MATERIAL PROCESSING METHODS AND RELATED APPARATUS

• US 20170129180A1
• Filed: 06/09/2015
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies
• Original Assignee: Hybrid Manufacturing Technologies
• Inventors: Coates, Peter, Jones, Jason B.
• Application Number:
  US15/317,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20170129180A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/32 of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/38 to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/38 Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2202/03 Treatment under cryogenic or supercritical conditions
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 1/002 Gantry-type milling machines
• CPC Class Codes: B23C 1/08 with a plurality of vertical working-spindles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0093 combined with mechanical machining or metal-working covered by other subclasses than B23K combined welding or cutting procedures or apparatus B23K28/02
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 Build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 23/04 for both machining and other metal-working operations
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 6/007 using only additive methods, e.g. build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 1/0009 Energy-transferring means or control lines for movable machine parts; Control panels or boxes; Control parts control handles for driving or feeding mechanisms B23Q5/54
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 1/012 Portals
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 11/0046 by sucking
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 11/0825 Relatively slidable coverings, e.g. telescopic
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 11/0891 arranged between the working area and the operator
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 17/00 Arrangements for observing, indicating or measuring on machine tools for automatic control or regulation of feed movement, cutting velocity or position of tool or work B23Q15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 2220/008 : Rotatable tool holders coupled in parallel to a non rotating accessory
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 3/15506 : the tool being inserted in a tool holder directly from a storage device (without transfer device)
• CPC Class Codes: B23Q 3/15539 : Plural magazines, e.g. involving tool transfer from one magazine to another involving manual operation B23Q3/15533
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/25 : Housings, e.g. machine housings
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/371 : using an environment other than air, e.g. inert gas
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 : Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 80/40 : Minimising material used in manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/30392 : with means to protect operative or machine [e.g., guard, safety device, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/307168 : Plural cutters
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/308288 : including gantry-type cutter-carrier
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/115 : Guard
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/17 : including machine tool or component
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/1736 : Tool having specific mounting or work treating feature
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/1795 : Matrix indexes selected tool to transfer position
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/1845 : Plural matrices

Abstract

The application describes a machine tool adapted and arranged to carry out removal and addition of material on a work piece located in a work station, the machine having a first head arranged to remove material from the work piece and at least a second head arranged to process the work piece, each of the first and second heads being arranged to be moveable in at least two axes and preferably in 3, 4 or 5 axes and wherein the machine is arranged to control an environment of the work station. The work station is at least partially sealable. The machine has a clean side and a dirty side. Novel processing heads particularly adapted for use in the new machine tool are disclosed. These may also be retrofitted to CNC machines. The novel heads include heads adapted to carry out two processes simultaneously. Heads adapted to carry out heat and pressure treatment are also disclosed. Use of the processing beads to carry out analysis in manufacturing steps is disclosed as is the provision and use of heads that can carry out analysis as well as processing.

Claims

1. A machine tool adapted and arranged to carry out removal and addition of material on a work piece located in a work station, the machine having a first head arranged to remove material from the work piece and at least a second head arranged to process the work piece, each of the first and second heads being arranged to be moveable in at least two axes and preferably in 3, 4 or 5 axes and wherein the machine is arranged to control an environment of the work station.

2. The machine tool of claim 1, wherein the machine comprises a clean side and a dirty side.

3. The machine tool of claim 1, wherein the first head is selectable from a plurality of first interchangeable processing heads and the second head is selectable from a plurality of second interchangeable processing heads and wherein the first interchangeable processing heads are storable in a first tool changer and the second interchangeable processing heads are storable in a second tool changer.

4. The machine tool of claim 3, wherein the first and the second tool changers are remote from the work station.

5. The machine of claim 1, wherein the work station comprises a chamber that is, at least in part, sealable.

6. The machine tool of claim 5, wherein the chamber is partially open and is provided with a local shielding locatable around the work-piece during processing.

7. The machine tool of claim 5, wherein an environment in the chamber is controllable and may be provided with at least one of:

at least a partial inert gas atmosphere

a low oxygen atmosphere;

a coolant;

a pressure above ambient pressure;

a pressure below ambient pressure;

a vacuum.

8. The machine tool of claim 1, further comprising a waste extractor.

9. The machine tool of claim 1, wherein the machine further comprises an integral docking system, preferably having a supply manifold located on one or each carriage and arranged to connect with a receiving manifold on the processing head.

10. The machine tool of claim 9, wherein the docking system is arranged to provide a clean connection between a supply docking manifold on the machine and a receiving manifold on the processing head.

11. The machine tool of claim 9, wherein the docking system is arranged to be able to supply material and energy to the or each processing head in use.

12. The machine tool of claim 11, wherein the media is supplied to a reservoir in the processing head or is continuously supplied to the processing head.

13. The machine tool of claim 9, wherein energy is supplied to the processing head by a laser beam or by a fibre optic cable and wherein the energy source is preferably integral to the machine.

14. The machine tool of claim 1, wherein the machine comprises one or more heads arranged to monitor and/or analyse at least one of the work-piece and a processing head.

15. A method of creating an article using a machine tool having a work station and at least one tool changer remote from the work station, the method comprising

using a first processing head, having a first deposition characteristic, to lay down material having a first set of properties on a work piece in the work station;

changing the first processing head for a second processing head selected from the tool changer, the second processing head having a second deposition characteristic different from the first;

laying further material down having a second set of properties.

in which the machine tool holding the processing head automatically changes the processing head from the first head to the second head and the second deposition characteristic is arranged to improve the fidelity of the article being created to the desired article

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second deposition characteristic varies one or more of the following parameters when compared to the first deposition characteristic:

angle of deposition (relative to the build surface);

type of material;

mixture of materials being deposited;

deposition rate;

bead size;

cross-sectional shape of deposition;

energy input;

nano/micro characteristic of material;

colour and transparency of material;

texture of the surface finish

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the article is created in stages such that at least one of the first and second processing heads are used a plurality of times.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein a third processing head is used and arranged to remove material from the article.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the machine tool further comprises a controller and the controller is arranged to control the first processing head to deposit material and is then arranged to select a second processing head dependent on the material deposited and the work piece to be created.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the controller uses data from the first or the second processing head to select a further processing head to be utilised.

21-72. -72. (canceled)