Systems and methods for additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019202101-A1
Application number	US-201815861072-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 3, 2018
Priority date	Jan 3, 2018
Publication date	Jul 4, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system is provided. The additive manufacturing system includes a build platform and at least one workstation. The build platform defines a continuous workflow path and is configured to rotate about a build platform axis. The workstation is spaced apart from the build platform along the third direction and at least one of the build platform and the workstation is configured to move along the third direction. The workstation includes at least one particle delivery device, at least one recoating device, and at least one consolidation device. The particle delivery device is configured to deposit particles on the build platform. The recoating device is configured to distribute the deposited particles to form a build layer on the build platform. The consolidation device is configured to consolidate at least a portion of the build layer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An additive manufacturing system defining a first, longitudinal direction, a second, transverse direction, and a third, vertical direction, the three directions orthogonal to each other, said additive manufacturing system comprising:
a build platform defining a continuous workflow path, said build platform configured to rotate about a build platform axis; at least one workstation spaced apart from the build platform along the third direction, wherein at least one of said build platform and said at least one workstation is configured to move along the third direction, said at least one workstation comprising:
at least one particle delivery device configured to deposit particles on said build platform;
at least one recoating device configured to distribute the deposited particles to form a build layer on said build platform; and
at least one consolidation device configured to consolidate at least a portion of the build layer.

2 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein said build platform defines a plane oriented at an angle relative to the third direction.

3 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein the plane is oriented at an angle relative to the third direction of between approximately two hundred seventy-five degrees and eighty-five degrees.

4 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein said build platform is one of rectangular, circular, and elliptical.

5 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one particle delivery device comprises at least one of a fixed orifice funnel dispenser, a variable-valve orifice dispenser, a screw-feed dispenser, a vibrating channel dispenser, a gas-blown dispenser, and a conveyor dispenser.

6 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one particle delivery device comprises a nozzle configured to control a flow of particles, and wherein said nozzle comprises at least one of a symmetric circular nozzle, a symmetric slotted nozzle, an asymmetric circular nozzle, and an asymmetric arbitrary nozzle.

7 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one recoating device comprises at least one of a hard blade recoating device, a compliant recoating device, a vibrating recoating device, and a counter-rotating roller recoating device.

8 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one recoating device defines a plane oriented at a first angle relative to the third direction and at a second angle relative to the first direction.

9 . An additive manufacturing system defining a first, longitudinal direction, a second, transverse direction, and a third, vertical direction, the three directions orthogonal to each other, said additive manufacturing system comprising:
at least one build platform; at least one workstation comprising:
at least one particle delivery device, said particle delivery device configured to deposit particles on said at least one build platform;
at least one recoating device configured to distribute the deposited particles to form a build layer on said at least one build platform; and
at least one consolidation device, said consolidation device configured to consolidate at least a portion of the build layer; and
a build platform conveyor defining a continuous workflow path, wherein said build platform conveyor is configured to move said at least one build platform along the workflow path to said at least one workstation, and wherein at least one of said at least one build platform and said at least one workstation is configured to move along the third direction.

10 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein said at least one workstation is configured to move along the third direction, and wherein said build platform conveyor is stationary with respect to the third direction.

11 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein the continuous workflow path is one of rectangular, circular, and elliptical.

12 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein said at least one particle delivery device comprises at least one of a fixed orifice funnel dispenser, a variable-valve orifice dispenser, a screw-feed dispenser, a vibrating channel dispenser, a gas-blown dispenser, and a conveyor dispenser.

13 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein said at least one particle delivery device comprises at least one nozzle comprising at least one of a symmetric circular nozzle, a symmetric slotted nozzle, an asymmetric circular nozzle, and an asymmetric arbitrary nozzle.

14 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein said at least one recoating device comprises at least one of a hard blade recoating device, a compliant recoating device, a vibrating recoating device, and a counter-rotating roller recoating device.

15 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 9 , wherein said at least one recoating device defines a plane oriented at first angle relative to the third direction and a second angle relative to the first direction.

16 . A method of fabricating a component using an additive manufacturing system, said method comprising:
moving at least one build platform relative to at least one workstation along a continuous workflow path, the at least one workstation including:
at least one particle delivery device;
at least one recoating device; and
at least one consolidation device;
depositing particles onto the at least one build platform using the at least one particle delivery device; distributing the deposited particles using the at least one recoating device to form a build layer; and operating the at least one consolidation device to consolidate at least a portion of the build layer.

17 . The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the at least one build platform is configured to rotate about a build platform axis.

18 . The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein the at least one build platform is one of rectangular, circular, and elliptical.

19 . The method in accordance with claim 16 , wherein moving the at least one build platform comprises moving the at least one build platform using a build platform conveyor defining the continuous workflow path.

20 . The method in accordance with claim 19 , wherein the continuous workflow path is one of rectangular, circular, and elliptical.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Tucker Michael Robert
• Jeong Younkoo
• Carter William Thomas

Classifications

• B22F12/30

  Platforms or substrates · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B29C48/154 Primary

  Coating solid articles, i.e. non-hollow articles · CPC title

• B22F12/67

  Blades · CPC title

• B22F12/55

  Two or more means for feeding material · CPC title