US 11,745,432 B2
Using target maps for current density control in electrochemical-additive manufacturing systems
David Pain, San Diego, CA (US); Kareemullah Shaik, San Diego, CA (US); Joshua Gillespie, Poway, CA (US); and Jeffrey Herman, San Diego, CA (US)
Assigned to Fabric8Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed by Fabric8Labs, Inc., San Diego, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 12, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/64,686.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/288,943, filed on Dec. 13, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0182398 A1, Jun. 15, 2023
Int. Cl. C25D 1/00 (2006.01); C25D 17/10 (2006.01); C25D 21/12 (2006.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B29C 64/264 (2017.01)
CPC B29C 64/393 (2017.08) [B29C 64/264 (2017.08); C25D 1/003 (2013.01); C25D 17/10 (2013.01); C25D 21/12 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electrochemical-additive manufacturing method comprising:
providing an electrochemical additive manufacturing system comprising a system controller, a deposition power supply, deposition control circuits, an electrode array, a deposition electrode, and an electrolyte solution, wherein:
the deposition control circuits are communicatively coupled to the system controller and electrically coupled to the deposition power supply,
the electrode array comprises individually-addressable electrodes, each electrically coupled to one of the deposition control circuits, and
the system controller comprises a target map comprising individual target currents, one for each of the individually-addressable electrodes; and
depositing a material onto the deposition electrode from the electrolyte solution by flowing a current between a first subset of the individually-addressable electrodes and the deposition electrode while the individually-addressable electrodes and the deposition electrode are in an initial position relative to each other, wherein the current is independently controlled by each of the deposition control circuits based on a corresponding one of the individual target currents for the first subset in the target map;
moving the electrode array and the deposition electrode relative to each other using at least one of a linear translation or rotation from the initial position to a shifted position;
using the system controller, based on a relative position of the electrode array and the deposition electrode, creating an updated target map using the individual target currents shifted based on a spatial reference between the initial position and the shifted position; and
depositing an additional material onto the deposition electrode from the electrolyte solution by flowing an additional current between a second subset of the individually-addressable electrodes and the deposition electrode using the updated target map while the individually-addressable electrodes and the deposition electrode are in the shifted position.