IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,511,494
Granted Patent B2
US 11,511,494 · App. 16/815,660 · Granted Nov 29, 2022

Manufacturing installation and method for the additive manufacturing of components with a material overhang

Inventors: Guenter Hans Grosch (Vettweiß, DE); Andreas Kuske (Geulle, DE); Bas van den Heuvel (Limburg, NL); Richard Fritsche (Wermelskirchen, DE); Wilbert Hemink (Landgraaf, NL); Rainer Lach (Wuerselen, DE)
Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
B29C64/40B29C64/393B33Y10/00B33Y30/00B33Y50/02B29C64/245B29C64/364B29C64/379
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,511,494
App. No.
16/815,660
Granted
Nov 29, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A manufacturing installation for the additive manufacturing of components, each provided with at least one material overhang, has at least one building platform on which the particular component can at least partially be additively manufactured. In order to reduce the material consumption and the time to produce additively manufactured components, the manufacturing installation has at least one preferably electrically controllable support device with at least one movable support arm for the at least temporary holding of at least one support element, arranged on the support arm, during the additive manufacture of the particular component above the building platform.

Claims (26)

1. A manufacturing installation for additive manufacturing of components with at least one material overhang, the manufacturing installation comprising:

at least one building platform on which a component can at least partially be additively manufactured; and

at least one support device with at least one movable support arm for temporary holding of at least one support element arranged on the support arm during the additive manufacturing of a particular component above the building platform.

2. The manufacturing installation according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the at least one support element has an anti-adhesion coating.

3. The manufacturing installation according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one support device has at least one cooling unit configured to cool the at least one support element.

4. The manufacturing installation according to claim 1 , wherein a surface of the at least one support element has an anti-adhesion coating and the at least one support device has at least one cooling unit configured to cool the at least one support element.

5. The manufacturing installation according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one support element has at least one of a planar surface, an angled surface and a domed plate surface.

6. The manufacturing installation according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one support element is a plurality of support elements with one support element having a planar surface, another support element having an angled surface, and still another support element having a domed plate surface.

7. The manufacturing installation according to claim 6 further comprising at least one magazine equipped with the plurality of support elements, wherein the at least one support device is configured to remove each of the plurality of support elements from the magazine and reinsert each of the plurality of support elements removed from the magazine into the magazine.

8. The manufacturing installation according to claim 1 further comprising at least one deposition unit configured to deposit layers of a metallic material of manufacture or deposit layers of a plastic material of manufacture onto the at least one building platform and the at least one support element.

9. The manufacturing installation according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one support device is configured to move the at least one support element after the at least one deposition unit additive manufactures the at least one material overhang on to the at least one support element.

10. A manufacturing installation for additive manufacturing of components with at least one material overhang, the manufacturing installation comprising:

a building platform on which a component is additively manufactured; and

a support device with a movable support arm and a support element arranged on the movable support arm, wherein the support device is configured to temporarily hold the support element under the at least one material overhang during the additive manufacturing of the component above the building platform.

11. The manufacturing installation according to claim 10 further comprising an anti-adhesion coating on a surface of the support element.

12. The manufacturing installation according to claim 10 further comprising a cooling unit configured to cool the support element.

13. The manufacturing installation according to claim 10 further comprising an anti-adhesion coating on a surface of the support element and a cooling unit configured to cool the support element.

14. The manufacturing installation according to claim 10 , wherein the support element has at least one of a planar surface, an angled surface and a domed plate surface.

15. The manufacturing installation according to claim 10 further comprising a magazine, wherein the support element is a plurality of support elements and the support device is configured to remove one of the plurality of support elements from the magazine and reinsert the one of the plurality of support elements into the magazine.

16. The manufacturing installation according to claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of support elements has a planar surface, another of the plurality of support elements has an angled surface, and still another of the plurality of support elements has a domed plate surface.

17. A method for additive manufacturing a component, the method comprising:

temporarily holding at least one support element over a building platform during additive manufacturing of at one least material overhang of the component onto the at least one support element, wherein the at least one support element is held by a support device comprising a movable support arm; and

removing the at least one support element from underneath the at least one material overhang after the at least one material overhang has been additively manufactured over the building platform.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one support element is cooled before and/or during the additive manufacture of the at least one material overhang.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the component is produced by deposition in layers of a metallic material of manufacture or deposition in layers of a plastic material of manufacture onto the building platform and the support element.

20. The method according to claim 17 further comprising removing the at least one support element from a magazine, positioning the at least one support element over the building platform during additive manufacture of the at least material overhang onto the at least one support element, and reinserting the at least one support element into the magazine after additive manufacture of the at least material overhang.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2020
From: FRITSCHE, RICHARD; GROSCH, GUENTER HANS; HEMINK, WILBERT; LACH, RAINER; KUSKE, ANDREAS; VAN DEN HEUVEL, BAS
To: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 053190/0419 →
Priority Claims (1)
DE 102019203283.4 · Mar 11, 2019 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200290287A1 · Sep 17, 2020