Late Customization on Valve Body End Connections Using Additive Manufacturing

• US 20170326692A1
• Filed: 05/10/2016
• Published: 11/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Fisher Controls International LLC (Emerson Electric Company)
• Inventors: Lai, Tan K., Siang, Chong S.
• Granted Patent: US 10,322,476 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/10 of articles with cavities or holes, not otherwise provided for in the preceding subgroups
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 7/08 with one or more parts not made from powder B22F7/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 Build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23P 15/001 valves or valve housings welding B23K; valve housings per se F16K
• 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 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/00 Construction of housing methods for welding housings B23K; Use of materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F16K 27/10 Welded housings
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A method is provided of custom manufacturing a valve body having an initial valve body configuration having a first end connection and a second end connection. The method includes adding material to the first end connection using a first additive manufacturing process to create at least a portion of a custom first end connection configuration, and the custom first end connection configuration is different than an initial first end connection configuration. The method further includes adding material to the second end connection using a second additive manufacturing process to create at least a portion of a custom second end connection configuration, and the custom second end connection configuration is different than an initial second end connection configuration.

Claims

1. A method of custom manufacturing a valve body having an initial valve body configuration having a first end connection and a second end connection, the first end connection having an initial first end connection configuration and the second end connection having an initial second end connection configuration, the method comprising:

adding material to the first end connection using a first additive manufacturing process to create at least a portion of a custom first end connection configuration, wherein the custom first end connection configuration is different than the initial first end connection configuration; and

adding material to the second end connection using a second additive manufacturing process to create at least a portion of a custom second end connection configuration, wherein the custom second end connection configuration is different than the initial second end connection configuration.

2. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 1, wherein the first additive manufacturing process is the same process as the second additive manufacturing process.

3. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first additive manufacturing process or the second additive manufacturing process is a directed energy laser deposition process.

4. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 1, further comprising:

casting the valve body into the initial valve body configuration, wherein the first end connection has the initial first end connection configuration and the second end connection has the initial second end connection configuration.

5. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 1, wherein at least one of the initial first end connection configuration or the initial second end connection configuration is a butt weld end connection.

6. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 5, wherein at least one of the custom first end connection configuration or the custom second end connection configuration is a flange configuration.

7. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 5, further comprising:

removing material from the first end connection using a first material removal process to create at least a portion of the custom first end connection configuration; and

removing material from the second end connection using a second material removal process to create at least a portion of the custom second end connection configuration.

8. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 7, wherein the first material removal process is a cutting process using a lathe and the second material removal process is a cutting process using a lathe.

9. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 7, wherein the first material removal process, the second material removal process, the first additive manufacturing process, and the second additive manufacturing process is performed by the same machining equipment.

10. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 9, wherein the machining equipment is a CNC lathe with directed energy laser deposition capabilities.

11. The method of custom manufacturing a valve body of claim 1, wherein the first end connection is an inlet end connection and a second end connection is an outlet end connection.

12. A method of custom manufacturing a first valve body having an inlet end connection and an outlet end connection, a second valve body having an inlet end connection and an outlet end connection, and a third valve body having an inlet end connection and an outlet end connection, the method comprising:

storing the first valve body at a first storage location, wherein the inlet end connection of the first valve body has an initial inlet end connection configuration and the outlet end connection of the first valve body has an initial outlet end connection configuration,

storing the second valve body at a second storage location, wherein the inlet end connection of the second valve body has an initial inlet end connection configuration and the outlet end connection of the second valve body has an initial outlet end connection configuration, wherein the initial inlet end connection configuration of the second valve body is identical to the initial inlet end connection configuration of the first valve body and the initial outlet end connection configuration of the second valve body is identical to the initial outlet end connection configuration of the first valve body;

storing the third valve at a third storage location, wherein the inlet end connection of the third valve body having an initial inlet end connection configuration and the outlet end connection of the third valve body having an initial outlet end connection configuration, wherein the initial inlet end connection configuration of the third valve body is identical to the initial inlet end connection configuration of the first valve body and the initial outlet end connection configuration of the third valve body is identical to the initial outlet end connection configuration of the first valve body;

transferring the first valve body from the first storage location to a first manufacturing position;

adding material to the inlet end connection of the first valve body at the first manufacturing position, wherein adding material to the inlet end connection of the first valve body at the first manufacturing position includes using a first additive manufacturing process to create at least a first portion of a custom inlet end connection configuration, wherein the custom inlet end connection configuration of the first valve body is different than the initial inlet end connection configuration of the first valve body;

transferring the second valve body from the second storage location to a second manufacturing position;

adding material to the inlet end connection of the second valve body at the second manufacturing position, wherein adding material to the inlet end connection of the second valve body at the second manufacturing position includes adding material to the inlet end connection of the second valve body using the first additive manufacturing process to create at least a first portion of a custom inlet end connection configuration, wherein the custom inlet end connection configuration of the second valve body is different than the initial inlet end connection configuration of the second valve body and the custom inlet end connection configuration of the first valve body;

transferring the third valve body from the second storage location to a third manufacturing position;

adding material to the inlet end connection of the third valve body at the third manufacturing position, wherein adding material to the inlet end connection of the third valve body at the third manufacturing position includes adding material to the inlet end connection of the third valve body using the first additive manufacturing process to create at least a first portion of a custom inlet end connection configuration, wherein the custom inlet end connection configuration of the third valve body is different than the initial inlet end connection configuration of the third valve body, the custom inlet end connection configuration of the first valve body, and the custom inlet end connection configuration of the second valve body.

13. A method of claim 12, wherein the first manufacturing position is the same as the second manufacturing position, and the third manufacturing position is not the same as the first manufacturing position.

14. A method of claim 12, wherein the first manufacturing position is same as the second manufacturing position, and the third manufacturing position is the same as the first manufacturing position.

15. A method of claim 12, further comprising:

removing material from the inlet end connection of the first valve body in a material removal process at the first manufacturing position to create at least a second portion of the custom inlet end connection configuration of the first valve body;

removing material from the inlet end connection of the second valve body in a material removal process at the second manufacturing position to create at least a second portion of the custom inlet end connection configuration of the second valve body; and

removing material from the inlet end connection of the third valve body in a material removal process at the third manufacturing position to create at least a second portion of the custom inlet end connection configuration of the third valve body.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the material removal process at each of the first manufacturing position, the second manufacturing position, and the third manufacturing position is a cutting process using a lathe.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the material removal process and the first additive manufacturing process at each of the first manufacturing position, the second manufacturing position, and the third manufacturing position is performed by the same machining equipment.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first additive manufacturing process is a directed energy laser deposition process.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the inlet end connection of the first valve body, the second valve body, and the third valve body is a butt weld end connection.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the custom inlet end connection configuration of the first valve body, the second valve body, and the third valve body is a flange configuration.