Additive manufacturing using a recoater with in situ exchangeable recoater blades
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsThomas Graham Spears, Rachel Levine
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention is related to additive manufacturing methods and systems using a recoater with in-situ exchangeable recoater blades. Being able to switch out recoater blades in situ, i.e. without stopping the build and opening up the build chamber, is advantageous, especially for larger, more complicated, and/or longer builds. For instance, if a recoater blade becomes damaged, a new one can be readily swapped in. Or if a different material for the object(s) is used during the build, it may be advantageous to switch in a new recoater blade that is made of the new, different material.
Claims19
An additive manufacturing method comprising:
- (a) passing a recoater over a work surface to provide a layer of powder made of a given material, the recoater comprising a lowered recoater blade in a lowered position and one or more additional recoater blade(s) in a raised position;
- (b) irradiating at least a portion of the layer of powder to form a fused region;
- and
- (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until an object is formed;
- and during the formation of the object the method comprises at least one recoating step with a first recoater blade and a second recoater blade, and at least one step of switching the first recoater blade from a position where it contacts the layer of powder during the recoating step to a position where it does not contact powder during the recoating step;
- wherein the step of switching the first recoater blade from the position where it contacts the layer of powder during the recoating step to the position where it does not contact powder during the recoating step comprises:
- rotating a first rotary drum configured to move a surface around the first rotary drum and a second rotary drum, the first recoater blade and the second recoater blade being mountable on the surface.
An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
- an energy directing device;
- a powder dispensing unit;
- a recoater comprising a first recoater blade and a second recoater blade;
- and
- a blade control device comprising a first rotary drum, a second rotary drum, and a surface disposed around the first rotary drum and the second rotary drum, the first recoater blade and the second recoater blade being mountable on the surface, wherein during operation one of the first recoater blade or the second recoater blade is positioned to contact a layer of powder within the additive manufacturing apparatus, and the device is capable of switching the first recoater blade from a position where it contacts the layer of powder during the recoating step to a position where it does not contact powder during the recoating step.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.