当前申请(专利权)人地址：
Wellington House, 125 Strand, LONDON, WC2R 0AP, United Kingdom
摘要：
A method of additive manufacturing and heat treatment, A substrate 6 is secured to a fixture 5 and an additive manufacturing system 1 is operated to perform a build up process to create a part 11 on the substrate 6, the part being built is formed by a series of layers of metallic material melting and solidifying during the process to bond the part 11 to the substrate 6 and creating thermally induced stress in the part 11. The part 11, substrate 6 and fixture 5 are moved to a heat treatment system 2 wherein the substrate 6 remains secured to the fixture 5 and the part 11 remains bonded to the substrate 6. The heat treatment system 2 is operated to perform a heat treatment process on the part 11, substrate 6 and frame 5 together to relieve the thermally induced stress in part 11. Finally after heat treatment the substrate 6 is released from the fixture 5 and the part 11 remains bonded to the substrate 6 as they are removed from the fixture 5.
权利要求：
CLAIMS
I. A method of additive manufacturing and heat treatment, the method comprising:
a. securing a substrate to a fixture;
b. operating an additive manufacturing system to perform a build process
by building a part on the substrate secured to the fixture, the part being
built by forming a series of layers of metallic material on the substrate,
the metallic material melting and solidifying during the build process
thereby bonding the part to the substrate and creating thermally
induced stress in the part;
c. moving the part, the substrate and the fixture from the additive
manufacturing system to a heat treatment system, wherein the substrate
remains secured to the fixture and the part remains bonded to the
substrate as they are moved;
d. operating the heat treatment system to perform a heat treatment process
by heating the part, the substrate and the fixture together thereby
relieving the thermally induced stress in the part, the substrate
remaining secured to the fixture during the heat treatment process; and e. releasing the substrate from the fixture and separating the part and the
substrate from the fixture, wherein the part remains bonded to the
substrate as they are separated from the fixture.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the substrate is secured to the fixture by an attachment system in step a.; and the attachment system is released in step e. so that the substrate is no longer secured to the fixture by the attachment system.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein the attachment system comprises one or more attachment members which are engaged with the substrate in step a. and disengaged from the substrate in step e.
4. The method of any preceding claim wherein the substrate is secured to the
fixture by one or more clamps or fasteners in step a.; and the (or each) clamp
or fastener is released in step e. so that the substrate is no longer secured to the
fixture.
5. The method of claim 4 wherein the substrate is secured to the fixture by one or
more fasteners in step a. by passing the (or each) fastener through a respective
pre-formed hole in the substrate; and the (or each) fastener is released in step e.
by removing it from its respective pre-formed hole in the substrate. 6. The method of any preceding claim wherein the substrate contacts the fixture
at a substrate/fixture interface during the heat treatment process, and the
substrate and fixture are formed from dissimilar materials at the
substrate/fixture interface, thereby inhibiting bonding between them at the
substrate/fixture interface during the heat treatment process.
7. The method of any preceding claim wherein the part, the substrate and the
fixture are allowed to distort during the build process; and the part and the
fixture are formed from materials which are selected such that the part and the
fixture have a difference in bending stiffness which increases as they are
heated during the heat treatment process; the increased difference in bending
stiffness causing at least some of the distortion which occurred during the
build process to be removed during the heat treatment process.
8. The method of any preceding claim wherein during the heat treatment process
the temperatures of the part, the substrate and the fixture are increased to
above 150°C and maintained above 150°C for more than 30 minutes.
9. The method of any preceding claim wherein during the heat treatment process
the temperatures of the part, the substrate and the fixture are increased to
above 500°C and maintained above 500°C for more than 30 minutes.
10. The method of any preceding claim wherein the fixture has a mass or thermal
mass which is less than ten times, and preferably less than five times, a
collective mass or thermal mass of the substrate and the part.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein the fixture has a mass or thermal mass which
1s less than two times a collective mass or thermal mass of the substrate and
the part.
12. The method of claim 2 wherein the fixture and attachment system have a
collective mass or thermal mass which is less than ten times, and preferably
less than five times, a collective mass or thermal mass of the substrate and the
part.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the fixture and attachment system have a
mass or thermal mass which is less than two times a collective mass or thermal
mass of the substrate and the part.
14. Apparatus for performing the method of any preceding claim, the apparatus
comprising:
a. an additive manufacturing system which can be operated to perform the
build process;
b. a heat treatment system which can be operated to perform the heat
treatment process,
c. a fixture which can be moved between the additive manufacturing
system and the heat treatment system; and
d. an attachment system which can releasably secure a substrate to the
fixture.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising a temperature sensor which is
integrated into the fixture or the attachment system and arranged to measure a
temperature during the heat treatment process.