# US 11,027,368 B2 · Continuous additive manufacture of high pressure turbine

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- Number: US 11,027,368 B2
- Document ID: US11027368B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/667,304
- Filed: 2017-08-02
- Published: 2019-02-07
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2017-08-02
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Todd Jay Rockstroh; William Thomas Carter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027368B2

## CPC

- B22F 5/009: {of turbine components other than turbine blades (of turbine blades B22F5/04)}
- B22F 5/04: of turbine blades
- B22F 10/00: Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder (apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00)
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B22F 12/30: Platforms or substrates
- B23K 26/032: {using optical means}
- B23K 26/342: Build-up welding
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 70/00: Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- B22F 10/73: of powder
- B22F 12/67: Blades
- B23K 2101/001: {Turbines}
- B23K 2103/05: {Stainless steel}
- B23K 2103/10: Aluminium or alloys thereof
- B23K 2103/14: Titanium or alloys thereof
- B33Y 70/10: Composites of different types of material, e.g. mixtures of ceramics and polymers or mixtures of metals and biomaterials
- C22C 33/02: by powder metallurgy
- 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
- 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
- C22C: ALLOYS (treatment of alloys C21D, C22F)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing an object by additive manufacturing is provided. The method includes lowering a build platform having a given layer of build material to powder provided on a window. The powder is irradiated to form a subsequent layer that corresponds to the given layer. The method then includes solidifying the subsequent layer, and raising the build platform and the subsequent layer away from the window. The steps are repeated until the desired object is formed.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of repairing a turbine blade or a stator vane with a damaged tip by additive manufacturing, comprising:
(a) attaching the turbine blade or the stator vane with the damaged tip ground to a flat surface to a build platform such that the flat surface faces down;
(b) lowering the build platform having the turbine blade or the stator vane with the damaged tip to position the damaged tip into a layer of powder provided on a window;
(c) irradiating the powder to form a layer onto the damaged tip;
(d) solidifying the layer;
(e) raising the build platform and the solidified layer away from the window; and
(f) repeating steps (b)-(e) until the damaged tip is repaired.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the irradiation is digital light processing, laser, or e-beam irradiation.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the powder has a lower melting point than the window.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the powder is irradiated through the window but adheres to the flat surface positioned above the window.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the powder is cobalt chrome alloy, stainless steel alloy, aluminum alloy, titanium alloy or nickel based superalloy.