# US 12,214,547 B2 · Additive-manufacturing systems and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,214,547 B2 - Document ID: US12214547B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/035,795 - Filed: 2018-07-16 - Published: 2020-01-16 - Granted: 2025-02-04 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-16 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Kevin T. Slattery - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214547B2 ## CPC - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B22F 3/24: After-treatment of workpieces or articles {(B22F3/1146 takes precedence)} - B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] - B22F 10/50: Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up - B22F 10/80: Data acquisition or data processing - B22F 12/222: {for motion along a direction orthogonal to the plane of a layer} - B22F 12/45: Two or more - B29C 64/188: involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control (surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00) - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B29C 64/268: using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] - B33Y 40/00: Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling - B22F 10/73: of powder - B22F 2003/247: {Removing material: carving, cleaning, grinding, hobbing, honing, lapping, polishing, milling, shaving, skiving, turning the surface} - B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - 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 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising a container defining a forming chamber. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The additive manufacturing system of claim 2, wherein the part exposing mechanism is on or within the container. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the additive manufacturing head is one of fixed in position, or moveable. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface smoothing head is one of fixed in position or moveable. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the first energy and the second energy are the same type of energy, or wherein the first energy is a different type of energy than the second energy. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface smoothing head is moveably coupled to the additive manufacturing head. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising a forming control unit in communication with the additive manufacturing head, the part exposing mechanism, and the surface smoothing head, wherein the forming control unit is configured to operate the additive manufacturing head, the part exposing mechanism, and the surface smoothing head. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the part exposing mechanism comprises an actuation assembly that is configured to move the component upwardly into the second position so that the portion of the component extends upwardly past a top surface of the powder bed. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The additive manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein the actuation assembly comprises a forming bed that supports the component, and an actuator operatively coupled to the forming bed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface smoothing head directly connects to the additive manufacturing head through a mounting coupling. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The additive manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the additive manufacturing head is moveably coupled to the surface smoothing head by an articulating arm. ### Claim 13 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. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The additive manufacturing method of claim 13, wherein the operating comprises using an actuation assembly that moves the component upwardly into the second position so that the portion of the component extends upwardly past a top surface of the powder bed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The additive manufacturing method of claim 13, wherein the operating further comprises supporting the component on a forming bed that is operatively coupled to an actuator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The additive manufacturing method of claim 13, wherein the operating further comprises: closing an outlet through a container that retains the powder bed with a moveable cover in the closed position; and moving the moveable cover away from the outlet to open the outlet in the open position, wherein at least a first portion of powder drains out of the outlet when the moveable cover is in the open position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The additive manufacturing method of claim 13, wherein the surface smoothing head directly connects to the additive manufacturing head through a mounting coupling. ### Claim 18 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.