Additive fabrication with infiltration barriers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021114110-A1
Application number	US-201917251806-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 12, 2019
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	Apr 22, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of maintaining part geometry fidelity during infiltration of a metallic preform. The preform and an infiltration barrier are formed, either independently or together during an additive manufacturing process. The infiltration barrier prevents infiltrant from bleeding out from the preform where it is present, thus protecting fine geometries that would otherwise be filled with infiltrant.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method of maintaining part geometry fidelity during infiltration of a three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
additively manufacturing a preform of a desired shape; forming an infiltration barrier on at least a portion of a surface of the preform; infiltrating the preform with an infiltrant to densify the preform into an infiltrated three-dimensional object; wherein the infiltration barrier maintains the geometry of the portion of the surface of the preform.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the infiltration barrier is non-wetting with respect to the infiltrant.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the preform includes powder bed binder jetting additive manufacturing.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the preform includes bound metal deposition additive manufacturing.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the preform includes stereolithographic manufacturing.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein the preform includes aluminum nitride, the infiltrant includes aluminum and the infiltration barrier includes boron nitride.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein the preform includes stainless steel, the infiltrant includes copper and the infiltration barrier includes graphite.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein the infiltration barrier is co-fabricated with the preform.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the infiltration barrier is formed by spraying.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the infiltration barrier is formed by at least partially submerging the preform into a container of the infiltration barrier.

11 . A method of maintaining part geometry fidelity during infiltration of a metallic three-dimensional object, comprising the steps of:
additively co-fabricating a metallic preform of a desired shape and an infiltration barrier on a geometric feature of the metallic preform; infiltrating the metallic preform with an infiltrant to densify the metallic preform into an infiltrated three-dimensional object; and wherein the infiltration barrier maintains the geometric feature during infiltration.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein the infiltration barrier is non-wetting with respect to the infiltrant.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein the infiltration barrier includes boron nitride.

14 . The method of claim 11 wherein the infiltration barrier includes graphite.

15 . A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional object of a desired shape, comprising the steps of:
additively manufacturing a metallic preform of a desired shape from a build material including a metal powder and a binder system; debinding at least a portion of the binder system; applying an infiltration barrier to a geometric feature of the metallic preform, the infiltration barrier being non-wetting with respect to an infiltrant; and infiltrating the metallic preform with an infiltrant to densify the metallic preform into an infiltrated three-dimensional object; and wherein the infiltration barrier maintains the geometric feature during infiltration.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the metallic preform includes powder bed binder jetting.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of additively manufacturing the metallic preform includes bound metal deposition.

18 . The method of claim 15 wherein the metallic preform includes aluminum nitride, the infiltrant includes aluminum and the infiltration barrier includes boron nitride.

19 . The method of claim 15 wherein the metallic preform includes stainless steel, the infiltrant includes copper and the infiltration barrier includes graphite.

20 . The method of claim 15 wherein the infiltration barrier is formed by one of spraying and at least partially submerging the metallic preform into a container of the infiltration barrier.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Sercombe Timothy
• Benn Ellen
• Gibson Michael Andrew
• Tuncer Nihan

Classifications

• B22F10/60 Primary

  Treatment of workpieces or articles after build-up · CPC title

• B22F3/26 Primary

  Impregnating {(making ferrous alloys by impregnation C22C33/0242)} · CPC title

• C22C1/1036

  starting from a melt · CPC title

• B22F2998/10

  Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps · CPC title

• B33Y40/20

  Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing · CPC title