Cantilever support of printhead module for additive manufacturing system

• US 10,350,824 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Ng, Hou T., Zehavi, Raanan, Patibandla, Nag B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Del Sole, Joseph S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hohenbrink, Jr., Lawrence D.
• Application Number:
  US15/265,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20170072643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,035 Days
• Field of Search: 4251744, 425375, 425 78, 264308
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/00 Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/13 to preheat the material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/45 Two or more
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/48 in height, e.g. perpendicular to the deposition plane
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/60 Planarisation devices; Compression devices
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/88 Handling of additively manufactured products, e.g. by robots
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/003 Apparatus, e.g. furnaces in general F27B
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/165 using a combination of solid and fluid materials, e.g. a powder selectively bound by a liquid binder, catalyst, inhibitor or energy absorber
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/20 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/205 Means for applying layers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/232 for motion along the axis orthogonal to the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/236 for motion in a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/264 Arrangements for irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/295 Heating elements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/307 Handling of material to be used in additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/336 of two or more materials
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 : Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 : Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 : Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 70/00 : Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system includes a platen having a top surface to support an object being manufactured, a support that is movable along a vertical axis, an actuator to move the support along the vertical axis, a dispenser to deliver a plurality of successive layers of feed material over the platen, an energy source configured to fuse at least a portion of the feed material, and a controller. The dispenser and energy source are mounted on the support over the platen such that motion of the support along the vertical axis moves the dispenser and energy source together toward or away from the top surface of the platen. The controller is coupled to the actuator, dispenser and energy source and configured to cause the actuator to move the support to lift the dispenser and actuator away from the top surface after each of the plurality of successive layers is delivered.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:

a platen having a top surface to support an object being manufactured;

a support positioned on one side of the platen, the support movable along a vertical axis, the support including a side plate;

a first actuator to move the support along the vertical axis;

a dispenser to deliver a plurality of successive layers of feed material over the platen;

an energy source configured to fuse at least a portion of the feed material;

a frame supporting the dispenser and the energy source, the frame having a side panel fixed to the side plate of the support such that the frame, dispenser and energy source are held in a cantilever arrangement over the platen, wherein the dispenser and energy source are mounted on the frame on the support over the platen such that motion of the support along the vertical axis moves the dispenser and energy source together toward or away from the top surface of the platen; and

a controller coupled to the first actuator, dispenser and energy source and configured to cause the first actuator to move the support to lift the dispenser and energy source away from the top surface after each of the plurality of successive layers is delivered.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the platen is configured to be vertically immobile.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to cause the first actuator to move the support by distance approximately equal to a thickness of a fused portion of a layer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the support is movable along a horizontal axis, the system comprises a second actuator to move the support along the horizontal axis, the controller is coupled to the second actuator, and the controller is configured to cause the second actuator to move the support along the horizontal axis to scan the dispenser across the top surface of the platen while a layer of the feed material is delivered.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the platen is configured to be horizontally immobile.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the support is supported on and movable along one or more horizontal rails on one side of the platen.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more horizontal rails are supported and movable along one or more vertical rails on the one side of the platen.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the support and actuator comprise a robot having a movable robot arm.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the robot comprises a 6-axis robot.

10. The system of claim 4, further comprising a roller or blade extending along a second axis and configured to smooth the layer of feed material, and wherein the roller or blade is mounted on the support.

11. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:

a platen having a top surface to support an object being manufactured;

a support that is movable along a horizontal axis, the support including a vertical plate;

an actuator to move the support along the horizontal axis;

a first frame having a first vertical side panel and a second vertical side panel on a side of the first frame opposite the first vertical side panel, the first vertical side panel of the first frame mechanically fixed to the support;

a second frame having a first vertical side panel mechanically fixed to the second vertical side panel of the first frame such that the first frame and the second frame are held in a cantilever arrangement over the platen;

a first dispenser mounted on the first frame to deliver a plurality of successive layers of feed material over the platen;

a second dispenser mounted on the second frame to deliver a plurality of successive layers of feed material over the platen, wherein motion of the support along the horizontal axis scans the first dispenser and second dispenser together along the horizontal axis across the top surface of the platen; and

an energy source configured to fuse at least a portion of the feed material.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the vertical plate, first frame and the second frame are positioned in order along a line perpendicular to the horizontal axis, such that the first dispenser is configured to deliver the plurality of successive layers of feed material to a first portion of the platen and the second dispenser is configured to deliver the plurality of successive layers of feed material to a second portion of the platen extending parallel to the first portion.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the energy source comprises a first energy source mounted on the first frame to fuse feed material on the first portion of the platen and a second energy source mounted on the second frame to fuse feed material on the second portion of the platen.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a heat source configured to heat the layer of feed material to a temperature below a temperature at which the feed material fuses, and wherein the heat source is mounted on the support.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the heat source comprises a first heat source mounted on the first frame to heat feed material on the first portion of the platen and a second heat source mounted on the second frame to heat feed material on the second portion of the platen.