# US 12,109,612 B2 · Additive manufacturing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,109,612 B2 - Document ID: US12109612B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/101,929 - Filed: 2020-11-23 - Published: 2021-05-27 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-21 - Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC - Inventors: Guenter Hans Grosch; Bas van den Heuvel; Andreas Kuske; Richard Fritsche; Wilbert Hemink; Rainer Lach - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12109612B2 ## CPC - B22F 10/22: Direct deposition of molten metal - B22F 10/364: for post-heating, e.g. remelting - B22F 10/368: Temperature or temperature gradient, e.g. temperature of the melt pool - B22F 10/64: by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) - B22F 12/20: Cooling means - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing - B22F 2003/248: {Thermal after-treatment} - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - 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 - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A method of additive manufacturing an object by applying metal layerwise on a base with an application device successively aligned with different processing zones in relation to the base includes locally applying liquid metal in a processing zone. The liquid metal solidifies in the processing zone and precise adjustment of local material properties of the object are controlled by influencing or controlling temperature development as a function of time of the solidified metal with at least one thermal influencing device aligned with the processing zone and fixed relative to the application device. The thermal influencing device is at least one of a heating device and a cooling device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of additively manufacturing a metallic object, the method comprising: applying metal as a liquid and layerwise on a base using an application device aligned with a processing zone of the base, wherein the metal is applied locally on the processing zone and subsequently solidifies; and controlling temperature of the metal as a function of time with at least one thermal influencing device aligned with the processing zone such that a localized microstructure and mechanical properties of the object are adjusted, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device and the application device are fastened to a carriage and fixed relative to one another during manufacture of the object. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device controls the temperature of the metal after solidification of the metal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device is a heating device that delivers heat to solidified metal in the processing zone. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The additive manufacturing method according claim 3, wherein the heating device delivers the heat in the form of a laser beam, an electron beam, a flame, or an electric arc. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein the heating device remelts the solidified metal in the processing zone. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 4, wherein cooling of the solidified metal in the processing zone is retarded by delivery of the heat. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device is a cooling device that extracts heat from the solidified metal in the processing zone. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 7, wherein the cooling device extracts the heat with a fluid flow directed onto the processing zone. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device is a heating device and a cooling device, heating and cooling, respectively, solidified metal in the processing zone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the application device and the at least one thermal influencing device are aligned simultaneously with the processing zone, and the at least one thermal influencing device controls the temperature of solidified metal in the processing zone before the application device is aligned with another processing zone. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 1 further comprising: applying liquid metal layerwise onto a plurality of processing zones of the base, wherein the liquid metal is applied locally on each of the plurality of processing zones and solidifies; and controlling the temperature of solidified metal as a function of time with the at least one thermal influencing device aligned with each of the plurality of processing zones such that the mechanical properties of the object are adjusted, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device and the application device are fastened to a carriage and fixed relative to one another during applying the liquid metal layerwise onto the plurality of processing zones. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device is a heating device heating solidified metal in at least a subset of the plurality of processing zones. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device is a cooling device cooling solidified metal in at least a subset of the plurality of processing zones. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device is a heating device and a cooling device heating and cooling, respectively, solidified metal in at least a subset of the plurality of processing zones. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 14, wherein the application device and the at least one thermal influencing device are aligned simultaneously with each of the plurality of processing zones, and the at least one thermal influencing device controls the temperature of solidified metal in each of the plurality of processing zones before the application device is aligned with another one of the plurality of processing zones. ### Claim 16 A method of additive manufacturing a metallic object, the method comprising: applying liquid metal layerwise on a base using an application device aligned successively with a plurality of processing zones of the base, wherein the liquid metal is applied locally and solidifies on each of the plurality of processing zones; and controlling temperature of solidified metal on at least a subset of the plurality of processing zones as a function of time with at least one thermal influencing device aligned successively with the plurality of processing zones such that a localized microstructure and mechanical properties of the object are adjusted, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device and the application device are fastened to a carriage and fixed relative to one another during manufacture of the object. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 16, wherein the at least one thermal influencing device is a heating device and a cooling device heating and cooling, respectively, solidified metal in at least a subset of the plurality of processing zones. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 17, wherein the application device and the at least one thermal influencing device are aligned simultaneously with each of the plurality of processing zones, and the at least one thermal influencing device controls the temperature of solidified metal in each of the plurality of processing zones before the application device is aligned with another one of the plurality of processing zones. ### Claim 19 A method of additive manufacturing a metallic object, the method comprising: applying liquid metal layerwise onto a plurality of processing zones on a base using an application device aligned successively with the plurality of processing zones, wherein the liquid metal is applied locally and solidifies on each of the plurality of processing zones; and controlling temperature of solidified metal on at least a subset of the plurality of processing zones as a function of time with a heating device and a cooling device aligned successively with the plurality of processing zones such that a localized microstructure and mechanical properties of the object are adjusted, wherein at least one thermal influencing device and the application device are fastened to a carriage and fixed relative to one another during manufacture of the object. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The additive manufacturing method according to claim 19, wherein the application device, the heating device, and the cooling device are aligned simultaneously with each of the plurality of processing zones, and at least one of the heating device and the cooling device controlling the temperature of solidified metal in one of the plurality of processing zones where the liquid metal is applied locally before the application device is aligned with another one of the plurality of processing zones.