US 12,134,137 B2
System and method for ultrasonic additive manufacturing
John Walter Ralls, Yorktown, VA (US); Daniel John Hebert, Carrollton, VA (US); and Kyle A. Wade, Poquoson, VA (US)
Assigned to Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, Newport News, VA (US)
Filed by Huntington Ingalls Incorporated, Newport News, VA (US)
Filed on Jan. 17, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/097,785.
Application 18/097,785 is a division of application No. 16/991,432, filed on Aug. 12, 2020, granted, now 11,583,950.
Application 16/991,432 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/421,727, filed on May 24, 2019, granted, now 11,224,935, issued on Jan. 18, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/683,793, filed on Jun. 12, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2023/0150051 A1, May 18, 2023
Int. Cl. B23K 20/10 (2006.01); B23K 37/02 (2006.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 30/00 (2015.01)
CPC B23K 20/106 (2013.01) [B23K 37/0217 (2013.01); B23K 37/0247 (2013.01); B23K 37/0282 (2013.01); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 30/00 (2014.12)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of applying a weld to a welding target, the method comprising:
attaching a guide rail arrangement to the welding target, the guide rail arrangement including at least one guide rail, wherein the at least one guide rail comprises a plurality of orthogonally oriented rails defining an X-Y travel plane;
movably mounting to the guide rail arrangement, a weld head carriage comprising a carriage housing, a rail follower assembly, and an ultrasonic weld head comprising a sonotrode, the rail follower assembly being placed in engagement with each of the at least one guide rail for movement there-along;
positioning the weld head carriage at a starting position adjacent a target surface of the welding target;
depositing feedstock material onto the target surface;
extending at least a portion of the weld head carriage toward the target surface so that the sonotrode engages the deposited feedstock material, thereby applying a normal welding force to the deposited feedstock material and the welding target;
initiating relative movement between the weld head carriage and the guide rail arrangement; and
conducting ultrasonic vibrations into the deposited feedstock material and the welding target, thereby welding the deposited feedstock material to the target surface and adding a welded feedstock layer to the welding target.