Systems and methods of additional structural construction technology

Abstract

To provide systems and methods of additive structural build techniques.SOLUTION: Embodiments of systems and methods of additive manufacturing are disclosed. A metal deposition device (MDD) is configured to deposit a metal material during an additive manufacturing process. A controller is operatively coupled to the MDD and is configured to command the MDD to deposit the metal material on a base to form a contour of a part. The controller is configured to command the MDD to deposit the metal material on the base to form an infill pattern within a region outlined by the contour. The infill pattern has a wave shape with a certain wavelength. The controller is configured to command the metal deposition device to fuse the infill pattern to the metal contour at crossover points, where the infill pattern meets the contour, by applying energy at the crossover points and reducing a deposition rate of the metal material at the crossover points to prevent distortion of the contour.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications / Incorporation by Reference This U.S. patent application claims the benefit and priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 592,045, filed Nov. 29, 2017, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.

[0002] Embodiments of the present invention relate to additive manufacturing, and more particularly, to additive manufacturing structure building techniques.

Background Art

[0003] Conventionally, additive manufacturing processes can fabricate near - net - shape parts at relatively low deposition rates, with each part being built layer by layer. However, the build time can be long, and current build techniques may be insufficient for the additive manufacturing of certain types of parts (e.g., tools).

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods relating to additive manufacturing that enable structural construction techniques to improve the time and efficiency of additive manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) parts and, as a result, improve the performance and quality of the parts. In one embodiment, an additive manufacturing system is provided. The patterns of multiple layers of a 3D part to be additively manufactured are, according to one embodiment, represented and stored as digital data in the system. The digital data may be, for example, from a CAD model or from a scanned part. The system includes a metal welding device configured to weld a metallic material during the additive manufacturing process to form a part. The system also includes a controller operationally coupled to the metal welding device. The controller is configured to command the metal welding device to weld a metallic material to a base material during the contour welding stage of the additive manufacturing process to form the contour of the part. The controller is also configured to command the metal welding device to weld a metallic material to a base material during the fill pattern welding stage of the additive manufacturing process to form a fill pattern in an area whose outline is determined by the contour of the part. In one embodiment, the welding rate in the contour welding stage is lower than the welding rate in the filling pattern welding stage. The filling pattern is a waveform having a certain wavelength. The waveform may be, for example, substantially sinusoidal, substantially triangular, or substantially rectangular in shape. In one embodiment, the controller is configured to adjust the filling percentage of the part by adjusting the wavelength of the waveform. Furthermore, during the filling pattern welding stage, the controller is configured to instruct the metal welding device to fuse the metal material of the filling pattern with the metal material of the contour by applying energy to the intersection where the filling pattern meets the contour, thereby reducing the welding rate of the metal material at the intersection and preventing distortion of the contour. In one embodiment, the system includes a robot, which is controlled by the controller during the additive manufacturing process and configured to move the metal welding device relative to the base material.In one embodiment, the system includes a robot, which is controlled by a controller during the additive manufacturing process to move the base material relative to the metal welding device. In one embodiment, the metal welding device includes a wire feeder configured to feed a filler wire of metallic material toward the base material, a power supply, and a laser operationally connected to the power supply. The power supply and laser are configured to supply energy to melt at least the filler wire during the additive manufacturing process. The controller is operationally connected to the wire feeder and is configured to reduce the feed rate of the filler wire at intersections or to stop the feed of the filler wire at intersections. In one embodiment, the metal welding device includes a wire feeder configured to feed a filler wire of metallic material toward the base material, a power supply, and a non-consumable electrode operationally connected to the power supply. The power supply and non-consumable electrode are configured to supply energy to melt at least the filler wire by forming an arc between the non-consumable electrode and the base material during the additive manufacturing process. The controller is operationally connected to the wire feeder and configured to reduce the feed rate of the filler wire at intersections or to stop the feed of the filler wire at intersections. In one embodiment, the metal welding device includes a first wire feeder configured to feed a filler wire of metallic material toward a base material, a power supply, and a second wire feeder operationally connected to the power supply and configured to feed a consumable wire electrode of metallic material toward a base material. The power supply is configured to supply energy to melt at least the consumable wire electrode and the filler wire by forming an arc between the consumable wire electrode and the base material during the additive manufacturing process. The controller is operationally connected to the first wire feeder and configured to reduce the feed rate of the filler wire at intersections or to stop the feed of the filler wire at intersections. In one embodiment, the metal welding device includes a wire feeder configured to feed a consumable wire electrode of metallic material toward a base material, and a power supply operationally connected to the wire feeder.The power supply is configured to provide energy to at least melt the consumable wire electrode by forming an arc between the consumable wire electrode and the base material during the additive manufacturing process. The controller is operationally connected to the wire feeder and the power supply and is configured to reduce the feeding rate of the consumable wire electrode at intersections and / or reduce the energy supplied to the consumable wire electrode by the power supply at intersections.

[0005] One embodiment includes an additive manufacturing system. The system includes a metal welding device configured to weld a metallic material during an additive manufacturing process to form a part. The system also includes a support wire positioning device configured to position a metallic support wire during the additive manufacturing process to support at least a portion of the part. The system further includes a controller operationally coupled to the metal welding device and the support wire positioning device. The controller is configured to command the support wire positioning device to weld a first end of a metallic support wire to a first position in a base material on which a part is to be additively manufactured, and to position a second end of the metallic support wire at a designated support point in space. The controller is also configured to command the metal welding device to weld a metallic material on the second end of the metallic support wire during the additive manufacturing process to form at least a portion of a part supported by the metallic support wire. In one embodiment, the support wire positioning device welds a first end of a metal support wire to a first position on the base material using at least one of the following processes: laser hot wire (LHW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), electron beam welding (EBW), or electric resistance welding (ERW). In one embodiment, the support wire positioning device includes a power supply and a wire stretching device for positioning a second end of the metal support wire to a designated support point. The power supply is configured to heat the metal support wire to an extrusion or stretching temperature by passing an electric current through the metal support wire. The wire stretching device is configured to extrude or stretch the metal support wire toward a designated support point. In one embodiment, the support wire positioning device includes a wire feeder and a wire cutter for positioning a second end of the metal support wire to a designated support point. The wire feeder is configured to feed the metal support wire backward from a first position on the base material to at least a designated support point. The wire cutter is configured to cut the metal support wire at a designated support point to form a second end of the metal support wire.In one embodiment, the metal welding device welds a metallic material during an additive manufacturing process to form a part using at least one of the following processes: laser hot wire (LHW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), electron beam welding (EBW), or electric resistance welding (ERW). In one embodiment, the system includes at least one robot, which is controlled by a controller during the additive manufacturing process to move the metal welding device and support wire positioning device relative to the base material. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one robot, which is controlled by a controller during the additive manufacturing process to move the base material relative to the metal welding device and support wire positioning device.

[0006] One embodiment includes an additive manufacturing system. The system includes a ceramic welding device configured to weld ceramic material during an additive manufacturing process. The system also includes a metal welding device configured to weld metallic material during an additive manufacturing process. The system further includes a controller operationally coupled to the ceramic welding device and the metal welding device. The controller is configured to command the ceramic welding device to weld ceramic material onto a base material during the filling welding step of the additive manufacturing process to form a ceramic filled portion of a part. The controller is also configured to command the metal welding device to weld metallic material onto at least one face of the ceramic filled portion of a part during the metal shell welding step of the additive manufacturing process to form a metallic shell portion of a part. The ceramic filled portion of the part is conductive in one embodiment and has thermal properties that allow it to withstand the temperatures generated during the metal shell welding step so as not to damage or distort the ceramic filled portion of the part. In one embodiment, the ceramic filled portion of the part and the metallic shell portion of the part are permanent parts of the part. In one embodiment, the metal shell portion of the part is a permanent part of the part, and the ceramic-filled portion of the part is a temporary part of the part that serves as a support structure for the metal shell portion of the part during the additive manufacturing process. The ceramic-filled portion of the part is configured to be removed from the part to form the final version of the part. In one embodiment, the metal welding device welds the metallic material during the metal shell welding step of the additive manufacturing process using at least one of the following processes: laser hot wire (LHW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), electron beam welding (EBW), or electric resistance welding (ERW). In one embodiment, the system includes at least one robot, which is controlled by a controller during the additive manufacturing process and configured to move the ceramic welding device and the metal welding device relative to the base material.In one embodiment, the system includes at least one robot, which is controlled by a controller during an additive manufacturing process and configured to move a base material relative to a ceramic welding device and a metal welding device.

[0007] Numerous aspects of the overall inventive concept will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.

[0008] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute part of this specification, illustrating various embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be noted that the boundaries of elements shown in the drawings (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) represent one embodiment of the boundary. In some embodiments, one element may be designed as multiple elements, and multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some embodiments, an element shown as an internal component of another element may be implemented as an external component, and vice versa. Furthermore, elements may not be drawn to the correct scale. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A first embodiment of a metal welding device for an additive manufacturing system, configured to weld metal wires during an additive manufacturing process, is shown. [Figure 2] This invention illustrates an electrode head having a row of multiple electrodes configured to weld material to a base material or component of a workpiece. [Figure 3] This document presents a second embodiment of a metal welding device for an additive manufacturing system, configured as a laser hot-wire (LHW) device. [Figure 4] A system block diagram of one embodiment of an additive manufacturing system having a metal welding device is shown. [Figures 5A-5C] A schematic representation of the waveform of the filling pattern of a component that meets the contour of a component at an intersection is shown. [Figure 6]A flowchart of one embodiment of a method for additive manufacturing of parts is shown. [Figure 7] Figure 4 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment of the metal welding device, which utilizes a laser and includes a wire feeder controlled by the controller shown in Figure 4. [Figure 8] Figure 4 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment of the metal welding device, which utilizes non-consumable electrodes and includes a wire feeder controlled by the controller shown in Figure 4. [Figure 9] Figure 4 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment of the metal welding device, which includes a wire feeder that utilizes consumable electrodes and is controlled by the controller shown in Figure 4. [Figure 10] Figure 4 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment of the metal welding device, which utilizes consumable electrodes and includes a power supply and wire feeder controlled by the controller in Figure 4. [Figure 11] A system block diagram of one embodiment of an additive manufacturing system having a metal welding device and a support wire positioning device is shown. [Figure 12] A schematic diagram shows one embodiment of a support wire positioned between the base material and a designated point in space by the support wire positioning device of the additive manufacturing system shown in Figure 11. [Figure 13] A flowchart of one embodiment of a method for additively manufacturing a portion of a part using support wires is shown. [Figure 14] A system block diagram of one embodiment of the support wire positioning device of Figure 11, controlled by the controller of Figure 11, which has a power supply and a wire extension device, is shown. [Figure 15] A system block diagram of one embodiment of the support wire positioning device of Figure 11, which has a wire feeder and a wire cutter and is controlled by the controller of Figure 11, is shown. [Figure 16] One embodiment of a series of metal support wires positioned and welded to a base material is shown, allowing a portion of a part to be additively manufactured on the base material. [Figure 17] One embodiment of a contoured support frame is shown, which holds multiple metal support wires / rods on a base material in order to additively fabricate the contour portion of a part on the base material. [Figure 18] A system block diagram of one embodiment of an additive manufacturing system having a metal welding device and a ceramic welding device is shown. [Figures 19A-19B] Figure 18 schematically illustrates the ceramic-filled portion and the metal shell portion of a part manufactured using the additive manufacturing process with the system shown. [Figure 20] Figure 18 shows a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for additively manufacturing a part having a ceramic-filled portion and a metal shell portion using the system shown. [Figure 21] Figures 1, 3, 4, 7-11, 14-15, and 18 show an exemplary controller embodiment of an additive manufacturing system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] As is generally known, additive manufacturing is the process of welding materials to a base material / substrate or component (e.g., in layers) to produce a desired manufactured product. The patterns of the multiple layers of a three-dimensional (3D) component to be additively manufactured are, according to one embodiment, represented and stored as digital data. The digital data may be, for example, from a CAD model or from a scanned component. In some application areas, manufactured products can be quite complex. However, known methods and systems used for additive manufacturing tend to be slow and have limited performance. Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods that enable structural construction techniques to improve the time and efficiency of additive manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) components and to improve the performance and quality of the resulting components, in order to address these problems.

[0011] Embodiments of an additive manufacturing system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment, the additive manufacturing system includes a metal deposition device (MDD) configured to weld a metal material during an additive manufacturing process. A controller is operatively coupled to the MDD and is configured to instruct the MDD to weld the metal material to a base material to form a contour of a part. The controller is configured to instruct the MDD to weld the metal material to the base material to form a fill pattern within a region defined by the contour. The fill pattern is a waveform having a certain wavelength. The controller is configured to instruct the metal deposition device to fuse the fill pattern to the metal contour by not supplying energy to an intersection where the fill pattern meets the contour and not welding an amount of the metal material that would distort the contour.

[0012] Embodiments of the metal deposition device may include at least one of, for example, a laser utilization subsystem, a plasma utilization subsystem, an arc utilization subsystem, an electron beam utilization subsystem, or an electrical resistance utilization subsystem to weld the metal material by, for example, melting a metal wire. Further, some embodiments of the metal deposition device may include, for example, a wire delivery or feeding system to feed / deliver a consumable metal wire for performing additive manufacturing of a 3D part on a base material. Also, some embodiments of the metal deposition device may include, for example, a motion control element (e.g., robotics) or other type of control element (e.g., an optical control element) to move a laser beam, a plasma beam, an electric arc, an electron beam, or a consumable metal wire with respect to a 3D part being additively manufactured on a base material or substrate.

[0013] Embodiments of an additive manufacturing system are configured to perform an additive manufacturing method. The additive manufacturing method provides for the fabrication of layers of a 3D part to be additively manufactured by controlling the deposition of a metallic material and / or a ceramic material and / or by controlling the positioning of a metallic support wire, for example, to form a contour and a fill pattern, as will be described in more detail later herein. The processes of depositing the metallic material, the ceramic material, and / or positioning the metallic support wire can be controlled independently and, according to some embodiments, may be operatively decoupled from each other (e.g., spatially and / or temporally), providing flexibility and efficiency in the additive manufacturing of 3D parts.

[0014] The examples and drawings in this specification are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the invention, which is defined by the scope and spirit of the claims. Here, the drawings are for the purpose of merely showing exemplary embodiments of the invention and not for limiting it. Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a first type of metal deposition device of an additive manufacturing system configured to deposit a metal wire during an additive manufacturing process. The metal deposition device is typically envisioned to be used to assist in additively manufacturing parts layer by layer by a welding process such as, for example, gas metal arc welding (GMAW), flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), or gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW). According to other embodiments, other metal deposition processes are possible.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the metal welding device 10 includes an electrode head 20, which simultaneously houses rows 30 of multiple electrodes 32 (e.g., consumable welding electrodes / wires). It should be noted that the multiple electrodes 32 can be fed continuously, periodically, or based on a predetermined sequence. The electrodes 32 may be gas-shielded, self-shielded, or metal-cored. These electrodes may be solid-core, metal-core, or flux-cored wires used under gas shielding. In the case of cored electrodes, the electrode sheath may be, for example, carbon steel, stainless steel, or nickel alloy. The electrode head 20 houses rows 30 such that the electrodes 32 are spatially spaced apart to controllably weld material as part of forming layers of a 3D part (e.g., by welding molten metal wire material onto the base material surface of the workpiece or onto previous layers of the 3D part under manufacture). It should be recognized and understood that the electrode head 20 can be any suitable electrode head that houses the row 30 for transporting the electrodes 32. For example, the electrode head 20 can be an assembly that utilizes individual contact tips for the row 30 or a contact assembly that houses and surrounds the electrode row 30 as a whole. The coil 70 may include a plurality of individual coils, each containing one electrode (e.g., a welding wire), which are arranged along a common axis of rotation. Any further method for delivering filler wire or additional material may be chosen, and this also does not deviate from the intended scope of application of embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, in one embodiment, the electrode head 20 is configured to provide a single consumable metal wire instead of a row of wires.

[0016] In one embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the electrode head 20 is configured to receive a row 30 of associated feed electrodes 32. The metal welding device 10 includes means for driving the row 30 of electrodes 32 through the electrode head 20. The driving means is envisioned to include a group of drive rolls 50 or other wire feeder devices. Each of the drive rolls 50 may be associated with one or more electrodes 32. In one embodiment, two electrodes 32 may be associated with one group of drive rolls 50, but the relationship between the number of electrodes and the number of wire feeders may be configured such that any appropriate number of electrodes in an additive manufacturing process can be associated with one group of drive rolls. In other embodiments, each electrode is driveable by its own drive roll 50. Furthermore, other relationships between the drive rolls 50 and one or more electrodes may also be utilized at appropriate technical discretion.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment, the drive roll 50 may be configured to drive the electrodes 32 through the electrode head 20 at a certain speed (e.g., wire feeding speed). In one embodiment, the electrodes 32 may be driven at substantially the same speed. In other embodiments, each electrode 32 may be driven at its own speed, which may be predetermined or dynamically determined during the additive manufacturing process. For example, the speed of one or more electrodes 32 (e.g., wire feeding speed) may be predetermined based on the material composition, type of weld, welding parameters, workpiece / substrate, etc. In other embodiments, the speed of one or more electrodes may be dynamically determined during the additive manufacturing process based on criteria such as, but not limited to, user input, feedback, voltage, current, and temperature, etc.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, each of the electrodes 32 is configured to be connected to a welding power source 40. That is, during an additional manufacturing process, for example, a welding power source can be supplied through each of the electrodes 32 in the row 30. As previously stated, the power source may be supplied from the welding power source 40 through a welding cable (not shown) attached to one end of a stud (not shown). At the tip, the welding cable may be connected to the electrode head 20 through an electrode head connector. In the exemplary case of one welding power source 40, one electrode head connector may carry the power source from the welding cable to the electrode head 20 in common. Furthermore, other means for carrying the power source from the welding cable to the electrode head 20 may be used, at the discretion of the technical expert. The power source 40 supplies power to establish a welding arc between each of the associated multiple power sources and the associated base material / substrate or component 51 (see Figure 2). In particular, one or more power sources 40 can power one or more electrodes 32 in the row 30, for example, based on a predetermined order.

[0019] Furthermore, the establishment of a welding arc between the electrode 32 and the base material / substrate or component 51 can be provided by at least one of the power sources 40 (e.g., supplying power, not supplying power, stopping the power supply, etc.) or by the drive roll 50 (e.g., driving the electrode, not driving the electrode, stopping the electrode drive, etc.). Thus, the electrodes 32 in the row 30 can be activated or deactivated based on a predetermined sequence, and activation and / or deactivation can be performed based on the power source 40 and / or the drive roll 50. In one embodiment, controlled establishment of a welding arc to the electrode 32 and / or controlled driving of the electrode 32 are provided for an additive manufacturing process. Thus, individual electrodes can be effectively "on" or "off" to enable the creation of defined 2D shapes with contours within a layer of a 3D part.

[0020] In certain embodiments, the sensor 60 is configured to detect at least one of the following: the position of the electrode head 20 on the base material / substrate or component 51; the alignment of at least one electrode 32 in a row 30 compared to the base material / substrate or component 51; or the misalignment of at least one electrode 32 in a row 30 compared to the base material / substrate or component 51. The sensor 60 can be coupled to or fixed to the electrode head 20 at a certain position to detect the position of at least one electrode 32 with respect to the base material / substrate or component 51. In other embodiments, multiple sensors 60 can be used. For example, one sensor can be used for each electrode 32. For example, but not limited to, the sensor 60 can be an infrared (IR) sensor or a proximity sensor, or the like. The sensor 60 detects the alignment and / or misalignment of at least one electrode 32 with respect to at least a portion of the base material / substrate or component 51.

[0021] According to one embodiment, the metal welding device 10 includes a controller 80 which controls a power supply 40, a drive roll 50, and an electrode head 20. For example, the controller 80 controls the operating characteristics of the power supply 40 (output voltage, output current, output waveform, etc.). The controller 80 also controls the operating characteristics of the drive roll 50 (e.g., wire feeding speed and arc establishment for each electrode 32 in the row 30). Furthermore, the controller 80 controls the operating characteristics of the electrode head 20 (e.g., position, travel speed, etc.). According to one embodiment, the controller 80 may be integrated into the power supply 40. According to one embodiment, the patterns of multiple layers of an additively manufactured 3D part are represented and stored as digital data in the controller 80. The digital data may be from, for example, a CAD model or from a scanned part.

[0022] Referring to Figure 2, an electrode head 20 having five electrodes 32 in a row 30 can weld material onto a base material / substrate or component 51 in a controlled direction of movement. According to one embodiment, in an additive manufacturing system, a platform 93 and a robot 90 may be used to rotate and / or translate the base material / substrate or component 51 under the control of a controller 80. In an alternative embodiment, the movement of the electrode head 20 may be similarly controlled by the controller 80 to rotate and / or translate the electrode head 20.

[0023] Figure 3 shows an example of another type of metal welding device using a laser and filler wire. In particular, Figure 3 shows a functional schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a laser hot-wire (LHW) metal welding device 100 (i.e., a metal welding device for performing additive manufacturing) in an additive manufacturing system. The metal welding device 100 in Figure 3 includes an exemplary embodiment of a combination of filler wire feeder and energy source. In particular, the metal welding device 100 includes a laser subsystem capable of focusing a laser beam 110 onto a base material / substrate or component 115 to heat the base material / substrate or component 115. In one embodiment, the laser subsystem is a high-intensity energy source. The laser subsystem can be any type of high-energy laser source, including but not limited to carbon dioxide, Nd:YAG, Yb-disk, YB-fiber, fiber-delivered, or direct diode laser systems. In other embodiments, the laser subsystem is a low-intensity energy source (e.g., for softening or minimally melting a metallic material). Other embodiments of the metal welding device may include at least one of the following, which functions as an energy source: an electron beam subsystem, a plasma arc welding subsystem, a gas tungsten arc welding subsystem, a gas metal arc welding subsystem, a flux core arc welding subsystem, or a submerged arc welding subsystem.

[0024] The following repeatedly refers to laser systems, beams, and power supplies. However, it should be understood that this reference is illustrative, as any energy source may be used. For example, a high-intensity energy source of at least 500 W / cm² is appropriate. 2 The laser subsystem includes a laser device 120 and a laser power supply 130 that are operationally connected to each other. The laser power supply 130 provides power to operate the laser device 120.

[0025] In one embodiment, the metal welding device 100 also includes a hot filler wire feeder subsystem capable of feeding at least one resistive filler wire 140 to contact a base material / substrate or component 115 near a laser beam 110. The wire feeder subsystem includes a filler wire feeder 150, a contact tube 160, and a power supply 170. During operation, the filler wire 140 is resistively heated by a current from the power supply 170, which is operationally connected between the contact tube 160 and the base material / substrate or component 115. According to one embodiment, the power supply 170 is a pulsed DC power supply, but alternating current (AC) or other types of power supply are also possible. The wire 140 is fed from the filler wire feeder 150 through the contact tube 160 toward the base material / substrate or component 115 and extends beyond the tube 160. The extended portion of the wire 140 is resistively heated, thereby bringing the extended portion close to or reaching its melting point before contacting the base material / substrate or component 115. The laser beam 110 may also serve to melt a portion of the base metal of the base material / substrate or component 115 to form a molten pool, and / or can be used to melt the wire 140 onto the base material / substrate or component 115. The power supply 170 provides the energy necessary to resistively heat the filler wire 140. In some embodiments, the power supply 170 supplies all of the required energy, while in other embodiments, a laser or other energy source can supply part of the energy. According to certain other embodiments of the present invention, the feeder subsystem may supply one or more wires simultaneously.

[0026] The metal welding device 100 further includes a motion control subsystem capable of moving the laser beam 110 (energy source) and the resistive filler wire 140 in the same controlled direction 125 (at least in a relative sense) along the base material / substrate or component 115, so that the laser beam 110 and the resistive filler wire 140 remain in a fixed relationship with each other. According to various embodiments, the relative movement between the base material / substrate or component 115 and the laser / wire combination may be achieved by actually moving the base material / substrate or component 115, or by moving the laser device 120 and the wire feeder subsystem.

[0027] In Figure 3, the motion control subsystem includes a motion controller 180 operationally connected to a robot having a platform 193 (e.g., a rotatable platform and / or a translationally movable platform). The motion controller 180 controls the movement of the robot 190. The robot 190 is operationally connected (e.g., mechanically fixed) to a base material / substrate or component 115 via the platform 193 and moves the base material / substrate or component 115, for example, in the current direction of movement 125, thereby effectively moving the laser beam 110 and wire 140 along the base material / substrate or component 115. According to an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the laser device 120 and contact tube 160 may be incorporated into a single head. The head may move along the base material / substrate or component 115 via a motion control subsystem operationally connected to the head. According to one embodiment, the motion control subsystem, including the motion controller 180 and the robot 190, is a separate component of an additive manufacturing subsystem and is not part of the metal welding device.

[0028] In general, there are several ways in which the energy source / wire of a metal welding device is moved relative to the base material / substrate or component. For example, if the base material / substrate or component is round, the energy source / wire may be stationary, or the base material / substrate or component may be rotated beneath the energy source / wire. Alternatively, a robotic arm or linear tractor may move parallel to the round base material / substrate or component, and while the base material / substrate or component is rotating, the energy source / wire may be moved continuously or indexed once per revolution to be laminated onto, for example, the surface of the round base material / substrate or component. If the base material / substrate or component is flat or at least not round, the base material / substrate or component may be moved beneath the energy source / wire, as shown in Figure 3. However, a robotic arm or linear tractor, or even a beam-mounted carriage, may be used to move the energy source / wire head relative to the base material / substrate or component. According to various embodiments, the robot 190 driving the platform 193 may be driven electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically.

[0029] The metal welding device 100 further includes a sensing and current control subsystem 195, which is operationally connected to the base material / substrate or component 115 and the contact tube 160 (i.e., effectively connected to the output of the power supply 170), and can measure the potential difference (i.e., voltage V) and current (I) between the base material / substrate or component 115 and the wire 140. The sensing and current control subsystem 195 further calculates the resistance value (R=V / I) and / or power value (P=V) from the measured voltage and current. * I) can be calculated. Generally, when the wire 140 is in contact with the base material / substrate or component 115, the potential difference between the wire 140 and the base material / substrate or component 115 is zero volts or very close to zero volts. As a result, the sensing and current control subsystem 195 can sense that the resistive filler wire 140 is in contact with the base material / substrate or component 115, and by being operationally connected to the power supply 170, can further control the flow of current through the resistive filler wire 140 in response to the sensing. In other embodiments, the sensing and current controller 195 may be an integral part of the power supply 170.

[0030] Thus, the metal welding device 10 and the second metal welding device 100 have been described herein. The metal welding devices 10 and 100 may be used separately or in combination (for example, as subsystems forming a larger additive manufacturing system) to perform additive manufacturing operations as described herein. Other types of metal welding devices may be used in the additive manufacturing system based on the requirements of the additive manufacturing process described herein. For example, the various metal welding devices may be laser-based, plasma-based, arc-based, electron beam-based, Joule heating-based, or any combination thereof. Such metal welding devices may be used herein to perform additive manufacturing methods for welding metallic materials as described below.

[0031] Figure 4 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment of an additive manufacturing system 400 having a metal welding device 410. The system 400 also includes a controller 420 and a robot 430 having a robotic arm 435. The metal welding device 410 is configured to weld molten metal material during the additive manufacturing process to form a part. The controller 420 is operationally coupled to the metal welding device 410 and the robot 430. That is, in the embodiment of Figure 4, the controller 420 is configured to control various aspects of the metal welding device 410 (e.g., wire feeding, output power or energy) and to function as a motion controller for the robot 430. According to other embodiments, the controller 420 may include two or more controllers (e.g., a first controller for controlling the metal welding device 410 and a second controller for controlling the robot 430). In one embodiment, the robot arm 435 is connected to the metal welding device 410 (or to at least a part of the metal welding device 410, such as a welding head), thereby allowing the robot 430 to move the metal welding device 410 in space relative to the base material or substrate via the arm 435 under the control of the controller 420. In another embodiment, the robot arm 435 is connected to the base material or substrate, thereby allowing the robot 430 to move the base material or substrate relative to the metal welding device 410 via the arm 435. The metal welding device 410 and the robot 430 may be of the type shown, for example, in Figures 1-2 or 3, depending on the particular embodiment. Other types of robots and metal welding devices are also possible according to various other embodiments.

[0032] According to one embodiment, the controller 420 commands the metal welding device 410 to weld molten metal material onto the base material (substrate) during the contour welding stage of the additive manufacturing process in order to form the contour of the part. Next, the controller commands the metal welding device 410 to weld metal material onto the base material during the fill pattern welding stage of the additive manufacturing process in order to form a fill pattern within the area whose outline is determined by the contour of the part. According to one embodiment, the welding speed in the contour welding stage is lower than the welding speed in the fill pattern welding stage, thereby allowing the contour to be welded more accurately and precisely than the fill pattern. As the additive manufacturing process continues to build subsequent layers of the part, the metal material is welded, for example, on top of the layers prior to the contour and fill pattern.

[0033] According to one embodiment, the filling pattern is a waveform having a certain wavelength. Figures 5A-5C schematically show exemplary embodiments of the waveform of a part filling pattern that meets the contour of the part at an intersection. The intersection may correspond to an optimal load point for handling a defined load, for example. Figure 5A shows a sinusoidal filling pattern 510 welded between two contour walls 515 and 516, Figure 5B shows a triangular filling pattern 520 welded between two contour walls 525 and 526, and Figure 5C shows a rectangular filling pattern 530 (e.g., a square wave filling pattern) welded between two contour walls 535 and 536. According to one embodiment, the controller 420 is configured to adjust the wavelength of the waveform to adjust the filling percentage of the part. Thus, as the wavelength of the filling pattern shortens, the percentage of part filled increases. Such waveform filling patterns enable the manufacture of strong and lightweight parts (e.g., hand tools).

[0034] During the filling pattern welding stage, the controller 420 instructs the metal welding device 410 to fuse the metal material of the filling pattern to the metal material of the contour at the intersection. The intersection is the point where the filling pattern meets the contour, as shown in Figures 5A-5C. The contour may form, for example, the outer shape of a part, and it may be desirable that the dimensions of the contour be precise during welding and that this precision be maintained throughout the additive manufacturing process. Therefore, in order to fuse the filling pattern to the contour, the metal welding device 410 applies energy to the intersection and does not weld an excessive amount of metal material at the intersection that would distort the contour. For example, a minimum amount of metal material may be welded at the intersection. In some examples, no additional metal material may be welded at the intersection. Instead, only enough energy is applied to fuse the filling pattern to the contour. In this way, the contour is not distorted at the intersection, and no undesirable "bumps" of metal material are welded.

[0035] Figure 6 shows a flowchart of one embodiment of a method 600 for additive manufacturing of a part using, for example, the system 400 of Figure 4. In block 610, a metallic material is welded onto the base material during the contour welding step of the additive manufacturing process to form the contour of the part. In block 620, a metallic material is welded onto the base material during the fill pattern welding step of the additive manufacturing process to form a fill pattern within an area whose boundary or outline is defined by the contour of the part. The fill pattern is a waveform having a certain wavelength. In block 630, the metallic material of the fill pattern is fused to the contour's metallic material at the intersection where the fill pattern meets the contour by applying energy to the intersection and reducing the welding rate of the metallic material at the intersection so as not to distort the contour (i.e., not welding an amount of metallic material at the intersection that would distort the contour). According to one embodiment, block 630 is executed while the fill pattern is being welded as part of the fill welding step of block 620. For example, during the filling pattern welding stage, the system 400 is configured to dynamically adjust (under the control of the controller 420) the amount of metal material to be welded and / or the amount of energy applied to melt the metal material as the metal welding device 410 approaches or crosses an intersection (e.g., by reducing the welding rate). According to various embodiments of the present invention, the fusion of the contour into the welding pattern at the intersection can be easily handled in processes using metal wires that are independent of the heat (energy) source (e.g., laser, plasma, TIG). Again, as the additive manufacturing process continues and subsequent layers of the part are constructed, the metal material is welded, for example, on top of the previous layers of the contour and filling pattern.

[0036] Figure 7 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment 700 of the metal welding device 410 of Figure 4, which includes a wire feeder 710 controlled by the controller 420 of Figure 4, utilizing a laser. The metal welding device 700 may, according to a particular embodiment, have elements and / or combinations of elements similar to those in Figures 1-3, for example. The wire feeder 710 is configured to feed a filler wire 720 of metallic material toward the base material 730. The embodiment of the metal welding device 700 of Figure 7 also includes a power supply 740 and a laser device 750 operationally connected to the power supply 740. The power supply 740 and the laser device 750 are configured to supply energy (in the form of a laser beam 755) for melting the filler wire 720 (and possibly a portion of the base material 730) during an additive manufacturing process. The controller 420 is operationally connected to the wire feeder 710 and is configured to reduce the feeding speed of the filler wire 720 at intersections or to completely stop feeding the filler wire 720 at intersections during the filling pattern welding of the additive manufacturing process. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the power supply 740 is controlled to adjust the amount of energy output by the laser device 750 at intersections. For example, the amount of energy output by the laser device 750 may be reduced at intersections so that the contour is fused to the filling pattern at intersections without a large amount of new metal material being welded, and the contour is not distorted or damaged at intersections. Again, as the additive manufacturing process continues and subsequent layers of the part are constructed, the metal material is welded, for example, similarly on top of the contour and the previous layer of the filling pattern.

[0037] Figure 8 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment 800 of the metal welding device 410 of Figure 4, which includes a wire feeder 810 controlled by the controller 420 of Figure 4, utilizing a non-consumable electrode. The metal welding device 800 may, according to a particular embodiment, have elements and / or combinations of elements similar to those in Figures 1-3, for example. The wire feeder 810 is configured to feed a filler wire 820 of metallic material toward a base material 830. The embodiment of the metal welding device 800 of Figure 8 also includes a power supply 840 and a non-consumable electrode 850 (e.g., a tungsten electrode) operationally connected to the power supply 840. The power supply 840 and the non-consumable electrode 850 are configured to supply energy (in the form of a plasma beam or arc 855) for melting the filler wire 820 (and possibly a portion of the base material 830) during an additive manufacturing process. The controller 420 is operationally connected to the wire feeder 810 and is configured to reduce the feeding speed of the filler wire 820 at intersections or to completely stop feeding the filler wire 820 at intersections during the filling pattern welding of the additive manufacturing process. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the power supply 840 is controlled to adjust the amount of energy supplied through the electrode 850 at intersections. For example, the amount of energy supplied by the electrode 850 may be reduced at intersections so that the contour fuses with the filling pattern at intersections without a large amount of new metal material being welded, and the contour is not distorted or damaged at intersections. Again, as the additive manufacturing process continues and subsequent layers of the part are constructed, the metal material is welded, for example, similarly on top of the contour and the previous layer of the filling pattern.

[0038] Figure 9 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment 900 of the metal welding device 410 of Figure 4, which includes a wire feeder 910 controlled by the controller 420 of Figure 4, utilizing a consumable electrode. The metal welding device 900 may, according to a particular embodiment, have elements and / or combinations of elements similar to those in Figures 1-3, for example. The wire feeder 910 is configured to feed a filler wire 920 of the metal material toward the base material 930. The embodiment of the metal welding device 900 of Figure 9 also includes a power supply 940 and a second wire feeder 950 operationally connected to the power supply 940. The second wire feeder is configured to feed a consumable wire electrode 960 toward the base material 930. The power supply 940 and the second wire feeder 950 are configured to supply energy to melt the filler wire 920 (and possibly a portion of the base material 930) during the additive manufacturing process via the consumable wire electrode 960 (forming an electric arc 965 between the electrode 960 and the base material 930). The controller 420 is operationally connected to the first wire feeder 910 and is configured to reduce the feeding rate of the filler wire 920 at intersections or to completely stop feeding the filler wire 920 at intersections during the filling pattern welding of the additive manufacturing process. Furthermore, in one embodiment, the power supply 940 is controlled to adjust the amount of energy supplied to the electrode 960 at intersections. For example, the amount of energy supplied to the electrode 960 may be reduced at intersections so that the contour fuses with the filling pattern at intersections, a limited amount of new metallic material is welded, and the contour is not distorted or damaged at intersections. Again, as the additive manufacturing process continues and subsequent layers of the part are constructed, the metal material is welded onto the previous layers, for example, the contour and filling patterns.

[0039] Figure 10 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment 1000 of the metal welding device 410 of Figure 4, which includes a power supply 1010 and a wire feeder 1020 controlled by the controller 420 of Figure 4, utilizing a consumable electrode. The metal welding device 1000 may have elements and / or combinations of elements similar to those in Figures 1-3, for example, according to a particular embodiment. The wire feeder 1020 is configured to feed a consumable wire electrode 1030 of metallic material toward the base material 1040. The power supply 1010 is operationally connected to the wire feeder 1020. The power supply 1010 and the wire feeder 1020 are configured to supply energy through the consumable wire electrode 1030 (and possibly a portion of the base material 1040) to melt the consumable wire electrode 1030 (forming an electric arc 1035 between the electrode 1030 and the base material 1040) during an additive manufacturing process. The controller 420 is configured to reduce the feeding rate of the consumable wire electrode 1030 at intersections or to completely stop feeding the consumable wire electrode at intersections during the filling pattern welding of the additive manufacturing process. In this way, the contour is fused to the filling pattern at intersections, and a limited amount of new metal material is welded, thereby preventing the contour from being distorted or damaged at intersections. Again, as the additive manufacturing process continues and subsequent layers of the part are constructed, the metal material is welded, for example, on top of the contour and the previous layer of the filling pattern.

[0040] Figure 11 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment of an additive manufacturing system 1100 having a metal welding device 1110 and a support wire positioning device 1120. The system 1100 also includes a controller 1130 and a robot 1140 having robot arms 1145 and 1146. The metal welding device 1110 is configured to weld molten metal material during the additive manufacturing process to form a part. The support wire positioning device 1120 is configured to position at least one metal support wire during the additive manufacturing process to support a portion of the part. The controller 1130 is operationally coupled to the metal welding device 1110, the support wire positioning device 1120, and the robot 1140. That is, in the embodiment of Figure 11, the controller 1130 is configured to control various aspects of the metal welding device 1110 (e.g., wire feeding, output power, or energy), the wire positioning device 1120, and to function as a motion controller for the robot 1140. In other embodiments, the controller 1130 may include two or more controllers (for example, a first controller for controlling the metal welding device 1110, a second controller for controlling the support wire positioning device 1120, and a third controller for controlling the robot 1140).

[0041] In one embodiment, the robot arm 1145 is connected to the metal welding device 1110 (or to at least a part of the metal welding device 1110, such as a welding head), thereby allowing the robot 1140 to move the metal welding device 1110 in space relative to the base material or substrate via the arm 1145 under the control of the controller 1130. In one embodiment, the robot arm 1146 is connected to the support wire positioning device 1120 (or to at least a part of the support wire positioning device 1120), thereby allowing the robot 1140 to move the support wire positioning device 1120 in space relative to the base material or substrate via the arm 1146 under the control of the controller 1130. In another embodiment, the robot arm 1145 is connected to the base material or substrate, thereby allowing the robot 1140 to move the base material or substrate in space relative to the metal welding device 1110 and / or the support wire positioning device 1120 via the arm 1145. The metal welding device 1110 and robot 1140 may, according to a particular embodiment, be of the type shown in Figures 1-2 or 3, for example. Other types of robots and metal welding devices are also possible according to various other embodiments.

[0042] Figure 12 schematically shows one embodiment of a metal support wire or rod 1210 positioned by a support wire positioning device 1120 of the additive manufacturing system 1100 of Figure 11 between a first position 1220 on a base material 1230 and a designated support point (position) 1240 in space. The metal support wire 1210 may be, for example, a sub-arc wire. Then, a layer of metallic material may be welded onto the second end of the metal support wire 1210 at the support position 1240 designated by the metal welding device 1110 during the additive manufacturing process to form part of a component 1250 supported by the metal support wire 1210. A controller 1130 controls the additive manufacturing process. For example, the controller 1130 is configured to instruct the support wire positioning device 1120 to weld (e.g., tack weld or spot weld) the first end of the metal support wire 1210 to the first position 1220 on the base material 1230 on which a component is to be additively manufactured. The controller 1130 is also configured to command the support wire positioning device 1120 to position the second end of the metal support wire 1210 at a designated support position 1240 in free space (details thereof are described below). Instead of a point in free space, the controller 1130 may command the support wire positioning device 1120 to position the second end of the metal support wire 1210 at a point or position corresponding to another part of the component under construction or another support structure. The controller 1130 is further configured to command the metal welding device 1110 to weld molten metal material onto the second end of the metal support wire 1210 during an additive manufacturing process to form a portion of the component 1250 supported by the metal support wire 1210. The controller 1130 commands the robot 1140 (which has robot arms 1145 and 1146) to assist in positioning and fixing the metal support wire 1210 (via the support wire positioning device 1120) and welding the metal material to form part of the component 1250 (via the metal welding device 1110).

[0043] Figure 13 shows a flowchart of one embodiment of method 1300 for additively manufacturing a portion of a part by using a metal support wire. In block 1310, the first end of the metal support wire is welded to a first position on the base material on which the part is to be additively manufactured. The support wire positioning device welds the first end of the metal support wire to the first position on the base material using at least one of the following processes: laser hot wire (LHW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), electron beam welding (EBW), or electric resistance welding (ERW) (e.g., Joule heating). In block 1320, the second end of the metal support wire is positioned at a designated support point (position) in space by at least one of a wire stretching process or a wire reverse feeding and cutting process (described in detail herein). In block 1330, a metallic material is welded onto the second end of a metallic support wire during an additive manufacturing process to form at least a portion of a part supported by the metallic support wire. The metallic welding device welds the metallic material using at least one of the following processes: laser hot wire (LHW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), electron beam welding (EBW), or electric resistance welding (ERW).

[0044] Figure 14 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment 1400 of the support wire positioning device 1120 of Figure 11, which is controlled by the controller 1130 of Figure 11 and includes a power supply 1410, a wire extension device 1420, and a welding device 1430. The welding device 1430 is configured to weld the first end of a metal support wire to a first position on the base material using at least one of the following processes: laser hot wire (LHW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), electron beam welding (EBW), or electric resistance welding (ERW). Thus, in one embodiment, the welding device 1430 is configured to hold the metal support wire and move toward the first position on the base material (for example, via the robot 1140 as part of moving the support wire positioning device 1400), position the first end of the metal support wire on the base material, and weld the first end of the metal support wire to the base material. The orientation of the metal support wire emerging from the base material may also be positioned by the welding device 1430, thereby allowing the current position of the second end of the metal support wire, of known length, in space to be determined. In one embodiment, the metal support wire is of appropriate length so that the second end of the metal support wire can be directed to a designated support point in space. In other embodiments, the metal support wire is a short, thick wire that actually needs to be "stretched" (e.g., extruded or stretched) to the designated support point.

[0045] In one embodiment, the power supply 1410 is operationally connected to a wire stretching device 1420 and configured to heat the metal support wire (e.g., via Joule heating) to an extrusion or stretching temperature by passing electricity through the metal support wire (e.g., and a conductive base material). The wire stretching device 1420 is configured to push or stretch the metal support wire, once heated, toward a designated support point (position), while the first end of the metal support wire remains attached to the first position on the base material. In this way, the metal support wire is effectively "stretched" until the second end reaches the designated support point. Thus, in one embodiment, the wire stretching device 1420 is configured to grip the second end of the metal support wire at a predetermined current position in space. The power supply 1410 supplies current (e.g., through the wire stretching device) to heat the metal support wire. Next, the wire stretching device is moved toward a designated support point (for example, via the robot 1140 as part of moving the support wire positioning device 1400). All of this is done under the control of the controller 1130. Again, in an alternative embodiment, instead of moving the metal welding device or the support wire positioning device (or part thereof), the base material can be moved by the robot 1140 under the control of the controller 1130 to achieve the same result of positioning the metal support wire and welding the metal material on the metal support wire. According to one embodiment, the support wire positioning device includes a vision system (for example, including a camera) which senses the position of the second end of the metal support wire and is configured to allow the wire stretching device to be controlled and directed to grasp the second end of the metal support wire.

[0046] Figure 15 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment 1500 of the support wire positioning device 1120 of Figure 11, which is controlled by the controller 1130 of Figure 11 and includes a wire feeder 1510, a wire cutter 1520, and a welding device 1530. The welding device 1530 is configured to weld the first end of a metal support wire to a first position on the base material using at least one of the following processes: laser hot wire (LHW) process, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process, flux core arc welding (FCAW) process, electron beam welding (EBW) process, or electric resistance welding (ERW) process. Therefore, in one embodiment, the welding device 1530 and the wire feeder 1510 are configured to move toward a first position on the base material (for example, via the robot 1140 as part of moving the support wire positioning device 1500) to position the first end of the metal support wire on the base material and to weld the first end of the metal support wire to the base material, all under the control of the controller 1130. The metal support wire may be in the form of a coil of wire that operatively engages with the wire feeder 1510. In one embodiment, the wire feeder 1510 feeds the metal support wire forward so that the first end of the metal support wire contacts the base material at a first position. The welding device 1530 then welds the first end of the metal support wire to the base material at the first position.

[0047] The wire feeder 1510 is also configured to feed the metal support wire backward from a first position on the base material to at least a designated support point in space. Thus, in one embodiment, the wire feeder 1510 is configured to move backward (e.g., via the robot 1140 as part of the support wire positioning device 1500) toward the designated support point, during which time the coil of metal support wire is unwound, all under the control of the controller 1130. The wire cutter 1520 is configured to cut the metal support wire at the designated support point to form a second end of the metal support wire. For example, in one embodiment, the wire cutter 1520 is directed toward the designated support point (e.g., via the robot 1140 as part of moving the support wire positioning device 1500) and commanded to cut the metal wire, all under the control of the controller 1130. Again, in an alternative embodiment, instead of moving the metal welding device or the support wire positioning device (or part thereof), the base material can be moved by the robot 1140 under the control of the controller 1130 to achieve the same result of positioning the metal support wire and welding the metal material on the metal support wire. According to one embodiment, the support wire positioning device includes a vision system (e.g., including a camera) which senses the metal support wire and is configured to allow a wire cutter to be controlled and directed to cut the metal support wire at a designated support point, forming a second end of the metal support wire.

[0048] According to one embodiment, multiple metal support wires or rods (e.g., in the form of a row of metal support wires or rods) may be positioned and welded to a base material by a support wire positioning device as described herein. Each metal support wire may be positioned and welded in a specific order (e.g., under the control of a controller) so that previously positioned and welded metal support wires do not interfere with the positioning and welding of subsequent metal support wires. According to another embodiment, the metal support wires or rods may also be manually positioned and welded to the base material by a person as part of setting up the configuration of a part to be additively manufactured. In such embodiments, a support wire positioning device may not be used. Generally, the multiple metal support wires may be the same length or different lengths, according to various embodiments. Figure 16 shows one embodiment of a row of multiple metal support wires 1610 positioned and welded to a base material 1620, which can additively manufacture a part on top of the base material 1620. The metal support wires may also be positioned between two previously positioned metal support wires and welded thereto, for example, by hand or using system 1100 in Figure 11. According to various embodiments, the metal support wires may remain permanent parts of the additively manufactured part or may be removed from the final part. In this way, the construction of the part can be made relatively fast because the wires / rods can be used as support structures instead of having to additively manufacture the support structure layer by layer. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the metal wires / rods can be used as the base material for construction instead of using a separate base material / substrate.

[0049] Figure 17 shows one embodiment of a contouring support frame 1710 that holds multiple metal support wires / rods 1720 on a base material 1730 for additive manufacturing of a part (e.g., a contour portion of the part) on top of the base material 1730. The contouring support frame 1710 is formed / manufactured before performing the additive manufacturing process to produce the part. The contouring support frame 1710 is designed so that the multiple metal support wires / rods 1720 can be placed in holes or vias of the contouring support frame 1710 at the correct height and angle for additive manufacturing of a part on top of the multiple metal support wires / rods 1720. In some embodiments, the contouring support frame 1710 may be conductive (e.g., made of a metallic material), and in other embodiments, the contouring support frame 1710 may be non-conductive (e.g., made of a non-conductive ceramic material).

[0050] In one embodiment, the lower ends of multiple metal support wires / rods 1720 are in electrical contact with the base material 1730 (which is conductive), thereby forming a complete current path when a metallic material is welded to the upper ends of the multiple metal support wires / rods 1720. For example, a conductive paste may be applied to the base material 1730, under the contouring support frame 1710, thereby ensuring good electrical contact between the wires / rods 1720 and the base material 1730. In such an embodiment, the contouring support frame 1710 may be non-conductive. In another embodiment, the contouring support frame 1710 is conductive and is temporarily welded (e.g., tack welded) to the base material 1730 (which is conductive). Multiple metal support wires / rods 1720 are in electrical contact with the contouring support frame 1710 through holes / vias, thereby forming a complete electrical path when a metallic material is welded to the upper ends of the multiple metal support wires / rods 1720. For example, according to one embodiment, holes or vias in the contour-forming support frame 1710 are configured to grip a plurality of metal support wires / rods 1720 so as to provide good electrical contact.

[0051] As a result, the multiple metal support wires / rods 1720 held by the contouring support frame 1710 function as negative forms, for example, enabling the additive manufacturing of curved or irregular portions of a part on the base material 1730. In this way, and depending on the shape of the contouring support frame and the length and angle of the metal support wires / rods protruding from the metal contouring support frame, complex portions of a part can be supported on the base material during the additive manufacturing process. This makes it possible to additively manufacture complex and irregular shapes, including multiple curved surfaces. The contouring support frame 1710 and the multiple metal support wires / rods 1720 can be removed once the additive manufacturing of the part is complete. According to one embodiment, multiple parts to be additively manufactured can be supported by the same contouring support frame simply by changing the length and angle and / or number (spacing) of the multiple metal support wires / rods (i.e., reconfiguring the multiple metal support wires / rods and where they are held by the contouring support frame). Generally, the closer the spacing between holes / vias in a contour-forming support frame, and the greater the number of angles supported by the holes / vias, the more contour shapes can be achieved with the same contour-forming support frame.

[0052] Figure 18 shows a system block diagram of one embodiment of an additive manufacturing system 1800 having a metal welding device 1810 and a ceramic welding device 1820. System 1800 also includes a controller 1830 and a robot 1840 having robot arms 1845 and 1846. The ceramic welding device 1820 is configured to weld ceramic material during the additive manufacturing process. The term “ceramic material” may, as used herein, refer to pure ceramic material, or to a ceramic composite having multiple types of ceramic material, and / or a ceramic composite having ceramic material and non-ceramic material. The metal welding device 1810 is configured to weld molten metal material during the additive manufacturing process. The controller 1830 is operationally coupled to the ceramic welding device 1820, the metal welding device 1810, and the robot 1840. That is, in the embodiment shown in Figure 18, the controller 1830 is configured to control various aspects of the metal welding device 1810 (e.g., wire feeding, output power, or energy), the ceramic welding device 1820 (e.g., ceramic material dispensing, output power, or energy), and to function as a motion controller for the robot 1840. According to other embodiments, the controller 1830 may include two or more controllers (e.g., a first controller for controlling the metal welding device 1810, a second controller for controlling the ceramic welding device 1820, and a third controller for controlling the robot 1840).

[0053] In one embodiment, the robot arm 1845 is connected to the metal welding device 1810 (or to at least a part of the metal welding device 1810, such as a welding head), thereby allowing the robot 1840 to move the metal welding device 1810 in space relative to the base material or substrate via the arm 1845 under the control of the controller 1830. In one embodiment, the robot arm 1846 is connected to the ceramic welding device 1820 (or to at least a part of the ceramic welding device 1820, such as a welding head), thereby allowing the robot 1840 to move the ceramic welding device 1820 in space relative to the base material or substrate via the arm 1846 under the control of the controller 1830. In another embodiment, the robot arm 1845 is connected to the base material or substrate, thereby allowing the robot 1840 to move the base material or substrate in space relative to the metal welding device 1810 and / or ceramic welding device 1820 via the arm 1845. The metal welding device 1810 and robot 1840 may, according to a particular embodiment, be of the type shown, for example, in Figures 1-2 or 3. Other types of robots and metal welding devices are also possible according to various other embodiments.

[0054] In one embodiment, the controller 1830 is configured to command the ceramic welding device 1820 to weld a ceramic material onto the base material during the filling welding step of an additive manufacturing process to form a ceramic filled portion of the part. The controller 1830 is also configured to command the metal welding device 1810 to weld a metal material onto at least one surface of the ceramic filled portion of the part during the metal shell welding step of an additive manufacturing process to form a metal shell portion of the part. In one embodiment, the filled portion of the part has thermal properties that allow it to withstand the heat generated during the metal shell welding step, preventing damage or deformation of the ceramic filled portion of the part. In one embodiment, the filled portion of the part is conductive (for example, the ceramic material may be inherently conductive or may be doped with conductive particles). The conductive filled portion of the part facilitates metal welding, for example, through an arc wire welding process, thereby allowing a complete current path to be formed when the metal material is welded. In other embodiments, the filled portion of the part is non-conductive.

[0055] Figures 19A and 19B schematically illustrate the ceramic-filled portion 1910 and the metal shell portion 1920 of a part, which are manufactured by an additive manufacturing process using the system 1800 of Figure 18. Figure 19A shows the ceramic-filled portion 1910 of the part, which is substantially cubic in shape and light in color. Figure 19B shows the metal shell portion 1920 of the part, which is welded to at least three sides of the ceramic-filled portion 1910 and is dark in color. In one embodiment, the ceramic-filled portion 1910 of the part is constructed additively, layer by layer, on a base material or substrate to form the solid portion of the part. The base material or substrate is then rotated in various orientations (e.g., via robot 1840 and robot arm 1845) to allow the metal material to be welded onto the surface of the ceramic-filled portion 1910 of the part by a metal welding device 1810 (e.g., via a wire welding process). The metal material can be welded as one or more layers with respect to any particular surface, depending on the desired thickness of the metal shell portion 1920 of the part.

[0056] According to one embodiment, the ceramic-filled portion of a part and the metal shell portion of the part are permanent parts of the part. By using ceramic material as the filling portion of the part, the welding time can be improved and / or the strength and / or thermal properties of the final part can be improved. According to another embodiment, the metal shell portion of the part is a permanent part of the part, and the ceramic-filled portion of the part is a temporary part of the part and functions as a support structure for the metal shell portion of the part during the additive manufacturing process. The ceramic-filled portion of the part is configured to be removed from the part to form the final version of the part. The ceramic-filled portion of the part can withstand the heat generated during the metal shell welding stage and can then be removed from the part, for example, by breaking the ceramic out of the final part. In this way, the ceramic-filled portion of the part functions as a negative form of the final part.

[0057] Figure 20 shows a flowchart of one embodiment of method 2000 for additively manufacturing a part having a ceramic-filled portion and a metal shell portion using system 1800 of Figure 18. In block 2010, the ceramic material is welded onto the base material during the fill-welding step of the additive manufacturing process to form the ceramic-filled portion of the part. The ceramic-filled portion of the part may be conductive. For example, conductive particles may be injected into the ceramic material before welding. Alternatively, the ceramic material may be inherently conductive. In other embodiments, the filling portion of the part is substantially non-conductive (e.g., an insulator).

[0058] In Block 2020, a metallic material is welded onto at least one surface of a ceramic filler portion of a part during the metal shell welding step of an additive manufacturing process to form a metallic shell portion of the part. The metal welding device welds the metallic material during the metal shell welding step of the additive manufacturing process using at least one of the following processes: laser hot wire (LHW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), flux core arc welding (FCAW), electron beam welding (EBW), or electric resistance welding (ERW). If the ceramic filler portion of the part is conductive, current can flow through the ceramic filler portion of the part to a conductive base material or substrate, facilitating metal welding in a particular process.

[0059] In block 2030, the temperature associated with the welding of the metal material during the metal shell welding phase is kept within the thermal properties of the ceramic filler portion of the part so as not to damage or distort the ceramic filler portion of the part. In one embodiment, a temperature sensor senses the temperature of the ceramic filler portion of the part during the metal shell welding phase and supplies a relevant feedback signal to a controller. The controller is configured to adjust the parameters of the metal welding device based on the feedback signal to keep the temperature within an acceptable limit. For example, the output power of the metal welding device may be reduced, and / or the metal welding rate of the metal welding device may be reduced. Alternatively, in block 2040, the ceramic filler portion of the part is removed from the part after metal welding to form the final version of the part.

[0060] Again, according to one embodiment, the ceramic welding device 1820 may, under the control of a controller 1830, use motion control (e.g., robotic control) to weld ceramic material onto a substrate or layer of a 3D part to be additively manufactured. For example, according to various embodiments, robotic control may be used to move the welding head of the ceramic welding device 1820 and / or the base material / substrate on which the 3D part is additively manufactured. The welding amount and welding speed may be precisely controlled via the controller 1830, along with the dimensions of the welded ceramic material. Control of the welding amount, welding speed, and welding dimensions may be achieved using various types of controlled devices, including, for example, ceramic material delivery nozzles, ceramic material feeders, and vibration induction devices. According to other embodiments, ceramic welding devices of other configurations are also possible to perform the ceramic material welding functions described herein.

[0061] Ceramic materials can be used in additive manufacturing of parts, can be supplied in different forms and states, and can be welded using various processes. Ceramic materials often come in the form of powder, liquid, or solid material. Some examples of ceramic materials include Al2O3, Al2O3-B2O3, Al2O3-glass-B2O3, Al2O3-ZrO2-TiC, apatite-mullite, graphite, K2O-Al2O3-SiO2, SiO2, SiC, ZrO2, ZrB2, and glass powder. Ceramic materials can have high temperature-mechanical properties that allow them to withstand extreme conditions (for example, to withstand welding of molten metal material onto the ceramic surface of additively manufactured parts).

[0062] Additive manufacturing using ceramic materials may include processes such as CAD model slicing, printing, binder removal, and sintering. The CAD model is a digital model of the part to be additively manufactured. Ceramic structures can be additively manufactured, for example, by direct laser melting of the ceramic material or with the assistance of a binder and a fluidizer. Post-processing at high temperatures may be performed for further densification and binder burnout. In general, ceramic materials have low thermal conductivity. For some ceramic materials, a low-power laser may be used to melt the ceramic material as part of a welding process. The output power of the laser may be any of the ranges between 0.1 watts and 10 kilowatts, for example. The wavelength of the laser may be any of the ranges between ultraviolet (UV) and mid-infrared (IR), for example, depending on the ceramic material, process, and type of product to be additively manufactured. According to one embodiment, the ceramic material may be heated using microwave energy. According to another embodiment, the ceramic material may be heated using electron beam energy.

[0063] Some popular additive manufacturing processes for ceramic materials include, for example, binder jetting (BJ), material jetting (MJ), powder bed fusion (PBF), sheet lamination (SL), and vat photopolymerization (VP). In binder jetting (BJ), a liquid binder is jetted onto a layer of powder, forming parts layer by layer by bonding the particles together. In material jetting (MJ), droplets of ceramic material are welded. In powder bed fusion (PBF), thermal energy is used to fuse regions of ceramic material in powder. In sheet lamination (SL), sheets or foils of ceramic material are bonded together. In vat photopolymerization (VP), liquid ceramic material is photocured in a vat. Another possible additive manufacturing process that may be used with ceramic materials is directed energy deposition (DED), in which thermal energy is focused during lamination to melt the material. Another possible additional manufacturing process that may be used with ceramic materials is material extrusion, in which case the material is selectively extruded from a nozzle or orifice during welding.

[0064] In one embodiment, a ceramic component may be formed using a single-step process. A single-step process may include, for example, the use of directed energy deposition (DED). Alternatively, a single-step process may include, for example, a selective laser melting (SLM) powder bed fusion process or a selective laser sintering (SLS) powder bed fusion process. Bonding of ceramic material particles can be achieved, for example, by chemical bonding, solid-state sintering, or partial and complete melting of the particles. In one embodiment, a ceramic component may be fabricated using a multi-step process. A multi-step process may include setting the shape of the component using a binder material, and then removing the binder through one or more debinder steps. Binder injection (BJ), material injection (MJ), material extrusion (ME), sheet lamination (SL), and vat photopolymerization (VP) are considered multi-step processes. Several powder bed fusion (PBF) processes are also considered multi-step processes.

[0065] Figure 21 shows an exemplary controller for the additive manufacturing system shown in Figures 1, 3, 4, 7-11, 14-15, and Figure 18. The controller 2100 includes at least one processor 2114, which communicates with a number of other peripheral devices via a bus subsystem 2112. These peripheral devices may include a storage subsystem 2124, which includes, for example, a memory subsystem 2128 and a file storage subsystem 2126, a user interface input device 2122, a user interface output device 2120, and a network interface subsystem 2116. The input and output devices enable user interaction with the controller 2100. The network interface subsystem 2116 provides an interface with an external network and is connected to a corresponding interface device in another computer system. For example, the motion controller 180 of the apparatus 100 may share one or more characteristics with the controller 2100 and may be, for example, a conventional computer, a digital signal processor, and / or other computing device.

[0066] The user interface input device 2122 may include pointing devices such as keyboards, mice, trackballs, touchpads, or graphics tablets, scanners, touchscreens integrated into displays, voice input devices such as voice recognition systems, microphones, and / or other types of input devices. Generally, the use of the term “input device” shall include all possible types of devices and methods for inputting information to the controller 2100 or onto a communication network.

[0067] The user interface output device 2120 may include a display subsystem, a printer, a fax machine, or a non-visual display such as an audio output device. The display subsystem may include a flat panel device such as a cathode ray tube (CRT) or liquid crystal display (LC), a projector, or several other visual image generation mechanisms. The display subsystem may also provide non-visual displays via an audio output device, etc. In general, the use of the term “output device” includes all possible types of devices and methods for outputting information from the controller 2100 to the user or to another machine or computer system.

[0068] The storage subsystem 2124 stores (for example, as software modules) programming and data configurations that provide or support some or all of the functions described herein. For example, the storage subsystem 2124 may include CAD models of parts to be additionally manufactured and logic for identifying changes in deposition locations and adjusting metal welding devices to accommodate the identified changes.

[0069] Software modules are generally executed by processor 2114 alone or in combination with other processors. The memory 2128 used by the storage subsystem may include a number of memories, including a primary random access memory (RAM) 2130 for storing instructions and data during program execution, and a read-only memory (ROM) 2132 for storing fixed instructions. The file storage subsystem 2126 can provide fixed storage for programs and data, which may include a hard disk drive, associated removable media and floppy disk drive, CD-ROM drive, optical drive, or removable media cartridge. Modules performing functions of a particular embodiment may be stored by the storage subsystem 2126 within the storage subsystem 2124, or in other machines accessible to processor 2114.

[0070] The bus subsystem 2112 provides a mechanism that enables the various components and subsystems of the controller 2100 to communicate with each other as intended. Although the bus subsystem 2112 is schematically shown as a single bus, alternative embodiments of the bus subsystem may use multiple buses.

[0071] The controller 2100 can be of various types, including workstations, servers, computing clusters, blade servers, server farms, or any other data processing system or computing device. Because the nature of computing devices and networks is constantly changing, the description of the controller 2100 shown in Figure 21 is merely a specific example intended to illustrate several embodiments. Many other configurations of the controller 2100 are possible, having more or fewer components than the controller shown in Figure 21.

[0072] While the disclosed embodiments are illustrated and described in considerable detail, they are not intended to restrict the scope of the accompanying claims or limit them in any way to such details. Of course, it is impossible to describe every conceivable combination of components and methodologies in order to illustrate various aspects of the gist. Therefore, this disclosure is not limited to the specific details or explanatory examples illustrated and described. Accordingly, this disclosure is intended to encompass any changes, improvements, and modifications included within the scope of the accompanying claims that satisfy the statutory requirements relating to the gist of the gist of the gist of the U.S. Patent Act § 101. The above description of specific embodiments is presented as an example. From this disclosure, a person skilled in the art will not only understand the overall inventive concept and its associated benefits, but will also conceive of various obvious changes and improvements to the disclosed structure and method. Therefore, it is required that all changes and improvements, and their equivalents, that fall within the gist and scope of the overall inventive concept as defined by the accompanying claims be encompassed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 20 electrode heads 30-electrode row 32 electrodes 40 Welding power supply 50 Drive Roll 51 Base material / substrate or component 60 sensors 80 Controllers 90 robots 100 Metal Welding Devices 110 laser beams 115 Base material / substrate or component 130 Laser Power Supply 140 Resistance Filler Wire 150 Filler Wire Feeder 170 Power supply 180 Motion Controller 190 robots 195 Sensing and Current Control Subsystem 400 Additional Manufacturing Systems 410 Metal Welding Devices 420 Controllers 430 robots 435 Robot Arm 535, 536 Contour wall 700 Metal Welding Devices 710 Wire Feeder 720 Filler Wire 730 Base material 740 power supply 750 Laser Devices 800 Metal Welding Devices 810 Wire Feeder 820 Filler Wire 830 Base material 850 non-consumable electrode 900 Metal Welding Devices 910 Wire Feeder 920 Filler Wire 930 Base material 940 Power supply 950 Second wire feeder 960 Consumable Wire Electrodes 1000 Metal Welding Devices 1010 Power supply 1020 Wire Feeder 1030 Consumable Wire Electrode 1040 Base material 1110 Metal Welding Devices 1120 Support wire positioning device 1130 Controller 1140 Robots 1145, 1146 Robot Arm 1210 Metal support wire or rod 1220 First position on the base material 1230 Base material 1240 Support point 1400 Support wire positioning device 1410 Power supply 1420 Wire Stretching Device 1430 Welding Devices 1500 Support wire positioning device 1510 Wire Feeder 1520 Wire Cutter 1530 Welding Devices 1710 Contour-forming support frame 1720 Metal support wire / rod 1730 Base material 1800 Additional Manufacturing Systems 1810 Metal Welding Device 1820 Ceramic Welding Device 1830 Controller 1840 Robots 1845, 1846 Robot Arm 1910 Ceramic filling portion 1920 Metal shell part 2100 Controller 2112 Bus Subsystem 2114 Processor 2116 Network Interface Subsystem 2120 User Interface Output Device 2122 User Interface Input Devices 2126 File Storage Subsystem 2128 Memory subsystem

Claims

1. In additive manufacturing systems, A ceramic welding device configured to weld ceramic materials during an additive manufacturing process, A metal welding device configured to weld metal materials during the aforementioned additional manufacturing process, A controller operationally connected to the ceramic welding device and the metal welding device, The controller includes, The ceramic welding device is instructed to weld the ceramic material onto the base material during the filling and welding step of the additive manufacturing process in order to form the ceramic-filled portion of the component. The metal welding device is instructed to weld the metal material onto at least one surface of the ceramic-filled portion of the part during the metal shell welding step of the additive manufacturing process in order to form the metal shell portion of the part. It is configured in such a way, The ceramic-filled portion is conductive. The conductivity of the ceramic-filled portion is configured to provide an electrical path that promotes metal welding during the metal shell welding step. The ceramic-filled portion of the component has thermal properties that allow it to withstand the temperatures generated during the metal shell welding step so as not to damage or distort the ceramic-filled portion of the component.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic-filled portion and the metal shell portion of the component are integral parts of the component and are not removed from the component.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the metal shell portion of the component is an integral part of the component that is not removed from the component, the ceramic-filled portion of the component is a temporary part of the component that functions as a support structure for the metal shell portion of the component during the additive manufacturing process, and the ceramic-filled portion is configured to be removed from the component to form the final version of the component.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the metal welding device welds the metal material during the metal shell welding step of the additive manufacturing process using at least one of the following processes: laser hot wire (LHW) process, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process, flux core arc welding (FCAW) process, electron beam welding (EBW) process, or electric resistance welding (ERW) process.

5. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one robot configured to be controlled by the controller during the additional manufacturing process to move the ceramic welding device and the metal welding device relative to the base material.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a robot configured to be controlled by the controller during the additional manufacturing process to move the base material with respect to the ceramic welding device and the metal welding device.

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