Method and arrangement for building metallic objects by solid freeform fabrication
AssigneeNorsk Titanium AS
InventorFerdinand Stempfer
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and arrangement for manufacturing objects by solid freeform fabrication, especially titanium and titanium alloy objects, wherein the deposition rate is increased by supplying the metallic feed material in the form of a wire and employing two gas transferred arcs, one plasma transferred arc for heating the deposition area on the base material and one plasma transferred arc for heating and melting the feed wire.
Claims17
A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional object of a metallic material by solid freeform fabrication, where the object is made by fusing together successive deposits of the metallic material onto a holding substrate, the method comprising:
- employing a holding substrate made of a similar metallic material as the object is to be made of, and
- each successive deposit is obtained by:
- i) employing a first plasma transferred arc to preheat and form a molten pool in a base material at the position at which the metallic material is to be deposited,
- ii) feeding the metallic material to be deposited in the form of a feed wire of metallic material to a position above the molten pool,
- iii) employing a second plasma transferred arc to heat and melt the feed wire of metallic material such that molten metallic material is dripping into the molten pool, and
- iv) moving the holding substrate relative to the position of the first and second plasma transferred arcs in a predetermined pattern such that the successive deposits of molten metallic material solidifies and forms the three-dimensional object.
An arrangement for manufacturing a three-dimensional object of a metallic material by solid freeform fabrication, where the object is made by fusing successive deposits of a metallic material onto a holding substrate, the arrangement comprising:
- a welding torch with an integrated wire feeder, the welding torch comprising i) a first separately controlled plasma transferred arc torch electrically connected to a base material, and ii) a second separately controlled plasma transferred arc torch electrically connected to a feed wire of metallic material;
- an actuator supporting a holding substrate, the holding substrate made of a similar metallic material as the object to be formed;
- and
- a computer assisted design model of the object which is to be formed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.