General Electric Company
Methods for additively manufacturing components using lattice support structures

Abstract:

A method for additively manufacturing a component includes generating, via imaging software, a plurality of slices of a support structure of the component based on component geometry. The method also includes melting or fusing, via the additive manufacturing system, layers of material to a build platform of the component so as to form the support structure according to the plurality of slices. The support structure includes a lattice configuration having of a plurality of support members arranged together to form a plurality of cells. Further, the method includes melting or fusing, via the additive manufacturing system, a component body to the support structure. After the component body solidifies, the method includes removing all of the support structure from the component body to form the component.