Powder removal enclosure for additively manufactured components

• Main Authors: Swanner, Jr., Archie Lee, Crear, Donnell Eugene, Craft, Tiffany Muller, Hart, Kassy Moy
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 29.01.2019
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CLEANING; CLEANING IN GENERAL; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; TRANSPORTING; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

Various embodiments of the invention include an apparatus for removing particulates from the surface of a 3D printed workpiece. Various particular embodiments include a material removal apparatus having: an enclosure having a first inlet and a first outlet; a rotatable platform contained within the enclosure for positioning a 3D printed workpiece having particulate on a surface thereof; a pressurized fluid applicator connected to the first inlet and configured to selectively apply a pressurized fluid to the 3D printed workpiece; a vibration source configured to apply an adjustable vibratory frequency to at least one of the rotatable platform or the 3D printed workpiece; and a material reclamation unit connected to the first outlet configured to collect a material removed from the 3D printed workpiece.