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US 11,535,927 B2Granted
Multi-chamber deposition equipment for solid free form fabrication
AssigneeNorsk Titanium AS
InventorsTrond Forseth, Brede Vigdal, Arne Ramsland, Svein Steinsvik, Jorgen Haugen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Provided is a chamber system for solid free form fabrication, the chamber system having a deposition chamber, a service chamber and one or more loading/unloading chambers. The chamber system allows for a more efficient and cost effective process to service the deposition apparatus, load holding substrates, and unload workpieces without requiring having to adjust the atmosphere in the deposition chamber.
Claims21
A chamber system for solid free form fabrication comprising:
- one or more independently controlled loading/unloading chambers;
- an independently controlled deposition chamber, the deposition chamber including a deposition apparatus comprising a heat source;
- one or more doors connecting the deposition chamber with each of one or more loading/unloading chambers;
- and
- an independently controlled service chamber connected to the deposition chamber, the service chamber sized to house the deposition apparatus, and arranged such that the deposition apparatus can move in and out of the service chamber without removing a wire feed to the deposition apparatus.
2 more elements
A method of operating a chamber system for solid free form fabrication comprising:
- independently replacing the atmosphere in a deposition chamber of the chamber system with an inert atmosphere;
- transferring a first holding substrate to the deposition chamber while maintaining the inert atmosphere in the deposition chamber;
- performing solid free form fabrication using a deposition apparatus comprising a heat source within the deposition chamber to form a first workpiece;
- and
- transferring the first workpiece out of the deposition chamber while maintaining the inert atmosphere in the deposition chamber,
- wherein the chamber system comprises the deposition chamber and a service chamber sized to house the deposition apparatus and being arranged such that the deposition apparatus moves in and out of the service chamber without requiring removal of a wire feed to the deposition apparatus.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.