In-situ powder witness sampling tube

Abstract

A method for producing a powder witness sampling tube includes simultaneously additive manufacturing a container with a primary part, filling at least a portion of the container with feedstock for the part simultaneously with additive manufacturing of the primary part, and sealing the container during additive manufacturing of the primary part. An in-situ feedstock powder witness sampling tube includes a container additive manufactured simultaneously with a primary part and a plurality of individual chambers within the container, at least one of the chambers being capable of being removed intact from the container. Additionally, a method for enhancing inspection of feedstock in an additive manufactured part includes simultaneously additive manufacturing a container with a primary part, capturing feedstock, density, and environment in the container, and sealing the container.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application No. 17 / 219050, filed on March 31, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0003] Additive manufacturing has become important for industry, and its applications continue to grow. Accompanying this growth is a growing demand for quality control, repeatability, and data on process and feed quality. While many traditional methods exist for testing materials in some way, such as manually collecting unused feed from the build plate after the build process is complete, no effective testing and sampling methods provide more than minimal or misleading information about the feed or build process. Advances in this area are highly anticipated. Summary of the Invention

[0004] An embodiment of the method for producing a powder witness sampling tube includes additively manufacturing a container simultaneously with a major component, filling at least a portion of the container with a feed for the component simultaneously with the additive manufacturing of the major component, and sealing the container during the additive manufacturing of the major component.

[0005] An embodiment of the in-situ fed powder witness sampling tube includes a container additively manufactured simultaneously with the main components and multiple separate chambers within the container, at least one of which can be completely removed from the container.

[0006] A method for enhancing the inspection of feed material in an additively manufactured part, the method comprising simultaneously additively manufacturing a container with a main component, capturing the feed material, density, and environment in the container, and sealing the container. Attached Figure Description

[0007] The following description should not be considered as limiting in any way. Referring to the accompanying drawings, the same elements are indicated by the same reference numerals:

[0008] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of an additive manufacturing building block having several main components thereon and having several powder witness sampling tubes thereon as disclosed herein;

[0009] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of the powder witness sampling tube as disclosed in this article;

[0010] Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A cross-sectional view of the powder witness sampling tube shown;

[0011] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 and Figure 3The diagram shows a perspective view of the complete removable chamber of the powder witness sampling tube; and

[0012] Figure 5 This is a CT scan of the entire 16th chamber. Detailed Implementation

[0013] Detailed descriptions of one or more embodiments of the devices and methods disclosed herein are presented by way of example rather than limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] refer to Figure 1 Perspective of additive manufacturing building board 10 Figure 1 Several main components 12 and several powder witness sampling tubes 14 thereon, as disclosed herein, are generally shown. The build plate can be considered as one of any number of different additive manufacturing apparatuses. It should be understood that an advancement of this disclosure is that the powder witness sampling tubes 14 are additively manufactured simultaneously with the main components 12, rather than being created after the build process by manually filling wide-mouth bottles with unused feed from the powder bed using a bucket elevator and then securing the wide-mouth bottles, as is the case in the prior art. The simultaneous additive manufacturing of the powder witness sampling tubes facilitates the collection of feed at the same conditions and densities as those used for melting the main components 12, as well as the collection and maintenance of the environment within the additive manufacturing operation during the growth of the powder witness container. This is because the powder witness sampling tubes 14 are actually created simultaneously with the main components 12, and the feed is also deposited simultaneously in the powder witness sampling tubes 14. The powder witness sampling tubes 14 thus contain the feed, environment (atmosphere), potential contamination, and filling density, just as those parameters exist in the main components 12. The powder witness sampling tube 14 also contains and preserves the process fumes / condensates / dust generated during the melting process. Based on the location of the powder witness sampling tube 14, the process fumes / condensates / dust are reliably captured for consistent analysis. Regarding the environment, the atmosphere in an additive manufacturing apparatus is typically argon or one or more other inert gases; however, the percentage of one or more inert gases can vary in different builds, and operational issues can cause the environment to differ from expectations. The powder witness sampling tube 14, as disclosed herein, preserves this atmosphere, which prior art methods obviously cannot do after the build process. Furthermore, because the powder witness sampling tube 14 is also sealed during the manufacture of one or more major components 12, another environmental factor at this time, namely the system pressure, is also preserved. Each of these environmental conditions can be verified using the powder witness sampling tube and methods disclosed herein.

[0015] The powder witness sampling tube 14 disclosed herein should be understood as usable with any type of feed. In one case, the feed is a powder feed for a powder bed construction process. In this process, the powder witness sampling tube 14 captures unsintered, unmelted powder samples and printing material in real time. The powder is uniformly placed on the build plate 10, and the witness container 14 is created using selective laser melting (SLM) (also known as direct metal laser melting (DMLM) processing). The powder present within the molten material layer forming the powder witness sampling tube 14 remains unchanged from its deposition on the build plate 10.

[0016] The powder witness sampling tube 14, created in the disclosed manner, provides more data about the feed, build process, and conditions experienced during the build process than any powder witness sampling tube process recognized in the art. Furthermore, the captured conditions are preserved indefinitely within the undoped powder witness sampling tube 14.

[0017] In addition to the aforementioned benefits of the disclosed powder witness sampling tube 14, it is also disclosed that the powder witness sampling tube 14 is configured to have a plurality of chambers 16, 18, and 20 therein, each of which is formed and hermetically sealed during the same construction process. At least one of the chambers 16 is also completely separable from the rest of the powder witness sampling tube 14. In one embodiment, the chamber 16 is formed with a wall thickness of about 0.15 mm to about 1 mm to facilitate high resolution (e.g., nanometer-scale resolution). Computed tomography analysis of the feed within the chamber 16 is performed without opening the chamber 16 and without significant loss of data clarity. Computed tomography of the feed under deposition conditions and in the deposition environment allows determination of at least one concept of packing density (by, for example, weight-to-volume ratio, gas hydrometry, or Archimedes' principle), morphology, internal porosity, particle size distribution (PSD), contamination, and the degree of internal microstructure that was previously impossible to determine. The benefit of thin (and circular in the embodiment) walls is enhanced CT resolution and contrast, which relatively easily distinguishes regular wall dimensions from deposited feed that is not part of the wall. The additional chambers 18 and 20 can be used for particle size distribution (PSD) analysis and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) analysis, respectively. Other methods known in the art for chemical composition analysis are also considered. These can be performed at the desired time by opening the relevant chambers.

[0018] refer to Figures 2 to 3 An embodiment of the three-chamber powder witness sampling tube 14 is shown in the front view and sectional view. First, focus on... Figure 2Some important features of the powder witness sampling tube 14 can be seen. In particular, the sampling tube 14 exhibits a shape including planes 22. At least two planes 22 will be provided so that torque can be easily applied to the powder witness sampling tube 14 for opening purposes when needed. As shown, it can be understood that the transverse cross-sectional view through planes 22 will be square. It is also conceivable that the cross-section could be hexagonal, serving the same ultimate purpose as the shape presenting the plane of a wrench. Also noteworthy is the indicator 24 that is additively manufactured into the powder witness sampling tube 14. This indicator is used for one or more of the following: construction date, material, hazard, etc. Adjacent to planes 22 are truncated conical portions 26 and 28. These portions can be created in different shapes, but it should be noted that truncated conical shapes are advantageous because no support structure is required when additively manufacturing the truncated conical shape. Additional features at one end of the powder witness sampling tube 14 are provided for opening purposes. These are caps 30 and 32. In each case, they are illustrated as hexagonal shapes, but note that other shapes are also conceivable. Any shape can be used, as this document also envisions the production of tools with engaging shapes so that each can be used when opening is required. Cap 32 is associated with the opening of chamber 16, while cap 30 is associated with the opening of chamber 18 and the complete removal of chamber 16 from the remainder of the powder witness sampling tube 14.

[0019] Go to Figure 3 A cross-sectional view of the powder witness sampling tube 14 will improve the understanding of the multiple chambers 16, 18, and 20 that have been created and are freely accessible. From Figure 2 Starting with the outer casing shown, plane 22 will be the directional view for the reader. Chamber 20 is defined by an outer wall 34 and an intermediate wall 36, the outer wall 34 forming plane 22, and the intermediate wall 36 defining a volume that will hold the feed between the outer wall 34 and the intermediate wall 36. In some embodiments, the intermediate wall 36 may be connected to the outer wall 34 by a weakened joint 38, such that separation of the intermediate wall 36 from the outer wall 34 can be achieved relatively easily when torque is applied to the joint 38. Torque can be applied to the outer wall 34 via plane 22, and torque can be applied to the intermediate wall 36 via rib 40 or a similar feature of the intermediate wall 36. This separation is completed after the entire chamber 16 is removed, making an open passage to the inside of the intermediate wall 36 possible.

[0020] Focusing on chamber 16, the chamber can be completely removed as described, meaning it is in a sealed state, or it can be opened while still being part of the powder witness sampling tube 14. If it is desired to open chamber 16 while the powder witness sampling tube 14 is still assembled, cap 30 and cap 32 are held together and subjected to torque such that torque is applied between cap 30 and cap 32. Cap 32 will separate from the sampling tube 14, exposing opening 42 in chamber 16. Alternatively, if chamber 16 is to be completely removed, torque is applied between cap 30 and plane 22. In this case, chamber 16 will separate from wall 34 at joints 44 and 46, at which point the entire intact chamber 16, along with its still attached cap 32, can be removed from powder witness sampling tube 14 for its own processing. Reference Figure 4 The image shows the complete chamber 16. The procedure could be a CT scan of the complete chamber 16 (see [link]). Figure 5 Alternatively, it could involve opening chamber 16 by removing cover 32 for further analysis of the internal contents.

[0021] The powder witness sampling tube described herein can aid in quality assurance for all builds by facilitating the development of standards for observing powder (or other feedstock) during the printing process. Therefore, print quality can be monitored throughout the entire build process of a part (e.g., from powder to part to post-build processes). This level of quality assurance (captured in process parameters) is of great benefit to the art in terms of improving both quality and efficiency.

[0022] The following are some of the aforementioned publicly disclosed implementation schemes:

[0023] Implementation Scheme 1: A method for producing a powder witness sampling tube includes: additively manufacturing a container simultaneously with a major component, filling at least a portion of the container with a feed for the component simultaneously with the additive manufacturing of the major component, and sealing the container during the additive manufacturing of the major component.

[0024] Implementation Scheme 2: The method according to any previous implementation scheme, wherein the filling includes capturing the atmosphere during the additive manufacturing of the main component.

[0025] Implementation Scheme 3: The method according to any of the previous implementation schemes further includes additive manufacturing of more than one chamber within the container.

[0026] Implementation Scheme 4: The method according to any previous implementation scheme, wherein the filling is at least a portion of more than one of the more than one chambers.

[0027] Implementation Scheme 5: The method according to any previous implementation scheme, wherein the sealing of the container includes individually sealing more than one of the one or more chambers.

[0028] Implementation Scheme 6: An in-situ feeding powder witness sampling tube includes: a container additively manufactured simultaneously with the main components; and a plurality of separate chambers within the container, at least one of the chambers being removable completely from the container.

[0029] Implementation Scheme 7: The powder witness sampling tube according to any of the previous implementation schemes, wherein the removable complete chamber is defined by a wall thickness in the range of 0.15 mm to 1 mm.

[0030] Implementation Scheme 8: A powder witness sampling tube according to any of the previous implementation schemes, wherein the removable complete chamber is defined to receive sufficient feed to examine the internal dimensions of the particle density.

[0031] Implementation Scheme 9: A powder witness sampling tube according to any of the previous implementation schemes, wherein the particle density is bulk density or individual particle density.

[0032] Implementation Scheme 10: The powder witness sampling tube according to any of the previous implementation schemes, wherein each of the individual chambers is hermetically sealed during its additive manufacturing.

[0033] Implementation Scheme 11: A powder witness sampling tube according to any of the previous implementation schemes, wherein one or more of the plurality of chambers includes a weakened portion to facilitate separation of the chamber from the container.

[0034] Implementation Scheme 12: The powder witness sampling tube according to any of the previous implementation schemes, wherein the outer surface of the container includes a plane.

[0035] Implementation Scheme 13: A powder witness sampling tube as described in any of the previous implementation schemes, wherein each chamber includes a plane.

[0036] Implementation Scheme 14: A powder witness sampling tube according to any of the previous implementation schemes, wherein the outer surface of the container includes an identifier set on the container during additive manufacturing.

[0037] Implementation Scheme 15: A method for enhancing the inspection of feed in an additively manufactured part, the method comprising: additively manufacturing a container simultaneously with a main component, capturing the feed, density, and environment in the container, and sealing the container.

[0038] Implementation Scheme 16: The method according to any of the previous implementation schemes further includes running one or more inspection tests on the container.

[0039] Implementation Scheme 17: The method according to any previous implementation scheme, wherein the container comprises a plurality of individually sealed chambers, the method comprising removing one (intact) of the chambers from the sealed container and inspecting and testing it.

[0040] Implementation Scheme 18: The method according to any previous implementation scheme, wherein the test includes computed tomography of the feed while the material remains contained within the removed, intact interior.

[0041] Implementation Scheme 19: The method according to any previous implementation scheme further includes opening one or more chambers of the container and using one or more of the following to analyze the contents of the one or more chambers: inductively coupled plasma analysis (ICP), particle size distribution testing (PSD), computed tomography, and morphological testing.

[0042] Implementation Scheme 20: The method according to any previous implementation, wherein the opening includes engaging a tool having a profile opposite to the profile of the chamber to be opened, and applying torque to the chamber using the tool.

[0043] In the context of describing the invention (particularly in the context of the appended claims), the terms “an,” “a,” and “the,” and similar designations, should be interpreted to cover both the singular and plural, unless otherwise specified herein or clearly contradicted by the context. Furthermore, it should be noted that the terms “first,” “second,” etc., used herein do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are used to distinguish one element from another. The terms “about,” “substantially,” and “generally” are intended to include, based on the equipment available at the time of filing, the degree of error associated with a particular number of measurements. For example, “about” and / or “substantially” and / or “generally” can include a range of ±8%, 5%, or 2% of a given value.

[0044] Although the invention has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes can be made and equivalents can be substituted for elements therein without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, many modifications can be made to adapt particular situations or materials to the teachings of the invention without departing from the basic scope of the invention. Therefore, it is contemplated that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed as the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention, but rather that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the claims. Additionally, exemplary embodiments of the invention have been disclosed in the drawings and detailed descriptions, and although specific terminology has been used, it is used in a general and descriptive sense only, and not for limiting purposes, unless otherwise specified, and therefore the scope of the invention is not limited thereto.

Claims

1. A method for producing a powder witness sampling tube (14), characterized in that: A container for the powder witness sampling tube (14) is additively manufactured simultaneously with the main component (12), wherein a plurality of individual chambers (16, 18, 20) are provided within the container, at least one of the plurality of individual chambers being removable completely from the container; wherein the outer surface of the container includes at least two planes (22) for applying torque to the powder witness sampling tube (14) at the at least two planes by a torque applying device to open the powder witness sampling tube (14) and remove at least one of the plurality of individual chambers; Simultaneously with the additive manufacturing of the main component (12), at least a portion of the container is filled with a feed suitable for the main component (12); and The container is sealed during the additive manufacturing of the main component (12).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the filling comprises capturing atmosphere during the additive manufacturing of the main component (12).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of individual chambers (16, 18, 20) within the container are manufactured by additive manufacturing.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the filling is filling at least a portion of more than one of the plurality of individual chambers (16, 18, 20).

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the sealing of the container comprises individually sealing more than one of the plurality of individual chambers (16, 18, 20).

6. An in-situ feeding powder witness sampling tube (14), characterized in that: The powder witness sampling tube (14) includes a container additively manufactured simultaneously with the main component (12); and The container contains a plurality of separate chambers (16, 18, 20), at least one of which can be completely removed from the container; The outer surface of the container includes at least two planes (22) for applying torque to the powder witness sampling tube (14) by a torque applying device at the at least two planes to open the powder witness sampling tube and remove at least one of the plurality of individual chambers.

7. The powder witness sampling tube (14) according to claim 6, wherein each of the individual chambers (16, 18, 20) is hermetically sealed during its additive manufacturing process.

8. The powder witness sampling tube (14) according to claim 6, wherein one or more of the plurality of individual chambers (16, 18, 20) includes a weakened portion to facilitate separation of the one or more chambers from the container.

9. The powder witness sampling tube (14) according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of individual chambers (16, 18, 20) comprises a plane.

10. The powder witness sampling tube (14) according to claim 6, wherein the outer surface of the container includes an identifier set on the container during additive manufacturing.

11. A method for enhancing the inspection of feed material in a key component (12) of additive manufacturing, characterized in that: A container is additively manufactured simultaneously with the main component (12), wherein a plurality of individual chambers (16, 18, 20) are provided within the container, at least one of the plurality of individual chambers being removable completely from the container; wherein the outer surface of the container includes at least two planes (22) for applying torque to the powder witness sampling tube (14) at the at least two planes by a torque applying device to open the powder witness sampling tube and remove at least one of the plurality of individual chambers; Capture the feed, density, and environment within the container; and Seal the container.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of individual chambers (16, 18, 20) are a plurality of individually sealed chambers, the method comprising removing one of the plurality of individually sealed chambers from the sealed container and inspecting and testing it.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the test comprises computed tomography of the feed while the feed remains contained within the removed intact chamber (16).

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising opening one or more chambers (16, 18, 20) of the container and using one or more of the following to analyze the contents of the one or more chambers: inductively coupled plasma analysis (ICP), particle size distribution testing (PSD), computed tomography, and morphological testing.

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