# US 12,179,436 B2 · Systems and methods for support material removal

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- Number: US 12,179,436 B2
- Document ID: US12179436B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/342,437
- Filed: 2023-06-27
- Published: 2023-10-26
- Granted: 2024-12-31
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-03
- Assignees: Rtx Corporation
- Applicants: Raytheon Technologies Corporation
- Inventors: Lawrence A Binek; David W Morganson
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12179436B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/40: Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
- B22F 10/43: characterised by material
- B22F 10/66: by mechanical means
- B22F 10/80: Data acquisition or data processing
- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
- B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B33Y 80/00: Products made by additive manufacturing
- B22F 10/12: by photopolymerisation, e.g. stereolithography [SLA] or digital light processing [DLP]
- 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 2998/10: Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
- Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency
- 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
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A method of manufacturing an additively manufactured component may comprise operating an additive manufacturing machine to form a first structure including an elongate portion having a blind design surface, operating the additive manufacturing machine to form a removal tool proximate the blind design surface, wherein the blind design surface and the removal tool are at least partially enclosed by and in contact with a support material, and translating the removal tool along the blind design surface to separate a portion of the support material from the blind design surface.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing an additively manufactured component, comprising:
operating an additive manufacturing machine to form a first structure including an elongate portion having a blind design surface;
operating the additive manufacturing machine to form a removal tool proximate the blind design surface, wherein the blind design surface and the removal tool are at least partially enclosed by and in contact with a support material; and
translating the removal tool along the blind design surface to separate a portion of the support material from the blind design surface.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the support material comprises a partially cured resin.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the removal tool comprises a contact surface proximate the blind design surface and defined thereby.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the removal tool comprises a paring surface which intersects the contact surface at a leading edge to define a paring angle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein the paring angle is between 5° and 30°.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the removal tool includes tabs configured to enable manual manipulation of the removal tool.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first structure includes a port configured to enable the removal tool to interface with a driving tool.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the removal tool is at least partially enclosed by the first structure.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising removing the removal tool from the first structure.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the removal tool includes a weakened portion configured to facilitate separation of the removal tool from the blind design surface.