当前申请(专利权)人：
EX ONE CORPORATION | GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION | RYNERSON, MICHAEL, L. | HETZNER, JAMES
原始申请(专利权)人：
EX ONE CORPORATION | GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION | RYNERSON, MICHAEL, L. | HETZNER, JAMES
当前申请(专利权)人地址：
8075 Pennsylvania Avenue P.O. Box 1111 Irwin, PA 15642 US | GM Powertrain Mail Code 486-805-013 1629 N. Washington Avenue Saginaw, MI 48340-2920 US | 100 Oxford Dr., Apt. 701 Monroeville, PA 15146 US | 3590 Calumet Drive Saginaw, 48603 US
发明人：
RYNERSON, MICHAEL, L. | HETZNER, JAMES
摘要：
The invention utilizes a layered manufacturing process to produce an article (2) having at least one small-diameter fluid conduction vent (6) produced during the layered manufacturing process. The invention also includes articles (2) containing at least one small-diameter fluid conduction vent (6) wherein the article (2) and the small-diameter vent or vents (6) are simultaneously produced by a layered manufacturing process.
权利要求：
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising using a layered manufacturing process to produce an article having at least one small-diameter fluid conduction vent, wherein at least one of said small-diameter fluid conduction vent or vents is produced in said article by said layered manufacturing process.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: a) providing a layer of powder; and b) printing a layer of said article by binding together said powder in preselected areas of said layer of powder.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein said powder includes at least one selected from the group consisting of a metal, a ceramic, a polymer, and a composite.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said small-diameter fluid conduction vent or vents has a diameter in the range of between about 0.02 cm and about 0.25 cm.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of creating an electronic file containing a representation of said article with at least one of said small-diameter fluid conduction vent or vents positioned within said article.
6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of: a) providing an algorithm; and b) executing said algorithm on a computer to do at least one of the following: i) design at least one of said small-diameter fluid conduction vent or vents; ii) select a location for at least one of said small-diameter fluid conduction vent or vents within said article; iii) select an array density for a plurality of said small-diameter fluid conduction vents for at least a portion of a surface of said article; iv) incorporate an electronic representation of at least one of said small- diameter fluid conduction vent or vents into an electronic representation of said article; and v) cause said article to be printed in a layer-by-layer manner.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: a) creating a first electronic file containing a representation of said article, wherein at least one of said fluid conduction vent or vents is absent from the representation of said article; b) creating a second electronic file containing a representation of at least one of said absent small-diameter fluid conduction vent or vents; and c) combining said first electronic file with said second electronic file to create a third electronic file containing a representation of said article with at least one of said absent small-diameter fluid conduction vent or vents positioned within said article.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said article is a component of an EPS bead mold.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of: a) using said article to make a pattern; and b) using said pattern in a lost-foam molding process.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein said article is a component of at least one selected from a group consisting of an injection mold, a vacuum forming tool, a heat transfer device, and a fluid regulating device.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of using said article in at least one selected from a group consisting of an EPS bead molding process, an injection molding process, a vacuum forming process, a heat transfer device, and a fluid regulating device.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of orienting at least one of said small-diameter fluid conduction vent or vents in a direction that is not substantially nonnal to a surface at which said small-diameter fluid conduction vent terminates.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said article has a plurality of small-diameter fluid conduction vents and is a component of a multi-piece mold having a direction of opening in use, wherein the step of orienting includes orienting at least one of said plurality of small-diameter fluid conduction vents to have a center line oriented parallel to said direction of opening.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of infiltrating said article with an infiltrant.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said infiltrant is a metal.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein said infiltrant is bronze.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein said layered manufacturing process is a three- dimensional printing process.
18. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of: a) providing a layer of powder comprising a metal powder; and b) printing a layer of said article by depositing a binder on said layer of powder to bind together said metal powder in pre-selected areas of said layer of powder.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein said binder comprises at least one of a polymer and a carbohydrate.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein said metal powder comprises a stainless steel powder.
21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of infiltrating said article with an infiltrant.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein said infiltrant comprises a metal.
23. The method of claim 1, wherein said layered manufacturing process is a selective laser sintering process.
24. The method of claim 23, further including the steps of: a) providing a layer of powder comprising a metal powder and a binder; and b) printing a layer of said article by scanning a laser beam over said layer of powder to cause said binder to bind together said metal powder in pre-selected areas of said layer of powder.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein said metal powder is a stainless steel powder.
26. The method of claim 23, further comprising the step of infiltrating said article with an infiltrant.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein said infiltrant comprises a metal.
28. An article produced by the method described in claim 1.
29. An article produced by the method described in claim 2.
30. An article produced by the method described in claim 3.
31. An article produced by the method described in claim 4.
32. An article produced by the method described in claim 8.
33. An article produced by the method described in claim 10.
34. An article produced by the method described in claim 12.
35. An article produced by the method described in claim 13.
6. An article produced by the method described in claim 14.