US 12,257,642 B2
Fabrication with regulated grain formation
Nathan A. Ashmore, Glendale, MO (US); Gary W. Coleman, Snohomish, WA (US); David Griffiths, Cambridge (GB); Michelangelo Mortello, Cambridge (GB); Robert James Scudamore, Sheffield (GB); and Lei Xu, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to THE BOEING COMPANY, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by THE BOEING COMPANY, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on May 20, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/878,751.
Prior Publication US 2021/0362264 A1, Nov. 25, 2021
Int. Cl. B23K 10/02 (2006.01); B23K 26/00 (2014.01); B23K 26/08 (2014.01); B23K 26/082 (2014.01); B23K 35/32 (2006.01); B23K 37/02 (2006.01); B23K 103/14 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 70/00 (2020.01); B33Y 80/00 (2015.01)
CPC B23K 10/027 (2013.01) [B23K 26/0006 (2013.01); B23K 26/082 (2015.10); B23K 26/0869 (2013.01); B23K 35/325 (2013.01); B23K 37/0211 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 70/00 (2014.12); B33Y 80/00 (2014.12); B23K 2103/14 (2018.08)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of fabricating an object, the method comprising:
causing a first heat source to heat a feed material to form a melt pool of the feed material on a surface;
causing a second heat source to heat the melt pool on the surface to regulate equiaxed grain formation of the feed material in the melt pool as the melt pool cools and solidifies on the surface to form at least a portion of the object, wherein the second heat source comprises a laser source that directs laser light toward a portion of the melt pool and heats the melt pool by varying a frequency, an intensity, or both, of the laser light to control equiaxed grain formation of the feed material in the melt pool; and
causing relative motion as the melt pool is formed and cooled, wherein the relative motion includes movement of the first and second heat sources relative to the surface, includes movement of the surface relative to the first and second heat sources, or both.