Method for forming components using additive manufacturing and re-melt

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9435211-B2
Application number	US-201514706659-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 7, 2015
Priority date	May 9, 2014
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a component includes additively manufacturing a crucible; directionally solidifying a metal material within the crucible; and removing the crucible to reveal the component. A component for a gas turbine engine includes a directionally solidified metal material component, the directionally solidified metal material component having been additively manufactured of a metal material concurrently with a core, the metal material having been remelted and directionally solidified.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a component, comprising:
additively manufacturing the component with a metal material;
additively manufacturing a core at least partially within the component;
at least partially encasing the component and the core within a shell;
melting the additively manufactured component;
solidifying the metal material of the additively manufactured component to form a directionally solidified microstructure within the component; and
removing the shell and the core to reveal the component.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of solidifying the metal material includes directionally solidifying the material to have a single crystal microstructure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of solidifying the metal material includes directionally solidifying the material to have a columnar grain microstructure.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the metal material is a powder.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the core at least partially defines at least one internal passageway within the component.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , further comprising concurrently additively manufacturing the component and the core within the component.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the core at least partially defines microchannels within the component.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the microchannels are additively manufactured of a refractory material and the internal passageways are manufactured of a ceramic material.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the additive manufacturing is performed by a multi-powder bed system.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising applying a wax material at least partially onto the component.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising melting the wax material prior to melting the additively manufactured component.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 , further comprising applying the wax material to an airfoil portion of the component.

Assignees

• United Technologies Corp

Inventors

• Xu Jinquan

Classifications

• B22C9/12

  Treating moulds or cores, e.g. drying, hardening · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B22C9/04

  Use of lost patterns · CPC title

• F01D5/18 Primary

  Hollow blades, {i.e. blades with cooling or heating channels or cavities (structure of hollow blades in general F01D5/147)}; Heating, heat-insulating or cooling means on blades · CPC title