Apparatuses, methods, and products for cold spray additive manufacturing of multi curved and reinforced components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12397493-B2
Application number	US-202016827341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2020
Priority date	Mar 23, 2020
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

Implementations provide cold spray additive manufacturing (“CSAM”)-based fabrication of a complex multi curvature part (“CMCP”) by cold spraying onto a mold. Implementations achieve the desired shape and dimensions of a CMCP having variable surface thicknesses and utilize reinforcements integrated during CSAM. Reinforcements are integral to each CMCP as soon as fabrication is complete, and maintain stiffness, avoid fluttering, and provide other similar benefits. Implementations provide a stiff CMCP with multiple curvatures having fully controllable variable thicknesses. Integral reinforcements added during fabrication avoid tolerance issues by avoiding coupling non-reinforced CMCPs to reinforcements or other post-fabrication adjustments. CSAM-based CMCPs, having directly integrated reinforcements, exhibit superior tolerances that do not need to be re-worked or otherwise corrected after fabrication. Reinforcement attachment methods that have complex load transfer behavior are not necessary. In some implementations, simplifying load transfer increases the maximum load and decreases the overall weight of the finished CMCP.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mold for cold spray additive manufacturing, the mold comprising:
a first portion;
a second portion, the first portion and the second portion abuttingly engaged with each other along a first subsection of an inner surface of both the first portion and the second portion with a gap formed longitudinally between a second subsection of the inner surface of the second portion and the first portion, an outer surface of both the first portion and the second portion having a reinforced shape with multiple curves;
a reinforcement member having a first segment of a reinforcement surface positioned in the gap and a second segment of the reinforcement surface extending out of the gap and extending from the outer surface of the first portion as well as from the outer surface of the second portion, wherein the outer surface of the first portion, the outer surface of the second portion, and the reinforcement member form a unified part when cold sprayed, wherein the unified part includes including the reinforcement member being integral therewith and excludes the first portion and second portion, and wherein the first portion and second portion are disengageable from the reinforcement member when the unified part including the reinforcement member has been formed; and
a surface coating applied to the outer surface of both the first portion and the second portion to facilitate non-destructive separation from material cold sprayed onto the first portion and the second portion.

2. The mold of claim 1 , wherein the gap is formed by a cutout in one of the first portion or the second portion.

3. The mold of claim 2 , wherein the cutout extends only along the second subsection of one side of the first portion to form a ridge extending longitudinally along the second subsection.

4. The mold of claim 1 , wherein the reinforced shape with multiple curves comprises multiple different curvatures.

5. The mold of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcement member is one of a planar stiffener or a curved stiffener.

6. The mold of claim 1 , wherein the reinforced shape with multiple curves comprises at least two surfaces having different radii of curvature.

7. The mold of claim 1 , the unified part formed by the cold spraying further comprising an at least one surface having variable thickness.

8. The mold of claim 1 , wherein the reinforced shape with multiple curves comprises a segment configured to extend from an outer surface of the unified part; and
the segment being machined to be planar with the outer surface of the unified part.

9. The mold of claim 1 , further comprising a support device configured to support the reinforcement member in the gap.

10. The mold of claim 9 , wherein the support device comprises at least one of a fastener, vacuum suction, or magnetic coupling.

11. The mold of claim 1 , further comprising a support member positioned to support the reinforcement member in the gap.

12. A method for performing cold spray additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
providing the mold of claim 1 ;
first cold spraying (i) one of the outer surface of the first portion or the outer surface of the second portion and (ii) the reinforcement member;
second cold spraying the other of the outer surface of the first portion or the outer surface of the second portion to form a unified part excluding the first portion and second portion of the mold, the reinforcement member being integral with the unified part; and
disengaging the first portion and second portion from the reinforcement member when the unified part including the reinforcement member has been formed.

13. A mold for use in cold spray additive manufacturing, comprising:
a first mold portion and a second mold portion, each having an inner surface and an outer surface, the first and second mold portions configured such that a first subsection of the inner surface of the first mold portion is directly abutted against a corresponding first subsection of the inner surface of the second mold portion, and a second subsection of the inner surface of the first mold portion and a second subsection of the inner surface of the second mold portion cooperatively define a longitudinal gap between the first mold portion and the second mold portion, wherein the outer surfaces of the first portion and the second portion cooperatively form a multi-curved shape configured to receive deposition of cold spray material;
a reinforcement member positioned within the longitudinal gap defined by the second subsections of the inner surfaces of the first and second mold portions, wherein the reinforcement member is configured to become integrally incorporated into a unified part formed by cold spray additive manufacturing onto the outer surfaces of the first and second mold portions and onto the reinforcement member; and
a surface coating applied to the outer surfaces of both the first mold portion and the second mold portion to facilitate non-destructive separation of the unified part formed by cold spray deposition from the outer surfaces of the first mold portion and the second mold portion after manufacturing is complete.

14. The mold of claim 13 , wherein the longitudinal gap between the first mold portion and the second mold portion is formed by a cutout extending along at least a subsection of the second subsection of the inner surface of at least one of the first mold portion or the second mold portion.

15. The mold of claim 13 , wherein the reinforcement member is a planar stiffener.

16. The mold of claim 13 , further comprising a support device positioned within the longitudinal gap and configured to support the reinforcement member during cold spray additive manufacturing.

17. The mold of claim 16 , wherein the support device comprises at least one of a fastener, vacuum suction, or magnetic coupling.

18. The mold of claim 13 , wherein the outer surfaces of the first mold portion and the second mold portion form a shape comprising multiple surfaces, each having a distinct radius of curvature.

19. The mold of claim 13 , wherein the reinforcement member protrudes partially outward from the outer surfaces of the first mold portion and the second mold portion.

20. The mold of claim 19 , wherein the protruding portion of the reinforcement member is configured to be machined flush with the outer surfaces of the first mold portion and second mold portion after formation of the unified part is complete.

21. The mold of claim 13 , wherein the first mold portion and second mold portion are each composed of at least one material selected from aluminum, steel, stainless steel, titanium, nickel-based alloys, copper-based alloys, zirconium, tantalum, or refractory metals.

22. The mold of claim 13 , wherein the surface coating comprises a lanolin-based fluid film forming a non-drying, corrosion-resistant barrier to facilitate non-destructive removal of the unified part after cold spray additive manufacturing is completed.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Zamorano Senderos Bruno
• Coad Dennis Lynn
• Young Kenneth W

Classifications

• B29C33/42

  characterised by the shape of the moulding surface, e.g. ribs or grooves · CPC title

• B29C33/20

  Opening, closing or clamping · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title