# US 11,027,491 B2 · Powder recirculating additive manufacturing apparatus and method

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- Number: US 11,027,491 B2
- Document ID: US11027491B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/031,085
- Filed: 2020-09-24
- Published: 2021-01-07
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2015-08-03
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Steven Hubert Rengers; Christian Xavier Stevenson; Charles Michael Welsh
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027491B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/35: Cleaning
- 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 10/73: of powder
- B22F 10/80: Data acquisition or data processing
- B22F 10/85: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B22F 12/52: Hoppers
- B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
- B29C 64/357: Recycling
- 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
- B22F 10/32: of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
- B29K 2105/251: {Particles, powder or granules (expandable particles B29K2105/046)}
- Y02P 10/20: Recycling
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method of making a part by an additive manufacturing process includes the steps of: (a) supporting a build platform on a support surface; (b) traversing a powder dispenser positioned above the support surface across the build platform, while dispensing powder from the powder dispenser, so as to deposit the powder over the build platform; (c) traversing the build platform with a scraper to scrape the deposited powder, so as to form a layer increment of powder; (d) using a directed energy source to fuse the layer increment of powder in a pattern corresponding to a cross-sectional layer of the part; and (e) repeating in a cycle steps (b) through (d) to build up the part in a layer-by-layer fashion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of making a part by an additive manufacturing process, comprising the steps of:
(a) supporting a solid build platform on top of a support surface that includes openings extending therethrough;
(b) traversing a powder dispenser positioned above the support surface across the build platform, while dispensing powder from the powder dispenser, so as to deposit the powder over the build platform, wherein some of the powder dispensed falls through the openings in the support surface and into a collection hopper;
(c) traversing the build platform with a scraper to scrape the deposited powder, so as to form a layer increment of powder, wherein excess powder is scraped from the solid build platform and through the openings in the support surface and into the collection hopper;
(d) using a directed energy source to fuse the layer increment of powder in a pattern corresponding to a cross-sectional layer of the part; and
(e) repeating in a cycle steps (b) through (d) to build up the part in a layer-by-layer fashion.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to step (b):
moving the powder dispenser to a first position underneath a powder supply assembly that is disposed above the support surface; and
dropping powder from the powder supply assembly into the powder dispenser.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further including using a blower coupled to the collection hopper to move powder collected in the collection hopper to the powder supply assembly for reuse.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3 wherein:
a powder feed tube interconnects the powder supply assembly and the blower;
an air return tube interconnects the powder supply assembly and the blower; and
the blower recirculates powder in a loop from the collection hopper, through the powder feed tube, and into the powder supply assembly.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein the powder feed tube and the air return tube each comprise a pair of telescoping sections.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4 wherein:
the powder supply assembly includes a cyclone chamber with an annular side wall connected to a top wall;
the powder feed tube enters the side wall at an off-center position; and
the air return tube enters the top wall at a central position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising, during steps (b)-(d), building up a containment wall on the build platform, the containment wall surrounding the part.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7 wherein the build platform is wider than an exterior width of the containment wall so as to define an overhang, the method further comprising, during steps (b)-(d), permitting an excess of powder to build up on the overhang so as to form a buttress which supports the containment wall.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein a width of the overhang is selected to permit the buttress to maintain a preselected minimum width when the part and containment wall are at a maximum predetermined height.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the powder supply assembly is moveable vertically relative to the support surface.

### Claim 11

A method of making a part by an additive manufacturing process, comprising the steps of:
(a) supporting a solid build platform on a grated support surface;
(b) traversing a powder dispenser positioned above the grated support surface across the solid build platform, while dispensing powder from the powder dispenser, so as to deposit the powder over the solid build platform;
(c) traversing the solid build platform with a scraper to scrape the deposited powder, so as to form a layer increment of powder;
(d) collecting unused powder from steps (b) and (c) in a hopper for recycling the unused powder in the powder dispenser;
(e) using a directed energy source to fuse the layer increment of powder in a pattern corresponding to a cross-sectional layer of the part; and
(f) repeating in a cycle steps (b) through (e) to build up the part in a layer-by-layer fashion.