# US 12,005,637 B2 · Gas flow systems for an additive manufacturing machine

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- Number: US 12,005,637 B2
- Document ID: US12005637B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/761,632
- Filed: 2018-11-02
- Published: 2021-06-10
- Granted: 2024-06-11
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-10
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Justin Mamrak; Mackenzie Ryan Redding
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12005637B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
- B22F 10/32: of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
- B22F 10/322: of the gas flow, e.g. rate or direction
- B22F 10/50: Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up
- B22F 12/20: Cooling means
- B22F 12/22: {Driving means}
- B22F 12/49: Scanners
- B22F 12/70: Gas flow means
- B29C 64/371: using an environment other than air, e.g. inert gas
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B22F 10/14: by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
- B22F 10/25: Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B22F 10/77: of gas
- B22F 12/67: Blades
- B22F 2201/02: Nitrogen
- B22F 2201/11: Argon
- 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

## Abstract

An additive manufacturing machine (900) includes a plurality of subsystems, such as a condensate evacuation subsystem (940) for removing byproducts of the additive manufacturing products near a powder bed, a closed loop subsystem (960) for cleaning contaminants from sensitive machine components (964), and/or an electronics cooling subsystem (984) for cooling an electronics compartment (980). Each subsystem (940, 960, 984) may include a dedicated gas circulation loop (942, 966, 986) that is operably coupled to a gas circulation device (944, 968, 988) for urging a clean flow of gas (946, 962, 990) to each of the subsystems (940, 960, 984) to perform a particular function.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An additive manufacturing machine, comprising:
a build platform;
a build unit;
a gantry positioned above the build platform and movably supporting the build unit within a build area;
a condensate evacuation subsystem comprising a condensate loop and a first gas circulation device operably coupled to the condensate loop for circulating a first gas through the build area proximate the build platform from a first discharge port to a first suction port; and
a closed loop subsystem comprising a purge air loop and a second gas circulation device operably coupled to the purge air loop for circulating a second gas over at least one sensitive component of the additive manufacturing machine from a second discharge port to a second suction port.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, further comprising:
an electronics compartment containing electronic components; and
an electronics cooling subsystem comprising a cooling loop in fluid communication with the electronics compartment and a third gas circulation device operably coupled with the cooling loop for circulating a third gas through the electronics compartment to cool the electronic components.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the condensate loop defines a discharge port and a suction port, the discharge port and the suction port being positioned proximate a work surface for circulating the first gas over the work surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the first gas and the second gas are different gases.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the first gas and the second gas are either argon gas or nitrogen gas.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the first gas and the second gas have different pressures greater than an atmospheric pressure.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the first gas is circulated at a lower pressure and a higher flow rate than the second gas.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein at least one of the condensate evacuation subsystem and the closed loop subsystem comprises a filter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the first gas circulation device and the second gas circulation device are either a compressive pump or a blower.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensitive component is the gantry, the purge air loop being positioned and oriented for circulating the second gas over the gantry.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the at least one sensitive component is a scanner of the build unit, the purge air loop being positioned and oriented for circulating the second gas over a lens of the scanner.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the condensate evacuation subsystem generates a substantially laminar flow of the first gas proximate and parallel to a powder bed.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 2, wherein the third gas is circulated at a higher flow rate than the first gas and the second gas.

### Claim 14 (depends on 2)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 2, wherein the electronics cooling subsystem comprises a filter.

### Claim 15 (depends on 2)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 2, wherein the third gas is ambient air.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 1, wherein the purge air loop defines a discharge port and a suction port, the discharge port and the suction port being positioned proximate the at least one sensitive component of the additive manufacturing machine.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 16, wherein the discharge port is a nozzle for ejecting the second gas onto and over the at least one sensitive component of the additive manufacturing machine.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The additive manufacturing machine of claim 16, wherein the suction port draws in the second gas and contaminants removed from the at least one sensitive component of the additive manufacturing machine.

### Claim 19

An additive manufacturing machine, comprising:
a build platform;
a build unit;
a gantry positioned above the build platform and movably supporting the build unit within a build area;
a condensate evacuation subsystem comprising a condensate loop and a first gas circulation device operably coupled to the condensate loop for circulating a first gas through the build area proximate the build platform from a first discharge port to a first suction port; and
a purge air subsystem comprising a purge air loop and a second gas circulation device operably coupled to the purge air loop for circulating a second gas over at least one sensitive component of the additive manufacturing machine from a second discharge port to a second suction port, wherein the first gas and the second gas have at least one of a different flow rate or a different pressure.