Systems and methods for additive manufacturing

A controller for use in an additive manufacturing system including at least one consolidation device, the at least one consolidation device configured to consolidate at least a portion of a plurality of particles on a build platform, said controller including a processing device and a memory device coupled to said processing device, said controller configured to:

• receive a build file, the build file defining a plurality of scan paths for a plurality of build layers for a particle containment system;
• control the consolidation device, based on the build file, to consolidate a second plurality of particles along a scan path of the plurality of scan paths to form at least a portion of the particle containment system, wherein the particle containment system includes:
• a particle containment wall at least partially surrounding a first plurality of particles, wherein the particle containment wall includes a second plurality of particles consolidated together, the particle containment wall including:
• a top end spaced apart from the build platform;
• an inner face positioned against the first plurality of particles and extending between the build platform and the top end;
• an outer face that faces a substantially particle-free region, the outer face positioned opposite the inner face and extending between the build platform and the top end;
• and
• a build layer retainer comprising particles consolidated together to extend from said top end of said particle containment wall along a direction substantially orthogonal to a plane defined by said top end,
• wherein said build layer retainer is configured to retain at least a portion of a build layer comprising a plurality of said first plurality of particles,
• wherein the build layer retainer extends a first distance along the direction substantially orthogonal to the plane defined by the top end of the particle containment wall from a first point on the top end of the particle containment wall to a top surface of the build layer retainer, the first point being radially outward on the top end of the particle containment wall relatively farther from the first plurality of particles contained by the particle containment wall,
• wherein the build layer retainer extends a second distance along the direction substantially orthogonal to the plane defined by the top end of the particle containment wall from a second point on the top end of the particle containment wall to the top surface of the build layer retainer, the second point being radially inward on the top end of the particle containment wall relatively closer to the first plurality of particles contained by the particle containment wall, and
• wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.

A method of fabricating a component, said method comprising:

• depositing particles onto a build platform;
• distributing the particles to form a build layer;
• operating a consolidation device to consolidate a first plurality of particles along a scan path to form a particle containment system, the particle containment system including:
• a particle containment wall at least partially surrounding a first plurality of particles, wherein the particle containment wall includes a second plurality of particles consolidated together, the particle containment wall including:
• a top end spaced apart from the build platform;
• an inner face positioned against the first plurality of particles and extending between the build platform and the top end;
• an outer face that faces a substantially particle-free region, the outer face positioned opposite the inner face and extending between the build platform and the top end;
• and
• a build layer retainer comprising particles consolidated together to extend from said top end of said particle containment wall along a direction substantially orthogonal to a plane defined by said top end,
• wherein said build layer retainer is configured to retain at least a portion of a build layer comprising a plurality of said first plurality of particles,
• wherein the build layer retainer extends a first distance along the direction substantially orthogonal to the plane defined by the top end of the particle containment wall from a first point on the top end of the particle containment wall to a top surface of the build layer retainer, the first point being radially outward on the top end of the particle containment wall relatively farther from the first plurality of particles contained by the particle containment wall,
• wherein the build layer retainer extends a second distance along the direction substantially orthogonal to the plane defined by the top end of the particle containment wall from a second point on the top end of the particle containment wall to the top surface of the build layer retainer, the second point being radially inward on the top end of the particle containment wall relatively closer to the first plurality of particles contained by the particle containment wall, and
• wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance.