Thermal expansion fit build plate for additive manufacturing

• Main Authors: Swanner, Jr., Archie Lee, Lacy, Benjamin Paul, Hart, Kassy Moy
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 03.12.2019
• 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; CASTING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; MACHINE TOOLS; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; TRANSPORTING; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM; WORKING METALLIC POWDER

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and tooling for additive manufacturing on a build surface of a pre-existing component. An additive manufacturing tool successively positions layers of powdered materials and selectively fuses the layers of powdered materials to create an additive component on the build surface of the pre-existing component. The pre-existing component is secured in a build plate by a thermal expansion fit during the additive manufacturing process.