Additive manufacturing build units with process gas inertization systems

US12162221B2 · 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
• Peter Pontiller-Schymura · Neudrossenfeld, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 16, 2021
• Grant date: Dec 10, 2024
• Expiry date: Sep 23, 2041

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P10/25
• 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, and/or a crossflow manifold configured to provide a lateral flow of the process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum. The return manifold may evacuate process gas from the irradiation plenum. While irradiating the region of the powder bed, the process gas may flow through the one or more supply manifolds, into the irradiation plenum, and into the return manifold.