IPC分类号：
B22F10/14 | B22F10/68 | B22F10/73 | B29C64/165 | B29C64/35 | B29C64/357 | B33Y30/00 | B33Y40/00 | B33Y40/20
当前申请(专利权)人：
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
原始申请(专利权)人：
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
当前申请(专利权)人地址：
1 River Road,Schenectady, NY 12345,US
发明人：
BROMBERG, VADIM | FULTON, VICTOR | BONILLA, CARLOS H. | MOOK, JOSHUA TYLER | CHARLEBOIS, ANTHONY | VAN DEEST, RYAN WILLIAM | SHIBIYA, CASSIDY C. | ANDREWS, TIMOTHY FRANCIS | ARIAPAD, ALEX W. | ROY, MATHIEU | LEDUC, PATRICK | HOULE, SIMON | CADORETTE, JEAN-FRANCOIS | GAUTHIER, PATRICK | LANG, JAY MATTHEW
代理机构：
HAFNER & KOHL PARTMBB
摘要：
An additive manufacturing system (100) comprises a powder material handling system (170) comprising a virgin powder inlet (174). The virgin powder inlet (174) is coupled to a virgin powder drum (182) and is configured to receive a virgin powder from the virgin powder drum (182). The additive manufacturing system (100) further comprises a liquid material handling system (120) comprising a binder inlet (124). The binder inlet (124) is coupled to a binder drum (128) and is configured to receive a binder from the binder drum (128). The additive manufacturing system (100) also comprises an additive manufacturing machine (110) coupled to the powder material handling system (170) and the liquid material handling system (120). The additive manufacturing machine (110) receives the virgin powder and the binder from the powder material handling (170) and liquid material handling systems (120) and is configured to manufacture a work product using the virgin powder and the binder.
技术问题语段：
The technical issues addressed in this patent text are the time-consuming and error-prone manual loading and removal of building materials in conventional additive manufacturing systems. Additionally, the exposure of the building materials and excess building materials to the open environment during manual handling can lead to contamination and decreased quality and efficacy of the building materials.
技术功效语段：
The technical efficacy of the patent text is that it describes a method for loading and removing building materials from an additive manufacturing machine. This method aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of material handling in additive manufacturing systems.
权利要求：
1. An additive manufacturing system (100) comprising: a powder material handling system (170) comprising a virgin powder inlet (174) coupled to a virgin powder drum (182) and configured to receive a virgin powder from the virgin powder drum (182); a liquid material handling system (120) comprising a binder inlet (124) coupled to a binder drum (128) and configured to receive a binder from the binder drum (128); and an additive manufacturing machine (110) coupled to the powder material handling system (170) and the liquid material handling system (120) such that the additive manufacturing machine (110) receives the virgin powder from the powder material handling system (170) and receives the binder from the liquid material handling system (120), wherein the additive manufacturing machine (110) is configured to manufacture a work product using the virgin powder and the binder.
2. The additive manufacturing system (100) of claim 1, wherein the additive manufacturing machine (110) is coupled to the powder material handling system (170) via at least one gastight coupling.
3. The additive manufacturing system (100) of either claims 1 or 2, wherein the additive manufacturing machine (110) is coupled to the liquid material handling system (120) via at least one gastight coupling.
4. The additive manufacturing system (100) of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: the additive manufacturing machine (110) comprises a recovered powder outlet (112); and the powder material handling system (170) comprises a recovered powder inlet (176) coupled to the recovered powder outlet (112) such that the powder material handling system (170) receives a recovered powder from the additive manufacturing machine (110).
5. The additive manufacturing system of any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a depowder system (200) coupled to the powder material handling system (170), wherein the powder material handling system (170) receives a recovered powder from the depowder system (200); and wherein the powder material handling system (170) comprises a sieve (178) that is configured to blend the recovered powder and virgin powder together to form a blended powder output (180).
6. The additive manufacturing system (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: the liquid material handling system (120) further comprises a cleaner inlet (134), the cleaner inlet (134) coupled to a cleaner drum (138) such that the cleaner inlet (134) receives a cleaner from the cleaner drum (138); and the additive manufacturing machine (110) is fluidly coupled to the liquid material handling system (120) such that the additive manufacturing machine (110) receives the cleaner from the liquid material handling system (120).
7. The additive manufacturing system (100) of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: the additive manufacturing machine (110) comprises a liquid waste outlet (144) coupled to a waste drum (148), wherein a liquid waste is output from the additive manufacturing machine (110) to the waste drum (148) via the liquid waste outlet (144).
8. A method of using an additive manufacturing system (110), the method comprising: transferring a virgin powder from a virgin powder drum (182) to a powder material handling system (170) in an gastight manner, wherein the powder material handling system (170) comprises a virgin powder inlet (174), the virgin powder inlet (174) coupled to a virgin powder drum (182) such that the virgin powder inlet (174) receives the virgin powder from the virgin powder drum (182); and transferring the virgin powder from the powder material handling system (170) to the additive manufacturing machine (110) in a gastight manner.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: transferring a binder from a binder drum (128) to a liquid material handling system (120) in a gastight manner, wherein the liquid material handling system binder inlet (124) , the binder inlet (124) coupled to the binder drum (128), such that the binder inlet (124) receives the binder from the binder drum (128); and transferring the binder from the liquid material handling system (120) to the additive manufacturing machine (110) in a gastight manner.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: transferring a cleaner from a cleaner drum (138) to a liquid material handling system (120) in a gastight manner, wherein the liquid material handling system (120) comprises a cleaner inlet (134), the cleaner inlet (134) coupled to the cleaner drum (138) such that the cleaner inlet (134) receives the cleaner from the cleaner drum (138); and transferring the cleaner from the liquid material handling system (120) to the additive manufacturing machine (110) in a gastight manner.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising: transferring a liquid waste to a waste drum (148) via a liquid waste outlet (144) coupled to the additive manufacturing machine (110).
12. The method of any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising: transferring a recovered powder via a recovered powder outlet (112) coupled to the additive manufacturing machine (110) to a recovered powder inlet (176) coupled to the powder material handling system (170).
13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: blending the recovered powder and the virgin powder together using a sieve (178) within the powder material handling system (170) to form a blended powder output (180); filtering oversized particles from the blended powder using the sieve (178); transferring the oversized particles to an outlet (179); and transferring the blended powder to the additive manufacturing machine (110).
14. The method of any one of claims 8 to 13, further comprising: transferring a work product from the additive manufacturing machine (110) to a depowder system (200); transferring a recovered powder from the depowder system (200) to the powder material handling system (170); blending the recovered powder and the virgin powder together using a sieve (178) within the powder material handling system (170) to form a blended powder output (180); filtering oversized particles from the blended powder using the sieve (178); transferring the oversized particles to an outlet (179); and transferring the blended powder to the additive manufacturing machine (110).
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising: transferring a cleaner via a cleaner inlet (134) coupled to a cleaner drum (138) to the liquid material handling system (120), wherein the additive manufacturing machine (110) is coupled to the liquid material handling system (120); and transferring a liquid waste to a waste drum (148) via a liquid waste outlet (144) coupled to the additive manufacturing machine (110).