Techniques for depowdering additively fabricated parts and related systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11865615-B2
Application number	US-202017117200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2020
Priority date	Dec 11, 2019
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

Techniques for depowdering additively fabricated parts are described. The techniques utilize various mechanisms to separate powder from parts. For instance, techniques for depowdering described herein may include fabrication of auxiliary structures in addition to fabrication of parts. Certain auxiliary structures may aid with depowdering operations, and may be fabricated along with parts during an additive fabrication process. The auxiliary structures may be shaped and/or have positional and/or geometrical relationships to the parts during fabrication. For instance, an auxiliary structure may include a cage structure fabricated around one or more parts.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for extracting one or more additively fabricated parts from a powder bed comprising a ferromagnetic powder and the one or more additively fabricated parts, the method comprising:
arranging the powder bed comprising the ferromagnetic powder and the one or more additively fabricated parts within an enclosure, the enclosure having one or more magnetic filters arranged within;
directing, using one or more nozzles, one or more jets of gas onto a surface of the powder bed within the enclosure to displace at least some of the ferromagnetic powder and thereby expose at least some of the one or more additively fabricated parts; and
capturing at least some of the displaced ferromagnetic powder on and/or within the one or more magnetic filters.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnetic filters comprise one or more permanent magnets.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more magnetic filters each comprise a non-magnetic permeable material arranged over a magnetic material.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more jets of gas are directed downward onto the surface of the powder bed and wherein the one or more magnetic filters are arranged on one or more interior side walls of the enclosure.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Go Jamison
• Sachs Emanuel M
• Goldblatt Michael
• Von Loesecke Jeffrey

Classifications

• B22F10/68 Primary

  Cleaning or washing · CPC title

• B03C1/30

  Combinations with other devices, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B08B5/02

  Cleaning by the force of jets, e.g. blowing-out cavities {(airguns or nozzles per se B05B1/005)} · CPC title

• B08B7/04

  by a combination of operations · CPC title

• B33Y40/20

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