Patents Examined by Rebecca Janssen
  • Patent number: 10770274
    Abstract: A copper alloy sputtering target is formed by a copper alloy including the content of Ca being 0.3 to 1.7% by mass, the total content of Mg and Al being 5 ppm or less by mass, the content of oxygen being 20 ppm or less by mass, and the remainder is Cu and inevitable impurities. A manufacturing method of a copper alloy sputtering target comprises steps of: preparing a copper having purity of 99.99% or more by mass; melting the copper so as to obtain a molten copper; controlling components so as to obtain a molten metal having a predetermined component composition by the addition of Ca having a purity of 98.5% or more by mass into the molten copper and by melting the Ca; casting the molten metal so as to obtain an ingot; and performing stress relieving annealing after performing hot rolling to the ingot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: MITSUBISHI MATERIALS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Satoru Mori, Toshio Sakamoto, Kiyoyuki Ookubo
  • Patent number: 10760148
    Abstract: Described herein are additive manufacturing methods and products made using such methods. The alloy compositions described herein are specifically selected for the additive manufacturing methods and provide products that exhibit superior mechanical properties as compared to their cast counterparts. Using the compositions and methods described herein, products that do not exhibit substantial coarsening, such as at elevated temperatures, can be obtained. The products further exhibit uniform microstructures along the print axis, thus contributing to improved strength and performance. Additives also can be used in the alloys described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignees: UT-Battelle, LLC, University of Tennessee Research Foundation, Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc., Eck Industries Incorporated
    Inventors: Alex J. Plotkowski, Orlando Rios, Sudarsanam Suresh Babu, Ryan R. Dehoff, Ryan Ott, Zachary C. Sims, Niyanth Sridharan, David Weiss, Hunter B. Henderson
  • Patent number: 10730109
    Abstract: A system for building a three dimensional green compact comprising a printing station configured to print a mask pattern on a building surface, wherein the mask pattern is formed of solidifiable material; a powder delivery station configured to apply a layer of powder material on the mask pattern; a die compaction station for compacting the layer formed by the powder material and the mask pattern; and a stage configured to repeatedly advance a building tray to each of the printing station, the powder delivery station and the die compaction station to build a plurality of layers that together form the three dimensional green compact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Stratasys Ltd.
    Inventors: Yehoshua Sheinman, Shai Hirsch, Almog Shahar, Uri Grach, Kirill Tanhilevich
  • Patent number: 10722944
    Abstract: A system for the additive manufacturing of components includes a powder receptacle, which is designed to receive a powdered material in the form of a starting material for a component to be manufactured, a construction platform that is mounted within the powder receptacle and is mounted so as to rotate relative to the powder receptacle about a rotational shaft, a lowering drive, which is designed to incrementally or continuously lower the construction platform within the powder receptacle, and an energy input apparatus, which is arranged above an opening in the powder receptacle and is designed to carry out locally selective melting or hardening of a powdered material introduced into the powder receptacle on a surface of the material. The construction platform can be tilted by an angle of inclination relative to a rotational shaft of the rotatable mount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventor: Thorsten Michael Wienberg
  • Patent number: 10722947
    Abstract: A microscale selective laser sintering (?-SLS) that improves the minimum feature-size resolution of metal additively manufactured parts by up to two orders of magnitude, while still maintaining the throughput of traditional additive manufacturing processes. The microscale selective laser sintering includes, in some embodiments, ultra-fast lasers, a micro-mirror based optical system, nanoscale powders, and a precision spreader mechanism. The micro-SLS system is capable of achieving build rates of at least 1 cm3/hr while achieving a feature-size resolution of approximately 1 ?m. In some embodiments, the exemplified systems and methods facilitate a direct write, microscale selective laser sintering ?-SLS system that is configured to write 3D metal structures having features sizes down to approximately 1 ?m scale on rigid or flexible substrates. The exemplified systems and methods may operate on a variety of material including, for example, polymers, dielectrics, semiconductors, and metals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Michael A. Cullinan, Nilabh Kumar Roy, Anil Yuksel, Chee Seng Foong
  • Patent number: 10717130
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Terrence Garay, Mark Kevin Meyer, Douglas Gerard Konitzer, William Thomas Carter
  • Patent number: 10702958
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Gregory Terrence Garay, Mark Kevin Meyer, Douglas Gerard Konitzer, William Thomas Carter
  • Patent number: 10695832
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a mechanical component by additive manufacturing which includes at least one layering sequence of depositing a powder material and locally melting and resolidifying the powder material. In each layering sequence, a solid layer of solidified material is formed, wherein the solid layers jointly form a solid body. An annealing sequence subsequent to at least one layering sequence includes, locally heating at least a region of the solid body in effecting a local heat input to the immediately beforehand manufactured solid layer which was formed by the immediately precedent layering sequence, with temperature being is maintained below a melting temperature of the material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC TECHNOLOGY GMBH
    Inventors: Matthias Hoebel, Mikhail Pavlov, Thomas Etter, Roman Engeli
  • Patent number: 10688561
    Abstract: The method comprises the steps of: a) supplying building material; and b) fusing the building material using a light beam (2); wherein steps a) and b) are carried out so as to progressively produce the object out of the fused building material. In step b), the beam (2) is projected onto the building material so as to produce a primary spot on the building material, the beam being repetitively scanned in two dimensions in accordance with a first scanning pattern so as to establish an effective spot (21) on the building material, said effective spot having a two-dimensional energy distribution. The effective spot (21) is displaced in relation to the object being produced to progressively produce the object by fusing the building material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: ETXE-TAR, S.A.
    Inventors: Javier Diaz, Jesus Dominguez, Paula Sancho
  • Patent number: 10675687
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a highly insulating three-dimensional (3D) structure is provided. The method includes depositing a first layer of hollow microspheres onto a base. The hollow microspheres have a metallic coating formed thereon. A laser beam is scanned over the hollow microspheres so as to sinter the metallic coating of the hollow microspheres at predetermined locations. At least one layer of the hollow microspheres is deposited onto the first layer. Scanning by the laser beam is repeated for each successive layer until a predetermined 3D structure is constructed. The 3D structure includes a composite thermal barrier coating (TBC), which may be applied to a surface of components within an internal combustion engine, and the like. The composite TBC is bonded to the components of the engine to provide low thermal conductivity and low heat capacity insulation that is sealed against combustion gasses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2020
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Michael J. Walker, Jason R. Traub, Peter P. Andruskiewicz, IV
  • Patent number: 10672543
    Abstract: A ferrite powder for bonded magnets capable of producing a ferrite bonded magnet having high BHmax, and excellent in fluidity when converted to a compound, and having a high p-iHc value, and a method for producing the same, and a ferrite bonded magnet using the ferrite powder for bonded magnets, wherein an average particle size of particles obtained by a dry laser diffraction measurement is 5 ?m or less; a specific surface area is 1.90 m2/g or more and less than 2.80 m2/g; a compression density is 3.50 g/cm3 or more and less than 3.78 g/cm3, and a compressed molding has a coercive force of 2300 Oe or more and less than 2800 Oe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignees: DOW A ELECTRONICS MATERIALS CO., LTD., DOW A F-TEC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Tsuboi, Yasunobu Mishima, Keisuke Ayabe, Masayasu Senda
  • Patent number: 10668534
    Abstract: A scanning technique for the additive manufacturing of an object. The method comprises the irradiation a portion of a given layer of powder to form a fused region using an energy source. When forming an object layer by layer, the irradiation follows a first irradiation pattern at least partially bounded by a stripe region. When forming the first fused region using a first irradiation pattern a first series of solidification lines are formed, at angle other than 90° with respect to a substantially linear stripe region boundary. A series of second solidification lines are formed that intersecting the end of the first solidification line at a first angle other than 0° and 180° with respect to the first solidification line. A third series of solidification lines are formed that are substantially parallel to a first series of solidification lines and intersect one of the second solidification lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Justin Mamrak, MacKenzie Ryan Redding
  • Patent number: 10665371
    Abstract: A ferrite powder for bonded magnets having a high iHc value usable even in a low temperature environment, a method for producing the same, and a bonded magnet using the ferrite powder and having high iHc value which can be used even in a low temperature environment, wherein a specific surface area is 2.20 m2/g or more and less than 3.20 m2/g; a compression density is 3.30 g/cm3 or more and less than 3.60 g/cm3, and a compressed molding has a coercive force of 3250 Oe or more and less than 3800 Oe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignees: DOWA ELECTRONICS MATERIALS CO., LTD., DOWA F-TEC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru Tsuboi, Yasunobu Mishima, Keisuke Ayabe, Masayasu Senda
  • Patent number: 10655235
    Abstract: The invention provides, among other things, a method for preparing a sintered nickel alkaline water electrolysis electrode for electrolytic hydrogen production. This method utilizes sintering furnace, ball-millings the mixture of nickel carbonate and selected nickel powder to obtain the raw material, adds polyvinyl alcohol to get the die under cold-pressing effect, sintering to make porous sintered nickel. In some embodiments, the surface of a nickel mesh used for the electrode is larger than the surface of the nickel mesh usually used in conventional hydrogen generation equipment and exhibits high-level catalytical activity and stability of hydrogen evolution. The proposed method is simple, easy to operate and has low production cost, which is suitable for electrolytic reactions under high current density conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Inventor: Haiming Li
  • Patent number: 10625342
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory Terrence Garay, Mark Kevin Meyer, Douglas Gerard Konitzer, William Thomas Carter
  • Patent number: 10610933
    Abstract: Methods of manufacturing or repairing a turbine blade or vane are described. The airfoil portions of these turbine components are typically manufactured by casting in a ceramic mold, and a surface made up of the cast airfoil and at the least the ceramic core serves as a build surface for a subsequent process of additively manufacturing the tip portions. The build surface is created by removing a top portion of the airfoil and the core, or by placing an ultra-thin shim on top of the airfoil and the core. The overhang projected by the shim is subsequently removed. These methods are not limited to turbine engine applications, but can be applied to any metallic object that can benefit from casting and additive manufacturing processes. The present disclosure also relates to finished and intermediate products prepared by these methods.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
    Inventors: Gregory Terrence Garay, Mark Kevin Meyer, Douglas Gerard Konitzer, William Thomas Carter
  • Patent number: 10610931
    Abstract: Methods and systems comprise new design procedures that can be implemented for additive manufacturing technologies that involve evaluation of stress concentration sites using finite element analysis and implementation of scanning strategies during fabrication that improve performance by spatially adjusting thermal energy at potential failure sites or high stress regions of a part.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Board of Regents, The University of Texas System
    Inventors: Philip A. Morton, Ryan Wicker, Jorge Mireles, Alejandro Hinojos
  • Patent number: 10596627
    Abstract: A method of installing a fixture or bracket in a fuselage structure of an aircraft or spacecraft. The method includes arranging an apparatus in, on or adjacent the structure, pre-treating a surface region of the structure by heat ablation using the apparatus and forming the fixture in situ on the structure at the pre-treated surface region using the apparatus based on a digital model of the fixture. The fixture is installed by connecting the fixture to the structure at the pre-treated surface region as the fixture is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Robert Alexander Goehlich, Daisuke Hirabayashi, Hikaru Hoshi
  • Patent number: 10596628
    Abstract: Embodiments described herein relate generally to systems and methods for using nanocrystalline metal alloy particles or powders to create nanocrystalline and/or microcrystalline metal alloy articles using additive manufacturing. In some embodiments, a manufacturing method for creating articles includes disposing a plurality of nanocrystalline particles and selectively binding the particles together to form the article. In some embodiments, the nanocrystalline particles can be sintered to bind the particles together. In some embodiments, the plurality of nanocrystalline particles can be disposed on a substrate and sintered to form the article. The substrate can be a base or a prior layer of bound particles. In some embodiments, the nanocrystalline particles can be selectively bound together (e.g., sintered) at substantially the same time as they are disposed on the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Veloxint Corporation
    Inventors: Alan C. Lund, Christopher A. Schuh
  • Patent number: 10549347
    Abstract: A system and method for manufacturing and authenticating a component is provided. The method includes forming a component having an identifying region that contains two or more materials having different conductivities such that the identifying region generates an eddy current response signature that defines a component identifier of the component. The method further includes interrogating the identifying region of the surface with an eddy current probe to determine the component identifier. The component identifier may be stored in a database as a reference identifier and may be used for authenticating components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Scott Alan Gold, Justin Mamrak