ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING WITH COOLANT SYSTEM

• US 20170014906A1
• Filed: 07/15/2016
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hou T Ng
• Inventors: Ng, Hou T., Patibandla, Nag B., Joshi, Ajey M., Swaminathan, Bharath, Kumar, Ashavani, Ng, Eric, Frey, Bernard, Krishnan, Kasiraman
• Granted Patent: US 10,668,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 12/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/49 Scanners
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/53 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/63 Rollers
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2201/02 Nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2201/10 Inert gases
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2201/50 air
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2203/11 temperature, temperature profile
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 Build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/703 Cooling arrangements by using a fluid stream B23K26/14
• 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 64/364 Conditioning of environment
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/371 using an environment other than air, e.g. inert gas
• 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: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

An additive manufacturing system includes a platen having a top surface to support an object being manufactured, a feed material dispenser to deliver a plurality of successive layers of feed material over the platen, an energy source positioned above the platen to fuse at least a portion of an outermost layer of feed material, and a coolant fluid dispenser to deliver a coolant fluid onto the outermost layer of feed material after at least a portion of the outermost layer has been fused.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:

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

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

an energy source positioned above the platen to fuse at least a portion of an outermost layer of feed material; and

a coolant fluid dispenser to deliver a coolant fluid onto the outermost layer of feed material after at least a portion of the outermost layer has been fused.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the coolant fluid dispenser includes a conduit configured to deliver coolant fluid simultaneously across a width of the platen, and comprising an actuator coupled to the conduit to move the conduit along a length of the platen.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the conduit comprises a plurality of spaced apart apertures extending across the width of the platen.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the conduit comprises a contiguous slot extending across the width of the platen.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the energy source is configured to apply heat to a region that scans at least along the length of the platen, and the system is configured to cause the actuator to move the conduit in conjunction with motion of the region along the length of the platen.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the energy source is configured to generate a beam that scans in both length and width directions across the outermost layer of feed material.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the energy source comprises a laser.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the energy source is configured to simultaneously heat an area of the outermost layer of feed material that extends across a width of the platen.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the energy source comprises a linear array of heat lamps.

10. The system of claim 5, wherein the conduit and energy source are supported in a fixed position relative to each other on a movable frame.

11. The system of claim 5, comprising a second actuator to move the region relative to the platen, and the controller is configured to cause the actuator to move the conduit in conjunction with motion caused by the second actuator.

12. The system of claim 2, comprising a controller configured to cause the actuator to move the conduit across the platen after the energy source has heated the layer of feed material.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the energy source is configured to simultaneously heat all of the outermost layer of feed material.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the energy source comprises an array of heat lamps.

15. The system of claim 2, wherein the feed material dispenser is configured to distribute feed material to a region that scans at least along the length of the platen, and the system is configured to cause the actuator to move the conduit in conjunction with motion of the region along the length of the platen.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the feed material dispenser comprises at least one of a spreader to push feed material from a reservoir adjacent the platen, or a distributor out of which material is delivered.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the conduit and spreader or distributor are supported in a fixed position relative to each other on a movable frame.

18. The system of claim 16, comprising a second actuator to move the spreader or distributor relative to the platen, and the controller is configured to cause the actuator to move the conduit in conjunction with motion caused by the second actuator.

19. The system of claim 1, comprising a chamber in which the platen is suspended, and wherein the coolant fluid dispenser is configured to inject the coolant fluid into the chamber.

20. A method of additive manufacturing, comprising:

successively forming a plurality of layers on a support, wherein forming a layer from the plurality of layers comprises

dispensing a layer of feed material over a platen;

fusing at least a portion of the layer of feed material;

delivering a coolant fluid onto the layer of feed material after at least a portion of the layer has been fused.