General Electric Company

Carlos H Bonilla

John Thomas Sterle

Vadim Bromberg

Victor Fulton

Timothy Francis Andrews

Younkoo Jeong

Tyler Andrew Griffith

Jacob Mayer

Joseph Lucian Smolenski

Peter Douglas Lueschen

Kwok Pong Chan

Mary Kathryn Thompson

Glen Charles Fedyk

Ruben Egberto Fairman

Arunkumar Natarajan

Christopher David Barnhill

Meredith Elissa Dubelman

Trent William Muhlenkamp

Brian Thomas Thompson

Grant Alan Ingram

Kristofer Karlsson

Travis Gene Sands

Stephen Michael Deak

Brian Harlow Farrell

Christoffer Sjögren

Tyler Hater

Robert Butler

Justin Gandee

Sivaruban Shivanathan

Samantha Jo Rowe

Tyler Nicodemus

Jack Anthony Otte

Talon Parker

Srinivas Pendurti

An automated de-powdering system comprises a sleeve alignable with at least a portion of a build chamber and at least one actuator actuatable with respect to a build plate to move at least a portion of an additive manufacturing build out of the build chamber and into the sleeve. At least one support assembly is couplable to the sleeve and includes at least one support member insertable through the sleeve and into the additive manufacturing build. At least one agitation mechanism is couplable to at least one of the at least one support assembly or the sleeve and is actuatable to at least partially convey the powder build material away from at least one object of the additive manufacturing build. The support member is positioned to support the object in an absence of the powder build material around the object.

Automated de-powdering of additive manufacturing build

A reclamation system for an additive manufacturing apparatus can include a collection structure configured to remove at least a portion of the resin from a foil. A containment vessel can be configured to retain the resin removed from the foil. A drain can direct the resin from the containment vessel to a reservoir.

Reclamation system for additive manufacturing

Additive manufacturing apparatuses, components of additive manufacturing apparatuses, and methods of using such manufacturing apparatuses and components are disclosed. An additive manufacturing apparatus may include a recoat head for distributing build material in a build area, a print head for depositing material in the build area, one or more actuators for moving the recoat head and the print head relative to the build area, and a cleaning station for cleaning the print head.

Additive manufacturing apparatuses and methods

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to additive manufacturing apparatuses, cleaning stations incorporated therein, and methods of cleaning using the cleaning stations.

Fluid management and circulation systems for use in additive manufacturing apparatuses

A dip-coat binder solution comprises a metal dip-coat powder and a dip-coat binder. The dip-coat binder solution has a viscosity greater than or equal to 1 cP and less than or equal to 40 cP. The metal dip-coat powder may comprise a stainless steel alloy, a nickel alloy, a copper alloy, a copper-nickel alloy, a cobalt-chrome alloy, a titanium alloy, an aluminum alloy, a tungsten alloy, or a combination thereof. A method of forming a part includes providing a green body part comprising a plurality of layers of print powder, dipping the green body part in a dip-coat binder solution to form a dip-coated green body part, and heating the dip-coated green body part. After dipping, the dip-coated green body part has a surface roughness Ra less than or equal to 10 μm.

Dip-coat binder solutions comprising metal dip-coat powder for use in additive manufacturing

Cleaning systems for additive manufacturing apparatuses and methods for using the same

An apparatus includes a printing head () comprising jet nozzles () spaced apart from one another, where a distance from a first jet nozzle to a second jet nozzle positioned adjacent the first jet nozzle defines a jet-spacing, a printing head position control assembly includes a first actuator assembly () to move the printing head along the longitudinal axis and a second actuator assembly () to move the printing head along a latitudinal axis, and an control unit communicatively coupled to the printing head position control assembly. The control unit causes jet nozzles to dispense drops of binder () while the printing head traverses a first pass trajectory along the longitudinal axis in a first direction, indexes the printing head to a second pass trajectory along the latitudinal axis, and causes jet nozzles to dispense drops of binder while the printing head traverses the second pass trajectory along the longitudinal axis in a second direction.

Printing assemblies and methods for using the same

Wiper arrays for use in additive manufacturing apparatuses

A system () includes a build area positioned along a working surface (), an arcuate supply receptacle () defining one or more supply receptacle sidewalls () and an upwardly-facing receptacle opening () spaced apart from the build area along the working surface, an arcuate piston positioned at least partially within the arcuate supply receptacle (), where the arcuate piston (), the upwardly-facing receptacle opening, and the one or more supply receptacle sidewalls () at least partially define an interior space (), and the arcuate piston is positionable between an extended position, in which the interior space has an extended volume, and a retracted position, in which the interior space has a retracted volume that is greater than the extended volume.

Material supply system and method for using the same

A method for forming an object includes moving a recoat assembly () in a coating direction over a build material, wherein the recoat assembly () comprises a first roller () and a second roller () that is spaced apart from the first roller; rotating the first roller () of the recoat assembly in a counter-rotation direction, such that a bottom of the first roller moves in the coating direction; contacting the build material with the first roller of the recoat assembly, thereby fluidizing at least a portion of the build material; irradiating, with a front energy source () coupled to a front end of the recoat assembly, an initial layer of build material positioned in a build area; subsequent to irradiating the initial layer of build material, spreading the build material on the build area with the first roller, thereby depositing a second layer of the build material over the initial layer of build material; and subsequent to spreading the second layer of the build material, irradiating, with a rear energy source () positioned rearward of the front energy source, the second layer of build material within the build area.

Recoat assemblies for additive manufacturing systems and methods for using the same

Additive manufacturing apparatuses are disclosed. In one embodiment, an additive manufacturing apparatus may comprise a support chassis including a print bay, a build bay, and a material supply bay. Each bay may comprise an upper compartment and a lower compartment. A working surface may separate each of the print bay, the build bay, and the material supply bay into the upper compartment and the lower compartment, wherein: the build bay may be disposed between the print bay and the material supply bay. The lower compartment of the build bay comprises bulkheads sealing the lower compartment of the build bay from the lower compartment of the print bay and the lower compartment of the material supply bay.

Additive manufacturing apparatuses and methods for using the same

A dip-coat binder solution comprises a dip-coat metallic precursor and a dip-coat binder. The dip-coat binder solution has a viscosity greater than or equal to 1 cP and less than or equal to 150 cP. A method of forming a part includes providing a green body part comprising a plurality of layers of print powder and a print binder, dipping the green body part in a dip-coat binder solution, and heating the dip-coated green body part. The dip-coated green body part is heated to form a coated green body part having a metallic precursor coating on an outer surface of the coated green body part. The coated green body part has a strength greater than or equal to 10 MPa.

Dip-coat binder solutions comprising a dip-coat metallic precursor for use in additive manufacturing

A recoat assembly for an additive manufacturing system includes a first roller support, a second roller support, a first roller disposed between and supported by the first roller support and the second roller support, a first rotational actuator operably coupled to the first roller and configured to rotate the first roller about a first rotation axis, and a first sensor mechanically coupled to and in contact with the first roller support, where the first sensor outputs a first output signal indicative of a first force incident upon the first roller.

Additive manufacturing recoat assemblies including sensors and methods for using the same

Growing community of inventors

West Chester, OH, United States of America

Carlos H Bonilla