# US 11,440,097 B2 · Methods for additively manufacturing components using lattice support structures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,440,097 B2 - Document ID: US11440097B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/273,474 - Filed: 2019-02-12 - Published: 2020-08-13 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-12 - Assignees: General Electric Company - Applicants: General Electric Company - Inventors: Ryan Christopher Jones; Jun Zheng Hu; John Alan Manteiga; Xuefeng Zhang; Earl Neal Dunham; Paul Christopher Schilling; Johnnattan Tennessee Ugarte; Justin Michael Stekli; Justin Adam Masters - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11440097B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B22F 3/1115: {comprising complex forms, e.g. honeycombs} - B22F 3/24: After-treatment of workpieces or articles {(B22F3/1146 takes precedence)} - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/43: characterised by material - B22F 10/47: characterised by structural features - B22F 10/62: by chemical means - B22F 10/66: by mechanical means - B22F 10/80: Data acquisition or data processing - B22F 12/30: Platforms or substrates - B29C 64/386: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B29C 64/40: Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 50/00: Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing - B22F 12/67: Blades - B22F 2003/241: {Chemical after-treatment on the surface} - B22F 2003/244: {Leaching} - B22F 2999/00: Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy - B23K 15/0086: {welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding} - B23K 26/342: Build-up welding - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - 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 - 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 - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A method for additively manufacturing a component includes generating, via imaging software, a plurality of slices of a support structure of the component based on component geometry. The method also includes melting or fusing, via the additive manufacturing system, layers of material to a build platform of the component so as to form the support structure according to the plurality of slices. The support structure includes a lattice configuration having of a plurality of support members arranged together to form a plurality of cells. Further, the method includes melting or fusing, via the additive manufacturing system, a component body to the support structure. After the component body solidifies, the method includes removing all of the support structure from the component body to form the component. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for additively manufacturing a component, the method comprising: generating, via imaging software, a plurality of slices of a support structure of the component based on component geometry, wherein the generating further comprises: generating a plurality of two-dimensional (2-D) unit cell slices of a lattice configuration of the support structure; duplicating the 2-D unit cell slices in X and Y directions to cover a fill area of the lattice configuration; trimming the 2-D unit cell slices by a boundary of the lattice configuration; combining the trimmed 2-D unit cell slices to form a final slice of the lattice configuration; and directly feeding a plurality of final slices to an additive manufacturing system prior to generating a three-dimensional (3-D) geometry of the support structure; melting or fusing, via the additive manufacturing system, layers of material to a build platform of the component so as to form the support structure and a component body according to the plurality of slices of the support structure, the support structure comprising the lattice configuration having a plurality of support members arranged together to form a plurality of cells; and after the support structure and the component body solidify, removing all of the support structure from the component body to form the component. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging software comprises polygon-based modeling software and the plurality of slices of the support structure comprise information regarding a number, diameter, and arrangement of the plurality of support members of the support structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a diameter at an end of the plurality of support members is at least about 1.5 millimeters (mm). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a dimension of the plurality of cells is at least about 0.5 mm, the dimension comprising at least one of a height, a width, or a length. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein portions of the plurality of support members contacting the component body comprise thinner cross-sections than non-contacting portions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of support members contact the component body only at a plurality of nodes, and wherein removing all of the support structure from the component body to form the component further comprises detaching the plurality of support members from the component body at the plurality of nodes. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising detaching the portions of the plurality of support members that are contacting the component body from the component body via chemical etching. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, further comprising detaching the portions of the plurality of support members that are contacting the component body from the component body via a buffing tool. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising simultaneously polishing surfaces of the component body via the buffing tool during detaching. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein removing all of the support structure from the component body to form the component further comprises eroding away the plurality of support members from the component body via chemical etching. ### Claim 11 A method for additively manufacturing a component, the method comprising: forming, via an additive manufacturing system, a support structure and a component body of the component on a build platform of the component, the support structure comprising a lattice configuration having a plurality of support members arranged together to form a plurality of cells, wherein the support structure is formed by: generating a plurality of two-dimensional (2-D) unit cell slices of a lattice configuration of the support structure; duplicating the 2-D unit cell slices in X and Y directions to cover a fill area of the lattice configuration; trimming the 2-D unit cell slices by a boundary of the lattice configuration; combining the trimmed 2-D unit cell slices to form a final slice of the lattice configuration; and directly feeding a plurality of final slices to the additive manufacturing system prior to generating a three-dimensional (3-D) geometry of the support structure; and after the support structure and the component body solidify, detaching the support structure from the component body via chemical etching. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein portions of the plurality of support members contacting the component body comprise thinner cross-sections than non-contacting portions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein detaching the plurality of support members from the component body via chemical etching further comprises eroding away the plurality of support members from the component body via chemical etching. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising forming the support structure and/or the component body using a powder, the powder comprising a metal or metal alloy, a plastic, a ceramic, and/or a composite. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the additive manufacturing system comprises a powder bed fusion (PBF) system.