# US 11,027,336 B2 · Splatter shield systems and methods for additive manufacturing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,336 B2 - Document ID: US11027336B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/820,236 - Filed: 2017-11-21 - Published: 2019-05-23 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-11-21 - Assignees: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation - Applicants: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation - Inventors: Sergey Mironets; Alexander Madinger; Diana Giulietti; Dmitri Novikov - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027336B2 ## CPC - B22F 10/00: Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder (apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00) - B22F 12/52: Hoppers - B22F 12/63: Rollers - B22F 12/67: Blades - B22F 12/70: Gas flow means - 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 - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - 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 10/322: of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction - B22F 10/73: of powder - B22F 2201/10: Inert gases - B23K 26/342: Build-up welding - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B29C 64/35: Cleaning - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - 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 - 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 - 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 - 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) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A splatter shield system for an additive manufacturing machine includes one or more splatter shields configured to cover at least a portion of a build area during energy application such that the at least one splatter shield is positioned between an energy source of an additive manufacturing machine and the build area during energy application. The one or more splatter shields are transparent to an energy source (e.g., a laser) of the additive manufacturing system such that energy application occurs through the splatter shield. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An additive manufacturing system, comprising: one or more splatter shield configured to cover at least a portion of a build area during energy application such that the one or more splatter shield is positioned between an energy source of the additive manufacturing system and the build area during an energy application, wherein the one or more splatter shields is transparent to the energy source of the additive manufacturing system such that the energy application occurs through the one or more splatter shield, wherein the one or more splatter shield is placed proximate the build area to form a gas flow channel for an inert gas to uniformly flow over the build area between the one or more splatter shield and the build area, wherein the one or more splatter shield is separated from the build area by less than one inch. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more splatter shield includes a plate shape. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more splatter shield is connected to and movable with a recoater system. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The additive manufacturing system of claim 3, wherein the one or more splatter shield includes two splatter shields, one on each side of the recoater system. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The additive manufacturing system of claim 3, wherein the recoater system includes at least one of a hopper, a roller recoater, and a knife recoater. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the one or more splatter shield is made of at least one of sapphire, quartz, and transparent polycrystalline ceramic. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The additive manufacturing system of claim 6, wherein the energy source is a laser. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a controller configured to control movement of the recoater system, wherein the controller is configured to place the one or more splatter shields over the build area during energy application. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a splatter shield cleaning system configured to clean the one or more splatter shield. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The additive manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein the splatter shield cleaning system is configured to clean at least part of the one or more splatter shield during a recoating process. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The additive manufacturing system of claim 10, wherein the splatter shield cleaning system includes a scraper configured to scrape an underside of the one or more splatter shield as the one or more splatter shield moves over the scraper during the recoating process. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more splatter shield is separated from the build area by 3-5 millimeters.