ELECTROFORMING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20200131663A1
• Filed: 10/31/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Unison Industries LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: Unison Industries LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Jonnalagadda, Dattu GV, Kumar, Sandeep, Sebastian, Merin, Tajiri, Gordon, Phelps, Emily Marie
• Granted Patent: US 11,142,840 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 1/00 Electroforming
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 17/02 Tanks; Installations therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 21/14 Controlled addition of electrolyte components
• CPC Class Codes: C25D 3/12 of nickel or cobalt

Abstract

An electroforming system and method for electroforming a component includes an electroforming reservoir with a housing defining a fluid passage. An electroforming chamber can be located within the housing and fluidly coupled to the fluid passage via a set of apertures in at least one wall of the electroforming chamber.

Claims

1. An electroforming reservoir, comprising:

a housing defining a fluid passage;

an electroforming chamber within the housing and fluidly coupled to the fluid passage via a set of apertures in at least one wall of the electroforming chamber; and

anodes located within the electroforming chamber.

2. The electroforming reservoir of claim 1 wherein the electroforming chamber is configured to receive a workpiece defining a cathode.

3. The electroforming reservoir of claim 2, further comprising a pedestal located within the electroforming chamber and configured to receive the workpiece in a predetermined position within the electroforming chamber.

4. The electroforming reservoir of claim 1 wherein the anodes located within the electroforming chamber comprise non-sacrificial anodes.

5. The electroforming reservoir of claim 4 wherein the non-sacrificial anodes are conformable about a workpiece located within the electroforming chamber.

6. The electroforming reservoir of claim 5 wherein the conformable non-sacrificial anodes comprise titanium strips.

7. The electroforming reservoir of claim 1, further comprising at least one drain opening in a base of the electroforming reservoir and fluidly coupled to the electroforming chamber.

8. The electroforming reservoir of claim 1 wherein the set of apertures are configured to advance fluid towards the workpiece in a predetermined direction.

9. The electroforming reservoir of claim 1 wherein the fluid passage is formed peripherally around the electroforming chamber.

10. The electroforming reservoir of claim 1 wherein the electroforming reservoir comprises a two-piece body configured to couple together to form the fluid passage and electroforming chamber.

11. A system for electroforming a component, comprising:

a dissolution reservoir containing an electrolytic fluid and a first anode;

a power source electrically coupled to the first anode; and

an electroforming reservoir, comprising;

a housing defining a fluid passage fluidly coupled to the dissolution reservoir;

an electroforming chamber within the housing and fluidly coupled to the fluid passage via a set of apertures in at least one wall of the electroforming chamber; and

at least one second anode located within the electroforming chamber.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the first anode comprises a sacrificial anode including at least one of nickel or cobalt coins, the at least one second anode comprises titanium strips, and the electrolytic fluid comprises nickel sulfamate.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising an inlet conduit and a drain conduit at least partially defining a recirculation circuit between the dissolution reservoir and the electroforming chamber.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a pump fluidly coupled to the recirculation circuit.

15. The system of claim 11 wherein the at least one second anode is electrically coupled to the power source.

16. A method of electroforming a component, the method comprising:

supplying an electrolyte solution to a fluid passage in an electroforming reservoir;

flowing the electrolyte solution from the fluid passage through a set of apertures to an electroforming chamber having a workpiece and at least one anode; and

forming a metal layer on the workpiece to define an electroformed component.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the supplying the electrolyte solution includes continuously supplying the electrolyte solution from a fluid reservoir fluidly coupled to the electroforming reservoir.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a recirculation circuit fluidly couples the fluid reservoir and the electroforming chamber and the supplying the electrolyte solution includes continuously circulating electrolyte solution through the recirculation circuit.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein supplying the electrolyte solution to the electroforming chamber includes impinging the electrolyte solution upon a workpiece within the electroforming chamber.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the impinging the electrolyte solution includes impinging with at least one of a predetermined velocity or a predetermined direction.