ADDITIVE-MANUFACTURING SYSTEMS, APPARATUSES AND METHODS

• US 20150048553A1
• Filed: 07/24/2013
• Published: 02/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: DIETRICH, David Michael, COCHRAN, Russell W., BLOCH, Daniel D., COLEMAN, Gary W.
• Granted Patent: US 9,751,260 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/401
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/50 Treatment of workpieces or articles during build-up, e.g. treatments applied to fused layers during build-up
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/38 Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2003/245 Making recesses, grooves etc on the surface by removing material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2003/247 Removing material: carving, cleaning, grinding, hobbing, honing, lapping, polishing, milling, shaving, skiving, turning the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/24 After-treatment of workpieces or articles B22F3/1146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 6/007 using only additive methods, e.g. build-up welding
• 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: 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
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/209 Heads; Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/268 using laser beams; using electron beams [EB]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/273 pulsed; frequency modulated
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/30 Auxiliary operations or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: 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
• 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 40/20 Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

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

1. An additive-manufacturing system comprising:

an additive-manufacturing head; and

a surface-processing device coupled to the additive-manufacturing head.

2. The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface-processing device is movably coupled to the additive-manufacturing head.

3. 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.

4. The additive-manufacturing system of claim 3, further comprising means for rotatably positioning the housing relative to the additive-manufacturing head.

5. The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface-processing device has a trailing orientation relative to the additive-manufacturing head.

6. The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface-processing device comprises a laser-emitting device configured to emit a laser beam.

17. The additive-manufacturing system of claim 1, wherein the surface-processing device is configured to engage a product formed by the additive-manufacturing head.

18. The additive-manufacturing system of claim 17, wherein the surface-processing device is an abrasive cutter, the system further comprising a drive mechanism coupled to the abrasive cutter to rotate the abrasive cutter.

7-16. -16. (canceled)

19-43. -43. (canceled)

44. A surface-processing apparatus for an additive-manufacturing head, the surface-processing apparatus comprising:

a housing configured to be coupled to the additive-manufacturing head; and

a surface-processing device coupled to the housing.

45. The surface-processing apparatus of claim 44, wherein the surface-processing device includes one of a mechanical device or an optical device.

46. The surface-processing apparatus of claim 44, wherein the surface-processing device is configured to move relative to the additive-manufacturing head.

51. The surface-processing apparatus of claim 44, wherein the surface-processing device is configured to emit a laser beam.

58. The surface-processing apparatus of claim 44, wherein the surface-processing device is configured to engage a product formed by the additive-manufacturing head.

59. The surface-processing apparatus of claim 58, wherein the surface-processing device is configured to optically engage a product formed by the additive-manufacturing head.

60. The surface-processing apparatus of claim 58, wherein the surface-processing device is configured to physically engage a product formed by the additive-manufacturing head.

47-50. -50. (canceled)

52-57. -57. (canceled)

61-82. -82. (canceled)

83. A method of forming a product using an additive-manufacturing head, the method comprising:

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.

84. The method of claim 83, wherein processing the at least one of the one or more layers of the product comprises smoothing the at least one of the one or more layers of the product.

85. The method of claim 84, wherein smoothing the at least one of the one or more layers comprises smoothing the at least one of the one or more layers along at least one of an interior surface or an exterior surface of the product.

86. The method of claim 85, wherein smoothing the at least one of the one or more layers along the at least one of the interior surface or the exterior surface comprises abrading a portion of the at least one of the one or more layers.

87. The method of claim 85, wherein smoothing the at least one of the one or more layers along the at least one of the interior surface or the exterior surface comprises melting a portion of the at least one of the one or more layers.

88-108. -108. (canceled)