System and method for investment casting an object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377460-B1
Application number	US-202418676646-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	May 29, 2024
Priority date	May 29, 2024
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

A method of making an object through investment casting includes additively manufacturing a mold for the object with a printing head on a carriage supported by a frame with the mold being additively manufactured from multiple layers on a build platform supported by the frame. An interior surface of the mold is machined with a machining device on the carriage after a predetermined number of layers have been added to the mold through additive manufacturing. The object is investment cast by directing a casting material into the mold while the mold is supported by the build platform.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making an object through investment casting, the method comprising:
additively manufacturing a mold for the object with a printing head on a carriage supported by a frame, wherein the mold is additively manufactured from a plurality of layers on a build platform supported by the frame;
machining an interior surface of the mold with a machining device on the carriage after a predetermined number of layers have been added to the mold through additive manufacturing; and
investment casting the object by directing a casting material from a feeder to a kiln supported by the frame and into the mold while the mold is supported by the build platform.

2. The method of claim 1 , including obtaining a CAD model for the object and generating a build file for additively manufacturing the mold by converting the CAD model into a shell that represents a surface geometry of the object.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the build file divides the shell into a plurality of layers that each correspond to a printing thickness of the printing head.

4. The method of claim 1 , including heating a build chamber with a heater to follow a predetermined material cure profile corresponding to a mold material prior to investment casting.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold is comprised of a ceramic material and additively manufacturing the mold includes a fused deposition modeling process utilizing a ceramic stock material.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the printing head includes a fused filament fabrication printing head configured to deposit the ceramic stock material.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold is comprised of a sand-based material and additively manufacturing the mold includes a binder jet printing process utilizing a binder stock material.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein additively manufacturing the mold includes utilizing a spreader to spread a layer of the sand-based material corresponding to each of the plurality of layers of the mold.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the printing head includes a binder jet printing head configured to deposit a binder stock material.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the at least one casting material includes directing a plurality of casting materials from a corresponding one of a plurality of feeders supported by the frame to a mixer prior to the casting materials reaching the kiln.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the kiln includes a crucible located within a kiln chamber at least partially defined by the frame and the crucible includes an actuating floor for controlling a flow of casting material.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein investment casting the object includes positioning the build platform with the mold to align a mold inlet with an outlet of the kiln.

13. A hybrid investment casting assembly for making an object, the assembly comprising:
a frame;
an additive manufacturing portion including:
at least one printing head attached to a carriage and supported by the frame with the at least one printing head configured to move along an X-Y plane;
a build platform supported by the frame and configured to move along a Z-axis;
a machining device attached to the carriage; and
an actuated door to allow the carriage to translate in and out of a build chamber;

an investment casting portion including a feeder supported by the frame and configured to direct a casting material into a kiln supported by the frame; and
a controller configured to:
additively manufacture a mold for the object by directing a printing head on the carriage supported by the frame, wherein the mold is additively manufactured from a plurality of layers on the build platform supported by the frame;
machine an interior surface of the mold by directing a machining device on the carriage after a predetermined number of layers have been added to the mold through additive manufacturing; and
investment cast the object by directing the casting material into the mold while the mold is supported by the build platform.

14. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to heat the build chamber with a heater to follow a predetermined material cure profile corresponding to a mold material.

15. The assembly of claim 13 , including a plurality of motors in driving engagement with one of a plurality of screw rods to move the build platform along the Z-axis.

16. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the at least one printing head includes a fused filament fabrication printing head configured to deposit a ceramic feed stock.

17. The assembly of claim 13 , including a spreader configured to spread a powder material on the build platform and wherein the at least one printing head includes a binder jet printing head for distributing a binder stock material onto the powder material.

18. The assembly of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of feeders supported by the frame and configured to direct a plurality of casting materials to the kiln.

19. The assembly of claim 18 , further comprising a mixer configured to receive a casting material prior to the casting material reaching the kiln.

20. The assembly of claim 13 , wherein the at least one printing head includes a binder jet printing head configured to deposit a binder stock material.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Braley Daniel J
• Macdonald Elaine
• Pfeiffer Andrew

Classifications

• C04B35/14

  based on silica · CPC title

• C04B35/111

  Fine ceramics · CPC title

• C04B35/486

  Fine ceramics · CPC title

• C04B2235/6026

  Computer aided shaping, e.g. rapid prototyping · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title