US 12,083,595 B2
Method and apparatus for forming overhanging structures in additive manufactured parts that have an improved surface roughness
PriyaankaDevi Guggilapu, Durham, NC (US); Benjamin Paulson, Walworth, NY (US); Dinesh Krishna Kumar Jayabal, Cary, NC (US); Collin A. Ladd, Charlotte, NC (US); and Stuart A. Schweid, Pittsford, NY (US)
Assigned to Additive Technologies LLC, Palm City, FL (US)
Filed by ADDITIVE TECHNOLOGIES LLC, Palm City, FL (US)
Filed on May 23, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/664,470.
Prior Publication US 2023/0373007 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. B22F 10/38 (2021.01); B22F 10/22 (2021.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 12/53 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01); B33Y 50/02 (2015.01)
CPC B22F 10/385 (2021.01) [B22F 10/22 (2021.01); B22F 10/85 (2021.01); B22F 12/53 (2021.01); B22F 12/90 (2021.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12); B33Y 50/02 (2014.12)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An additive manufacturing drop ejecting apparatus comprising:
an ejector fluidly connected to a removable vessel configured to receive bulk metal and produce melted metal for ejection from the ejector;
a digital camera aligned along a Z-axis in the additive manufacturing drop ejecting apparatus that is configured to generate digital image data of an uppermost layer of an object being formed with drops of the melted material ejected by the ejector; and
a controller operatively connected to the ejector and the digital image data generator, the controller being configured to:
modify machine-ready instructions used to operate the drop ejecting apparatus to form an overhanging feature of a next layer of the object using a step-out based semi-local correction method and the generated digital image data;
modify machine-ready instructions used to operate the drop ejecting apparatus to form a non-overhanging feature of the next layer of the object using a local correction method and the generated digital image data, the local correction method being different than the step-out based semi-local correction method;
generate a gain map using the generated digital image data, the step-out based semi-local correction method using a first portion of the gain map to identify changes to be made to the machine-ready instructions that form the overhanging feature and the local correction method using a second portion of the gain map to identify changes to be made to the machine-ready instructions that form the non-overhanging feature; and
execute the modified machine-ready instructions to operate the drop ejecting apparatus to form the next layer of the object.