# US 9,751,260 B2 · Additive-manufacturing systems, apparatuses and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,751,260 B2 - Document ID: US9751260B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/949,946 - Filed: 2013-07-24 - Published: 2015-02-19 - Granted: 2017-09-05 - Earliest claimed: 2013-07-24 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: David Michael Dietrich; Russell W. Cochran; Daniel D. Bloch; Gary W. Coleman - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9751260B2 ## CPC - B32B 33/00: Layered products characterised by particular properties or particular surface features, e.g. particular surface coatings; Layered products designed for particular purposes not covered by another single class - B22F 3/24: After-treatment of workpieces or articles {(B22F3/1146 takes precedence)} - B22F 10/50: Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up - B29C 64/135: the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources - B29C 64/188: involving additional operations performed on the added layers, e.g. smoothing, grinding or thickness control (surface shaping B29C59/00; after-treatment of articles without altering their shape B29C71/00) - B29C 64/209: Heads; Nozzles - B29C 64/268: using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] - B29C 64/30: Auxiliary operations or equipment - B33Y 10/00: Processes of additive manufacturing - B33Y 30/00: Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor - B33Y 40/20: Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing - B22F 10/25: Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS] - B22F 12/38: {Housings, e.g. machine housings} - B22F 2003/245: {Making recesses, grooves etc on the surface by removing material} - B22F 2003/247: {Removing material: carving, cleaning, grinding, hobbing, honing, lapping, polishing, milling, shaving, skiving, turning the surface} - B23P 6/007: {using only additive methods, e.g. build-up welding} - B29C 64/106: using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material - B29C 64/153: using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting - B29C 64/273: pulsed; frequency modulated - B29L 2009/00: Layered products - Y02P 10/25: Process efficiency - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - 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 - 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) - 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 - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract Additive-manufacturing systems, surface-processing apparatuses, and methods of forming products using an additive-manufacturing head are provided. In one aspect, an additive-manufacturing system includes an additive-manufacturing head and a surface-processing device coupled to the additive-manufacturing head. In another aspect, a surface-processing apparatus for an additive-manufacturing head includes a housing configured to be coupled to the additive-manufacturing head and a surface-processing device coupled to the housing. In a further aspect, a method of forming a product using an additive-manufacturing head includes forming one or more layers of the product with the additive-manufacturing head and processing at least one of the one or more layers of the product with a surface-processing device coupled to the additive-manufacturing head. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An additive-manufacturing system comprising: an additive-manufacturing head operable to deposit a new layer of material on an existing layer of material and melt the new layer of material to weld the new layer to the existing layer of material; and a surface-processing device coupled to the additive-manufacturing head, wherein the surface-processing device comprises a laser-emitting device configured to emit a laser beam that smooths adjacent surfaces of the new layer of material and the existing layer of material. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface-processing device is movably coupled to the additive-manufacturing head. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 2, further comprising a housing rotatably coupled to the additive-manufacturing head, wherein the surface-processing device is coupled to the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 3, further comprising means for rotatably positioning the housing relative to the additive-manufacturing head. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface-processing device has a trailing orientation relative to the additive-manufacturing head. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising a support member, a laser energy source, and a laser-delivery device including a first end optically coupled to the laser energy source and a second end coupled to the support member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the laser-emitting device is configured to be spaced-apart from a surface of a product formed by the additive-manufacturing head. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the laser-emitting device comprises: a first laser-emitting device configured to emit a first laser beam that smooths adjacent surfaces of the new layer of material and the existing layer of material on a first side of the new layer of material and the existing layer of material; and a second laser-emitting device configured to emit a second laser beam that smooths adjacent surfaces of the new layer of material and the existing layer of material on an opposing second side of the new layer of material and the existing layer of material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, further comprising a guide member, wherein the guide member is configured to engage a product formed by the additive-manufacturing head to orient the surface-processing device relative to the product. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 9, wherein the guide member spaces the surface-processing device relative to the product. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 6, wherein the laser-emitting device comprises the second end of the laser-delivery device, the second end configured to be generally polygonal in shape to emit the laser beam having a generally polygonal cross-section. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 6, further comprising a laser energy source and a laser-delivery device optically coupled to the laser energy source and the laser-emitting device. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 12, further comprising a housing and a support member, wherein the support member is coupled to the housing and the housing is coupled to the additive-manufacturing head, and wherein the laser-delivery device includes a first end coupled to the laser energy source and a second end coupled to the support member. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 13, wherein the second end of the laser-delivery device is coupled to the laser-emitting device that is polygonal in shape to emit the laser beam having a generally polygonal cross-section. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 14, wherein the laser-emitting device is rectangular in shape to emit the laser beam having a generally rectangular cross-section. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 12, wherein the laser-emitting device is configured to emit the laser beam having a generally arcuate perimeter shape. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 16, wherein the laser-emitting device is configured to emit the laser beam having a generally circular shape. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The additive-manufacturing system of claim 13, wherein the laser-delivery device comprises a fiber optic cable.