US 12,233,458 B2
Powder removal assemblies and methods of removing unbound particles using powder removal assemblies
Baris Kavas, Istanbul (TR); Yusuf Eren Ozturk, Istanbul (TR); and Steven C. Woods, Mason, OH (US)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Evendale, OH (US)
Filed by General Electric Company, Schenectady, NY (US)
Filed on Oct. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/494,414.
Prior Publication US 2023/0103709 A1, Apr. 6, 2023
Int. Cl. B22F 10/68 (2021.01); B22F 3/24 (2006.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01)
CPC B22F 10/68 (2021.01) [B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B33Y 40/20 (2020.01); B22F 2003/247 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A powder removal assembly for removing powder from a part produced by additive manufacturing, comprising:
a process chamber including an outlet and an inlet defining an inlet axis;
a recovery chute defining a flow path from the outlet of the process chamber to a powder recovery chamber;
a nozzle rotatably coupled to the process chamber and configured to remove particles from the process chamber, the nozzle positioned to direct a fluid towards a cake including the part,
the nozzle being oriented to direct the fluid towards the inlet axis and rotatable about the inlet axis;
a particle sensor coupled to the outlet to determine an amount of particles falling under the force of gravity as a function of time, the particle sensor positioned along the flow path and adjacent to the outlet of the process chamber; and
a control system communicatively coupled to the particle sensor and the nozzle, the control system being configured to automatically activate and deactivate the nozzle in response to a change in a rate of the amount of particles passing through the outlet as a function of time, passing a threshold value.