Techniques for controlling build material flow characteristics in additive manufacturing and related systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022250149-A1
Application number	US-201917292816-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 8, 2019
Priority date	Nov 12, 2018
Publication date	Aug 11, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

Embodiments described herein relate to methods and systems for controlling the packing behavior of powders for additive manufacturing applications. In some embodiments, a method for additive manufacturing includes adding a packing modifier to a base powder to form a build material. The build material may be spread to form a layer across a powder bed, and the build material may be selectively joined along a two-dimensional pattern associated with the layer. The steps of spreading a layer of build material and selectively joining the build material in the layer may be repeated to form a three-dimensional object. The packing modifier may be selected to enhance one or more powder packing and/or powder flow characteristics of the base powder to provide for improved uniformity of the additive manufacturing process, promote sintering, and/or to enhance the properties of the manufactured three-dimensional objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of fabricating a metal and/or ceramic part through additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
depositing a layer of a build material over a build surface, wherein the build material comprises a base powder mixed with one or more packing modifiers,
wherein the base powder comprises a metallic powder and/or a ceramic powder, and
wherein the packing modifier comprises one or more metal oxides, metal carbides, metal silicides, metal nitrides, and/or intermetallic compounds;
selectively joining one or more regions of the build material within the deposited layer by depositing a liquid onto the one or more regions; repeating said acts of depositing and selectively joining for a plurality of layers of the build material to form a first part; and forming a metal and/or ceramic part by thermally processing the first part.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally processing the first part comprises sintering the first part in a furnace.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally processing the first part comprises infiltrating the first part with a molten metallic material.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally processing the first part comprises removing the liquid and the one or more packing modifiers from the first part.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing modifier comprises one or more metal oxides.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more metal oxides includes an iron oxide, a nickel oxide, a copper oxide, a chromium oxide, a vanadium oxide, a molybdenum oxide, a bismuth oxide, a cobalt oxide, a tin oxide, and/or a lead oxide.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing modifier comprises one or more non-metal carbides.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing modifier comprises at least one of a material comprising aluminum and chlorine, carbide, silicon nitride, an anhydrous metal nitrate, and a metal silicide.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing modifier and the base powder comprise a common metallic element.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a weight percent of the packing modifier in the build material is between 0.01% and 10%.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the base powder has a mean particle size between 5 μm and 25 μm, and the packing modifier has a mean particle size between 20 nm and 10 μm.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of a mean particle size of the base powder to a mean particle size of the packing modifier is between 50 and 1000.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the packing modifier coats particles of the base powder.

14 . A method of fabricating a metal and/or ceramic part through additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
depositing a layer of a build material over a build surface, wherein the build material comprises a base powder mixed with one or more packing modifiers,
wherein the base powder comprises a metallic powder and/or a ceramic powder, and
wherein the packing modifier comprises one or more metal oxides, carbides, silicides, nitrides, hydrides, and/or intermetallic compounds;
selectively joining one or more regions of the build material within the deposited layer by depositing a liquid onto the one or more regions; and repeating said acts of depositing and selectively joining for a plurality of layers of the build material to form a first part.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the packing modifier comprises one or more metal oxides.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more metal oxides includes an iron oxide, a nickel oxide, a copper oxide, a chromium oxide, a vanadium oxide, a molybdenum oxide, a bismuth oxide, a cobalt oxide, a tin oxide, and/or a lead oxide.

17 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the packing modifier comprises one or more non-metal carbides.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the packing modifier comprises at least one of a material comprising aluminum and chloride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, an anhydrous metal nitrate, and a metal silicide.

19 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the packing modifier and the base powder comprise a common metallic element.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein a weight percent of the packing modifier in the build material is between 0.01% and 10%.

21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the base powder has a mean particle size between 5 μm and 25 μm, and the packing modifier has a mean particle size between 20 nm and 10 μm.

22 . The method of claim 14 , wherein a ratio of a mean particle size of the base powder to a mean particle size of the packing modifier is between 50 and 1000.

23 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the packing modifier coats particles of the base powder.

24 . A method of fabricating a metal and/or ceramic part through additive manufacturing, the method comprising:
depositing a layer of a build material over a build surface, wherein the build material comprises a base powder mixed with one or more packing modifiers,
wherein the base powder comprises a metallic powder and/or a ceramic powder, and
wherein the packing modifier comprises one or more metal oxides, carbides, silicides, nitrides, hydrides, and/or intermetallic compounds;
selectively joining one or more regions of the build material within the deposited layer; and repeating said acts of depositing and selectively joining for a plurality of layers of the build material to form a first part.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the packing modifier comprises one or more metal oxides.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the one or more metal oxides includes an iron oxide, a nickel oxide, a copper oxide, a chromium oxide, a vanadium oxide, a molybdenum oxide, a bismuth oxide, a cobalt oxide, a tin oxide, and/or a lead oxide.

27 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the packing modifier comprises one or more non-metal carbides.

28 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the packing modifier comprises at least one of a material comprising aluminum and chloride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride, an anhydrous metal nitrate, and a metal silicide.

29 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the packing modifier and the base powder comprise a common metallic element.

30 . The method of claim 24 , wherein a weight percent of the packing modifier in the build material is between 0.01% and 10%.

31 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the base powder has a mean particle size between 5 μm and 25 μm, and the packing modifier has a mean particle size between 20 nm and 10 μm.

32 . The method of claim 24 , wherein a ratio of a mean particle size of the base powder to a mean particle size of the packing modifier is between 50 and 1000.

33 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the packing modifier coats particles of the base powder.

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Gibson Michael A
• Barbati Alexander C
• Hudelson George
• Nick Robert J
• Hoisington Paul A
• Kernan Brian D

Classifications

• B22F10/14 Primary

  by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder · CPC title

• B22F1/16 Primary

  Metallic particles coated with a non-metal (coated with lubricating or binding agents or with organic material B22F1/10) · CPC title

• B22F12/58

  for changing the material composition, e.g. by mixing · CPC title

• B22F10/37

  of powder bed aspects, e.g. density · CPC title

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title