Apparatus and Process for Producing Additive Manufactured Metal Matrix Composites and Article of Manufacture Thereof

Abstract

A method, product, apparatus, and article of manufacture for the application of the Composite Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) method to produce objects in metal, and in metal fiber hybrids or composites. The approach has many advantages, including the ability to produce more complex geometries than conventional methods such as milling and casting, improved material properties, higher production rates and the elimination of complex fixturing, complex tool paths and tool changes and, for casting, the need for patterns and tools. The approach works by slicing a 3D model, selectively printing a fluid onto a sheet of substrate material for each layer based on the model, flooding onto the substrate a powdered metal to which the fluid adheres in printed areas, clamping and aligning a stack of coated sheets, heating the stacked sheets to melt the powdered metal and fuse the layers of substrate, and removing excess powder and unfused substrate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for producing an object, comprising:
 taking a file of layers of a 3D object;   for each layer, printing a fluid selectively onto a sheet of substrate material, wherein the substrate material is a metal coated veil;   flooding onto the substrate a powdered metal which adheres to the selectively printed fluid;   removing excess powder; and   heating and compressing a plurality of sheets in stacked registration to melt the powdered metal and fuse the layers of substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising removing unfused material of the substrate sheets. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein registration holes are used to stack the sheets in registration. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate material comprises fiberglass, high temperature glass fibers, boron fibers, or carbon fibers. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the powdered metal is a solder powder. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the powdered metal is aluminum, steel copper brass titanium or other metal or alloy. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the excess powder is removed by a stream of air, vacuum, vibration, or other mechanical means. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the powdered metal is mixed with a powder flux acting as a reducing agent. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the powdered metal is melted in a reducing atmosphere, vacuum, or inert atmosphere oven. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heating temperature is raised to the melting point of the powder. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein unfused substrate is removed by air-blasting with an abrasive material or chemical means. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate material is a non-woven carbon fiber veil. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the printing is done using an inkjet head with a solution primarily of de-ionized water, pyrrolidone, and alcohol. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the solution has an anti-evaporant chosen from the group consisting of glycols and pyrrolidones. 
     
     
         15 . A product produced by a process comprising:
 taking a file of layers of a 3D object;   for each layer, printing a fluid selectively onto a sheet of substrate material, wherein the substrate material is a metal coated veil;   flooding onto the substrate a powdered metal which adheres to the selectively printed fluid;   removing excess powder; and   heating and compressing the sheets in stacked registration to melt the powdered metal and fuse the layers of substrate.   
     
     
         16 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the process further comprises removing unfused material of the substrate sheets. 
     
     
         17 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein registration holes are used to stack the sheets in registration. 
     
     
         18 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate material comprises fiberglass, high temperature glass fibers, boron fibers, or carbon fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the powdered metal is a solder powder. 
     
     
         20 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the powdered metal is aluminum, steel copper brass titanium or other metal or alloy. 
     
     
         21 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the excess powder is removed by a stream of air, vacuum, vibration, or other mechanical means. 
     
     
         22 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the powdered metal is mixed with a powder flux acting as a reducing agent. 
     
     
         23 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the powdered metal is melted in a reducing atmosphere, vacuum, or inert atmosphere oven. 
     
     
         24 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the heating temperature is raised to the melting point of the powder. 
     
     
         25 . The product of  claim 16 , wherein unfused substrate is removed by air-blasting with an abrasive material or chemical means. 
     
     
         26 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate material is a non-woven carbon fiber veil. 
     
     
         27 . The product of  claim 15 , wherein the printing is done using an inkjet head with a solution primarily of de-ionized water, pyrrolidone, and alcohol. 
     
     
         28 . The product of  claim 27 , wherein the solution has an anti-evaporant chosen from the group consisting of glycols and pyrrolidones. 
     
     
         29 . An apparatus for producing an object, comprising:
 an inkjet printer for taking a file of layers of a 3D object and, for each layer, printing a fluid selectively onto a sheet of substrate material, wherein the substrate material is a metal coated veil;   an applicator for flooding onto the substrate a powdered metal which adheres to the selectively printed fluid;   a removal device to remove excess powder; and   a heating and compressing apparatus to heat and compress the sheets in stacked registration to melt the powdered metal and fuse the layers of substrate.   
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , further comprising a removal device to remove unfused material of the substrate sheets. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the substrate material comprises fiberglass, high temperature glass fibers, boron fibers, or carbon fibers. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 29  wherein the powdered metal is a solder powder. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the powdered metal is aluminum, steel copper brass titanium or other metal or alloy. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the excess powder is removed by a stream of air, vacuum, vibration, or other mechanical means. 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the powdered metal is mixed with a powder flux acting as a reducing agent. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the powdered metal is melted in a reducing atmosphere, vacuum, or inert atmosphere oven. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the heating temperature is raised to the melting point of the powder. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein unfused substrate is removed by air-blasting with an abrasive material or chemical means. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the substrate material is a non-woven carbon fiber veil. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the substrate material is a metal coated veil. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus of  claim 29 , wherein the printing is done using an inkjet head with a solution primarily of de-ionized water, pyrrolidone, and alcohol. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus of  claim 41 , wherein the solution has an anti-evaporant chosen from the group consisting of glycols and pyrrolidones.