US 12,263,524 B2
Laser array for laser powder bed fusion processing of metal alloys
William O'Neill, Cambridge (GB); Martin Sparkes, Hertfordshire (GB); Andrew Timothy Payne, Cambridge (GB); Patrick Jerome Kiley, Cambridge (GB); and Diego Punin, Cambridge (GB)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on Mar. 7, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/598,658.
Application 18/598,658 is a division of application No. 16/943,930, filed on Jul. 30, 2020, granted, now 11,964,324.
Prior Publication US 2024/0207934 A1, Jun. 27, 2024
Int. Cl. B22F 10/00 (2021.01); B22F 3/10 (2006.01); B22F 10/10 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/364 (2021.01); B22F 12/45 (2021.01); B22F 12/47 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01)
CPC B22F 10/00 (2021.01) [B22F 3/1017 (2013.01); B22F 10/10 (2021.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/364 (2021.01); B22F 12/45 (2021.01); B22F 12/47 (2021.01); B22F 2202/11 (2013.01); B22F 2203/11 (2013.01); B22F 2301/205 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a powder bed configured to accept a coating of metallic particles; and
an array of heat sources comprising at least a first heat source and a second heat source, the first heat source configured to apply heat to a first plurality of adjacent metallic particles in the coating to generate a first melt pool, the second heat source configured to simultaneously apply heat to a second plurality of adjacent metallic particles in the coating to generate a second melt pool, the first plurality of adjacent metallic particles separated from the second plurality of adjacent metallic particles by a distance, wherein the second melt pool is adjacent and parallel to the first melt pool, and the distance and an amount of heat from each said heat source is to be controlled to generate a combined melt pool that is larger in size and encompasses the first melt pool and the second melt pool.