Additively Manufactured Representative Witness Coupon Techniques
AssigneeRelativity Space, Inc.
InventorsTyler Ledgett, Michael Robert Hall, Van Earl Bishop Wright, JR.
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Additively manufactured witness coupon devices, apparatus, and methods for their manufacture and use are provided. The witness coupons are produced using advanced additive manufacturing techniques, including but not limited to Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). The witness coupons are designed to be printed alongside or integrated into the build of additively manufactured parts, ensuring similar thermal and mechanical processing conditions.
Claims20
A method of additively manufacturing a witness coupon, the method comprising:
- determining a build volume of a witness coupon;
- determining an orientation of the witness coupon to replicate a property of a part;
- preparing a build plate for additive manufacturing the witness coupon;
- securing a fixture to an additive manufacturing system;
- electrically coupling and grounding the fixture and the additive manufacturing system;
- depositing a first layer of a material on the build plate;
- depositing a layer of the material on the part;
- depositing additional sequential layers of the material on the first layer of a material on the build plate forming the witness coupon;
- manufacturing the witness coupon concurrently layer by layer with the part;
- wherein the sequential layers are configured to be representative of at least one property of the concurrently manufactured part.
An apparatus for additively manufacturing a witness coupon, the apparatus comprising:
- a fixture secured to an additive manufacturing system, the fixture being electrically coupled and grounded to the additive manufacturing system;
- wherein the fixture comprises a build plate configured to support the deposition of a material for a witness coupon;
- a material deposition system configured to deposit a first layer of the material onto the build plate and additional sequential layers of the material onto the first layer;
- wherein the material deposition system sequentially print layers of the coupon and the part and is configured so that the layers of the coupon are representative of a property of the part;
- and
- wherein the witness coupon and the part are manufactured concurrently.
A method of additively manufacturing a witness coupon, the method comprising:
- mounting a part to a build plate of an additive manufacturing system, wherein the part is mechanically coupled to the build plate and electrically coupled to the build plate;
- mounting a coupon fixture to the part, wherein the coupon fixture is mechanically coupled to the part and electrically coupled to the part;
- depositing, by the additive manufacturing system, a layer of a feature on the part by melting a material onto the part using an electrical current flowing through the material, the part, and the build plate;
- and
- depositing, by the additive manufacturing system, a layer of a witness coupon on the coupon fixture by melting the material onto the coupon fixture using an electrical current flowing through the material, the coupon fixture, the part, and the build plate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.