SELECTIVE DEPOSITING OF POWDER IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

• US 20160368055A1
• Filed: 06/17/2016
• Published: 12/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hou T Ng
• Inventors: Swaminathan, Bharath, Joshi, Ajey M., Patibandla, Nag B., Ng, Hou T., Kumar, Ashavani, Ng, Eric, Frey, Bernard, Krishnan, Kasiraman
• Granted Patent: US 10,384,265 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/32 of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/80 Data acquisition or data processing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/13 to preheat the material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/224 for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/226 for rotary motion
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/38 Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/53 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/63 Rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/05 Stainless steel
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/08 Non-ferrous metals or alloys
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/14 Titanium or alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/26 Alloys of Nickel and Cobalt and Chromium
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/16 Removal of by-products, e.g. particles or vapours produced during treatment of a workpiece by a fluid stream B23K26/142
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 Build-up welding
• 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 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• 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: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

A method of additive manufacturing include delivering at least one layer by either depositing a uniform layer of powder on a support and then removing a portion of the layer with a roller with a surface having spatially controlled electrostatic charge, or by depositing powder onto the surface of the roller and moving the roller relative to a support such that the spatially controllable electrostatic charge on the surface of the roller causes transfer of a corresponding portion of the powder from the roller onto the support or an underlying layer.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:

a dispenser to deliver a plurality of successive layers of powder over a support, the plurality of successive layers including a bottom layer deposited on the support and remaining layers each deposited on an underlying layer of fused powder;

an electron source to impart a spatially controllable electrostatic charge to a surface;

an actuator configured to move the surface relative to the support such that the spatially controllable electrostatic charge on the surface causes removal of a corresponding portion of an outermost layer of powder on the support; and

an energy source to fuse at least some of the outermost layer of powder.

2. The system of claim 1, comprising a rotatable roller having the surface, the roller movable parallel to a top surface of the support.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the roller comprises a photoconductive layer, and the electron source comprises a coronal discharge unit to impart a uniform charge on the roller and a light source to illuminate the roller to generate the spatially controllable electrostatic charge on the surface of the roller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the electron source comprises an electron gun.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy source comprises a lamp array configured to fuse substantially all of the outermost layer of powder or a laser configured to scan the outermost layer of powder.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispenser comprises a nozzle configured to eject the powder and movable parallel to a top surface of the support.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the support comprises an electrostatically chargeable chuck.

8. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:

a dispenser to deliver a plurality of successive layers of powder over a support, the plurality of successive layers including a bottom layer deposited on the support and remaining layers each deposited on an underlying layer of fused powder, wherein the dispenser includes

a reservoir for a powder,

a surface to receive the powder from the reservoir;

an electron source to impart a spatially controllable electrostatic charge to the surface, and

an actuator configured to move the surface relative to the support such that the spatially controllable electrostatic charge on the surface causes transfer of a corresponding portion of the powder from the roller onto the support or the underlying layer of fused powder to provide an outermost layer of powder on the support; and

an energy source to fuse at least some of the outermost layer of powder.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising a rotatable roller having the surface, the roller movable parallel to a top surface of the support.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the roller comprises a photoconductive layer, and the electron source comprises a coronal discharge unit to impart a uniform charge on the roller and a light source to illuminate the roller to generate the spatially controllable electrostatic charge on the surface of the roller.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the electron source comprises an electron gun.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the energy source comprises a lamp array configured to fuse substantially all of the outermost layer of powder or a laser configured to scan the outermost layer of powder.

13. A method of additive manufacturing a part, comprising:

delivering a plurality of successive layers of powder over a support, wherein delivering at least one layer includes

depositing a uniform layer of powder on a support,

imparting a spatially controllable electrostatic charge on a surface, and

moving the surface relative to the support such that the spatially controllable electrostatic charge on the surface of the roller causes removal of a corresponding portion of an outermost layer of powder on the support; and

fusing at least a portion of the outermost layer of powder after removal of the portion.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the surface is a surface of rotatable roller, and moving the surface comprise moving the roller parallel to a top surface of the support.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein imparting the spatially controllable electrostatic charge comprises illuminating the roller with a light beam.

16. The method of claim 15, comprising inducing a uniform charge on the roller, and wherein the light beam illuminates a photoconductive layer on the roller so as to discharge a portion of the charge on the roller to impart the spatially controllable electrostatic charge.

17. A method of additive manufacturing of a part, comprising:

delivering a plurality of successive layers of powder over a support, wherein delivering at least one layer includes

imparting a spatially controllable electrostatic charge along a surface,

depositing powder onto the surface, and

moving the surface relative to a support such that the spatially controllable electrostatic charge on the surface causes transfer of a corresponding portion of the powder from the surface onto the support or an underlying layer of fused powder to provide an outermost layer of powder on the support; and

fusing at least a portion of the outermost layer of powder after transfer of the portion.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the surface is a surface of rotatable roller, and moving the surface comprise moving the roller parallel to a top surface of the support.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein imparting the spatially controllable electrostatic charge comprises illuminating the roller with a light beam.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising inducing a uniform charge on the roller, and wherein the light beam illuminates a photoconductive layer on the roller so as to discharge a portion of the charge on the roller to impart the spatially controllable electrostatic charge.