# US 12,759,227 B2 · Recoat assemblies for additive manufacturing systems and methods for using the same

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,759,227 B2
- Document ID: US12759227B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/959,773
- Filed: 2024-11-26
- Published: 2025-03-20
- Granted: 2026-10-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-23
- Assignees: General Electric Company
- Applicants: General Electric Company
- Inventors: Vadim Bromberg; John Sterle; Joseph Lucian Smolenski; Carlos H. Bonilla; Tyler Andrew Griffith; Victor Fulton; Robert Butler
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12759227B2

## CPC

- B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
- B22F 12/222: {for motion along a direction orthogonal to the plane of a layer}
- B22F 12/63: Rollers
- B29C 64/218: Rollers
- B29C 64/393: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B30B 9/3007: {Control arrangements}
- B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing
- B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
- B33Y 50/02: for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
- B22F 10/14: by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
- B22F 10/28: Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
- B22F 12/224: {for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer}
- B22F 12/226: {for rotary motion}
- B22F 12/52: Hoppers
- B22F 12/90: Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
- B22F 2998/00: Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
- B22F 3/003: {Apparatus, e.g. furnaces (in general F27B)}
- 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
- B30B: PRESSES IN GENERAL (producing ultra-high pressure or ultra-high pressure and high temperature to effect modifications of a substance, e.g. for making artificial diamonds B01J3/00 ){(compressing means for refuse receptacles B65F1/1405)}
- 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

## Abstract

A method for forming an object includes moving a recoat assembly over a build material, where the recoat assembly includes a first roller and a second roller that is spaced apart from the first roller, moving the second roller above the first roller in a vertical direction, rotating the first roller of the recoat assembly in a counter-rotation direction, such that a bottom of the first roller moves in a coating direction, contacting the build material with the first roller of the recoat assembly, thereby fluidizing at least a portion of the build material, while the second roller is spaced apart from the build material in the vertical direction, and moving the fluidized build material with the first roller, thereby depositing a second layer of the build material over an initial layer of build material positioned in a build area.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A recoat assembly for an additive manufacturing system, the recoat assembly comprising:
a base member;
a first roller rotatably coupled to the base member, the first roller having a first roller diameter between 20 millimeters and 25 millimeters; and
a second roller rotatably coupled to the base member, wherein the second roller is spaced apart from the first roller and has a second roller diameter between 35 millimeters and 40 millimeters.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The recoat assembly of claim 1, wherein the first roller is a front roller and the second roller is a rear roller, wherein the front roller is positioned forward of the rear roller.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The recoat assembly of claim 2, further comprising a front energy source coupled to the base member and positioned forward of the front roller, wherein the front energy source emits energy forward of the front roller.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The recoat assembly of claim 3, further comprising a rear energy source coupled to the base member and positioned rearward of the front energy source.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The recoat assembly of claim 3, further comprising a powder engaging member coupled to the base member and positioned forward of the front roller at a height that is within a roller window defined by the front roller.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The recoat assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cleaning member engaged with at least one of the first roller and the second roller.

### Claim 7

A method for forming an object, the method comprising:
moving a recoat assembly in a coating direction over a build material, wherein the recoat assembly comprises a first roller and a second roller that is spaced apart from the first roller, the first roller having a first roller diameter between 20 millimeters and 25 millimeters, the second roller having a second roller diameter between 35 millimeters and 40 millimeters;
rotating the first roller of the recoat assembly in a counter-rotation direction, such that a bottom of the first roller moves in the coating direction; and
contacting the build material with the first roller of the recoat assembly, thereby fluidizing at least a portion of the build material.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
irradiating, with a front energy source coupled to a front end of the recoat assembly, an initial layer of build material positioned in a build area;
subsequent to irradiating the initial layer of build material, spreading the build material on the build area with the first roller, thereby depositing a second layer of the build material over the initial layer of build material; and
subsequent to spreading the second layer of the build material, irradiating, with a rear energy source positioned rearward of the front energy source, the second layer of build material within the build area.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the second roller is positioned above the first roller in a vertical direction, such that the second roller does not contact the build material.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the first roller is a front roller and the second roller is a rear roller positioned rearward of the first roller.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
rotating the rear roller in a rotation direction that is the opposite of the counter-rotation direction; and
contacting the second layer of the build material within the build area with the rear roller.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein rotating the rear roller in the rotation direction comprises rotating the rear roller at a rotational velocity that corresponds to a linear velocity of the recoat assembly.

### Claim 13 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, further comprising, subsequent to at least one of irradiating the initial layer of build material with the front energy source and irradiating the second layer of build material with the rear energy source, detecting a temperature of the irradiated build material with a temperature sensor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising changing at least one parameter of the front energy source or the rear energy source based at least in part on the detected temperature.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of irradiating the initial layer of build material with the front energy source and irradiating the second layer of build material with the rear energy source comprises applying a predetermined power to the front energy source or the rear energy source.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein the method further comprising changing the predetermined power based at least in part on the detected temperature.