| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080257879 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DIRECT MANUFACTURING TEMPERATURE CONTROL - Methods and systems for direct manufacturing are provided. The system includes a part bed, a deck disposed within the part bed, and a heater configured to heat a workpiece area adjacent the deck. The heater includes a plurality of individually movable heating elements wherein the heating elements are movable in a plane parallel with the deck, rotatable about an element mounting point such that an amount of heat directed towards the workpiece area is controllable using the rotation, and the heater is movable in a direction substantially normal to the deck. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20080262659 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING AND ADJUSTING HEAT DISTRIBUTION OVER A PART BED - Methods and systems for controlling and adjusting heat distribution over a part bed are disclosed. In one embodiment, a technique for providing a calibrated heat distribution over a part bed includes determining the temperature distribution within a part bed, generating a zone heat distribution for a plurality of heat zones from the temperature distribution, analyzing the zone heat distribution to create an adjustment command to calibrate a heater for providing a substantially consistent temperature distribution within the part bed, and adjusting the heater based on the adjustment command. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20090250834 | FORMED SHEET METAL COMPOSITE TOOLING - A method and apparatus for manufacturing a tool for creating composite components. A sheet metal material is secured over a forming tool in an incremental sheet metal forming machine. The sheet metal material is incrementally shaped with a stylus to form a shape for the tool. The tool is removed from the incremental sheet metal forming machine when the shape for the tool is complete. Composite materials on the tool are laid up, wherein the shape of the tool provides a desired shape for a composite component. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20100171241 | MANUFACTURING AIRCRAFT PARTS - A method and apparatus is present for manufacturing parts. A powder material is comprised of a polymer that is semi-crystalline. The powder material has an overlap between a melting temperature range and a crystallization temperature range. The powder material also has a size particular distribution that is substantially a Gaussian distribution, a particle shape that is substantially spherical, and a desired melt flow rate that is less than a temperature at which the powder material begins to chemically break down. The powder material is selected to form a selected powder material. A part is manufactured using an energy delivery system and the selected powder material. | 07-08-2010 |
| 20100257909 | Method and Apparatus for Reducing Force Needed to Form a Shape from a Sheet Metal - An apparatus comprises a platform, a stylus, and a heating system. The platform is capable of holding a sheet of material. The stylus is capable of impinging the sheet of the material to incrementally form a shape for a part. The heating system is capable of heating at least a portion of the sheet of material in a location on the sheet of material prior to the stylus impinging the location. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20100257910 | Method and Apparatus for Reducing Force Needed to Form a Shape from a Sheet Metal - An apparatus comprising a platform, a stylus, and an ultrasonic energy generation system. The platform may be capable of holding a sheet of material. The stylus may be capable of impinging the sheet of material to incrementally form a shape for a part. The ultrasonic energy generation system may be capable of sending ultrasonic energy into at least a portion of the sheet of material in a location on the sheet of material where the stylus impinges the sheet of material. | 10-14-2010 |
| 20130019649 | INCREMENTAL FORGING - Any of various features of a workpiece are forged by a common set of tools. The feature is incrementally forged as the tool set is moved to successive forging locations on the surface of the workpiece. One of the tools is used to plasticize and extrude a portion of the workpiece while one or more of the other tools are used to form dams that contain and shape the extruded portions. | 01-24-2013 |
