Late customization on valve body end connections using additive manufacturing

• US 10,322,476 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2016
• Issued: 06/18/2019
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Besler, Christopher J
• Application Number:
  US15/151,255
• Publication Number:
  US 20170326692A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,134 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, the method comprising:

obtaining an existing valve body, the existing 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;

receiving user requirements for a custom first end connection configuration and a custom second end connection configuration for the existing valve body;

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

adding material to the initial second end connection configuration using a second additive manufacturing process to create at least a portion of the custom second end connection configuration based on the received user requirements, 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, wherein obtaining the existing valve body comprises 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.