Patents by Inventor Eric Edward Halla

Eric Edward Halla 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).

  • Patent number: 11938539
    Abstract: A build unit for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include an energy beam system having one or more irradiation devices respectively configured to direct one or more energy beams onto a region of a powder bed, and an inertization system including an irradiation chamber defining an irradiation plenum, one or more supply manifolds, and a return manifold. The one or more supply manifolds may include a downflow manifold configured to provide a downward flow of a process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber, and/or a crossflow manifold configured to provide a lateral flow of the process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber. The return manifold may evacuate or otherwise remove process gas from the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignees: General Electric Company, Concept Laser GmbH
    Inventors: Eric Edward Halla, Ramakrishna Venkata Mallina, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Shashwat Swami Jaiswal, Mohammed Mounir Shalaby, Peter Pontiller-Schymura
  • Patent number: 11759861
    Abstract: A build unit for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include an energy beam system having one or more irradiation devices respectively configured to direct one or more energy beams onto a region of a powder bed, and an inertization system including an irradiation chamber defining an irradiation plenum, one or more supply manifolds, and a return manifold. The one or more supply manifolds may include a downflow manifold configured to provide a downward flow of a process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber, and/or a crossflow manifold configured to provide a lateral flow of the process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber. The return manifold may evacuate or otherwise remove process gas from the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignees: General Electric Company, Concept Laser GmbH
    Inventors: Eric Edward Halla, Ramakrishna Venkata Mallina, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Shashwat Swami Jaiswal, Mohammed Mounir Shalaby, Adam Garret Susong, Peter Pontiller-Schymura
  • Publication number: 20220331875
    Abstract: A build unit for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include an energy beam system having one or more irradiation devices respectively configured to direct one or more energy beams onto a region of a powder bed, and an inertization system including an irradiation chamber defining an irradiation plenum, one or more supply manifolds, and a return manifold. The one or more supply manifolds may include a downflow manifold configured to provide a downward flow of a process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber, and/or a crossflow manifold configured to provide a lateral flow of the process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber. The return manifold may evacuate or otherwise remove process gas from the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Eric Edward Halla, Ramakrishna Venkata Mallina, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Shashwat Swami Jaiswal, Mohammed Mounir Shalaby, Peter Pontiller-Schymura
  • Publication number: 20220332049
    Abstract: A build unit for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include an energy beam system having one or more irradiation devices respectively configured to direct one or more energy beams onto a region of a powder bed, and an inertization system including an irradiation chamber defining an irradiation plenum, one or more supply manifolds, and a return manifold. The one or more supply manifolds may include a downflow manifold configured to provide a downward flow of a process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber, and/or a crossflow manifold configured to provide a lateral flow of the process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber. The return manifold may evacuate or otherwise remove process gas from the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Eric Edward Halla, Ramakrishna Venkata Mallina, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Shashwat Swami Jaiswal, Mohammed Mounir Shalaby, Peter Pontiller-Schymura
  • Publication number: 20220331869
    Abstract: A build unit for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects may include an energy beam system having one or more irradiation devices respectively configured to direct one or more energy beams onto a region of a powder bed, and an inertization system including an irradiation chamber defining an irradiation plenum, one or more supply manifolds, and a return manifold. The one or more supply manifolds may include a downflow manifold configured to provide a downward flow of a process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber, and/or a crossflow manifold configured to provide a lateral flow of the process gas through at least a portion of the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber. The return manifold may evacuate or otherwise remove process gas from the irradiation plenum defined by the irradiation chamber.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Publication date: October 20, 2022
    Inventors: Eric Edward Halla, Ramakrishna Venkata Mallina, Kishore Ramakrishnan, Shashwat Swami Jaiswal, Mohammed Mounir Shalaby, Adam Garret Susong, Peter Pontiller-Schymura
  • Patent number: 11065815
    Abstract: A powder dispensing assembly for an additive manufacturing machine includes a hopper defining a powder reservoir for receiving additive powder and a plurality of powder distribution modules operably coupled with the hopper. The powder distribution modules include a powder distribution body defining a discharge orifice and a supply gate that fluidly couples the powder reservoir to the discharge orifice. A plunger valve is movably mounted over the discharge orifice and an actuator moves the plunger valve between an open position and a closed position to selectively dispense a flow of additive powder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Ryan William Van Deest, Eric Edward Halla
  • Publication number: 20210016394
    Abstract: A method of aligning at least one laser beam of an additive manufacturing arrangement. The method includes measuring a surface of the calibration plate at a plurality of measurement points using the coordinate measuring machine. The method further includes generating a correction field based on the plurality of measurement points using the coordinate measuring machine. The method further includes writing at least one fiducial mark on the surface of the calibration plate using the at least one laser beam. The method further includes generating calibration data for the surface of the calibration plate using the calibration system. The method also includes aligning the laser beam within the additive manufacturing system based on the calibration data and the correction field using the computing device by comparing a position of the fiducial mark from the calibration data with the correction field to determine a corrected position of the laser beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2019
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Brian Scott McCarthy, Eric Edward Halla, Thomas Charles Adcock, Michael Evans Graham, Andrea Marie Schmitz, Mark Samuel Bailey
  • Publication number: 20200189191
    Abstract: A powder dispensing assembly for an additive manufacturing machine includes a hopper defining a powder reservoir for receiving additive powder and a plurality of powder distribution modules operably coupled with the hopper. The powder distribution modules include a powder distribution body defining a discharge orifice and a supply gate that fluidly couples the powder reservoir to the discharge orifice. A plunger valve is movably mounted over the discharge orifice and an actuator moves the plunger valve between an open position and a closed position to selectively dispense a flow of additive powder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2018
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Ryan William Van Deest, Eric Edward Halla
  • Patent number: 9937656
    Abstract: An additively manufactured component has a plurality of overlapping layers bonded to each other. The plurality of overlapping layers includes at least a first subset of layers, and at least one layer of the at least a first subset of layers includes adjacent tracks bonded to each other. At least one of the adjacent tracks has a tool path pattern that is encoded with information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Edward Halla, Ryan William Van Deest
  • Publication number: 20180009159
    Abstract: An additively manufactured component has a plurality of overlapping layers bonded to each other. The plurality of overlapping layers includes at least a first subset of layers, and at least one layer of the at least a first subset of layers includes adjacent tracks bonded to each other. At least one of the adjacent tracks has a tool path pattern that is encoded with information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Edward HALLA, Ryan William VAN DEEST
  • Publication number: 20170239866
    Abstract: A composition for additive manufacturing is provided. The composition comprises a solvent and a rubber dissolved in the solvent, wherein the ratio of rubber to solvent is in a range of 1:10 to 3:5. A method of manufacturing an object is also provided. The method includes forming a first layer of the object by dispensing a printable composition comprising rubber dissolved in a solvent, in a ratio of 1:10 to 3:5 allowing at least a portion of the solvent in the first layer to evaporate, adding a second layer to the first layer by dispending a printable composition comprising a rubber dissolved in a solvent in a ratio of 1:10 to 3:5 and allowing at least a portion of the solvent in the second layer to evaporate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2016
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Applicant: Caterpillar Inc.
    Inventors: Khaled M. Mohammad, Eric Edward Halla, Jay H. Cline, Christopher Michael Arrick, Travis James King