SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING GAS FLOW TEMPERATURE IN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
An additive manufacturing system including an enclosure defining a build chamber, a powder bed within the build chamber, an energy source for directing a heat at the powder bed to melt a portion of the powder, a gas flow system connected to the enclosure, a gas outlet for directing gas into the build chamber for removing soot from the powder bed, and a temperature control module for controlling a build chamber temperature and a gas temperature.
1 . An additive manufacturing system comprising:
an enclosure defining a build chamber;
a powder bed within the build chamber;
an energy source for directing a heat at the powder bed to melt a portion of the powder;
a gas flow system connected to the enclosure;
a gas outlet for directing gas into the build chamber for removing soot from the powder bed; and
a temperature control module for controlling a build chamber temperature and a gas temperature.
2 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the gas outlet includes a top outlet and a bottom outlet.
3 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of one of the outlets is coplanar with the powder bed.
4 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein the top outlet and the bottom outlet include an independent heating element for controlling a gas temperature of the gas flowing there through.
5 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein the top outlet and the bottom outlet include an independent heat sink element for controlling a gas temperature of the gas flowing there through.
6 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature sensor configured to measure temperature within the build chamber or at a build location.
7 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 6 , wherein the temperature sensor is configured to feed temperature data to a controller responsible for regulating the build chamber temperature and the gas temperature.
8 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , further comprising a suction configured to evacuate the gas from the build chamber.
9 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 8 , further comprising a heating element or heat sink located downstream of the suction.
10 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control module includes a central heating element.
11 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature control module includes a central heat sink element.
12 . A method for controlling an additive manufacturing build chamber temperature comprising:
producing a portion of a workpiece by powder-laser deposition;
flowing a gas over the produced portion;
monitoring a temperature of at least at a first location within the build chamber; and
changing a temperature of the flowing gas to change the temperature at the first location.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first location is adjacent to the production of the work piece.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first location is a fixed location.
15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first location is furthest from the production of the work piece.
16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising monitoring the temperature at a second location within the build chamber.
17 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising flowing the gas over a second location.
18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a temperatures of the gas over the produced portion and a temperature of the gas at a second location are the same.
19 . The method of claim 17 , wherein a temperature of the gas over the produced portion and a temperature of the gas at a second location are different.
20 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising evacuating the gas from the build chamber.