US 12,409,496 B2
Pre-heating methods for performing electron beam powder bed fusion
Eric David Bol, Snohomish, WA (US)
Assigned to The Boeing Company, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed by The Boeing Company, Chicago, IL (US)
Filed on Apr. 27, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/730,667.
Prior Publication US 2023/0347414 A1, Nov. 2, 2023
Int. Cl. B22F 10/362 (2021.01); B22F 1/05 (2022.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 12/30 (2021.01); B22F 12/41 (2021.01); B22F 12/45 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01); B33Y 70/00 (2020.01)
CPC B22F 10/362 (2021.01) [B22F 1/05 (2022.01); B22F 10/28 (2021.01); B22F 12/30 (2021.01); B22F 12/41 (2021.01); B22F 12/45 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 40/10 (2020.01); B33Y 70/00 (2014.12); B22F 2203/11 (2013.01); B22F 2301/205 (2013.01); B22F 2304/10 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of performing electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) additive manufacturing, comprising:
determining a plurality of predetermined interim temperatures ranging from an ambient, resting temperature of a build chamber of an EB-PBF machine to a predetermined preheated temperature, wherein each subsequent predetermined interim temperature of the plurality of predetermined interim temperatures is greater than each previous predetermined interim temperature of the plurality of predetermined interim temperatures; and
pre-heating the build chamber to the predetermined preheated temperature, wherein the pre-heating the build chamber comprises:
exposing a build plate within the build chamber to a plurality of streams of electrons, one at a time, wherein the build plate is surrounded by waste powder that is leftover and obtained from a laser beam powder bed fusion system, wherein each stream of electrons of the plurality of streams of electrons has a different respective current, and wherein each stream of electrons of the plurality of streams of electrons is configured to raise an actual temperature of the build chamber;
monitoring the actual temperature of the build chamber during the exposing the build plate to the plurality of streams of electrons;
comparing the actual temperature of the build chamber to the plurality of predetermined interim temperatures; and
increasing a power input of the EB-PBF machine a plurality of times, thereby exposing the build plate to a subsequent stream of electrons of the plurality of streams of electrons, wherein the subsequent stream of electrons has a greater current level than a previous stream of electrons of the plurality of streams of electrons, and wherein the increasing the power input is performed each time the actual temperature of the build chamber reaches a respective subsequent predetermined interim temperature of the plurality of predetermined interim temperatures, as determined during the comparing the actual temperature to the plurality of predetermined interim temperatures.