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US 10,946,443 B2Granted
Removal of unfused powder from an additive-manufactured part using piezoelectric transducers
AssigneeHamilton Sundstrand Corporation
InventorNigel Palmer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Removing unfused powder from internal passages of an additive-manufacture part includes attaching piezoelectric transducers to a plurality of locations on an exterior of the part. The part is vibrated by driving the piezoelectric transducers at varying amplitudes and frequencies. An amount of the unfused powder that exits the part is monitored.
Claims17
A method of removing unfused powder from internal passages of an additive-manufactured part, the method comprising:
- attaching piezoelectric transducers to a plurality of locations on an exterior of the part;
- vibrating the part by driving the piezoelectric transducers at varying amplitudes and frequencies;
- monitoring an amount of the unfused powder that exits the part;
- and
- creating a defined schedule of frequency changes, amplitude changes, and piezoelectric transducer locations based upon the monitoring of the amount of the unfused powder that exits the part.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- attaching a plurality of piezoelectric transducers to a plurality of locations of an exterior of an additive-manufactured part having internal passages terminating at one or more open ends at the exterior of the part;
- vibrating the part by driving the plurality of piezoelectric transducers at varying amplitudes and frequencies;
- monitoring an amount of unfused powder that exits the one or more open ends at the exterior of the part;
- in response to determining that the amount of unfused powder that exits the one or more open ends exceeds a threshold deviation from an estimated amount of unfused powder contained within the internal passages of the part:
- changing at least one of an orientation of the part and locations of one or more of the plurality of piezoelectric transducers;
- and
- repeating the vibrating and monitoring steps by driving the plurality of piezoelectric transducers at the varying amplitudes and frequencies and monitoring the amount of unfused powder that exits the one or more open ends at the exterior of the part;
- and
- in response to determining that the amount of unfused powder that exits the one or more open ends does not exceed the threshold deviation from the estimated amount of unfused powder contained within the internal passages of the part:
- creating a defined schedule of frequency changes, amplitude changes, orientation changes, and transducer locations associated with the part.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.