ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING USING A FLUIDIZED BED OF POWDERED METAL AND POWDERED FLUX

摘要

An additive manufacturing apparatus and process for selectively heating a fluidized bed of powdered material (14), including powdered metal material (14') and powdered flux material (14')' with an energy beam (20). The powdered material is held within a chamber (12) to repair or manufacture a component (22). The powdered bed is fluidized by introduction of a non-inert gas into the chamber. Relative movement between the energy beam and component is controlled in accordance with a predetermined shape of the component. As the powdered material is heated, melted and solidified, a layer of slag (32) forms over a deposited metal (38) and is then removed so that fluidized powdered metal settling on a previously deposited metal substrate (34) can be heated, melted and solidified to build up the component.