In-situ electrochemical polishing of additively manufactured parts
OwnerCody Coogan, Eric W. Karleninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An additively manufactured intermediate part includes a body and at least one sacrificial electrode formed within or upon the body. The body includes a plurality of layers and at least one surface having a region to be smoothed in a near-finished state of the additively manufactured intermediate part. The at least one sacrificial electrode is adjacent to the body along the at least one surface, such that at least one of the plurality of layers is adjacent to the at least one sacrificial electrode in the region to be smoothed in the near-finished state of the additively manufactured intermediate part.
Claims20
An additively manufactured intermediate part, the additively manufactured intermediate part comprising:
- a body having a plurality of layers and at least one surface having a region to be smoothed in a near-finished state of the additively manufactured intermediate part;
- and
- at least one sacrificial electrode formed within or upon the body;
- wherein the at least one sacrificial electrode is adjacent to the body along the at least one surface, such that at least one of the plurality of layers is adjacent to the at least one sacrificial electrode in the region to be smoothed in the near-finished state of the additively manufactured intermediate part.
A method of manufacturing a part, the method comprising:
- additively manufacturing the part, wherein additively manufacturing the part comprises:
- building a body, wherein the body comprises a plurality of layers and at least one surface having a region to be smoothed in a near-finished state of the part;
- and
- building at least one sacrificial electrode within or upon the body, wherein the at least one sacrificial electrode is adjacent to the body along the at least one surface such that at least one of the plurality of layers is adjacent to the at least one sacrificial electrode in the region to be smoothed in the near-finished state of the part;
- utilizing the at least one sacrificial electrode to electrochemically polish the region of the at least one surface of the body;
- removing the at least one sacrificial electrode from the body;
- and
- performing at least one finishing process on the body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.