Article and method of forming an article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9849510-B2
Application number	US-201514688436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2015
Priority date	Apr 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 26, 2017
Grant date	Dec 26, 2017

Abstract

Provided are an article and a method of forming an article. The method includes providing a metallic powder, heating the metallic powder to a temperature sufficient to joint at least a portion of the metallic powder to form an initial layer, sequentially forming additional layers in a build direction by providing a distributed layer of the metallic powder over the initial layer and heating the distributed layer of the metallic powder, repeating the steps of sequentially forming the additional layers in the build direction to form a portion of the article having a hollow space formed in the build direction, and forming an overhang feature extending into the hollow space. The article includes an article formed by the method described herein.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of forming an article, the method comprising:
providing a metallic powder;
heating the metallic powder to a temperature sufficient to join at least a portion of the metallic powder to form an initial layer;
sequentially forming additional layers in a build direction by providing a distributed layer of the metallic powder over the initial layer and heating the distributed layer of the metallic powder to a temperature sufficient to join at least a portion of the distributed layer of the metallic powder and join the formed additional layers to underlying layers;
repeating the steps of sequentially forming the additional layers in the build direction to form a portion of the article having a hollow space formed in the build direction; and then
melting the metallic powder in at least one of the initial and additional layers to form a melted metallic powder such that the melted metallic powder advances within the hollow space and solidifies to form an overhang feature extending into the hollow space.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the melting to form the overhang feature further comprises modifying a geometry of the hollow space defined by the metallic powder.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the modifying of the geometry includes filling a portion of the hollow space with the overhang feature.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein filling the portion of the hollow space with the overhang feature forms a symmetrical hollow space.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a symmetrical hollow space from a non-symmetrical geometry defined by the metallic powder.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the non-symmetrical geometry is selected from the group consisting of ovoid, elliptical, triangular, teardrop, and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating the metallic powder comprises directing a focused energy source towards the metallic powder.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the directing of the focused energy source melts at least a portion of the metallic powder.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the melting of the metallic powder forms the overhang feature in a direction opposite the build direction.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the overhang feature interrupts a perimeter of the hollow space.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the overhang feature increases a surface area within the hollow space.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the overhang feature increasing a surface area within the hollow space increases a heat transfer coefficient of the hollow space.

13. A method of forming an article, the method comprising:
depositing a metallic powder over a surface;
melting the metallic powder with a focused energy source, the melting of the metallic powder forming an initial layer;
sequentially forming additional layers in a build direction by depositing a distributed layer of the metallic powder over an underlying layer, and melting the distributed layer with the focused energy source to join at least a portion of the distributed layer and join the formed additional layers to the underlying layer, the sequentially forming the additional layers forming a portion of the article having a hollow space formed in the build direction; and then
heating at least one of the initial and additional layers to form a melted metallic powder such that the melted metallic powder advances within the hollow space and solidifies to form an overhang feature extending into the hollow space.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the heating at least one of the initial and additional layers comprises directing the focused energy source towards the at least one of the initial and additional layers of the metallic powder overlying the hollow space.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising forming more than one of the overhang features.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein a geometry of at least one of the more than one of the overhang features differs from a geometry of another of the more than one of the overhang feature.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising adjusting a parameter of the focused energy source during the directing of the focused energy source towards the at least one of the initial and additional layers of the metallic powder overlying the hollow space, the adjusting of the parameter modifying a geometry of the overhang feature.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the parameter is selected from the group consisting of power, travel speed, angle, distance, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising forming the portion of the article having more than one hollow space formed in the build direction, each of the more than one hollow spaces including the overhang feature extending therein.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Lacy Benjamin Paul
• Kottilingam Srikanth Chandrudu
• Dutta Sandip
• Schick David Edward

Classifications

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B23K26/34

  Laser welding for purposes other than joining · CPC title

• B22F2998/10

  Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps · CPC title

• B22F2005/005

  Article surface comprising protrusions · CPC title

• B22F2003/248

  Thermal after-treatment · CPC title