Additive manufacturing of joining preforms
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAndrew Batton Witney, Jeffrey Michael Breznak
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of fabricating a joining preform includes the step of printing a self-fluxing joining alloy. Joining includes brazing and soldering. The self-fluxing joining alloy contains at least one of phosphorus, boron, fluorine, chlorine, or potassium. Another printing step prints a non-phosphorous joining alloy. Both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing or 3D printing process. The printing a self-fluxing joining alloy step may be repeated until the non-phosphorous joining alloy is substantially encapsulated by the self-fluxing joining alloy. The self-fluxing joining alloy may be a BCuP alloy, a CuP alloy, a CuSnP alloy, a CuSnNiP alloy or a CuAgP alloy. The non-phosphorous joining alloy may be a BAg alloy, a BNi alloy or a BAu alloy.
Claims20
A method of fabricating a joining preform, the method comprising:
- printing a self-fluxing joining alloy, the self-fluxing joining alloy containing at least one of phosphorus, boron, fluorine, chlorine, or potassium, the printing a self-fluxing joining alloy step comprising printing multiple layers of the self-fluxing joining alloy, each of the layers having a different percentage of phosphorus;
- printing a non-phosphorous joining alloy;
- repeating the printing a self-fluxing joining alloy step until the non-phosphorous joining alloy is substantially encapsulated by the self-fluxing joining alloy;
- and
- wherein both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing process.
A method of fabricating a joining preform, the method comprising:
- printing a non-phosphorous joining alloy;
- printing a self-fluxing joining alloy on the non-phosphorous joining alloy, the self-fluxing joining alloy containing at least one of phosphorus, boron, fluorine, chlorine, or potassium, the printing a self-fluxing joining alloy step comprising printing multiple layers of the self-fluxing joining alloy, each of the layers having a different percentage of phosphorus;
- and
- wherein both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing process.
A method of fabricating a brazing preform, the method comprising:
- printing a self-fluxing braze alloy, the self-fluxing braze alloy containing phosphorus, the self-fluxing braze alloy is at least one of a BCuP alloy, a CuP alloy, a CuSnP alloy, a CuSnNiP alloy or a CuAgP alloy, the printing a self-fluxing braze alloy step comprising printing multiple layers of the self-fluxing braze alloy, each of the layers having a different percentage of phosphorus;
- printing a non-phosphorous braze alloy, the non-phosphorous braze alloy is a BAg alloy;
- repeating the printing a self-fluxing braze alloy step until the non-phosphorous braze alloy is substantially encapsulated by the self-fluxing braze alloy;
- and
- wherein both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing process, and the brazing preform is formed into at least one of a cylinder, a disc, a sheet or a washer.
A method of fabricating a joining preform, the method comprising:
- printing a self-fluxing alloy in multiple layers, the self-fluxing alloy containing phosphorus, at least some of the layers having a different percentage of phosphorus;
- printing a non-phosphorous alloy;
- repeating the printing a self-fluxing alloy step until the non-phosphorous alloy is substantially encapsulated by the self-fluxing alloy;
- and
- wherein both printing steps are performed by an additive manufacturing process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.