General Electric Company
Methods and thermal structures for additive manufacturing

Abstract:

The present disclosure generally relates to methods for additive manufacturing (AM) that utilize thermal dissipation support structures in the process of building objects, as well as novel thermal dissipation support structures to be used within these AM processes. The thermal dissipation support structures include at least one sacrificial structure that is separated from the object by a portion of unfused powder. The sacrificial structure increases a thermal dissipation rate of at least a portion of the object such that such that thermal gradients in the object remain below a specified threshold that prevents deformation of the object.