Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing · CPC title

• B22F3/24 Primary

  After-treatment of workpieces or articles {(B22F3/1146 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B33Y80/00 Primary

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title