MULTI-REGION TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED BASE FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

• US 20180345649A1
• Filed: 06/05/2017
• Published: 12/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Prakash, Om
• Granted Patent: US 10,974,497 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/245 Platforms or substrates support structures intended to be sacrificed after manufacture B29C64/40
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/295 Heating elements
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• 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

Various additive manufacturing systems and methods are described. In one example, a base is configured to receive deposition material from an additive manufacturing apparatus. The base includes a plurality of regions configured to be individually temperature controlled to affect heat transfer characteristics of at least a portion of the received deposition material. A temperature control system is coupled with the regions and configured to adjust an associated temperature of each of the regions.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a base configured to receive deposition material from an additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein the base comprises a plurality of regions configured to be individually temperature controlled to affect heat transfer characteristics of at least a portion of the received deposition material; and

a temperature control system coupled with the regions and configured to adjust an associated temperature of each of the regions to reduce residual stress and distortion in a product that is fabricated from the received deposition material during an additive manufacturing process.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system comprises a plurality of heat transfer elements configured to transfer heat between the regions and the received deposition material.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the regions are modular regions configured to be mechanically coupled with each other to form a composite base, wherein the modular regions are thermally decoupled with each other.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each of the modular regions is configured to be individually movable in a direction along an X-axis, a Y-axis, or a Z-axis to form the composite base.

5. The system of claim 3,

wherein the base further comprises resilient members disposed between each of the regions, and

wherein the resilient members are configured to accommodate expansion or contraction of the regions as heat is transferred to or from the regions.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein each of the regions is associated with at least one of the plurality of heat transfer elements, and wherein each of the heat transfer element is embedded in each region.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the temperature control system further comprises a heating source configured to adjust a rate of heat transfer from at least one of the heat transfer elements to at least one of the regions.

8. The system of claim 7,

wherein at least one of the regions comprises a material having a thermal conductivity different from a thermal conductivity of a material of another region, and

wherein the rate of heat transfer of each region is based at least on the thermal conductivity of each respective region.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the temperature control system further comprises:

a temperature measuring device configured to determine a temperature of the received deposition material on the regions; and

a temperature controller associated with the heating source and configured to determine adjustments to the heat transfer rate based at least on the determined temperature of the received deposition material to maintain a substantially uniform temperature along a desired portion of the received deposition material.

10. The system of claim 2, wherein the temperature control system further comprises a cooling source configured to adjust a rate of heat transfer from at least one of the regions to at least one of the heat transfer elements.

11. A method for additive manufacturing, the method comprising:

receiving deposition materials on a base comprising a plurality of regions configured to be individually temperature controlled to affect heat transfer characteristics of at least a portion of the received deposition material; and

adjusting, by a temperature control system coupled with the regions, an associated temperature of each region based on heat transfer characteristics to reduce residual stress and distortion in a product that is fabricated from the received deposition material during an additive manufacturing process.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the temperature control system comprises a plurality of heat transfer elements, the method further comprising transferring heat between the regions and the received deposition material.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the regions are modular regions configured to be mechanically coupled with each other to form a composite base, wherein the modular regions are thermally decoupled with each other.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein each of the modular regions is configured to be individually movable in a direction along an X-axis, a Y-axis, or a Z-axis to form the composite base.

15. The method of claim 13,

wherein the base further comprises resilient members disposed between each of the regions, and

wherein the resilient members are configured to accommodate expansion or contraction of the regions as heat is transferred to or from the regions.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the regions is associated with at least one of the plurality of heat transfer elements, and wherein each of the heat transfer elements is embedded in each region.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the temperature control system further comprises a heating source, the method further comprising adjusting a rate of heat transfer from at least one of the heat transfer elements to at least one of the regions.

18. The method of claim 17,

wherein at least one of the regions comprises a material having a thermal conductivity different from a thermal conductivity of a material of another region, and

wherein the rate of heat transfer of each region is based at least on the thermal conductivity of each respective region.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the temperature control system further comprises:

a temperature measuring device configured to determine a temperature of the received deposition material on the regions; and

a temperature controller associated with the heating source, the method further comprising determining adjustments to the heat transfer rate based at least on the determined temperature of the received deposition material to maintain a substantially uniform temperature along a desired portion of the received deposition material.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the temperature control system further comprises a cooling source, the method further comprising adjusting a rate of heat transfer from at least one of the regions to at least one of the heat transfer elements.