Material dispensing and compaction in additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016368054-A1
Application number	US-201615186060-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An additive manufacturing apparatus for forming a part includes a support, a first dispenser to deliver a layer of first particles on a support or an underlying layer on the support, a second dispenser to deliver second particles onto the layer of first particles such that the second particles infiltrate into the layer of first particles, an energy source to fuse the first particle and second particles to form a fused layer of the part, and a controller coupled to the first dispenser, second dispenser and energy source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An additive manufacturing apparatus for forming a part, comprising:
a support; a first dispenser to deliver a layer of first particles on a support or an underlying layer on the support; a second dispenser to deliver second particles onto the layer of first particles such that the second particles infiltrate into the layer of first particles; an energy source to fuse the first particle and second particles to form a fused layer of the part; and a controller coupled to the first dispenser, second dispenser and energy source.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second dispenser is configured to deliver the second particles in a second region that spans the layer of first particles.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first dispenser and the second dispenser are configured to configured to move laterally in a first direction parallel to a surface of the support while delivering the first particles and the second particles, respectively.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first dispenser comprises one or more of a roller to push the first particles laterally in a first direction parallel to a surface of the support, or a blade to push the first particles laterally in a first direction parallel to a surface of the support.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first dispenser comprises a powder delivery bed adjacent the support.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second dispenser comprises a nozzle to eject the second particles.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the second dispenser comprises an array of nozzles to eject the second particles, wherein nozzles of the array are independently controllable by the controller.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the nozzle is configured to spray a carrier fluid containing the second particles.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first dispenser comprises a first roller to push the first particles laterally in a first direction parallel to a surface of the support, and the apparatus comprises a second roller to compact the layer of first particles and second particles.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein linear actuator is configured to move the energy source with the first roller and the second roller.

11 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the linear actuator to move the first roller and the second roller in a second direction opposite the first direction during formation of a second layer of the part such that the second roller pushes first particles laterally in the second direction and the first roller compacts the second roller compacts the first particles and the particles of the second layer.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy source comprises a laser.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the second dispenser to selectively dispense the second particles on a layer by layer basis to provide layers of different density in a fabricated object.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the second dispenser to selectively dispense the second particles within a layer to provide regions of different density within a layer of a fabricated object.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising a first reservoir to supply the first particles and a second reservoir to supply the second particles, wherein the first particles have a first mean diameter, and wherein the second particles have a second mean diameter at least two times smaller than the first mean diameter.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the second mean diameter is about 100 nm to 10 μm.

17 . A method of additive manufacturing, comprising:
successively forming a plurality of layers on a support, wherein depositing a layer from the plurality of layers comprises dispensing a layer of first particles on a support or an underlying layer, the first particles having a first mean diameter; dispensing second particles onto the layer of first particles, the second particles having a second mean diameter at least two times smaller than the first mean diameter, the second particles infiltrating into the layer of first particles; fusing the first particle and second particles to form the layer from the plurality of layers.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the first particles and the second particles have the same material composition.

19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein dispensing the second particles comprises selectively controlling dispensing of the second particles on a layer by layer basis to provide layers of different density in a fabricated object.

20 . The method of claim 17 , wherein dispensing the second particles comprises selectively controlling dispensing of the second particles within a layer to provide regions of different density within a layer of a fabricated object.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc
• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Ng Hou T
• Patibandla Nag B
• Joshi Ajey M
• Kumar Ashavani
• Krishnan Kasiraman

Classifications

• B29C64/209

  Heads; Nozzles · CPC title

• B29C64/268

  using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] · CPC title

• B29C64/218

  Rollers · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B22F12/63

  Rollers · CPC title