Method and fabricating tools for earth boring

• US 20030094730A1
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Varel International Ind LP (Varel International Ind)
• Original Assignee: Varel International Ind
• Inventors: Cazalas, Yves, Cazaux, Bernard H., Pontneau, Bernard, Dourfaye, Alfazazi, Cuillier, Bruno, Gallego, Gilles J-P
• Application Number:
  US10/289,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20030094730A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/219
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/20 Direct sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/007 of moulds
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/106 using only liquids or viscous materials, e.g. depositing a continuous bead of viscous material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/135 the energy source being concentrated, e.g. scanning lasers or focused light sources
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 10/55 with preformed cutting elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A method for creating a rapid prototype mold for parts of an earth boring tool for manufacture thereof comprises initially optimizing the drill bit design and integrating this design into CAD code. The CAD code is utilized to generate a prototype file in a computer outputting command signals to a laser, and a laser scanner to prototype a mold utilizing stereolithography, selective laser sintering, or laminated object manufacturing, in addition to other prototype techniques to manufacture earth boring tool parts.

Claims

1. A method for fabricating components of an earth boring tool, comprising:

(a) creating a CAD database comprising a design of a component of the tool;

(b) prototyping a mold of the design of the tool component from the created CAD database;

(c) preparing the mold for casting the tool component; and

(d) filling the prepared mold with a material selected for the tool component.

2. A method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

repeating (a) through (d) for each component of a tool.

3. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 1 further comprising firing the filled mold in a furnace to solidify the selected material of the tool component.

4. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein filling the prepared mold comprises filling the prepared mold with a molten metal.

5. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein filling the prepared mold comprises filling the mold with a nonmetallic material.

6. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein filling the prepared mold comprises filling the mold with a matrix powder with a binder.

7. A method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool, comprising:

(a) optimizing a design of a tool component by operation of a computer program;

(b) integrating the optimized design of the tool component into a CAD database;

(c) prototyping a mold of the design of the tool component from the integrated CAD database;

(d) preparing the mold for casting the tool component; and

(e) filling the prepared mold with a material selected for the tool component.

8. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 7 further comprising repeating (a) through (e) for each component of an earth boring tool.

9. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 7 wherein optimizing the design comprises optimizing both the mechanical and hydraulic design of a tool component.

10. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 7 further comprising firing the filled mold in a furnace to solidify the selected material of the drill bit component.

11. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 10 further comprising breaking away the prepared mold to recover the molded tool component.

12. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 7 wherein prototyping a mold comprises prototyping the mold by stereolithography.

13. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 7 wherein prototyping a mold comprises prototyping by selective laser sintering.

14. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 7 wherein prototyping a mold comprises prototyping by laminated object manufacturing.

15. The method of fabricating a component of an earth boring tool as set forth in claim 7 wherein prototyping a mold comprises prototyping by fused deposition modeling.

16. A method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit for fabrication thereof, comprising:

optimizing the design of a component of a drill bit by operation of a computer program;

integrating the optimized design of the drill bit component into a CAD database; and

prototyping a mold of the drill bit component to be fabricated in accordance with the optimized design.

17. The method for creating a mold of components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 16 wherein prototyping a mold comprises prototyping a male mold of the drill bit component.

18. The method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 16 further comprising covering the prototyped mold supported on a burnable pattern with a slurry of a hardenable refractory material.

19. The method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 18 further comprising hardening the refractory material to form a shell.

20. The method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 19 further comprising burning out the burnable pattern and the prototype mold leaving the shell.

21. The method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 20 further comprising filling the shell with a material selected for the drill bit component.

22. The method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 21 further comprising breaking away the shell to release the molded drill bit component.

23. The method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 16 wherein prototyping a mold comprises prototyping a female mold of a drill bit component.

24. The method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 23 further comprising creating a male master mold from the prototyped female mold.

25. The method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 24 further comprising creating a destructible female mold from the male master mold.

26. The method for creating a mold for components of a drill bit as set forth in claim 25 further comprising filling the destructible female mold with a material selected for the drill bit component.

27. A method for fabricating a component of a drill bit for earth boring, comprising:

optimizing the design of a drill bit component by operation of a computer program;

integrating the optimized design into a CAD database comprising a design of the component of the drill bit;

generating a prototype file on the drill bit comprising the CAD database;

prototyping a mold of the drill bit component from the prototype file;

preparing the mold for casting the drill bit component; and

filling the prepared mold with a material selected for the drill bit component.

28. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 27 wherein prototyping a mold comprises prototyping a male mold of the drill bit components.

29. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 27 further comprising covering the mold supported on a burnable pattern with a slurry of hardenable refractory material.

30. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 29 further comprising hardening the refractory material to form a shell.

31. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 30 further comprising burning out the burnable pattern and the prototype mold leaving the shell.

32. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 31 wherein filling the prepared mold comprises filling the shell with a material selected for the drill bit component.

33. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 32 wherein filling the prepared mold further comprises breaking away the shell to uncover the molded bit body component.

34. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 27 wherein prototyping a mold comprises prototyping a female mold of the drill bit component.

35. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 34 further comprising creating a male master mold from the prototype female mold.

36. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 35 further comprising creating a destructible female mold from the male master mold.

37. The method of fabricating a component of a drill bit as set forth in claim 36 wherein filling the prepared mold comprises filling the destructible female mold with a material selected for the drill bit component.