Metal powder management system for additive manufacturing

A closed-loop metal powder management method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a first metal powder suitable for additive manufacturing, the first metal powder being disposed in a closed powder container comprising at least one electronically accessible sensor, tracker, or optical device, the closed powder container comprising (i) a shipping powder container in which the first metal powder is shipped after manufacture thereof or (ii) a powder container into which the first metal powder from a shipping powder container was transferred in a controlled atmosphere in a closed loop;
• b) thereafter, disposing the closed powder container in an automated metal powder transfer system to form a sealed connection therebetween and connecting, via a pipe assembly, the powder container to an additive manufacturing system with the automated metal powder transfer system to perform powder transfer in a closed loop, wherein (i) the automated metal powder transfer system is controllable by at least one of a pneumatic or an electronic controller and is adapted to control delivery of a metered amount of metal powder to the additive manufacturing system, (ii) the automated metal powder transfer system comprises at least one platform arm configured to receive the closed powder container, and (iii) the closed powder container remains outside the additive manufacturing system during powder transfer;
• c) delivering the metered amount of metal powder from the powder container to the additive manufacturing system;
• d) operating the additive manufacturing system to form at least one layer of the metal powder over a build plate of the additive manufacturing system;
• e) consolidating a portion of the at least one metal powder layer, wherein an excess portion of the metal powder layer remains in powder form;
• f) repeating steps d) and e) at least once;
• g) transferring the excess metal powder from the additive manufacturing system to an excess powder container comprising at least one excess powder container sensor, excess powder container tracker, or excess powder container optical device;
• h) adding a second metal powder to the excess powder container to form a mixed powder;
• i) validating a quality of the mixed powder in the excess powder container;
• j) repeating steps b)-i) at least once using the validated mixed powder disposed in the excess powder container,
• k) collecting powder physical transfer data associated with at least one of steps a)-j);
• and
• l) storing in a data repository the powder physical transfer data,
• wherein at least one of the at least one sensor, tracker, optical device, excess powder container sensor, excess powder container tracker, or excess powder container optical device is electronically accessible during each of steps a)-l), and wherein the first metal powder, second metal powder, excess metal powder, and mixed powder is maintained in a controlled atmosphere in a closed loop during steps a)-l).

A closed-loop metal powder management method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising the steps of:

• a) transferring in a closed loop, by use of an automated metal powder transfer system, a metered amount of virgin metal powder suitable for additive manufacturing from a shipping container comprising at least one electronically accessible sensor, tracker, or optical device to a closed powder container comprising at least one electronically accessible container sensor, container tracker, or container optical device, wherein during transfer, the shipping container is disposed on a top portion of the automated metal powder transfer system, and the closed powder container is disposed below the shipping container in a bottom portion of the automated metal powder system;
• b) thereafter, connecting the closed powder container to an additive manufacturing system to perform powder transfer in a closed loop;
• c) delivering metal powder from the powder container to the additive manufacturing system;
• d) operating the additive manufacturing system to form at least one layer of the metal powder over a build plate of the additive manufacturing system;
• e) consolidating a portion of the at least one metal powder layer, wherein an excess portion of the metal powder layer remains in powder form;
• f) repeating steps d) and e) at least once;
• g) transferring the excess metal powder from the additive manufacturing system into the powder container, a second powder container, or an internal powder container;
• h) adding virgin metal powder to the excess metal powder in the powder container, the second powder container, or the internal powder container to form a mixed powder;
• i) validating a quality of the mixed powder;
• j) repeating steps b)-i) at least once with the validated mixed powder;
• k) collecting powder physical transfer data associated with at least one of steps a)-j);
• and
• l) storing in a data repository the powder physical transfer data,
• wherein the at least one sensor, tracker, optical device, container sensor, container tracker, or container optical device is electronically accessible during each of steps a)-l), and wherein the virgin metal powder, excess metal powder, and mixed powder is maintained in a controlled atmosphere in a closed loop during steps a)-l).