Aluminum alloy products, and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019193158-A1
Application number	US-201916288478-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 28, 2019
Priority date	Sep 9, 2016
Publication date	Jun 27, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to new metal powders for use in additive manufacturing, and aluminum alloy products made from such metal powders via additive manufacturing. The composition(s) and/or physical properties of the metal powders may be tailored. In turn, additive manufacturing may be used to produce a tailored aluminum alloy product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for producing an aluminum alloy product, the method comprising:
first gathering a first feedstock from a first powder supply of an additive manufacturing system; second gathering a second feedstock from a second powder supply of the additive manufacturing system;
wherein at least one of the first feedstock and the second feedstock includes particles having aluminum therein;
combining the first and second feedstocks, thereby producing a metal powder blend having aluminum therein; providing the metal powder blend to a build space of the additive manufacturing system.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gathering comprises mechanically pushing the first feedstock via a roller, and wherein the second gathering comprises mechanically pushing the second feedstock via the roller.

3 . The method of claim 2 , comprising:
pushing the first feedstock towards the second feedstock via the roller.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the providing step comprises:
pushing the metal powder blend from downstream of the second powder supply to the build space.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first gathering step comprises:
adjusting a height of a platform of the first powder supply, thereby providing a first volume of the first feedstock for the first gathering step.

6 . The method of claim 5 , comprising:
after the first gathering step, moving the height of the platform, thereby providing a third feedstock, wherein the third feedstock is a second volume of the first feedstock.

7 . The method of claim 6 , comprising:
third gathering the third feedstock from the first powder supply; fourth gathering a second feedstock from the second powder supply; and combining the third feedstock and the second feedstock.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the second gathering and the fourth gathering steps gather an equivalent volume of the second feedstock.

9 . The method of claim 1 , comprising:
producing a tailored 3-D aluminum-based product in the build space of the additive manufacturing system using the metal powder blend.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the 3-D aluminum-based product is an oxide dispersion strengthened 3-D aluminum alloy product having M-O particles therein, wherein M is a metal and O is oxygen.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the oxide dispersion strengthened 3-D aluminum alloy product comprises a sufficient amount of the M-O particles to facilitate oxide dispersion strengthening, and wherein the oxide dispersion strengthened 3-D aluminum alloy product comprises not greater than 10 wt. % of the M-O particles.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the M-O particles are selected from the group consisting of Y 2 O 3 , Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 , La 2 O 3 , and combinations thereof.

13 . An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a first powder supply having a first powder reservoir for distributing a first powder feedstock; a second powder supply downstream of the first powder supply, wherein the second powder supply has a second powder reservoir for distributing a second powder feedstock; a powder spreader configured to:
(a) gather the first powder feedstock from the first powder supply;
(b) gather the second powder feedstock from the second powder supply;
(c) move at least from the first powder supply to the second powder supply;
(d) move from at least one of the first and second powder supplies to a build space for building an additive manufacturing product, wherein the build space is downstream of the second powder supply, and wherein the build space comprises a build reservoir for receiving powder feedstock.

14 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , comprising:
a distribution surface associated with the first powder supply, the second powder supply and the build space;
wherein the powder spreader is configured to move along the distribution surface with at least one of the first and second powder feedstocks.

15 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 14 , wherein the first powder supply comprises:
a first platform disposed within the first powder reservoir, wherein the first platform is configured to move longitudinally up and down within the first powder reservoir;
wherein the first powder reservoir is configured to contain the first powder feedstock;
wherein the first platform is controllable by a controller to provide a controlled volume of the first powder feedstock relative to the distribution surface.

16 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 15 , wherein the distribution surface is disposed above the first platform.

17 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 16 , wherein the powder spreader is configured to move along the distribution surface from the first powder reservoir to the second powder reservoir.

18 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 17 , wherein the powder spreader is configured to move along the distribution surface from the second powder reservoir to the build reservoir.

19 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 17 , comprising a vibratory apparatus disposed between the second powder reservoir and the build reservoir.

20 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 14 , wherein the distribution surface is planar and defines an upper working surface for the powder spreader.

Assignees

• Arconic Inc

Inventors

• Wilhelmy Deborah M
• Karabin Lynnette M
• Yanar Cagatay
• Siemon John
• Kilmer Raymond J
• Heard David W
• Satoh Gen

Classifications

• B22F12/63

  Rollers · CPC title

• B22F12/222

  for motion along a direction orthogonal to the plane of a layer · CPC title

• B22F10/34

  of powder characteristics, e.g. density, oxidation or flowability · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B22F2302/25

  Oxide · CPC title