Variable Print Chamber Walls For Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017120335-A1
Application number	US-201615336690-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 27, 2016
Priority date	Oct 30, 2015
Publication date	May 4, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Additive manufacturing can involve dispensing a powdered material to form a layer of a powder bed on a support surface of a build platform. A portion of the layer of the powder bed may be selectively melted or fused to form one or more temporary walls out of the fused portion of the layer of the powder bed to contain another portion of the layer of the powder bed on the build platform

First claim

1 . A method of additively manufacturing temporary walls, comprising:
dispensing a powdered material to form a first layer of a powder bed on a support surface of a build platform; directing a patterned energy beam toward the powder bed; and selectively fusing a portion of the first layer of the powder bed to form one or more first walls out of the fused portion of the first layer of the powder bed such that the one or more first walls contain another portion of the first layer of the powder bed on the build platform.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first walls comprise multiple walls surrounding an area interior of the build platform to create a region devoid of the powdered material.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
dispensing the powdered material to form a second layer of the powder bed on the first layer of the powder bed; and selectively fusing a portion of the second layer of the powder bed to form one or more second walls out of the fused portion of the second layer of the powder bed such that the one or more second walls contain another portion of the second layer of the powder bed.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the one or more first walls comprise multiple first walls surrounding the another portion of the first layer of the powder bed over a first area of the build platform, wherein the one or more second walls comprise multiple second walls surrounding the another portion of the second layer of the powder bed over a second area of the first layer of the powder bed, and wherein the second area is smaller than the first area.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first walls comprise at least one wall along at least one perimeter of multiple perimeters of the build platform, and wherein remaining one or more perimeters of the multiple perimeters of the build platform border one or more structural walls.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
causing a relative movement between the build platform and the one or more structural walls in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the build platform; dispensing the powdered material on the first layer of the powder bed and the one or more first walls to form a second layer of the powder bed; and selectively fusing a portion of the second layer of the powder bed to increase a height of the one or more first walls.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a fluid passageway is formed in the one or more first walls.

8 . An apparatus, comprising:
a build platform having a support surface; a powder dispensing unit configured to dispense a powdered material on the support surface of the build platform; one or more energy sources configured to emit one or more energy beams; and a processor communicatively coupled to control operations of the build platform, the powder dispensing unit and the one or more energy sources, the processor configured to perform operations comprising:
controlling the powder dispensing unit to dispense the powdered material to form a first layer of a powder bed on the support surface of the build platform; and
controlling the one or more energy sources to emit the one or more energy beams to selectively fuse a portion of the first layer of the powder bed to form one or more first walls out of the fused portion of the first layer of the powder bed such that the one or more first walls contain another portion of the first layer of the powder bed on the build platform.

9 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more first walls comprise multiple walls surrounding an area interior of the build platform to create a region devoid of the powdered material.

10 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:
controlling the powder dispensing unit to dispense the powdered material to form a second layer of the powder bed on the first layer of the powder bed; and controlling the one or more energy sources to emit the one or more beams of light to selectively fuse a portion of the second layer of the powder bed to form one or more second walls out of the fused portion of the second layer of the powder bed such that the one or more second walls contain another portion of the second layer of the powder bed.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the one or more first walls comprise multiple first walls surrounding the another portion of the first layer of the powder bed over a first area of the build platform, wherein the one or more second walls comprise multiple second walls surrounding the another portion of the second layer of the powder bed over a second area of the first layer of the powder bed, and wherein the second area is smaller than the first area.

12 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more first walls comprise at least one wall along at least one perimeter of multiple perimeters of the build platform, and wherein remaining one or more perimeters of the multiple perimeters of the build platform border one or more structural walls.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:
causing a relative movement between the build platform and the one or more structural walls in a direction perpendicular to the support surface of the build platform; controlling the powder dispensing unit to dispense the powdered material on the first layer of the powder bed and the one or more first walls to form a second layer of the powder bed; and controlling the one or more energy sources to emit the one or more energy beams to selectively fuse a portion of the second layer of the powder bed to increase a height of the one or more first walls.

14 . The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more energy sources comprise at least one of a solid state laser or semiconductor laser.

15 . An apparatus, comprising:
a print head comprising one or more energy sources configured to emit one or more energy beams; a plurality of build chambers, each of the build chambers comprising:
a build platform having a support surface; and
a powder dispensing unit configured to dispense a powdered material on the support surface of the build platform;
a plurality of optical-mechanical assemblies arranged to receive and direct the one or more beams of light into the build chambers respectively; and a processor communicatively coupled to control operations of the print head, the build chambers and the optical-mechanical assemblies, the processor configured to perform operations comprising:
controlling the powder dispensing unit to dispense the powdered material to form a first layer of a powder bed on the support surface of the build platform; and
controlling the one or more energy sources to emit the one or more energy beams to selectively fuse a portion of the first layer of the powder bed to form one or more first walls out of the fused portion of the first layer of the powder bed such that the one or more first walls contain another portion of the first layer of the powder bed on the build platform.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more first walls comprise multiple walls surrounding an area interior of the build platform to create a region devoid of the powdered material.

17 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform operations comprising:
controlling the powder dispensing unit to dispense the powdered material to form a second layer of the powder bed on the first layer of the powder bed; and controlling the one or more e

Assignees

• Seurat Tech Inc

Inventors

• Demuth James A
• Toomre Erik
• Leard Francis L
• Kamshad Kourosh
• Fees Heiner
• Berdichevsky Eugene

Classifications

• B22F10/39

  Traceability, e.g. incorporating identifier into a workpiece or article · CPC title

• B29C64/357

  Recycling · CPC title

• B29C64/268 Primary

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

• B29C64/35

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title