US 11,833,587 B2
Metal powder fusion manufacturing with improved quality
Gokula Krishna Muralidharan, Ghent (BE); Jonathan Watson, Santa Monica, CA (US); Wim Hermans, Schaarbeek (BE); and Bas Verhagen, Heist-op-den-Berg (BE)
Assigned to LAYERWISE NV, Leuven (BE)
Filed by LAYERWISE NV, Leuven (BE)
Filed on Feb. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/174,469.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/978,929, filed on Feb. 20, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0260664 A1, Aug. 26, 2021
Int. Cl. B22F 10/73 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/00 (2020.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B22F 12/70 (2021.01); B23K 26/342 (2014.01); B22F 12/00 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B23K 26/12 (2014.01)
CPC B22F 10/73 (2021.01) [B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 12/38 (2021.01); B22F 12/70 (2021.01); B23K 26/342 (2015.10); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/00 (2014.12); B23K 26/123 (2013.01); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of manufacturing a three-dimensional article comprising:
(1) operating a three-dimensional printer to form a first three-dimensional article through the selective fusion of layers of metal powder in a build container with a volume of used but unfused metal powder remaining in the build container after the selective fusion of layers;
(2) transporting the used metal powder from the build container to a powder handling module;
(3) operating the powder handling module including storing the used metal powder to provide stored metal powder;
(4) transporting a volume of the stored metal powder to an agitation device;
(5) operating the agitation device to modify an avalanche angle of the metal powder to within a specified range to provide usable metal powder, the avalanche angle is a measurable material property of the metal powder, the specified range is within a range of 1 to 50 degrees;
(6) load the usable metal powder into the three-dimensional printer; and
(7) operate the three-dimensional printer to form a second three-dimensional article.