System and method for additively manufacturing an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11993020-B2
Application number	US-202318160506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2023
Priority date	May 13, 2020
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

A powder-deposition apparatus for an additive manufacturing system includes a recoater, a mixer, and a powder feeder. The recoater is configured to discharge powder such that a powder layer is formed from the powder. The mixer is configured to mix a plurality of powder constituents to produce the powder and to dispense the powder to the recoater. The powder feeder is configured to selectively dispense a mass of each one of the plurality of powder constituents to the mixer such that a composition of the powder is selectively controlled.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A powder-deposition apparatus for an additive manufacturing system, the powder-deposition apparatus comprising:
a recoater configured to discharge powder such that a powder layer is formed from the powder;
a mixer configured to mix a plurality of powder constituents to produce the powder and to dispense the powder to the recoater;
a powder feeder configured to selectively dispense a mass of each one of the plurality of powder constituents to the mixer such that a composition of the powder is selectively controlled as the powder is being dispensed to the mixer;
a plurality of mass sensors that measures the mass of each one of the plurality of powder constituents being dispensed to the mixer;
a mass flow sensor that measures the mass flow of the powder constituents being dispensed to the recoater; and
a controller in communication with the powder feeder, the plurality of mass sensors, and the mass flow sensor,
wherein:
the controller instructs the powder feeder to selectively vary the mass of at least one of the plurality of powder constituents being dispensed to the mixer while the powder is being discharged by the recoater such that the powder layer being formed comprises a compositional gradient along at least one of an X-axis and a Y-axis;
the controller verifies the mass of each one of plurality of powder constituents being dispensed to the mixer based on the mass measured by the mass sensor to produce the powder comprising the composition; and
the controller verifies the composition of the powder based on the mass flow rate measured by the mass flow sensor.

2. The powder-deposition apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the powder feeder comprises a plurality of constituent regulators configured to selectively control the mass of each one of the plurality of powder constituents that is selectively dispensed to the mixer.

3. The powder-deposition apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
the mixer is configured to mix the plurality of powder constituents to produce a plurality of powders and to dispense each one of the plurality of powders to the recoater;
the recoater is configured to discharge each one of the plurality of powders such that the powder layer comprises a plurality of sections; and
wherein each one of the plurality of sections formed from one of the plurality of powders.

4. The powder-deposition apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the recoater is configured to discharge each one of the plurality of powders successively.

5. The powder-deposition apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the recoater is configured to discharge each one of the plurality of powders concurrently.

6. The powder-deposition apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:
each one of the plurality of mass sensors is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of constituent regulators; and
each one of the plurality of mass sensors measures the mass of one of the plurality of powder constituents to produce the powder comprising a compositional ratio associated with each one of the plurality of sections of the powder layer.

7. The powder-deposition apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a controller in communication with each one of the plurality of mass sensors and the mass flow sensor,
wherein the controller verifies the compositional ratio of the powder based on the mass flow rate measured by the mass flow sensor.

8. The powder-deposition apparatus of claim 7 , wherein, while the powder is deposited by the recoater, the controller instructs at least one of the plurality of constituent regulators to vary the mass of at least one of the plurality of powder constituents, thereby modifying the compositional ratio of the powder such that the powder layer comprises a continuous compositional gradient along at least one of the X-axis and the Y-axis.

9. The powder-deposition apparatus of claim 8 , wherein, while the powder is deposited by the recoater to form the powder layer, the controller verifies the compositional ratio of the powder, as modified by varying the mass, based on the mass flow rate measured by the mass flow sensor.

10. An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a build platform;
a recoater that deposits powder to form a powder layer on the build platform;
a mixer that mixes a plurality of powder constituents to produce the powder and dispenses the powder to the recoater;
a plurality of constituent regulators that dispenses a mass of each one of the plurality of powder constituents to the mixer;
a plurality of mass sensors that measures the mass of each one of the plurality of powder constituents dispensed to the mixer;
a mass flow sensor that measures the mass flow of the powder constituents dispensed to the recoater; and
a controller in communication with the plurality of constituent regulators, the plurality of mass sensors, and the mass flow sensor,
wherein:
the controller instructs each one of the plurality of constituent regulators to selectively vary the mass of at least one of the plurality of powder constituents being dispensed to the mixer while the powder is being discharged by the recoater such that the powder layer being formed comprises a compositional gradient along at least one of an X-axis and a Y-axis;
the controller verifies the mass of each one of plurality of powder constituents being dispensed to the mixer based on the mass measured by the mass sensor to produce the powder comprising a compositional ratio; and
the controller verifies the compositional ratio of the powder based on the mass flow rate measured by the mass flow sensor.

11. The additive manufacturing system of claim 10 , wherein, while the powder is deposited by the recoater, the controller instructs at least one of the plurality of constituent regulators to vary the mass of at least one of the plurality of powder constituents, thereby modifying the compositional ratio of the powder such that the powder layer comprises a continuous compositional gradient along at least one of the X-axis and the Y-axis.

12. The additive manufacturing system of claim 11 , wherein, while the powder is deposited by the recoater to form the powder layer, the controller verifies the compositional ratio of the powder, as modified by varying the mass, based on the mass flow rate measured by the mass flow sensor.

13. The additive manufacturing system of claim 12 , further comprising a powder-joining apparatus that joins at least a portion-of the powder layer to form an object layer of the object, wherein the object layer comprises a functional gradient along at least one the X-axis and the Y-axis.

14. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , wherein the controller:
determines property data for the object layer representing a distribution of at least one material property of the object layer along at least one of the X-axis and the Y-axis; and
determines compositional data for the powder corresponding to at least the one material property of the object layer.

15. The additive manufacturing system of claim 14 , wherein the controller maps the compositional data to the property data along the X-axis and the Y-axis.

16. The additive manufacturing system of claim 14 , wherein the controller instructs each one of the plurality of constituent regulators to selectively dispense the mass for each one of the plurality of powder constituents such that the compositional ratio of the powder corresponds to the compositional data.

17. The additive manufacturing system of claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of second mass flow sensors that measure the mass flow of each one of the plurality of powde

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Macdonald Elaine
• Braley Daniel J

Classifications

• B29C64/336 Primary

  of two or more materials · CPC title

• B22F10/00

  Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder (apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00) · CPC title

• B29C64/153

  using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting · CPC title

• B29C64/214

  Doctor blades · CPC title

• B29C64/218

  Rollers · CPC title