US 12,280,537 B2
Build plate leveling
Lawrence Binek, Glastonbury, CT (US); and Zachary Ryan Gibbons, Hartford, CT (US)
Assigned to Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed by Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation, Charlotte, NC (US)
Filed on May 31, 2019, as Appl. No. 16/428,212.
Prior Publication US 2020/0376757 A1, Dec. 3, 2020
Int. Cl. B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/31 (2021.01); B22F 12/37 (2021.01); B22F 12/67 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B29C 64/153 (2017.01); B29C 64/205 (2017.01); B29C 64/393 (2017.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01)
CPC B29C 64/153 (2017.08) [B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 10/31 (2021.01); B22F 12/37 (2021.01); B22F 12/67 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B29C 64/205 (2017.08); B29C 64/393 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufacturing build plate leveling system, comprising:
a powder recoater for an additive manufacturing machine, comprising:
a body;
a recoater blade extending downwardly from the body; and
at least two distance probes attached to the body and configured to determine a distance to a build plate to determine if a build plate is level,
a controller configured to control a position and orientation of a build plate as a function of signals from the at least two distance probes, wherein the controller is configured to control a position of the recoater;
a plurality of motors operatively connected to the build plate to orient the build plate, wherein the plurality of motors are operatively connected to the controller to control the position and orientation of the build plate,
wherein the controller is configured to operate the build plate and the plurality of motors to perform the method of:
lowering the build plate to prevent recoater crashing;
positioning the recoater in a first position over the build plate;
raising the build plate until contacting one or more of the at least two distance probes or until the build plate is within a predetermined distance of one or more of the distance probes; and
if not all of the distance probes are contacted or within a predetermined distance simultaneously, then lowering the build plate and tilting the build plate toward level by one unit of iteration, and repeating from raising the build plate.