Metallic Sleeve For Reducing Distortion In Additive Manufacturing
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a metal object by selective melting of a metal powder, the method comprising:
- forming the metal object layer by layer over a build platform; and
during the forming, providing a metal sleeve spaced apart from and substantially paralleling an outer surface of the metal object, the metal sleeve being separated from the metal object by a gap filled with non-melted metal powder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of manufacturing a metal object by selective melting of a metal powder is provided. The method includes forming the metal object layer by layer in a metal powder bed on a retractable build platform. During the forming, a metal sleeve is provided spaced apart from and substantially paralleling an outer surface of the metal object, the metal sleeve being separated from the metal object by a gap filled with non-melted metal powder. The metal sleeve reduces thermal distortions in the object. An additive manufacturing system that includes a metallic sleeve that surrounds the metal object as it is formed is also disclosed.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a metal object by selective melting of a metal powder, the method comprising:
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forming the metal object layer by layer over a build platform; and during the forming, providing a metal sleeve spaced apart from and substantially paralleling an outer surface of the metal object, the metal sleeve being separated from the metal object by a gap filled with non-melted metal powder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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5. The method of clam 4, further comprising separating the metal object from the build platform and the metal sleeve from the build platform.
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10. A metal powder additive manufacturing system for creating a metal object, the system comprising:
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a build platform to receive successive layers of metal powder and support the metal object during manufacture; an applicator to create a layer of metal powder over the build platform; an electron or laser beam transmitter operative to form the metal object layer by layer by selectively melting the successive layers of metal powder over the build platform; and a control system for controlling an actuator that controls movement between at least the build platform, the electron or laser beam transmitter and the applicator; and a metal sleeve extending through a slot in the build platform and having an interior surface configured to substantially parallel an outer surface of the metal object as the metal object is formed within the metal sleeve. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing code representative of a metal object and a metal thermal gradient dissipating structure, the metal object and the metal thermal dissipating structure physically generated upon execution of the code by a computerized metal powder additive manufacturing system, the code comprising:
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code representing the object and the thermal dissipating structure, the thermal dissipating structure including; a metal sleeve spaced apart from and substantially paralleling an outer surface of the metal object. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification