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US 12,214,547 B2Granted
Additive-manufacturing systems and methods
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorKevin T. Slattery
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An additive manufacturing system and method includes a powder bed, an additive manufacturing head that is configured to emit a first energy into the powder bed to form at least one layer of a component, a part exposing mechanism that is configured to operate so that the component is in a first position at a first time within the powder bed, and a second position at a second time in which a portion of the component is exposed outside of the powder bed, and a surface smoothing head that is configured to emit a second energy onto the portion of the component in the second position to smooth the portion of the component.
Claims18
An additive manufacturing system comprising:
- a powder bed;
- an additive manufacturing head that is configured to emit a first energy into the powder bed to form at least one layer of a component, wherein the additive manufacturing head comprises a first energy emitter configured to emit the first energy as one or more first laser beams or one or more first electron beams;
- a part exposing mechanism that is configured to operate so that the component is in a first position at a first time within the powder bed, and a second position at a second time in which a portion of the component is exposed outside of the powder bed, wherein the part exposing mechanism comprises a drain assembly that is configured to be selectively moved between a closed position and an open position, wherein at least a first portion of powder drains through the drain assembly in the open position to expose the portion of the component in the second position, wherein the drain assembly comprises a moveable cover proximate to an outlet formed through a container that retains the powder bed, where in the moveable cover is configured to close the outlet in the closed position, and move away from the outlet to open the outlet in the open position, and wherein at least some of the powder bed drains out of the outlet when the moveable cover is in the open position;
- and
- a surface smoothing head directly coupled to the additive manufacturing head, wherein the surface smoothing head is configured to emit a second energy onto the portion of the component in the second position to smooth the portion of the component, wherein the surface smoothing head comprises a second energy emitter configured to emit the second energy as one or more second laser beams or one or more second electron beams.
2 more elements
An additive manufacturing method comprising:
- emitting a first energy from an additive manufacturing head into a powder bed to form at least one layer of a component, wherein the emitting the first energy comprises emitting the first energy from a first energy emitter of the additive manufacturing head as one or more first laser beams or one or more first electron beams;
- operating a part exposing mechanism so that the component is in a first position at a first time within the powder bed, and a second position at a second time in which a portion of the component is exposed outside of the powder bed, wherein the operating comprises selectively moving a drain assembly between a closed position and an open position, and wherein at least a first portion of powder of the powder bed drains through the drain assembly in the open position to expose the portion of the component in the second position;
- and
- emitting a second energy from a surface smoothing head directly coupled to the additive manufacturing head onto the portion of the component in the second position to smooth the portion of the component, wherein the emitting the second energy comprises emitting the second energy from a second energy emitter of the surface smoothing head as one or more second laser beams or one or more second electron beams.
1 more element
An additive manufacturing system comprising:
- a powder bed;
- an additive manufacturing head that is configured to emit a first energy into the powder bed to form at least one layer of a component, wherein the additive manufacturing head comprises a first energy emitter configured to emit the first energy as one or more first laser beams or one or more first electron beams;
- a part exposing mechanism that is configured to operate so that the component is in a first position at a first time within the powder bed, and a second position at a second time in which a portion of the component is exposed outside of the powder bed;
- and
- a surface smoothing head directly coupled to the additive manufacturing head, wherein the surface smoothing head is configured to emit a second energy onto the portion of the component in the second position to smooth the portion of the component, wherein the surface smoothing head comprises a second energy emitter configured to emit the second energy as one or more second laser beams or one or more second electron beams,
- wherein the additive manufacturing head is moveably coupled to the surface smoothing head by an articulating arm.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.