Techniques for depowdering additively fabricated parts through vibratory motion and related systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021053121-A1
Application number	US-202016989149-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 10, 2020
Priority date	Aug 12, 2019
Publication date	Feb 25, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques for depowdering in additive fabrication are provided. According to some aspects, techniques are provided that separate powder from parts through vibration of the powder, the parts, and/or structures mechanically connected to the powder and/or parts. For instance, the application of vibration may dislodge, aerate and/or otherwise increase the flowability of regions of the powder, thereby making it easier to remove the powder with a suitable means. Techniques for depowdering through vibration may be automated, thereby mitigating challenges associated with manual depowdering operations.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for extracting one or more additively fabricated parts from a powder bed comprising a powder and the one or more additively fabricated parts, the method comprising:
mechanically coupling a build box to a mechanical vibrator, the build box containing the powder bed and having one or more openings in one or more sidewalls of the build box; and operating the mechanical vibrator to vibrate the build box, causing at least some of the powder to escape the build box through the one or more openings.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the build box from an additive fabrication device prior to said coupling of the build box to the mechanical vibrator.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising fabricating, by the additive fabrication device, the additively fabricated parts within the powder bed.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the powder is a metal powder and wherein the additively fabricated parts comprise particles of the metal powder and at least one binding agent.

5 . (canceled)

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical vibrator is mechanically coupled to a plate and mechanically coupling the build box to the mechanical vibrator comprises arranging the build box on the plate.

7 - 8 . (canceled)

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more openings include a first opening having a movable barrier, and wherein the method further comprises operating the movable barrier from a closed position to an open position.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the build box includes a build plate on which the powder bed is arranged, wherein the build plate is initially arranged above the one or more openings, and wherein the method further comprises lowering the build plate to bring portions of the powder bed adjacent to at least some of the one or more openings.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising tilting the build box simultaneously with operating the mechanical vibrator to vibrate the build box.

12 . An additive fabrication system comprising:
an additive fabrication device configured to fabricate one or more parts from a powder by directing at least one binding agent onto regions of successive layers of the powder, thereby producing a powder bed comprising the powder and the one or more parts; a build box comprising one or more openings in one or more sidewalls of the build box, the build box configured to be removably inserted into the additive fabrication device and configured to hold the powder bed; and a depowdering device comprising:
a cavity configured to removably receive the build box; and
at least one mechanical vibrator configured to mechanically couple to the build box when the build box is installed within the cavity.

13 . The additive fabrication system of claim 12 , wherein the depowdering device further comprises at least one hopper arranged beneath the at least one mechanical vibrator for catching powder escaping from the build box through the one or more openings.

14 . The additive fabrication system of claim 12 , wherein the build box comprises a build platform on which the powder bed may be formed, and wherein the depowdering device includes at least one actuator configured to couple to the build platform of the build box and to raise and lower the build platform within the build box.

15 . The additive fabrication system of claim 12 , wherein the depowdering device further comprises at least one controller configured to detect when the build box is installed within the cavity and to operate the at least one mechanical vibrator when it is detected that the build box is installed within the cavity.

16 . The additive fabrication system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more openings include one or more slots.

17 . (canceled)

18 . The additive fabrication system of claim 12 , wherein the one or more openings include a first opening having a movable barrier, and wherein the build box comprises at least one actuator configured to operate the movable barrier between open and closed positions.

19 . The additive fabrication system of claim 12 , wherein the depowdering device further includes at least one actuator configured to tilt the build box.

20 . A method for extracting one or more additively fabricated parts from a powder bed comprising a powder and the one or more additively fabricated parts, the method comprising:
inserting a probe at least partially into the powder bed, wherein the probe comprises a mechanical vibrator proximate to a suction device; operating the mechanical vibrator to fluidize a region of the powder in the powder bed; and operating the suction device to remove powder from the fluidized region of the powder.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein a distal end of the suction device comprises a cylindrical portion and the mechanical vibrator is arranged within an interior of the cylindrical portion of the suction device.

22 . (canceled)

23 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the probe is a first probe, and wherein the method further comprises inserting a second probe at least partially into the powder bed simultaneously to said inserting of the first probe at least partially into the powder bed.

24 - 25 . (canceled)

26 . The method of claim 20 , wherein the probe is coupled to a robotic control system configured to move the probe within the powder bed along at least two axes.

27 . The method of claim 20 , further comprising moving the probe to a position within the powder bed selected based on a position of one or more of the additively fabricated parts within the powder bed.

28 - 89 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Go Jamison
• Shydo Robert Michael
• Sachs Emanuel M
• Santorella Michael
• Zero Midnight
• Myerberg Jonah Samuel
• Gabay Joseph
• Von Loesecke Jeffrey
• Mccalmont Alexander K

Classifications

• B22F1/10

  Metallic powder containing lubricating or binding agents; Metallic powder containing organic material · CPC title

• Y02P10/25

  Process efficiency · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• B22F10/28

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

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title