Additive manufacturing build units with process gas inertization systems

US11759861B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• General Electric Company · US
• Concept Laser, GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Eric Edward Halla · West Chester, US
• Ramakrishna Venkata Mallina · Mason, US
• Kishore Ramakrishnan · Niskayuna, US
• Shashwat Swami Jaiswal · Kanchinakote, IN
• Mohammed Mounir Shalaby · Mason, US
• Adam Garret Susong · Loveland, US
• Peter Pontiller-Schymura · Neudrossenfeld, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 16, 2021
• Grant date: Sep 19, 2023
• Expiry date: Apr 16, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B22F2999/00
• WIPO field: Materials, metallurgy
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A build unit for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include an energy beam system having one or more irradiation devices respectively configured to direct one or more energy beams onto a region of a powder bed, and an inertization system including an irradiation chamber defining an irradiation plenum, one or more supply manifolds, and a return manifold. The one or more supply manifolds may include a downflow manifold configured to provide a downward flow of a process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber, and/or a crossflow manifold configured to provide a lateral flow of the process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber. The return manifold may evacuate or otherwise remove process gas from the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber.