Patents by Inventor Craig A. Blue
Craig A. Blue 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: 11534977Abstract: A system and method for improving additive manufacturing, including additive manufacturing toolpaths, is provided. The system and method includes a toolpath generator that obtains initial toolpaths of an object, identifies isolated paths in the toolpaths, and adds bridge connections between neighboring isolated paths in each layer to improve the toolpaths. The bridge connections facilitate the continuous and non-stop deposition of each layer according to improved toolpaths during additive manufacture, which can reduce total deposition time and improve the resultant additive manufacture.Type: GrantFiled: January 23, 2020Date of Patent: December 27, 2022Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Seokpum Kim, Vlastimil Kune, Ahmed A. Hassen, John M. Lindahl, Brian K. Post, Alex C. Roschli, Phillip C. Chesser, Michael C. Borish, Gregory D. Dreifus, Lonnie J. Love, Craig A. Blue, Bentley T. Beard, II
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Patent number: 11325281Abstract: A method for rapid manufacturing of three dimensional discontinuous fiber preforms is provided. The method includes the deposition of a polymeric material containing fibers on a surface to form a tailored charge for compression molding. The reinforced polymeric material may be a thermoplastic or a reactive polymer with viscosity low enough to allow flow through an orifice during deposition, yet high enough zero shear viscosity to retain the approximate shape of the deposited charge. The material can be deposited in a predetermined pattern to induce the desired mechanical properties through alignment of the fibers. This deposition can be performed in a single layer or in multiple layers. The alignment is achieved passively by shear alignment of the fibers or actively through fiber orientation control or mixing. The fibers can be of the desired material, length, and morphology, including short and long filaments.Type: GrantFiled: July 23, 2019Date of Patent: May 10, 2022Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLCInventors: Vlastimil Kunc, Craig A. Blue, Ahmed A. Hassen, John M. Lindahl, Lonnie J. Love, Brian K. Post
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Publication number: 20200230888Abstract: A system and method for improving additive manufacturing, including additive manufacturing toolpaths, is provided. The system and method includes a toolpath generator that obtains initial toolpaths of an object, identifies isolated paths in the toolpaths, and adds bridge connections between neighboring isolated paths in each layer to improve the toolpaths. The bridge connections facilitate the continuous and non-stop deposition of each layer according to improved toolpaths during additive manufacture, which can reduce total deposition time and improve the resultant additive manufacture.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 23, 2020Publication date: July 23, 2020Inventors: Seokpum Kim, Vlastimil Kunc, Ahmed A. Hassen, John M. Lindahl, Brian K. Post, Alex C. Roschli, Phillip C. Chesser, Michael C. Borish, Gregory D. Dreifus, Lonnie J. Love, Craig A. Blue, Bentley T. Beard, II
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Publication number: 20200023556Abstract: A method for rapid manufacturing of three dimensional discontinuous fiber preforms is provided. The method includes the deposition of a polymeric material containing fibers on a surface to form a tailored charge for compression molding. The reinforced polymeric material may be a thermoplastic or a reactive polymer with viscosity low enough to allow flow through an orifice during deposition, yet high enough zero shear viscosity to retain the approximate shape of the deposited charge. The material can be deposited in a predetermined pattern to induce the desired mechanical properties through alignment of the fibers. This deposition can be performed in a single layer or in multiple layers. The alignment is achieved passively by shear alignment of the fibers or actively through fiber orientation control or mixing. The fibers can be of the desired material, length, and morphology, including short and long filaments.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 23, 2019Publication date: January 23, 2020Inventors: Vlastimil Kunc, Craig A. Blue, Ahmed A. Hassen, John M. Lindahl, Lonnie J. Love, Brian K. Post
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Patent number: 9884444Abstract: An additive manufacturing extrusion head that includes a heated nozzle for accepting a feedstock and extruding the feedstock onto a substrate at a deposition plane, the nozzle having a longitudinal extrusion axis. A reciprocating platen surrounds the nozzle, the platen operable to reciprocate along the extrusion axis at or above the deposition plane as the nozzle extrudes feedstock onto the substrate; and wherein the platen flattens the extruded feedstock such that it does not protrude above the deposition plane as the extrusion head traverses over the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: October 17, 2014Date of Patent: February 6, 2018Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Randall F. Lind, Craig A. Blue, Lonnie J. Love, Brian K. Post, Peter D. Lloyd
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Publication number: 20170320267Abstract: An additive manufacturing machine includes a nozzle assembly with a noncircular, rotatable outlet. The nozzle assembly deposits a bead of material having a width that is defined by the angular orientation of the noncircular shaped outlet with respect to the material deposition path direction. The combination of high material deposition rate and fine resolution save time and energy while also producing high-quality parts.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 3, 2016Publication date: November 9, 2017Inventors: Randall F. Lind, Brian K. Post, Lonnie J. Love, Peter D. Lloyd, Charles Lynn Carnal, Craig A. Blue, Vlastimil Kunc
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Publication number: 20170151728Abstract: Several examples of additive manufacturing machines and methods for depositing a bead of composite polymer material having continuous fiber reinforcement are disclosed. A length of fiber reinforcement is provided to a nozzle. The fiber reinforcement is embedded into a stream of a base polymer material at the nozzle and deposited as a bead of composite polymer material having fiber reinforcement. The fiber reinforcement may be dry or pre-impregnated with a reinforcing polymer. The additional strength of the composite polymer material having fiber reinforcement allows for true, three-dimensional printing of articles having unsupported regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2015Publication date: June 1, 2017Inventors: Vlastimil Kunc, Craig A. Blue, Chad E. Duty, Randall F. Lind, John M. Lindahl, Peter D. Lloyd, Lonnie J. Love, Matthew R. Love, Brian K. Post, Orlando Rios
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Publication number: 20170152355Abstract: Several examples of an article of manufacture made with an additive manufacturing machine are disclosed. A length of fiber reinforcement is provided to a nozzle. The fiber reinforcement is embedded into a stream of a base polymer material at the nozzle and deposited as a bead of composite polymer material having fiber reinforcement. The fiber reinforcement may be dry or pre-impregnated with a reinforcing polymer. The additional strength of the composite polymer material having fiber reinforcement allows for true, three-dimensional printing of articles having unsupported regions.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 30, 2015Publication date: June 1, 2017Inventors: Vlastimil Kunc, Craig A. Blue, Chad E. Duty, Randall F. Lind, John M. Lindahl, Peter D. Lloyd, Lonnie J. Love, Matthew R. Love, Brian K. Post, Orlando Rios
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Patent number: 9347138Abstract: A coating steel component with a pattern of an iron based matrix with crystalline particles metallurgically bound to the surface of a steel substrate for use as disc cutters or other components with one or more abrading surfaces that can experience significant abrasive wear, high point loads, and large shear stresses during use. The coated component contains a pattern of features in the shape of freckles or stripes that are laser formed and fused to the steel substrate. The features can display an inner core that is harder than the steel substrate but generally softer than the matrix surrounding the core, providing toughness and wear resistance to the features. The features result from processing an amorphous alloy where the resulting matrix can be amorphous, partially devitrified or fully devitrified.Type: GrantFiled: January 16, 2014Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLCInventors: Craig A. Blue, Frank Wong, Louis F. Aprigliano, Peter G. Engleman, William H. Peter, Tibor G. Rozgonyi, Levent Ozdemir
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Publication number: 20160107389Abstract: An additive manufacturing extrusion head that includes a heated nozzle for accepting a feedstock and extruding the feedstock onto a substrate at a deposition plane, the nozzle having a longitudinal extrusion axis. A reciprocating platen surrounds the nozzle, the platen operable to reciprocate along the extrusion axis at or above the deposition plane as the nozzle extrudes feedstock onto the substrate; and wherein the platen flattens the extruded feedstock such that it does not protrude above the deposition plane as the extrusion head traverses over the substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 17, 2014Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventors: Randall F. LIND, Craig A. Blue, Lonnie J. Love, Brian K. Post, Peter D. Lloyd
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Patent number: 9196760Abstract: A method for producing a film, the method comprising melting a layer of precursor particles on a substrate until at least a portion of the melted particles are planarized and merged to produce the film. The invention is also directed to a method for producing a photovoltaic film, the method comprising depositing particles having a photovoltaic or other property onto a substrate, and affixing the particles to the substrate, wherein the particles may or may not be subsequently melted. Also described herein are films produced by these methods, methods for producing a patterned film on a substrate, and methods for producing a multilayer structure.Type: GrantFiled: March 22, 2012Date of Patent: November 24, 2015Assignee: UT-BATTELLE, LLCInventors: Chad E. Duty, Charlee J C Bennett, Ji-Won Moon, Tommy J. Phelps, Craig A. Blue, Quanqin Dai, Michael Z. Hu, Ilia N. Ivanov, Gerald E. Jellison, Jr., Lonnie J. Love, Ronald D. Ott, Chad M. Parish, Steven Walker
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Patent number: 9080229Abstract: A composite stainless steel composition is composed essentially of, in terms of wt. % ranges: 25 to 28 Cr; 11 to 13 Ni; 7 to 8 W; 3.5 to 4 Mo; 3 to 3.5 B; 2 to 2.5 Mn; 1 to 1.5 Si; 0.3 to 1.7 C; up to 2 O; balance Fe. The composition has an austenitic matrix phase and a particulate, crystalline dispersed phase.Type: GrantFiled: May 7, 2012Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Ryan R. Dehoff, Craig A. Blue, William H. Peter, Wei Chen, Louis F. Aprigliano
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Patent number: 8809110Abstract: Disclosed are configurations of long-range ordered features of solar cell materials, and methods for forming same. Some features include electrical access openings through a backing layer to a photovoltaic material in the solar cell. Some features include textured features disposed adjacent a surface of a solar cell material. Typically the long-range ordered features are formed by ablating the solar cell material with a laser interference pattern from at least two laser beams.Type: GrantFiled: December 30, 2010Date of Patent: August 19, 2014Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Claus Daniel, Craig A. Blue, Ronald D. Ott
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Publication number: 20140220724Abstract: A method for producing a film, the method comprising melting a layer of precursor particles on a substrate until at least a portion of the melted particles are planarized and merged to produce the film. The invention is also directed to a method for producing a photovoltaic film, the method comprising depositing particles having a photovoltaic or other property onto a substrate, and affixing the particles to the substrate, wherein the particles may or may not be subsequently melted. Also described herein are films produced by these methods, methods for producing a patterned film on a substrate, and methods for producing a multilayer structure.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 22, 2012Publication date: August 7, 2014Applicant: UT-BATTELLE, LLCInventors: Chad E. Duty, Charlee JC Bennett, Ji-Won Moom, Tommy J. Phelps, Craig A. Blue, Quanqin Dai, Michael Z. Hu, Ilia N. Ivanov, Gerald E. Jellison, JR., Lonnie J. Love, Ronald D. Ott, Chad M. Parish, Steven Walker
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Patent number: 8778459Abstract: A system for coating a surface comprises providing a source of amorphous metal, providing ceramic particles, and applying the amorphous metal and the ceramic particles to the surface by a spray. The coating comprises a composite material made of amorphous metal that contains one or more of the following elements in the specified range of composition: yttrium (?1 atomic %), chromium (14 to 18 atomic %), molybdenum (?7 atomic %), tungsten (?1 atomic %), boron (?5 atomic %), or carbon (?4 atomic %).Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2009Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignees: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC., The Regents of the University of California, Sandia CorporationInventors: Joseph C. Farmer, Frank M. G. Wong, Jeffery J. Haslam, Nancy Yang, Enrique J. Lavernia, Craig A. Blue, Olivia A. Graeve, Robert Bayles, John H. Perepezko, Larry Kaufman, Julie Schoenung, Leo Ajdelsztajn
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Patent number: 8778724Abstract: A thin film solar cell and a method fabricating thin film solar cells on flexible substrates. The method includes including providing a flexible polymeric substrate, depositing a photovoltaic precursor on a surface of the substrate, such as CdTe, ZrTe, CdZnTe, CdSe or Cu(In,Ga)Se2, and exposing the photovoltaic precursor to at least one 0.5 microsecond to 10 second pulse of predominately infrared light emitted from a light source having a power output of about 20,000 W/cm2 or less to thermally convert the precursor into a crystalline photovoltaic material having a photovoltaic efficiency of greater than one percent, the conversion being carried out without substantial damage to the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2010Date of Patent: July 15, 2014Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Craig A. Blue, Art Clemens, Chad E. Duty, David C. Harper, Ronald D. Ott, John D. Rivard, Christopher S. Murray, Susan L. Murray, Andre R. Klein
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Publication number: 20140134451Abstract: A coating steel component with a pattern of an iron based matrix with crystalline particles metallurgically bound to the surface of a steel substrate for use as disc cutters or other components with one or more abrading surfaces that can experience significant abrasive wear, high point loads, and large shear stresses during use. The coated component contains a pattern of features in the shape of freckles or stripes that are laser formed and fused to the steel substrate. The features can display an inner core that is harder than the steel substrate but generally softer than the matrix surrounding the core, providing toughness and wear resistance to the features. The features result from processing an amorphous alloy where the resulting matrix can be amorphous, partially devitrified or fully devitrified.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 16, 2014Publication date: May 15, 2014Applicant: UT-BATTELLE, LLCInventors: CRAIG A. BLUE, FRANK WONG, LOUIS F. APRIGLIANO, PETER G. ENGLEMAN, WILLIAM H. PETER, TIBOR G. ROZGONYI, LEVENT OZDEMIR
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Patent number: 8673455Abstract: A coating steel component with a pattern of an iron based matrix with crystalline particles metallurgically bound to the surface of a steel substrate for use as disc cutters or other components with one or more abrading surfaces that can experience significant abrasive wear, high point loads, and large shear stresses during use. The coated component contains a pattern of features in the shape of freckles or stripes that are laser formed and fused to the steel substrate. The features can display an inner core that is harder than the steel substrate but generally softer than the matrix surrounding the core, providing toughness and wear resistance to the features. The features result from processing an amorphous alloy where the resulting matrix can be amorphous, partially devitrified or fully devitrified.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2011Date of Patent: March 18, 2014Assignee: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Craig A. Blue, Frank Wong, Louis F. Aprigliano, Peter G. Engleman, William H. Peter, Tibor G. Rozgonyi, Levent Ozdemir
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Publication number: 20130294966Abstract: A composite stainless steel composition is composed essentially of, in terms of wt. % ranges: 25 to 28 Cr; 11 to 13 Ni; 7 to 8 W; 3.5 to 4 Mo; 3 to 3.5 B; 2 to 2.5 Mn; 1 to 1.5 Si; 0.3 to 1.7 C; up to 2 0; balance Fe. The composition has an austenitic matrix phase and a particulate, crystalline dispersed phase.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 7, 2012Publication date: November 7, 2013Applicant: UT-Battelle, LLCInventors: Ryan R. Dehoff, Craig A Blue, William H. Peter, Wei Chen, Louis F. Apriglianoi
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Patent number: 8524053Abstract: A method of coating a surface comprising providing a source of amorphous metal that contains manganese (1 to 3 atomic %), yttrium (0.1 to 10 atomic %), and silicon (0.3 to 3.1 atomic %) in the range of composition given in parentheses; and that contains the following elements in the specified range of composition given in parentheses: chromium (15 to 20 atomic %), molybdenum (2 to 15 atomic %), tungsten (1 to 3 atomic %), boron (5 to 16 atomic %), carbon (3 to 16 atomic %), and the balance iron; and applying said amorphous metal to the surface by a spray.Type: GrantFiled: February 14, 2011Date of Patent: September 3, 2013Inventors: Joseph C. Farmer, Frank M. G. Wong, Jeffery J. Haslam, Xiaoyan (Jane) Ji, Sumner D. Day, Craig A. Blue, John D. K. Rivard, Louis F. Aprigliano, Leslie K. Kohler, Robert Bayles, Edward J. Lemieux, Nancy Yang, John H. Perepezko, Larry Kaufman, Arthur Heuer, Enrique J. Lavernia