System and method for additively manufacturing an object
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsElaine MacDonald, Daniel J. Braley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of additively manufacturing an object includes steps of: (1) successively forming a plurality of powder layers by depositing powder; (2) selectively controlling a composition of the powder that forms each one of the plurality of powder layers; and (3) successively forming a plurality of object layers of the object by joining the powder of a portion of each one of the plurality of powder layers before forming each successive one of the plurality of powder layers.
Claims20
A method of additively manufacturing an object, the method comprising steps of:
- measuring a mass for each one of a plurality of powder constituents to produce a powder comprising a compositional ratio;
- measuring a mass flow rate for the powder to verify the compositional ratio;
- depositing the powder to form a powder layer;
- while depositing the powder, selectively varying the mass for at least one of the plurality of powder constituents to vary the compositional ratio such that the powder layer comprises a continuous compositional gradient along at least one of an X-axis and a Y-axis;
- measuring the mass flow rate for the powder to verify the compositional ratio, as modified by the varying of the mass, while depositing the powder to form the powder layer;
- and
- joining at least a portion of the powder layer to form an object layer of the object, wherein the object layer comprises a functional gradient along at least one the X-axis and the Y-axis.
A method of additively manufacturing an object, the method comprising steps of:
- determining property data for the object representing a distribution of at least one material property of the object along at least one of an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis;
- determining compositional data for a powder corresponding to at least the one material property of the object;
- depositing the powder to successively form a plurality of powder layers;
- while depositing the powder to successively form the plurality of powder layers, selectively controlling a compositional ratio of the powder, corresponding to the compositional data, such that each one of the plurality of powder layers comprises a compositional gradient along at least one of the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis;
- while depositing the powder to successively form the plurality of powder layers, verifying the compositional ratio of the powder as modified;
- and
- joining at least a portion of each one of the plurality of powder layer to successively form a plurality of object layers of the object, wherein the object comprises a functional gradient along at least one the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis corresponding to the distribution of at least the one material property.
A method for additively manufacturing an object layer of an object, the method comprising steps of:
- mixing, in a mixing chamber, a plurality of powder constituents to produce a powder comprising a compositional ratio;
- feeding the powder from the mixing chamber to a discharge chamber;
- depositing the powder from the discharge chamber to form a powder layer;
- while depositing the powder, selectively controlling the compositional ratio of the powder by selectively varying a mass of at least one the plurality of powder constituents being mixed in the mixing chamber and fed to the discharge chamber, such that the powder layer comprises a continuous compositional gradient along at least one of an X-axis and a Y-axis;
- while depositing the powder from the discharge chamber, verifying the compositional ratio of the powder being fed from the mixing chamber to the discharge chamber;
- and
- joining at least a portion of the powder layer to form the object layer of the object, wherein the object layer comprises a functional gradient along at least one the X-axis and the Y-axis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.