# US 10,870,150 B2 · Long and high resolution structures formed by additive manufacturing techniques

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,870,150 B2
- Document ID: US10870150B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/337,228
- Filed: 2016-10-28
- Published: 2017-05-04
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2015-10-30
- Assignees: Seurat Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Seurat Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: James A. DeMuth; Erik Toomre; Francis L. Leard; Kourosh Kamshad; Heiner Fees; Eugene Berdichevsky
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870150B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/20: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B22F 3/24: After-treatment of workpieces or articles {(B22F3/1146 takes precedence)}
- B22F 10/00: Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder (apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00)
- B22F 10/34: of powder characteristics, e.g. density, oxidation or flowability
- B22F 10/36: of energy beam parameters
- B22F 10/39: Traceability, e.g. incorporating identifier into a workpiece or article
- B22F 10/70: Recycling
- B22F 12/00: Apparatus or devices specially adapted for additive manufacturing; Auxiliary means for additive manufacturing; Combinations of additive manufacturing apparatus or devices with other processing apparatus or devices
- B22F 12/226: {for rotary motion}
- B22F 12/30: Platforms or substrates
- B22F 12/33: translatory in the deposition plane
- B22F 12/38: {Housings, e.g. machine housings}
- B22F 12/44: characterised by the configuration of the radiation means
- B22F 12/70: Gas flow means
- B22F 12/88: Handling of additively manufactured products, e.g. by robots
- B22F 12/90: Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
- B23K 15/0093: {characterised by the properties of the materials to be welded}
- B23K 15/06: within a vacuum chamber (B23K15/04 takes precedence)
- B23K 26/032: {using optical means}
- B23K 26/0846: {for moving elongated workpieces longitudinally, e.g. wire or strip material}
- B23K 26/1224: {in vacuum}
- B23K 26/123: {in an atmosphere of particular gases}
- B23K 26/127: {in an enclosure}
- B23K 26/142: for the removal of by-products
- B23K 26/144: the fluid stream containing particles, e.g. powder
- B23K 26/16: Removal of by-products, e.g. particles or vapours produced during treatment of a workpiece (by a fluid stream B23K26/142)
- B23K 26/36: Removing material (B23K26/55, B23K26/57 take precedence)
- B23K 26/702: {Auxiliary equipment}
- B23K 26/703: {Cooling arrangements (by using a fluid stream B23K26/14)}
- B23K 26/704: {Beam dispersers, e.g. beam wells}
- B23K 37/0426: {Fixtures for other work}
- B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
- B29C 64/182: in parallel batches
- B29C 64/264: Arrangements for irradiation
- B29C 64/268: using laser beams; using electron beams [EB]
- B29C 64/379: Handling of additively manufactured objects, e.g. using robots
- B29C 64/386: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- G02B 7/14: adapted to interchange lenses {(G02B7/027 takes precedence)}
- G02B 7/16: Rotatable turrets
- G02B 7/1827: {Motorised alignment}
- G02B 15/04: by changing a part
- G02B 15/10: by adding a part, e.g. close-up attachment
- G02B 19/0028: {refractive and reflective surfaces, e.g. non-imaging catadioptric systems}
- G02B 26/0816: {by means of one or more reflecting elements}
- G02F 1/0136: {for the control of polarisation, e.g. state of polarisation [SOP] control, polarisation scrambling, TE-TM mode conversion or separation (G02F1/0353 takes precedence)}
- G02F 1/133362: {Optically addressed liquid crystal cells (G02F1/135 takes precedence)}
- G02F 1/135: Liquid crystal cells structurally associated with a photoconducting or a ferro-electric layer, the properties of which can be optically or electrically varied {(G02F1/133348 takes precedence)}
- H01S 5/005: {Optical components external to the laser cavity, specially adapted therefor, e.g. for homogenisation or merging of the beams or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping (H01S5/026, H01S5/18388 take precedence)}
- B22F 10/10: Formation of a green body
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B22F 10/32: of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
- B22F 10/47: characterised by structural features
- B22F 10/50: Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up
- B22F 10/64: by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364)
- B22F 10/73: of powder
- B22F 12/17: to heat the build chamber or platform
- B22F 12/20: Cooling means
- B22F 12/222: {for motion along a direction orthogonal to the plane of a layer}
- B22F 12/41: characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
- B22F 12/45: Two or more
- B22F 12/53: Nozzles
- B22F 2003/247: {Removing material: carving, cleaning, grinding, hobbing, honing, lapping, polishing, milling, shaving, skiving, turning the surface}
- B22F 2003/248: {Thermal after-treatment}
- B22F 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
- B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
- B23K 15/0006: {specially adapted for particular articles or work}
- B23K 15/0013: {Positioning or observing workpieces, e.g. with respect to the impact; Aligning, aiming or focusing electron beams}
- B23K 15/002: {Devices involving relative movement between electron beam and workpiece}
- B23K 15/0026: {Auxiliary equipment}
- B23K 15/0086: {welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding}
- B23K 26/0006: {taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence)}
- B23K 26/03: Observing, e.g. monitoring, the workpiece
- B23K 26/082: Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head
- B23K 26/083: {Devices involving movement of the workpiece in at least one axial direction}
- B23K 26/342: Build-up welding
- B23K 37/0408: {for planar work}
- B23K 2101/001: {Turbines}
- B23K 2101/008: {Gears}
- B23K 2101/02: Honeycomb structures
- B23K 2101/24: Frameworks
- B23K 2103/00: Materials to be soldered, welded or cut
- B23K 2103/42: {Plastics other than composite materials}
- B23K 2103/50: {Inorganic materials other than metals or composite materials}
- B25J 11/00: Manipulators not otherwise provided for
- 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 64/35: Cleaning
- B29C 64/357: Recycling
- B29K 2105/251: {Particles, powder or granules (expandable particles B29K2105/046)}
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- G02B 19/0047: {for use with a light source (G02B19/009, G02B19/0095 take precedence; details of lighting devices in general F21V; non-semiconductor lasers having optical devices external to the laser cavity H01S3/005)}
- G02B 27/0068: {having means for controlling the degree of correction, e.g. using phase modulators, movable elements (controlling the phase of light using moving or deformable elements G02B26/06)}
- G02B 27/0905: {Dividing and/or superposing multiple light beams}
- G02B 27/108: {for sampling a portion of a beam or combining a small beam in a larger one, e.g. wherein the area ratio or power ratio of the divided beams significantly differs from unity, without spectral selectivity}
- G02B 27/141: {using dichroic mirrors}
- G02B 27/283: {used for beam splitting or combining}
- G02B 27/286: {for controlling or changing the state of polarisation, e.g. transforming one polarisation state into another (G02B5/3083 takes precedence; light guide coupling means utilising polarising elements G02B6/34)}
- G05B 17/02: electric
- G05B 2219/49023: 3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder
- G07C 3/146: {during manufacturing process}
- H01S 5/4012: {Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms}
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- Y02P 80/40: Minimising material used in manufacturing processes
- 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
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- 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
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02F: OPTICAL DEVICES OR ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CONTROL OF LIGHT BY MODIFICATION OF THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE MEDIA OF THE ELEMENTS INVOLVED THEREIN; NON-LINEAR OPTICS; FREQUENCY-CHANGING OF LIGHT; OPTICAL LOGIC ELEMENTS; OPTICAL ANALOGUE/DIGITAL CONVERTERS
- H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL
- B25J: MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES ({manipulators specially adapted for use in surgery A61B34/70; manipulators used in cleaning hollow articles B08B9/04}; manipulators associated with rolling mills B21B39/20; manipulators associated with forging machines B21J13/10; {manipulators associated with picking-up and placing mechanisms B23P19/007}; means for holding wheels or parts thereof B60B30/00; {vehicles with ground-engaging propulsion means, e.g. walking members B62D57/02, B62D57/032; devices for picking-up and depositing articles or materials between conveyors B65G47/90, B65G47/91; manipulators with gripping or holding means for transferring packages B65H67/065}; cranes B66C; {manipulators used in the protection or supervision of pipe-line installations F17D5/00; walking equipment adapted for nuclear steam-generators F22B37/006}; manipulators specially adapted for, or associated with, nuclear reactors G21C; {apparatus used for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor H10P72/50})
- 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)
- B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- G07C: TIME OR ATTENDANCE REGISTERS; REGISTERING OR INDICATING THE WORKING OF MACHINES; GENERATING RANDOM NUMBERS; VOTING OR LOTTERY APPARATUS; ARRANGEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS FOR CHECKING NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method of additive manufacture suitable for large and high resolution structures is disclosed. The method may include sequentially advancing each portion of a continuous part in the longitudinal direction from a first zone to a second zone. In the first zone, selected granules of a granular material may be amalgamated. In the second zone, unamalgamated granules of the granular material may be removed. The method may further include advancing a first portion of the continuous part from the second zone to a third zone while (1) a last portion of the continuous part is formed within the first zone and (2) the first portion is maintained in the same position in the lateral and transverse directions that the first portion occupied within the first zone and the second zone.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of additive manufacture in a three-dimensional space corresponding to longitudinal, lateral, and transverse directions that are orthogonal to one another, the method comprising the steps of:
sequentially advancing each portion of a continuous part in the longitudinal direction from a first zone to a second zone;
amalgamating, within the first zone, selected granules of a granular material by an energy-patterning system;
removing, within the second zone, unamalgamated granules of the granular material;
advancing a first portion of the continuous part from the second zone to a third zone while (1) a last portion of the continuous part is formed within the first zone and (2) the first portion is maintained in the same position in the lateral and transverse directions that the first portion occupied within the first zone and the second zone; and
determining a current position or orientation of the continuous part by locating one or more features of a feature map in an intersecting wall that intersects two neighboring portions of the continuous part,
wherein the amalgamating the selected granules of the granular material by the energy-patterning system comprises:
directing a patterned energy beam from the energy-patterning system that forms a two-dimensional patterned energy beam used in the amalgamating.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the amalgamating comprises directing a patterned energy, as the radiant energy, at the selected granules.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the amalgamating further comprises heating, by the radiant energy, the selected granules.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the amalgamating further comprises:
distributing a first layer of the plurality of layers of granules of the granular material;
directing the radiant energy at all granules within the first layer that form part of the selected granules;
distributing a second layer of the plurality of layers of granules of the granular material over the top of the first layer; and
directing the radiant energy at all granules within the second layer that form part of the selected granules.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the first layer defines a first plane and the second layer defines a second plane that is parallel to the first plane.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second planes are both horizontal planes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the first and second planes both extend at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane that is greater than zero and less than or equal to a critical angle of repose of the granular material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the amalgamating further comprises creating a wall from certain granules of the granular material, wherein the wall separates a first portion of the granular material from a second portion of the granular material.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the amalgamating further comprises:
forming the first portion of the continuous part within the first portion of the granular material; and
forming a second portion of the continuous part within the second portion of the granular material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the amalgamating further comprises:
connecting the first portion of the continuous part to a first side of the wall; and
connecting the second portion of the continuous part to a second, opposite side of the wall.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising supporting, by the wall within the third zone, at least a portion of the continuous part in the same position in the lateral and transverse directions that the at least a portion of the continuous part occupied within the first zone and the second zone.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the creating the wall and the forming the first portion of the continuous part within the first portion of the granular material occur substantially simultaneously.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the connecting the second portion of the continuous part to the second, opposite side of the wall commences after the wall is complete.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising supporting, by the wall within the third zone, at least a portion of the continuous part in the same position in the lateral and transverse directions that the at least a portion of the continuous part occupied within the first zone and the second zone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein the wall defines a third plane that is a vertical plane.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the amalgamating further comprises:
forming the first portion of the continuous part within the first portion of the granular material; and
forming a second portion of the continuous part within the second portion of the granular material.

### Claim 17

A method of additive manufacture in a three-dimensional space corresponding to longitudinal, lateral, and transverse directions that are orthogonal to one another, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting a machine comprising an energy-patterning system and a conveyor positioned below at least a portion of the energy-patterning system; and
executing, by the machine, an additive manufacture of a continuous part, the executing comprising;
sequentially advancing, by the conveyor, each portion of the continuous part in the longitudinal direction from a first zone to a second zone;
amalgamating, by the energy-patterning system, selected granules of a granular material supported by the conveyor within the first zone by directed radiant energy to the selected granules,
removing, within the second zone, unamalgamated granules of the granular material;
advancing, by the conveyer, a first portion of the continuous part from the second zone to a third zone while (1) a last portion of the continuous part is formed within the first zone and (2) the first portion is maintained in the same position in the lateral and transverse directions that the first portion occupied within the first zone and the second zone; and
determining a current position or orientation of the continuous part by locating one or more features of a feature map in an intersecting wall that intersects two neighboring portions of the continuous part,
wherein the amalgamating the selected granules of the granular material comprises:
cooling active and passive elements used to handle the beam used in the amalgamating.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the amalgamating further comprises creating a wall from certain granules of the granular material, wherein the wall separates a first portion of the granular material from a second portion of the granular material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the amalgamating further comprises:
connecting, substantially simultaneously with the creating the wall, the first portion of the continuous part to a first side of the wall; and
connecting, after the wall is complete, the second portion of the continuous part to a second, opposite side of the wall.