Patent SG-11201909477S-A (SG)
Title: Method and apparatus for manufacturing 3d metal parts
Inventor: SALES ANDREW MICHAEL CLAYTON
IPC: B23K9/00
Filed: 2019-03-26
Abstract: NN Got O C () INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property Organization International Bureau (43) International Publication Date 17 October 2019 (17.10.2019) WIPO I PCT 111111111111101111111111111111011111010111011111111111111111111111111111111011110111111 (10) International Publication Number WO 2019/195877 Al (51) International Patent Classification: B23K 9/00 (2006.01) B33Y 30/00 (2015.01) B33Y 10/00 (2015.01) B33Y 50/00 (2015.01) (21) International Application Number: PCT/AU2019/050269 (22) International Filing Date: 26 March 2019 (26.03.2019) (25) Filing Language: English (26) Publication Language: English (30) Priority Data: 2018901257 14 April 2018 (14.04.2018) AU (71) Applicant: AML3D PTY LTD [AU/AU]; 14 Pentland Road, Salisbury South, South Australia 5106 (AU). (72) Inventor: SALES, Andrew Michael Clayton; 14 Pentland Road, Salisbury South, South Australia 5106 (AU). (74) Agent: PHILLIPS ORMONDE FITZPATRICK; Level 16, 333 Collins Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000 (AU). (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DJ, DK, DM, DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JO, JP, KE, KG, KH, KN, KP, KR, KW, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, RU, RW, SA, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, ZA, ZM, ZW. (54) Title: METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING 3D METAL PARTS (57) : A method of manufacturing a metallic part in a weldable material by solid freeform fabrication unrestricted in size and open to the ambient atmosphere. The method comprises generating a computer-generated, three dimensional model of the part, slicing the computer-generated three dimensional model into a set of computer-generated, parallel, sliced layers and then dividing each layer into a set of computer-generated, virtual, one-dimensional pieces and, with reference to layered weld-bead geometry data, forming a computer-generated, direction specific, layered model of the part. The method also comprises uploading the direction specific, layered model of the part into a welding control system able to control the position and activation relative to a support substrate, of an electric arc delivered by a high energy tungsten arc welding torch, a plasma transferred arc welding torch, and/or a gas metal arc welding torch, and a system for feeding a consumable wire placed in an open area build space relevant to the substrate unrestricted in size and open to the ambient atmosphere. The method also comprises directing the welding control system to deposit a sequence of one-dimensional [Continued on next page] WO 2019/195877 Al 10111 100111 II 111111011101110111 1101 II 111 0111 ME VIII VIII VIIIH111110111111111111 (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, ST, SZ, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). Published: — with international search report (Art. 21(3)) weld beads of the weldable material onto the supporting substrate in a pattern required to form a first layer of the computer-generated, direction specific, layered model of the part, and depositing a second welded layer by sequencing one-dimensional weld beads of the weldable material onto the previous deposited layer in a configuration the same as the second layer of the computer-generated direction specific layered model of the part, and repeating each successive weld bead layer of the computer-generated, direction specific, layered model of the part until the entire part is completed. The method further includes one or both of displacing the atmosphere within the immediate vicinity of the heat source with an inert gas atmosphere which produces a required flow rate, and in which that inert atmosphere contains a maximum oxygen concentration, wherein the inert gas is delivered by an apparatus through a matrix of individual gas diffusers and/or a filter; and engaging an induction heating and closed loop cooling apparatus synergic to a welding control system and pre-heating the substrate material including the deposited weld beads, relevant to the type of weldable material, wherein induction heating and cooling cycles are applied constantly or pulsed from the first layer to the final layer, where optimal heating and/or cooling cycles of the weldable material are relative to the final desired part shape and microstructure.