Faraday Technology Corporation

Earl Jennings Taylor

Timothy D Hall

Maria E Inman

Heather McCrabb

Holly M Garich

Danny Xin Liu

A method of and system for surface finishing an additive manufactured part. A part having a surface roughness with macroasperities is placed in a chamber with an electrolyte and an electrode. A pulse/pulse reverse power supply is connected to the part rendering it anodic and connected to the electrode rendering it cathodic. The power supply is operated to decrease the surface roughness of the part by applying a first series of waveforms including at least two waveforms where a diffusion layer is maintained at a thickness to produce a macroprofile regime relative to the macroasperities, the first series of waveforms having anodic voltages applied for anodic time periods before cathodic voltages applied for cathodic time periods to effect part surface smoothing to a first surface roughness with minimal material removal and applying a final waveform where the diffusion layer represents a microprofile regime, the final waveform having a final anodic voltage applied for a final anodic time period before a final cathodic voltage applied for a final cathodic time period to effect part surface smoothing to a final surface roughness with minimal material removal.

Sequenced pulse reverse waveform surface finishing of additively manufactured parts

The problem of high rate electrodeposition of metals such as copper during electrowinning operations or high rate charging of lithium or zinc electrodes for rechargeable battery applications while avoiding the adverse effects of dendrite formation such as causing short-circuiting and/or poor deposit morphology is solved by pulse reverse current electrodeposition or charging whereby the forward cathodic (electrodeposition or charging) pulse current is 'tuned' to minimize dendrite formation for example by creating a smaller pulsating boundary layer and thereby minimizing mass transport effects leading to surface asperities and the subsequent reverse anodic (electropolishing) pulse current is 'tuned' to eliminate the micro- and macro-asperities leading to dendrites.

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Troy, OH, United States of America

Earl Jennings Taylor