Variable print chamber walls for powder bed fusion additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing can involve dispensing a powdered material to form a layer of a powder bed on a support surface of a build platform. A portion of the layer of the powder bed may be selectively melted or fused to form one or more temporary walls out of the fused portion of the layer of the powder bed to contain another portion of the layer of the powder bed on the build platform
1 . An additive manufacturing method, comprising:
dispensing a powdered material to form a first layer of a powder bed on a support surface of a build platform for printing an object;
directing a two-dimensional patterned energy beam toward the powder bed; and
selectively fusing a portion of the powdered material in the first layer of the powder bed to form (i) one or more first walls out of the fused portion of the first layer of the powder bed such that the one or more first walls serve as variable print chamber walls to contain the printed object and a unfused portion of the first layer of the powder bed on the build platform, and (ii) a fluid passageway in the one or more first walls that is connected to a source of a fluid.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the passageway is formed to interface with a fluid communication system.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the passageway is open.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the passageway comprises a pipe.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the passageway comprises a cavity.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the passageway comprises one or more porous sections.
7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising providing fluid against a porous section of the fluid passageway.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is selected from a group comprising oil, water, steam, air, nitrogen, argon, or coolant.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing thermal management by circulating fluid through the passageway.
10 . A method comprising:
dispensing a powdered material to form a first layer of a powder bed on a support surface of a build platform for printing an object;
directing a two-dimensional patterned energy beam toward the powder bed; and
selectively fusing a portion of the powdered material in the first layer of the powder bed to form a (i) temporary walls to contain the printed object and a unfused portion of the first layer of the powder bed on the build platform, and (ii) a fluid passageway in the temporary wall that is connected to a source of a fluid.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the passageway is formed to interface with a fluid communication system.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the passageway is open.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the passageway comprises a pipe.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the passageway comprises a cavity.
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the passageway comprises one or more porous sections.
16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein temporary wall comprises one or more first walls surrounding the unfused portion of the first layer of the powder bed over a first area of the build platform.
17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
dispensing the powdered material to form a second layer of the powder bed on the first layer of the powder bed; and
selectively fusing a portion of the second layer of the powder bed to increase a height of the one or more first walls or to form one or more second walls out of the fused portion of the second layer of the powder.
18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the one or more first walls comprise at least one wall along at least one perimeter of multiple perimeters of the build platform.
19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the remaining one or more perimeters of the multiple perimeters of the build platform border one or more structural walls.