Patents by Inventor Ben Ferrar
Ben Ferrar has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11969789Abstract: A method of determining the condition of a metal powder for use in an additive manufacturing process, involving processing an image of the powder to measure a surface property of the powder, such as colour, texture or particle shape. The proportion of powder whose measured surface property falls outside a pre-determined range is determined and can be used to decide whether or not the powder is suitable for re-use. The proportion is determined by identifying individual particles in the image which are identified as statistical outliers amongst all of the particles shown in the image when considering a measured surface property. The relevant proportion may be determined statistically.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2018Date of Patent: April 30, 2024Assignee: LPW Technology Ltd.Inventors: Ben Ferrar, Ben Robinson
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Patent number: 11767159Abstract: A powder container (10) comprising a pressure vessel (12) for containing a quantity of powder (14) and a quantity of pressurised gas (32), an outlet through which, in use, the powder (14) can flow out of the pressure vessel (12), and an outlet valve (24) for selectively opening and closing the outlet, wherein the container (10) further comprises a data sensing and/or logging means (56, 58, 60, 62, 64) adapted to monitor and/or log various parameters of the powder (14) and/or the pressurised gas (32) and further comprising a control unit (54) adapted record and log the sensor readings either continuously, or at intervals, the control unit (54) comprising a communications module adapted to relay sensor readings, or log files, to a remote monitoring station.Type: GrantFiled: May 9, 2022Date of Patent: September 26, 2023Assignee: LPW TECHNOLOGY LTD.Inventors: Philip Carroll, Ben Ferrar, Robert Deffley
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Patent number: 11733677Abstract: A method of additive manufacture involves building a container 8 and a structure by fusing powder 12, 13, 14, such that the container contains the structure and unfused powder. The container 8 may be used in a method for predicting powder degradation in an additive manufacturing process. Containers containing different types of structure may be built to measure the effect of building different types of structures on powder degradation. A structure to be built may be characterised by classes of structural features it contains and information obtained used from building containers used to predict how building the structure will degrade powder.Type: GrantFiled: November 23, 2018Date of Patent: August 22, 2023Assignee: LPW Technology Ltd.Inventor: Ben Ferrar
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Publication number: 20220267085Abstract: A powder container (10) comprising a pressure vessel (12) for containing a quantity of powder (14) and a quantity of pressurised gas (32), an outlet through which, in use, the powder (14) can flow out of the pressure vessel (12), and an outlet valve (24) for selectively opening and closing the outlet, wherein the container (10) further comprises a data sensing and/or logging means (56, 58, 60, 62, 64) adapted to monitor and/or log various parameters of the powder (14) and/or the pressurised gas (32) and further comprising a control unit (54) adapted record and log the sensor readings either continuously, or at intervals, the control unit (54) comprising a communications module adapted to relay sensor readings, or log files, to a remote monitoring station.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 9, 2022Publication date: August 25, 2022Inventors: Philip Carroll, Ben Ferrar, Robert Deffley
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Patent number: 11352200Abstract: A powder container (10) comprising a pressure vessel (12) for containing a quantity of powder (14) and a quantity of pressurised gas (32), an outlet through which, in use, the powder (14) can flow out of the pressure vessel (12), and an outlet valve (24) for selectively opening and closing the outlet, wherein the container (10) further comprises a data sensing and/or logging means (56, 58, 60, 62, 64) adapted to monitor and/or log various parameters of the powder (14) and/or the pressurised gas (32) and further comprising a control unit (54) adapted record and log the sensor readings either continuously, or at intervals, the control unit (54) comprising a communications module adapted to relay sensor readings, or log files, to a remote monitoring station.Type: GrantFiled: September 23, 2015Date of Patent: June 7, 2022Assignee: LPW TECHNOLOGY LTD.Inventors: Philip Carroll, Ben Ferrar, Robert Deffley
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Publication number: 20210162509Abstract: A method of determining the condition of a metal powder for use in an additive manufacturing process, involving processing an image of the powder to measure a surface property of the powder, such as colour, texture or particle shape. The proportion of powder whose measured surface property falls outside a pre-determined range is determined and can be used to decide whether or not the powder is suitable for re-use. The proportion is determined by identifying individual particles in the image which are identified as statistical outliers amongst all of the particles shown in the image when considering a measured surface property. The relevant proportion may be determined statistically.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2018Publication date: June 3, 2021Inventors: Ben Ferrar, Ben Robinson
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Patent number: 10934086Abstract: A powder container (10) comprising a pressure vessel (12) for containing a quantity of powder (14) and a quantity of pressurised gas (32), an outlet through which, in use, the powder (14) can flow out of the pressure vessel (12), and an outlet valve (24) for selectively opening and closing the outlet, wherein the container (10) further comprises a data sensing and/or logging means (56, 58, 60, 62, 64) adapted to monitor and/or log various parameters of the powder (14) and/or the pressurised gas (32) and further comprising a control unit (54) adapted record and log the sensor readings either continuously, or at intervals, the control unit (54) comprising a communications module adapted to relay sensor readings, or log files, to a remote monitoring station.Type: GrantFiled: July 18, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: LPW Technology LTDInventors: Philip Carroll, Ben Ferrar, Robert Deffley
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Publication number: 20200376751Abstract: A method of additive manufacture involves building a container 8 and a structure by fusing powder 12, 13, 14, such that the container contains the structure and unfused powder. The container 8 may be used in a method for predicting powder degradation in an additive manufacturing process. Containers containing different types of structure may be built to measure the effect of building different types of structures on powder degradation. A structure to be built may be characterised by classes of structural features it contains and information obtained used from building containers used to predict how building the structure will degrade powder.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 23, 2018Publication date: December 3, 2020Inventor: Ben Ferrar
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Publication number: 20190337714Abstract: A powder container (10) comprising a pressure vessel (12) for containing a quantity of powder (14) and a quantity of pressurised gas (32), an outlet through which, in use, the powder (14) can flow out of the pressure vessel (12), and an outlet valve (24) for selectively opening and closing the outlet, wherein the container (10) further comprises a data sensing and/or logging means (56, 58, 60, 62, 64) adapted to monitor and/or log various parameters of the powder (14) and/or the pressurised gas (32) and further comprising a control unit (54) adapted record and log the sensor readings either continuously, or at intervals, the control unit (54) comprising a communications module adapted to relay sensor readings, or log files, to a remote monitoring station.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 18, 2019Publication date: November 7, 2019Inventors: Philip Carroll, Ben Ferrar, Robert Deffley
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Publication number: 20170297813Abstract: A powder container (10) comprising a pressure vessel (12) for containing a quantity of powder (14) and a quantity of pressurised gas (32), an outlet through which, in use, the powder (14) can flow out of the pressure vessel (12), and an outlet valve (24) for selectively opening and closing the outlet, wherein the container (10) further comprises a data sensing and/or logging means (56, 58, 60, 62, 64) adapted to monitor and/or log various parameters of the powder (14) and/or the pressurised gas (32) and further comprising a control unit (54) adapted record and log the sensor readings either continuously, or at intervals, the control unit (54) comprising a communications module adapted to relay sensor readings, or log files, to a remote monitoring station.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 23, 2015Publication date: October 19, 2017Inventors: Philip Carroll, Ben Ferrar