# US 10,766,190 B2 · Additive manufacturing apparatus and related process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,766,190 B2 - Document ID: US10766190B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/823,778 - Filed: 2017-11-28 - Published: 2019-05-30 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-28 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Scott Andrew Weaver; Anthony Joseph Vinciquerra - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10766190B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/205: Means for applying layers - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/73: of powder - B22F 12/226: {for rotary motion} - B22F 12/30: Platforms or substrates - B22F 12/37: Rotatable - B22F 12/45: Two or more - B22F 12/50: Means for feeding of material, e.g. heads - B22F 12/67: Blades - B28B 1/001: {Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00)} - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B29C 64/241: for rotary motion - B29C 64/245: Platforms or substrates (support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40) - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - C03B 19/01: by progressive fusion {or sintering} of powdered glass onto a shaping substrate, i.e. accretion {, e.g. plasma oxidation deposition (making fibre preforms C03B37/01291)} - B22F 10/10: Formation of a green body - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B22F: WORKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MAKING METALLIC POWDER (making alloys by powder metallurgy C22C); APPARATUS OR DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR METALLIC POWDER - B28B: SHAPING CLAY OR OTHER CERAMIC COMPOSITIONS; SHAPING SLAG; SHAPING MIXTURES CONTAINING CEMENTITIOUS MATERIAL, e.g. PLASTER (foundry moulding B22C; working stone or stone-like material B28D; shaping of substances in a plastic state, in general B29C; making layered products not composed wholly of these substances B32B) - B33Y: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OF THREE-DIMENSIONAL [3D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVE AGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3D PRINTING, STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING - C03B: MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Additive manufacturing apparatus including a build module is presented. The build module includes a support structure; a powder supply chamber formed in the support structure; and powder applicator disposed on the support structure and located proximate to the powder supply chamber. The build module further includes a powder recovery chamber and a plurality of build plates spatially disposed around the powder recovery chamber, the plurality of build plates configured to move around the powder recovery chamber. The build module is configured such that during an additive manufacturing process step, a build plate of the plurality of build plates is disposed between the powder supply chamber and the powder recovery chamber, and the powder applicator is configured to distribute a required amount of the powder material from the powder supply chamber on the build plate and deposit any excess powder material in the powder recovery chamber. Related processes are also presented. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising a build module, the build module comprising: a support structure; a powder supply chamber formed in the support structure for containing and supplying a powder material; a powder applicator disposed on the support structure and located proximate to the powder supply chamber; a powder recovery chamber formed in the support structure such that the powder supply chamber is disposed between the powder applicator and the powder recovery chamber; and a plurality of build plates formed in the support structure and spatially disposed around the powder recovery chamber, the plurality of build plates configured to move around the powder recovery chamber; wherein the build module is configured such that during an additive manufacturing process step, a build plate of the plurality of build plates is disposed between the powder supply chamber and the powder recovery chamber, and the powder applicator is configured to distribute a required amount of the powder material from the powder supply chamber on the build plate and deposit any excess powder material in the powder recovery chamber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of build plates is circumferentially disposed around the powder recovery chamber and configured to rotate around the powder recovery chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of build plates comprises 6 to 24 build plates spatially disposed around the powder recovery chamber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an energy module comprising a directed energy source configured to direct an energy beam onto the powder material distributed on the build plate, to form a build component. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the build module is further configured to move the plurality of build plates after the build component is formed such that a subsequent build plate of the plurality of build plates is disposed between the powder supply chamber and the powder recovery chamber, and the powder applicator is configured to distribute a required amount of the powder material from the powder supply chamber on the subsequent build plate and deposit any excess powder in the powder recovery chamber. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the directed energy source is further configured to direct an energy beam onto the powder material distributed onto the subsequent build plate, to form a subsequent build component. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the build component is a part, and the powder applicator and the directed energy source are configured to perform one or more cycles of distributing a powder material, directing an energy beam, and forming a build layer until the part is formed. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 7, wherein the build module is configured to move the plurality of build plates after the part is formed such that a subsequent build plate of the plurality of build plates is disposed between the powder supply chamber and the powder recovery chamber. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the build component is a build layer, and the build module is configured to move the plurality of build plates after the build layer is formed such that a subsequent build plate of the plurality of build plates is disposed between the powder supply chamber and the powder recovery chamber. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the build plate of a plurality of build plates has a largest dimension in a range from about 25 mm to about 200 mm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the build module is configured such that a maximum stroke length of the powder applicator is in a range from about 150 mm to about 600 mm.