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US 12,502,731 B2Granted
Support structures for laminated metallic parts
AssigneeAlloy Enterprises Inc.
InventorsNicholas Mykulowycz, Alison Forsyth
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for the additive manufacturing of an object and a system for manufacturing an object. The method includes depositing a first foil layer, the first foil layer including a first body section, a first support section connected to the first body section, and a second support section connected to the first body section; depositing a second foil layer, the second foil layer comprising a second body section, a third support section, and a fourth support section; aligning the second foil layer and the first foil layer; and applying at least one of heat and pressure to the first foil layer and the second foil layer to form the object comprising the first body section and the second body section.
Claims44
A method for additive manufacturing of an object, the method comprising:
- forming vertical inhibition regions in a plurality of foil layers through cutting, each cut through a foil layer of the plurality of foil layers mechanically defining a boundary between a support region and an object region in the foil layer;
- forming, through selective depositing of an inhibitory material on a selected area of the top surface of at least one first foil layer, at least one horizontal inhibition region on the at least one first foil layer that inhibits bonding between object and support regions of adjacent layers in the selected area of the at least one horizontal inhibition region, each horizontal inhibition region permitting the transmission of vertical force through the plurality of foil layers without bonding between object and support regions of adjacent layers of the plurality of foil layers in the area of the at least one horizontal inhibition region;
- depositing the at least one first foil layer, the at least one first foil layer comprising a first object region, a first support region connected to the first object region, and at least one horizontal inhibition region on the top surface of the at least one first foil layer;
- depositing at least one second foil layer, each second foil layer adjacent to a first foil layer, the second foil layer comprising a second object region and a second support region, such that at least part of the bottom surface of each second foil layer comes into contact with at least part of the top surface of the adjacent first foil layer including the at least one horizontal inhibition region;
- applying pressure and heat to the deposited foil layers to form an object section by bonding the first object regions and the adjacent second object regions outside the at least one horizontal inhibition region;
- wherein the first and second support regions are solid and configured as a mold around the object section;
- and after said bonding is completed, removing the support regions from the object section.
4 more elements
A system for additive manufacturing of an object, the system comprising:
- an additive manufacturing device configured to:
- form vertical inhibition regions in a plurality of foil layers through cutting, each cut through a foil layer of the plurality of foil layers mechanically defining a boundary between a support region and an object region in the foil layer;
- form, through selective depositing of an inhibitory material on a selected area of the top surface of at least one first foil layer, at least one horizontal inhibition region on the at least one first foil layer that inhibits bonding between object and support regions of adjacent layers in the selected area of the at least one horizontal inhibition region, each horizontal inhibition region permitting the transmission of vertical force through the plurality of foil layers without bonding between object and support regions of adjacent layers of the plurality of foil layers in the area of the at least one horizontal inhibition region;
- deposit the at least one first foil layer, the at least one first foil layer comprising a first object region, a first support region connected to the first object region, and at least one horizontal inhibition region on the top surface of the at least one first foil layer;
- and deposit at least one second foil layer, each second foil layer adjacent to a first foil layer, the second foil layer comprising a second object region and a second support region, such that at least part of the bottom surface of each second foil layer comes into contact with at least part of the top surface of the adjacent first foil layer including the at least one horizontal inhibition region;
- a surface configured to apply pressure and heat to the deposited foil layers to form an object section by bonding the first object regions and the adjacent second object regions outside the at least one horizontal inhibition region;
- wherein the first and second support regions are solid and configured as a mold around the object section;
- and after said bonding is completed, using a separator to remove the support regions from the object section.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.