The Boeing Company

Cory Clawson Cunningham

Troy Allan Haworth

Eric M Chapman

Dana A Henshaw

Russell William Waymire

Kevin Michael Mejia

Christopher Perez

Matthew Thomas Hollinger

Ashley Marie Jones

Daniel G Sanders

Eric D Bol

Justin L'Hote

A method includes flowing gas within a chamber for first process parameters at a predetermined point in a laser focal plane and simulating the step of flowing gas within the chamber based on the value of the flow characteristic of the gas at the predetermined point in the laser focal plane so that a value of a simulated-flow characteristic of the gas at a predetermined point away from the laser focal plane is identified. The method comprises comparing the value of the simulated-flow characteristic of gas at the predetermined point away from the laser focal plane to a desired value of the simulated-flow characteristic and flowing gas within the chamber for second differing process parameters, when the value of the simulated-flow characteristic of the gas at the predetermined point away from the laser focal plane differs from the desired value of the simulated-flow characteristic is outside a predetermined range.

Methods of configuring gas flow in additive-manufacturing machines

A metallic structure includes a metallic sheet, including a metallic-sheet first surface and a metallic-sheet second surface. The metallic structure includes a metallic doubler, extending from the metallic-sheet first surface, and a first junction between the metallic-sheet first surface and the metallic doubler. The metallic structure includes a metallic article, extending from the metallic-sheet second surface, and a second junction between the metallic-sheet second surface and the metallic article. The first junction has a first-junction boundary. The second junction has a second-junction boundary. When viewed at any point along the second-junction boundary in a direction, perpendicular to the metallic-sheet first surface, the second-junction boundary does not extend outside of the first-junction boundary. In a plane, intersecting the metallic doubler and perpendicular to the metallic-sheet first surface, the metallic doubler has at least a first doubler thickness and a second doubler thickness, which is less than the first doubler thickness.

Metallic structures with additively manufactured metallic articles and methods for fabrication

A method of configuring an additive-manufacturing machine comprises a chamber, a platform, movable inside the chamber and comprising a build-plane surface, and a laser, having a laser focal plane within the chamber. The method comprising steps of flowing a gas within the chamber in accordance with a first set of process parameters and identifying a value of a flow characteristic of the gas at a predetermined point in the laser focal plane while flowing the gas within the chamber in accordance with the first set of process parameters. The method also comprises additively manufacturing a test coupon using the laser while flowing the gas within the chamber in accordance with the first set of process parameters, wherein the test coupon has a test-coupon peripheral surface.

A manufacturing method that includes fabricating a component using an additive manufacturing process, and fabricating a coupon using the additive manufacturing process. The coupon includes a main portion and a grip portion. Fabrication of the coupon includes fabricating the main portion concurrently with the fabrication of the component, fabricating the grip portion dissociatedly from the fabrication of the component, and coupling a first end of the main portion with the grip portion to form the coupon.

Dissociatedly fabricated grips for additively manufactured coupons and methods

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Auburn, WA, United States of America

Cory Clawson Cunningham