The Boeing Company

Russell W Cochran

Daniel David Bloch

Daniel Joseph Braley

David Michael Dietrich

Gary W Coleman

Elaine MacDonald

Richard William Aston

Michael John Langmack

Nicole M Hastings

Matthew J Herrmann

Brandon Heath Wegge

Michael R Zolnowski

Paul N Wilson

Burke L Reichlinger

Philip R Munoz

Elaine Macdonald

A method for heat treating an additively manufactured A205 aluminum alloy component ('AM205 component') to produce a uniform grain distribution within the AM205 component is disclosed. The method includes solution aging the AM205 component at a first temperature for a first time period, wherein the first time period is less than five hours and overaging the AM205 component after the solution aging.

Heat treatment of additively manufactured aluminum alloy

A method of additively manufacturing an object includes successively forming a plurality of powder layers by depositing powder over a build platform using a powder-deposition apparatus. The method also includes successively forming a binder shell by bonding select regions of each one of the plurality of powder layers before forming each successive one of the plurality of powder layers using a binder-delivery apparatus. The binder shell encloses a portion of the powder. The method further includes densifying the portion of the powder bound by the binder shell using a consolidation apparatus.

Method for additively manufacturing an object and additively manufactured object

Methods of improving a surface finish of a casting pattern for an investment casting process, methods of forming an investment casting, and smoothed casting patterns. The methods for forming the casting patterns having an improved surface finish include sealing the casting pattern with a first coating material to form a sealed casting pattern and smoothing the sealed casting pattern with a second coating material to form a smoothed casting pattern. The methods for forming the investment casting include covering a smoothed casting pattern with a mold material to define an enclosed mold volume, curing the mold material to form a cured mold material, flowing the smoothed casting pattern from the enclosed mold volume to define a void space, filling the void space with a liquid investment casting material, and solidifying the liquid casting material to define an investment casting.

Methods and systems for improving a surface finish of an investment casting

In one aspect, A method of forming a product using an additive-manufacturing head includes forming a new layer of material of the product with the additive-manufacturing head. Forming the new layer of material includes depositing the new layer of material on an existing layer of material and melting the new layer of material so that the new layer of material is welded to the existing layer of material. The method also includes processing at least one of the new layer of material or the existing layer of material with a laser-emitting device, coupled to the additive-manufacturing head. Processing the at least one of the new layer of material or the existing layer of material with the laser-emitting device comprises smoothing a lateral surface of at least one of the new layer of material or the existing layer of material with a laser beam, emitted from the laser-emitting device.

Additive-manufacturing systems, apparatuses and methods

A method of manufacturing a vehicle control surface includes generating, using an electronic controller, a three-dimensional plan for the vehicle control surface. The three-dimensional plan includes, at least, non-vehicular support structure dimensions, for a non-vehicular support structure, and skin dimensions for a skin. The method further includes configuring the dimensions of the non-vehicular support structure based on build environment characteristics associated with an additive manufacturing process of the control surface. The additive manufacturing process is based on the three-dimensional plan. The method further includes fabricating the vehicle control surface, using the additive manufacturing process, based on the three-dimensional plan.

Single piece vehicle control surface and associated systems and methods of manufacture

Additive-manufacturing systems, surface-processing apparatuses, and methods of forming products using an additive-manufacturing head are provided. In one aspect, an additive-manufacturing system includes an additive-manufacturing head and a surface-processing device coupled to the additive-manufacturing head. In another aspect, a surface-processing apparatus for an additive-manufacturing head includes a housing configured to be coupled to the additive-manufacturing head and a surface-processing device coupled to the housing. In a further aspect, a method of forming a product using an additive-manufacturing head includes forming one or more layers of the product with the additive-manufacturing head and processing at least one of the one or more layers of the product with a surface-processing device coupled to the additive-manufacturing head.

Growing community of inventors

Maryland Heights, MO, United States of America

Russell W Cochran