Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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METHODS OF FORMING AND METHODS OF
REPAIRING EARTH-BORING TOOLS
TECHNICAL FIELD
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods of forming and methods
of
repairing earth-boring tools including additive and subtractive manufacturing
processes.
BACKGROUND
Earth-boring tools are used to form boreholes (e.g., wellbores) in
subterranean
formations. Such earth-boring tools include, for example, drill bits, reamers,
mills, etc. For
example, a fixed-cutter earth-boring rotary drill bit (often referred to as a
"drag" bit) generally
includes a plurality of cutting elements secured to a face of a bit body of
the drill bit. The
cutters are fixed in place when used to cut formation materials. A
conventional fixed-cutter
earth-boring rotary drill bit includes a bit body having generally radially
projecting and
longitudinally extending blades. During drilling operations, the drill bit is
positioned at the
bottom of a well borehole and rotated.
Earth-boring tool bodies, such as drag bits, may have complex internal and
external
geometry including, e.g., internal fluid passageways and external blades with
pockets for
cutting elements. Earth-boring tool bodies may be formed from metal alloys
such as steel,
stainless steel, or other alloys. Such bits may, for example, be formed by
machining (e.g.,
milling, turning) a metal blank to the desired geometry. To enhance the
longevity of a metal
alloy bit body in abrasive downhole environments, wear-resistant materials may
be applied to
high-wear areas of the bit body, such as the blade surfaces, gage surfaces,
junk slots (i.e., fluid
courses between blades), and areas adjacent the cutter pockets. Examples of
wear-resistant
materials may include multi-phase materials, e.g., hard material particles
dispersed within a
metal alloy matrix, or may include substantially homogenous metal alloys, such
as
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cobalt-chromium alloys. The wear-resistant material may be applied by, for
example, melting
a rod comprising the wear resistant material with a torch or other heat source
adjacent the
areas of the tool body over which the wear-resistant material is desired.
DISCLOSURE
In one embodiment, a method of forming at least a portion of an earth-boring
tool
comprises entering an electronic representation of at least one geometric
feature of at least a
component of an earth-boring tool in a computer system including memory and a
processor,
the computer system operatively connected to a multi-axis positioning system,
a direct metal
deposition tool, and a material removal tool. The processor generates a first
tool path for the
direct metal deposition tool. The first tool path is based at least in part on
the electronic
representation of the at least one geometric feature of the at least a
component of the
earth-boring tool. The direct metal deposition tool is operated along the
first tool path to
deposit metal on an earth-boring tool component coupled to the multi-axis
positioning system
to at least partially form the at least one geometric feature of the earth-
boring tool. The
processor generates a second tool path for the material removal tool, the
second tool path
based at least in part on the electronic representation of the at least one
geometric feature of
the earth-boring tool. The material removal tool is operate along the second
tool path to
remove at least a portion of the deposited metal from the at least one
geometric feature of the
at least a component of the earth-boring tool.
In another embodiment, a method of forming a rotary drag bit comprises
entering an
electronic representation of a rotary drag bit in a computer system of a multi-
axis milling
machine, the computer system comprising memory and a processor. A metal blank
is affixed
to a multi-axis positioner of the multi-axis milling machine. Material is
removed from the
metal blank by operating a milling tool along a milling tool path determined
by the processor
of the multi-axis milling machine based at least in part on the electronic
representation of the
rotary drag bit to form a shank of the rotary drag bit including a threaded
portion for
connection to a drill string. Metal material is deposited on the shank of the
rotary drag bit by
operating a direct metal deposition tool along a first deposition tool path
determined by the
processor of the multi-axis milling machine based at least in part on the
electronic
representation of the rotary drag bit to form a geometric feature of the
rotary drag bit including
at least a portion of a blade on the shank of the rotary drag bit. A
hardfacing material is
deposited on the at least a portion of the blade of the rotary drag bit by
operating a direct metal
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deposition tool along a hardfacing tool path determined by the processor of
the multi-axis
milling machine based at least in part on the electronic representation of the
rotary drag bit to
form at least one hardfaced area on the at least a portion of the blade of the
rotary drag bit.
In yet another embodiment, a method of repairing an earth-boring tool
comprises
generating an electronic representation of the shape of a worn earth-boring
tool. Using a
computer system, the electronic representation of the shape of the worn earth-
boring tool is
compared to an electronic representation of a shape of the earth-boring tool
in an unworn state
based on design specifications associated with the earth-boring tool to
identify worn areas of
the earth-boring tool. Using a computer system, a tool path is generated based
on a difference
between the compared shape of the worn earth-boring tool and the shape of the
earth-boring
tool in an unworn state based on the design specifications of the earth-boring
tool. A direct
metal deposition tool is operated along the tool path to build up worn areas
of the worn
earth-boring tool to meet the design specifications.
In yet another embodiment a method of forming at least a portion of an
earthboring
tool comprises entering an electronic representation of at least one geometric
feature of at
least one component of the earthboring tool in a computer system including
memory and a
processor, the computer system operatively connected to a multiaxis
positioning system, a
direct metal deposition apparatus, and a material removal apparatus;
generating, with the
processor, a deposition path for deposition of metal material by the direct
metal deposition
apparatus, the deposition path based at least in part on the electronic
representation of the at
least one geometric feature of the at least one component of the earthboring
tool; operating the
direct metal deposition apparatus to deposit metal material along the
deposition path on the at
least one component of the earthboring tool coupled to the multiaxis
positioning system to at
least partially form the at least one geometric feature of the earthboring
tool; generating, with
the processor, a removal path for removal of metal material by the material
removal apparatus,
the removal path based at least in part on the electronic representation of
the at least one
geometric feature of the earthboring tool; and operating the material removal
apparatus to
remove metal material along the removal path to remove at least a portion of
the deposited
metal material from the at least one geometric feature of the at least one
component of the
earthboring tool.
In yet another embodiment a method of forming a rotary drag bit comprises
entering
an electronic representation of the rotary drag bit in a computer system of a
multiaxis milling
machine, the computer system comprising memory and a processor; affixing a
metal blank to
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a multiaxis positioner of the multiaxis milling machine; removing material
from the metal
blank by operating a milling tool along a milling tool path determined by the
processor of the
multiaxis milling machine based at least in part on the electronic
representation of the rotary
drag bit to form a shank of the rotary drag bit including a threaded portion
for connection to a
drill string; operating a direct metal deposition apparatus to deposit a metal
material on the
shank of the rotary drag bit along a deposition path determined by the
processor of the
multiaxis milling machine based at least in part on the electronic
representation of the rotary
drag bit to form a geometric feature on the shank of the rotary drag bit; and
operating the
direct metal deposition apparatus to deposit a hardfacing material on at least
a portion of a
blade of the rotary drag bit along another deposition path determined by the
processor of the
multiaxis milling machine based at least in part on the electronic
representation of the rotary
drag bit to form at least one hardfaced area on the geometric feature of the
rotary drag bit.
In yet another embodiment a method of repairing a worn carthboring tool
comprises
generating an electronic representation of a shape of the worn earthboring
tool; using a
computer system, comparing the electronic representation of the shape of the
worn
earthboring tool to an electronic representation of a shape of the earthboring
tool in an unworn
state based on design specifications associated with the earthboring tool to
identify worn areas
of the earthboring tool; using a computer system, generating at least one
deposition path based
on a difference between the compared shape of the worn earthboring tool and
the shape of the
earthboring tool in the unworn state based on the design specifications of the
earthboring tool;
and operating a direct metal deposition apparatus to deposit metal material
along the at least
one deposition path to build up at least one worn area of the worn earthboring
tool to meet the
design specifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and
distinctly
claiming what are regarded as embodiments of the present disclosure, various
features and
advantages of disclosed embodiments may be more readily ascertained from the
following
description when read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 is a process flow chart showing process acts of a method of forming an
earth-boring tool according to an embodiment of the disclosure;
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FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of a direct metal deposition process
according to
an embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of a subtractive machining process
according to
an embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 4 is an elevation view of a machine tool according to an embodiment of
the
disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a portion of an earth-boring tool according to
an
embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 6 illustrates the portion of the earth-boring tool of FIG 5 with
additional features
deposited by direct metal deposition:
FIG. 7 illustrates the portion of the earth-boring tool of FIG. 6 with
hardfacing applied
by direct metal deposition;
FIG. 8 illustrates the portion of an earth-boring tool of FIG. 7 with cutting
elements
installed in recesses of the earth-boring tool;
FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view of an ultrasonic machining process
according to
an embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of a brazing process according to an
embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of an embodiment of an earth-boring tool
illustrating
worn areas after use of the earth-boring tool; and
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a manufacturing system according to an
embodiment of the disclosure.
MODE(S) FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The illustrations presented herein are not actual views of any particular
method,
apparatus, or earth-boring tool component, but are merely idealized
representations employed
to describe embodiments of the disclosure. Additionally, elements common
between figures
may retain the same numerical designation.
The disclosure relates to methods of forming earth-boring tools using direct
metal
deposition manufacturing processes. For example, the disclosure relates to
layer-by-layer
application of metal material on surfaces of earth-boring tool components. In
some
embodiments, direct metal deposition processes may be used to form earth-
boring tool
components. In some embodiments, direct metal deposition processes may be used
to apply
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material to partially formed earth-boring tool components (e.g., blanks
including the shank of
a rotary drill bit). In some embodiments, direct metal deposition processes
may be used to
repair earth-boring tool components by applying material to a worn portion of
the earth-boring
tool component.
As used herein, the term "direct metal deposition" means and includes any
additive
manufacturing processes in which material is applied to a component by at
least partially
melting a portion of the component to form a melt pool, introducing additional
material to the
melt pool, at least partially melting the additional material, and re-
solidifying the melt pool
and the additional material to form a raised feature on the component. As used
herein, the
term "direct metal deposition" further means and includes any additive
manufacturing
processes in which material is applied to a component by applying heat to a
portion of the
component, introducing additional material to heated portion of the component,
at least
partially melting the additional material, and re-solidifying the additional
material to form a
raised feature on the component.
As used herein, the term -earth-boring tool" means and includes any portion or
component of a tool configured for use in formation degradation, e.g.,
drilling or enlarging
boreholes for oil or gas production, geothermal wells, mining, etc. Such tools
may include,
without limitation, rotary drag bits, roller cone drill bits, hybrid bits,
reamer components such
as reamer blades, and other tools.
FIG. 1 illustrates a flow chart of a non-limiting example method 100 of
forming a
portion of an earth-boring tool according to an embodiment of the disclosure.
In act 101, an
electronic representation of at least one geometric feature of at least a
component of an
earth-boring tool is entered in a computer system including a memory and a
processor, the
computer system operatively connected to at least one of a multi-axis
positioning system, a
direct metal deposition tool (which may also be characterized as a direct
metal deposition
apparatus), and a material removal tool, which may also be characterized as a
material
removal apparatus). In act 102, the processor generates a first tool path,
which may be
characterized as a deposition path, for the direct metal deposition tool. The
first tool path is
based at least in part on the electronic representation of the at least one
geometric feature of
the at least a component of the earth-boring tool. In act 103, the direct
metal deposition tool is
operated along the first tool path, according to the generated deposition
path, to deposit metal
on an earth-boring tool component coupled to the multi-axis positioning system
to at least
partially form the at least one geometric feature of the earth-boring tool. In
act 104, the
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processor generates a second tool path, which may be characterized as a
removal path, for the
material removal tool. The second tool path is based at least in part on the
electronic
representation of the geometric feature. In act 105, the material removal tool
is operated along
the second tool path, according to the generated removal path, to remove at
least a portion of
the deposited metal from the at least one geometric feature of at least a
component of the
earth-boring tool.
FIG. 2 illustrates a simplified cross-sectional view of an embodiment of a
direct metal
deposition process used to form a portion of an earth-boring tool. An earth-
boring tool
component 110 may be affixed to a machine tool component configured to
position and/or
manipulate a workpiece, such as a multi-axis positioner 112. As a specific,
non-limiting
example, the multi-axis positioner 112 may be a component of a multi-axis,
computer-numeric-control (CNC) machine tool. In other words, the multi-axis
positioner 112
may be operatively (e.g., mechanically, electrically) coupled to the multi-
axis machine tool.
The multi-axis machine tool may include a CNC processor (not shown) programmed
to read
an electronic file representing a three-dimensional model of an earth boring
tool, and to
generate tool paths based at least in part on the three-dimensional model for
one or more
machine tools (e.g., additive manufacturing tools, subtractive manufacturing
tools) operatively
connected to the multi-axis positioner 112, as described below. The additive
manufacturing
tools and subtractive manufacturing tools may be operated along respective
tool paths to form
geometric features of the earth-boring tool. The tool paths may include
movement (e.g., linear
movement in direction 128) of the multi-axis positioner 112, which may be
controlled by the
CNC processor through motors (e.g., stepper motors), linear actuators, or
other
electromechanical devices.
The earth-boring tool component 110 may be, e.g., a portion of an earth-boring
drill
bit (e.g., a drag bit, a roller cone bit, a hybrid bit, etc.), a portion of a
borehole enlarging
device (e.g., a reamer blade), or any other component of an earth-boring tool,
or of another
downhole tool or assembly for use in a borehole. The earth-boring tool
component 110 may
comprise a metal alloy, such as steel, stainless steel, a nickel-based alloy,
or other metal
alloys. In some embodiments, the earth-boring tool component 110 may comprise
a
particle-matrix composite material, such as particles of cemented tungsten
carbide dispersed
within a metal alloy matrix (e.g., a bronze matrix).
An additive manufacturing device may be operatively coupled (e.g.,
mechanically
and/or electrically coupled) to the multi-axis positioner 112. As non-limiting
examples, the
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additive manufacturing tool may be or include one or more tools configured to
implement
direct metal deposition, micro-plasma powder deposition, selective laser
melting, selective
laser sintering, electron beam melting, electron beam freeform fabrication,
and other additive
manufacturing processes. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the additive
manufacturing
tool is a direct metal deposition tool 114. The direct metal deposition tool
114 may include a
heat source 116 and one or more deposition nozzles 118 may be positioned
adjacent the
earth-boring tool component 110. The heat source 116 may comprise a laser, an
electron
beam, plasma arc, or any other suitable heat source. In the embodiment shown
in FIG. 2, the
heat source 116 is a CO2 laser. In another embodiment, the heat source 116 may
be separate
and distinct from the direct metal deposition tool and be independently
positionable with
respect to the earth-boring tool component 110 for optimal selective heating
of a portion of the
surface of the earth-boring tool component 110.
The one or more deposition nozzles 118 may be configured to deliver material
for
deposition on the earth-boring tool component 110. For example, the one or
more deposition
nozzles 118 may be operably connected to one or more reservoirs (not shown)
containing
powdered metal material 120. In some embodiments, a fluid medium may be used
to deliver
the powdered metal material 120 from the one or more reservoirs through the
one or more
deposition nozzles 118. For example, particles of the powdered metal material
120 may be
entrained within a flow of inert gas (e.g., argon) and delivered by the flow
of inert gas through
the one or more deposition nozzles 118. In other embodiments, metallic
material may be
delivered in non-powdered form, e.g., as a wire or rod of material.
The heat source 116 and the one or more deposition nozzles 118 may be affixed
to a
gantry 122 positioned adjacent the multi-axis positioner 112. In some
embodiments, the
gantry 122 may include computer-numeric-control (CNC) capability. For example,
the
gantry 122 may be configured to enable linear movement of the direct metal
deposition
tool 114 in one or more linear directions and rotational movement of the
direct metal
deposition tool 114 about one or more axes. In some embodiments, the gantry
122 may be
affixed to electromechanical devices, e.g., stepper motors, linear actuators,
etc., that are
operatively connected to the CNC processor and move the gantry 122 and the
direct metal
deposition tool 114 along a tool path generated by the CNC processor based on
the
three-dimensional model of the earth-boring tool.
During operation of the direct metal deposition tool 114, the heat source 116
may
initiate a melt pool 124 by heating a localized portion of a surface 126 of
the earth-boring tool
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component 110 to a melting temperature of a material of the surface of the
earth-boring tool
component 110. The one or more deposition nozzles 118 may deliver particles of
powdered
metal material 120 to the melt pool 124. The particles of powdered metal
material 120 may at
least partially melt upon contact with the melt pool 124, or may at least
partially melt when in
proximity to one or both of the melt pool 124 and the heat source 116.
Subsequent
solidification of the melt pool 124 after the addition of the powdered metal
material 120
results in build-up of the surface 126 of the earth-boring tool component 110.
In other words,
the direct metal deposition process illustrated in FIG. 2 results in
additional material 130 being
deposited on the surface 126 of the earth-boring tool component 110. The
additional
material 130 deposited on the surface 126 of the earth-boring tool component
110 may be
characterized as a "layer" of additional material. However, as the powdered
metal
material 120 may be completely melted and incorporated in the melt pool 124 in
some
embodiments, the additional material 130 and the material of the earth-boring
tool
component 110 may be substantially homogenous.
The amount of additional material 130 deposited in one pass by the direct
metal
deposition tool 114 may be varied by changing operational parameters of the
direct metal
deposition tool 114, the gantry 122, and the multi-axis positioner 112. For
example, the
amount of additional material 130 deposited in one pass may be adjusted by
altering the flow
rate of the powdered metal material 120 and/or a rate of travel of the surface
126 of the
earth-boring tool component 110 with respect to the direct metal deposition
tool 114 (e.g., one
or both of a rate of travel of the multi-axis positioner 112 and a rate of
travel of the
gantry 122). A desired final geometry may be imparted to the earth-boring tool
component 110 by applying material to the earth-boring tool component 110 by
making one
or more passes with the direct metal deposition tool 114 to build up various
surfaces and
features. Stated differently, the direct metal deposition tool 114 may be used
to impart one or
more geometric features 131 to the surface 126 of the earth-boring tool
component 110 by
depositing or more layers of additional material 130 on the surface of the
earth-boring tool
component 110. The one or more geometric features formed by the direct metal
deposition
tool 114 may be fully dense on completion of the direct metal deposition
process. In other
words, the one or more geometric features 131 may be substantially free of
porosity.
The direct metal deposition tool 114 may include a closed-loop control system.
For
example, the direct metal deposition tool 114 may include sensors (not shown)
that monitor
operating conditions such as melt pool temperature, melt pool size, or other
conditions. Data
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related to the operating conditions measured by the sensors may be sent to a
direct metal
deposition control processor (e.g., the CNC processor or a different
processor), which may
evaluate the data and increase or decrease the power provided to the heat
source 116 to
modify the temperature and/or size of the melt pool 124. In some embodiments,
the
closed-loop control system may include optical sensors, proximity sensors,
distance sensors or
other sensors to monitor the dimensions and geometry of the additional
material 130 deposited
by the direct metal deposition tool 114. Data from the sensors monitoring the
dimensions and
geometry of the additional material 130 may be sent to the CNC processor, and
the CNC
processor may alter the tool path of the direct metal deposition tool based on
the data when the
dimensions and geometry of the additional material 130 deviate a predetermined
amount from
design specifications (e.g., the dimensions and geometry specified by the
electronic
representation) of the earth-boring tool.
In some embodiments, the direct metal deposition tool 114 may comprise a 3D
printer
having associated therewith a material source configured to provide metal
material 120 in the
form of a precursor material, to be melted to sequentially form 3D-printed
layers on a
surface 126 of earth-boring tool component 110. The precursor material
comprising metal
material 120 may comprise, for example, powder from a reservoir delivered in a
flowable
medium (e.g., argon, nitrogen, air), a powder bed having a movable delivery
column of metal
powder and a distributor (e.g., a roller or pusher) to distribute quantities
of the metal powder,
a spool of metal powder embedded in a solid, destructible transport medium
(e.g., wax, a
polymer), or a spool of metal wire, or an extruded column of the metal
material. Specific,
nonlimiting examples of material sources of precursor materials for use in 3D
printers are
disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,036,777, issued March 14, 2000, to Sachs; U.S.
Patent No.
6,596,224, issued July 22,2003, to Sachs et al.; U.S. Patent App. Pub. No.
2005/0225007,
published October 13, 2005, to Lai et al.; U.S. Patent No. 8,568,124, issued
October 29, 2013,
to Brunermer. The 3D printer 104 may be configured to produce the 3D-printed
layers by
additive manufacturing techniques. For example, the 3D printer 104 may employ
techniques
previously set forth above, including micro-plasma powder deposition,
selective laser melting,
direct metal laser sintering, selective laser sintering, electron beam
melting, as well as electron
beam freeform fabrication. In addition, additional techniques including
without limitation
direct laser deposition, cold gas processing, laser cladding, direct material
deposition, ceramic
additive manufacturing, or binder jetting and subsequent sintering may be used
to deposit
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metal material layer by layer to add a desired material to surface 126 of
earth-boring tool
component 110 comprising mutually bonded layers of at least partially melted
metal material.
The 3D printer may include a focused heat source of sufficient power to at
least
partially melt metal and\ or metal alloys components of metal material 120.
The focused
heat source may be, for example, a ytterbium-fiber optic laser, a carbon
dioxide laser, or an
electron beam emitter. A power rating of the focused heat source may be, for
example,
about 150 Watts or more. More specifically, the power rating of the focused
heat source
(e.g., the maximum power consumed by the focused heat source during operation)
may be,
for example, about 200 Watts or more. As a specific, nonlimiting example, the
power
rating of the focused heat source may be 300 Watts or more. Specific,
nonlimiting
embodiments of focused heat sources are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Patent
No. 8,344,283, issued January 1, 2013, to Watanabe; U.S. Patent No. 7,259,353,
issued
August 21, 2007, to Guo; U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2005/0056628, published
March 17,
2005, to Hu.
In some embodiments, the earth-boring tool component 110 may be a partially
formed
earth-boring tool, for example, the shank of a rotary drill bit, formed using
processes such as
machining, casting, etc. In some embodiments, the earth-boring tool component
110 may be
formed completely by direct metal deposition, and the earth-boring tool
component 110 may
represent a portion of an earth-boring tool formed during previous passes of
the direct metal
deposition tool 114. In other words, the earth-boring tool component 110 may
be formed
completely by the direct metal deposition tool 114.
At the completion of the direct metal deposition process, the earth-boring
tool
component 110 may have a near-net shape. In other words, the geometric
features of the
earth-boring tool component 110 formed by direct metal deposition may exhibit
manufacturing tolerances that vary from design specifications of the earth-
boring tool
component 110 by less than the variance exhibited by some other forming
processes (e.g.,
casting). Stated another way, the geometric so formed may be characterized as
being formed
to near net shape. Nevertheless, it may be necessary to perform subtractive
manufacturing
processes (e.g., machining) on one or more of the geometric features of the
earth-boring tool
component 110 created by the direct metal deposition process to achieve
acceptable tolerances
with respect to design specifications of the earth-boring tool component 110.
For example,
geometric features of the earth-boring tool component 110 may be finish
machined by
milling, drilling, routing, -fuming, etc. In some embodiments, finish
machining operations
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may be used to form negative features of the earth-boring tool component 110,
such as cutting
element pockets 150 (FIG. 6) and fluid nozzle receptacles 152 (FIG. 6).
Furthermore,
depending on the resolution (e.g., the amount of material deposited in each
pass by the direct
metal deposition tool 114) of the direct metal deposition process,
discontinuities 133 (e.g.,
"steps" between deposited portions) may exist on the surface of the geometric
features of the
earth-boring tool component 110. Subtractive manufacturing operations may be
used to
smooth the surface of the geometric feature 131 and at least partially remove
the
discontinuities 133.
In some embodiments, the earth-boring tool component 110 may remain affixed to
the
multi-axis positioner 112 during finish machining operations. For example, the
gantry 122
(FIG. 2) may be moved (e.g., translated, pivoted) away from the earth-boring
tool
component 110, and a machine tool 132 (FIG. 3) may be moved into position to
machine the
earth-boring tool component 110. In the example of FIG. 3, the machine tool
132 shown is an
end mill; however, other machine tools such as mills, drills, and other
cutting tools may be
used to machine the earth-boring tool component 110.
The direct metal deposition tool 114, the machine tool 132, the multi-axis
positioner 112, and other tools may be associated with a single production
station. For
example, the direct metal deposition tool 114, the machine tool 132, and other
machine tools
may be affixed and operatively (e.g., mechanically, electronically) connected
to a tool such as
a multi-axis mill 136, as shown in FIG. 4. Thus, both additive manufacturing
(e.g., material
deposition with direct metal deposition tool 114) and subtractive
manufacturing (e.g.,
machining with machine tool 132) processes may be performed on the earth-
boring tool
component 110 while the earth-boring tool component remains positioned within
a working
envelope 134 of the multi-axis mill 136. Suitable tools, e.g., multi-axis
machine tools
including at least a direct metal deposition tool and a machine tool, are
available from, for
example, DM3D Technology LLC, 2350 Pontiac Rd., Auburn Hills, MI USA; Optomec,
3911
Singer N.E., Albuquerque, NM USA; DMG Mori USA, 2400 Huntington Blvd., Hoffman
Estates, IL USA; and Mazak Corp., 8025 Production Drive, Florence, KY USA.
Such tools
may be equipped with CNC capabilities as described above. For example, such
tools may
include a CNC processor configured to generate tool paths for one or more of
the multi-axis
positioner 112, the direct metal deposition tool 114, the machine tool 132, or
other tools based
on the electronic representation (e.g., 3-dimensional computer model) of the
desired final
geometry of the earth-boring tool component 110.
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The direct metal deposition tool 114 (FIG. 2) may be used to apply one or more
different metal materials to the earth-boring tool component 110. For example,
the direct
metal deposition tool 114 may be used to apply material having a composition
similar or
identical to a material of the earth-boring tool component 110. In some
embodiments, the
metallic material applied to the earth-boring tool component 110 and the
material of the
earth-boring tool component 110 may be a metal alloy such as steel, stainless
steel, bronze, a
nickel-based alloy, or other metal alloys.
In some embodiments, metal material 120 may include one or more metal
materials,
which may be delivered for deposition by direct metal deposition tool 114 in
various forms.
For example, metal material 120 may be supplied in various forms, such as in
the form of
fine particles of or a wire including metal and/or metal alloy material and
may optionally
further include one or more plastic, ceramic, and/or organic materials. More
specifically,
metal material 120 may include, for example, cobalt, nickel, copper, chromium,
aluminum,
iron, steel, stainless steel, titanium, tungsten, or alloys and mixtures
thereof, magnetically
responsive materials, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), carbon-based materials
(e.g.,
graphite, graphene, diamond, etc.), and/or glass. Specific, nonlimiting
examples, of metal
materials may include PA12-MD(A1), PA12-CF, PAIL 18 Mar 300/1.2709, 15-
5/1.4540,
1.4404 (316L), Alloy 718, Alloy 625, CoCrMo, UNS R31538, Ti6AI4V and AlSi10Mg,
Alloy 945x, 17-4/1.4542, Alloy 925, CrMnMoN-steel, CoCr Alloys (STELLITER),
CoNi
Alloy, MP35 or equivalent, 4140, 4145, WC-Ni, WC-Co, and/or W. As another
example,
metal material may include fme particles of metal or metal alloy material
intermixed with
fine particles of ceramic material, the combination of materials being
formulated to form a
metallic-ceramic composite material (e.g., a cermet), in which ceramic
particles are
embedded within a metal or metal alloy matrix, upon melting and coalescence of
the
particles of metal and/or metal alloy material. More specifically, metal
material 120 may
be fine particles of cobalt, nickel, iron, steel, stainless steel, or alloys
and mixtures thereof
intermixed with fine particles of tungsten carbide, titanium carbide, tantalum
carbide,
molybdenum carbide, and other metal-carbide ceramic materials. Thus, as used
herein, the
term "metal material" includes without limitation, combinations of a metal or
metal alloy
with one or more additional materials.
In embodiments where the metal material 120 includes metal powder, an average
particle size of particles of powdered material may be, for example, about 500
rim or less.
More specifically, the average particle size of particles of powdered material
in the metal
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material may be, for example, about 200 gm or less. As specific, nonlimiting
examples,
the average particle size of particles of powdered material in the metal
material 120 may be
between about 10 nm and about 500 nm, such as, for example, when nanoparticles
or
mostly nanoparticles are used (e.g., between about 20 nm and about 100 nm or
between
about 200 nm and about 350 nm); between about 500 nm and about 1 gm, such as,
for
example, when an at least substantially equal mixture of nanoparticles and
microparticles is
used (e.g., between about 750 nm and about 900 nm); or between about 1 gm and
about
500 gm, such as, for example, when microparticles or mostly microparticles are
used (e.g.,
between about 15 gm and about 45 gm or between about 50 p.m and about 110 gm).
In
some embodiments, the particles of powdered material may exhibit a multi-modal
(e.g., bi-
modal, tri-modal, etc.) particle size distribution. In other embodiments, the
particles of
powdered material may exhibit a mono-modal particle size distribution. A
volume
percentage of particles of metal and/or metal alloy particles in the metal
material 120 may
be, for example, about 40% or less when the material in the metal material
further includes
particles of ceramic material. More specifically, the volume percentage of
particles of
metal and/or metal alloy particles in the metal material 120 may be, for
example, about
30% or less when the material in the metal material 120 further includes
particles of
ceramic material. As a specific, nonlimiting example, the volume percentage of
particles
of metal and/or metal alloy particles in the metal material may be between
about 5% and
about 20% when the material in the metal material further includes particles
of ceramic
material.
The direct metal deposition tool 114 (FIG. 2) may also be used to apply
materials
different from a base material of the earth-boring tool component 110. For
example, the direct
metal deposition tool 114 may be used to apply metals or metal alloys having a
different
composition from the material of the earth-boring tool component 110. In other
words, the
earth-boring tool component 110 may comprise a metal alloy, e.g., steel, and
the additional
material 130 deposited by the direct metal deposition tool 114 may comprise a
metal alloy
different from that of the earth-boring tool component 110.
In some embodiments, the earth-boring tool component 110 may include
hardfacing
material to impart abrasion resistance to high-wear areas. The hardfacing
material may
comprise a particle-matrix composite material, such as particles of cemented
tungsten carbide
dispersed within a metal alloy matrix phase. Additionally or alternatively,
the hardfacing
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material may comprise a metal alloy material such as a wear-resistant cobalt-
chromium alloy
(e.g., STELLITEk, available from Kennametal, Inc., Latrobe, PA, USA).
Hamlfacing material may be applied to the earth-boring tool component 110 in a
similar manner to that described above in connection with the application of
metal alloy
material to the earth-boring tool component 110 in FIG. 2. For example, the
heat source 116
may be used to form a melt pool 124 in the surface 126 of the earth-boring
tool
component 110, and the hardfacing material may be delivered in powdered form
through the
one or more deposition nozzles 118 of the direct metal deposition tool 114.
Alternatively, in
some embodiments, the heat source 116 may be configured to heat, but not
necessarily melt,
the surface 126 of the earth-boring tool component 110. Heat from the heat
source 116 may
directly melt the powdered hardfacing material, which may coalesce on the
surface 126 of the
earth-boring tool component 110. The CNC processor may determine a tool path
for the
direct metal deposition tool 114 to apply hardfacing material based on
infoimation regarding
hardfacing material location included in the electronic representation of the
earth-boring tool.
In embodiments with hardfacing material comprising a particle-matrix composite
material, the particles of the hard material phase may have a higher melting
point than the
particles of the metal alloy matrix phase. Accordingly, when the direct metal
deposition
tool 114 is used to apply the particle-matrix composite hardfacing material,
the particles of
metal alloy matrix material may soften and/or melt under application of heat
from the heat
source 116 and coalesce into a substantially continuous metal alloy phase on
the surface 126
of the earth-boring tool component 110 (FIG. 2). Hard material particles with
a higher
melting point than the particles of metal alloy matrix material may remain
solid during
deposition of the hardfacing material, and the deposited hardfacing material
may comprise
discrete particles of the hard material phase dispersed throughout the
continuous metal phase.
In some embodiments, machining of the hardfacing material may be necessary to
obtain acceptable dimensional tolerances. As hardfacing materials may be
difficult to
machine using conventional methods, an ultrasonic machine tool (e.g.,
ultrasonic machine
tool 137 (FIG. 9)) may be used to machine the hardfacing material. Ultrasonic
machining
may include using an oscillating tool vibrating at ultrasonic frequencies to
remove portions of
the hardfacing and/or other materials of the earth-boring tool component 110.
An abrasive
slurry may be applied to the area to be machined to aid material removal by
the oscillating
tool.
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In some embodiments, the earth-boring tool component 110 (FIG. 2) may remain
affixed to the multi-axis positioner 112 (FIG. 2) during ultrasonic machining.
For example,
an ultrasonic machine tool (not shown) may be operatively (e.g., mechanically
and/or
electrically) coupled with the multi-axis mill 136 (FIG. 4). In some
embodiments, the direct
metal deposition tool 114 (FIG. 2) and the machine tool 132 (FIG. 4) may be
moved (e.g.,
translated, pivoted) away from the earth-boring tool component 110, and the
ultrasonic
machine tool may be brought into contact with the earth-boring tool component
110 and
operated to impart the desired shape and configuration to the earth-boring
tool
component 110. The ultrasonic machine tool may be controlled by the ('NC
processor and
may be operated along a tool path generated by the CNC processor based on the
electronic
representation of the earth-boring tool.
Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 8, an embodiment of an earth-boring tool is
shown
during stages of a process according to an embodiment of the disclosure.
Specifically,
FIGS. 5 through 8 illustrate a rotary drag bit during various stages of a
process according to
the disclosure. FIG. 5 illustrates a shank 138 of an earth-boring tool. The
shank 138 may be
formed, for example, by machining a section of raw material such as steel bar
stock in the
multi-axis mill 136. The shank 138 may include a threaded connection portion
140, which
may conform to industry standards, such as those promulgated by the American
Petroleum
Institute (API), for attaching the shank 138 to a drill string (not shown). A
central
opening 142 in the shank 138 may be in fluid communication with one or more
fluid passages
of the drill string.
FIG. 6 illustrates a partially formed rotary drag bit 144 with additional
material
deposited on the shank 138 (FIG. 5) by a direct metal deposition tool (e.g.,
direct metal
deposition tool 114 (FIG. 2)) to form geometric features such as blades 146
and fluid
courses 148 between the blades 146. Cutting element pockets 150 and fluid
nozzle
receptacles 152 may be formed by one or both of selective deposition of
material with the
direct metal deposition tool 114 and removal of material with the machine tool
132 (FIG. 3).
Internal features such as fluid passageways (not shown) in communication with
fluid nozzle
receptacles 152 may also be formed by selective deposition and/or machining.
Referring now to FIG. 7, hardfacing material 154 is applied to areas of the
partially
formed rotary drag bit 144 that are susceptible to wear. For example,
hardfacing material 154
is applied to leading portions of the blades 146 and areas adjacent the
cutting element
pockets 150. Although not illustrated in FIG. 7, hardfacing material may also
be applied to
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fluid courses 148, gage surfaces 156, additional surfaces of the blades 146,
etc. The
hardfacing material 154 may be applied by the direct metal deposition tool 114
(FIG. 2)
following a tool path generated by the CNC processor, as described above. The
hardfacing
material 154 may be ultrasonically machined as described above to ensure the
cutting element
pockets 150 are sized within the desired range based on the design
specifications and
allowable tolerances.
FIG. 8 illustrates a substantially completed rotary drag bit 158. Cutting
elements 160
may be brazed into the cutting element pockets 150 (FIGS. 6 and 7) using heat
applied by the
heat source 116 (FIG. 2) of the direct metal deposition tool 114 (FIG. 2). For
example, the
cutting elements 160 may be positioned within the cutting element pockets 150,
and the heat
source 116 may be used to heat and melt a metallic braze material. Capillary
action may then
draw the melted braze material into the space between each of the cutting
element pockets 150
and a respective cutting element 160, and the braze material may solidify and
retain the
cutting elements 160 within the cutting element pockets 150. The braze
material may be
delivered in powdered form through the one or more deposition nozzles 118
(FIG. 2), or may
be applied automatically or manually in the form of rods or wire.
While FIGS. 5 through 8 illustrate process stages of a method of forming a
rotary drag
bit, similar process acts may be used, in the order described, or in different
orders or
combinations of one or more of the acts described above, to form other earth-
boring tools,
such as roller-cone bits, hybrid bits, reamer blades, etc.
FIGS. 9 and 10 illustrate certain process acts discussed in connection with
FIGS. 7 and
8 in greater detail. In FIG. 9, an ultrasonic machine tool 137 is operated
(e.g., oscillated at
ultrasonic frequencies) to machine hardfacing material 154 disposed on the
body of the
partially formed rotary drag bit 144 surrounding a cutting element pocket 150.
As described
above, the ultrasonic machine tool 137 may be operatively connected to the
multi-axis CNC
mill 136, and a tool path of the ultrasonic machine tool 137 may be generated
by a CNC
processor and at least partially based on an electronic representation of the
partially formed
rotary drag bit 144.
In FIG. 10, a cutting element 160 is placed within the cutting element pocket
150, and
a braze material 159 is heated and melted using a heat source 161 and allowed
to flow
between surfaces of the cutting element pocket 150 and surfaces of the cutting
element 160.
In some embodiments, the heat source 161 may be a heat source of a direct
metal deposition
tool (e.g., heat source 116 of direct metal deposition tool 114 (FIG. 2)). As
described above,
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the braze material 159 may be delivered through, e.g., nozzles 118 (FIG. 2) of
the direct metal
deposition tool 114. Upon removal of the heat source 161, the braze material
159 may be
allowed to cool and solidify, thereby retaining the cutting element 160 within
the cutting
element pocket 150 as shown in FIG. 10.
In some embodiments, methods according to the disclosure include repairing a
worn
earth-boring tool. For example, referring now to FIG. 11, an earth-boring tool
such as a rotary
drag bit 162 may become worn (e.g., abraded, eroded) during use. Areas between
dashed
lines 164 may represent wom portions of the rotary drag bit 162 and may
include, without
limitation, leading portions of blades 146 and areas adjacent cutting element
pockets 150.
Other areas susceptible to wear, although not indicated by dashed lines 164,
may include the
fluid courses 148 (FIG. 7), gage surfaces 156 (FIG. 7). etc.
To repair the worn rotary drag bit 162, cutting elements 160 may be removed
from
cutting element pockets 150 by heating braze material to release each cutting
element 160
from each respective cutting element pocket 150. Worn areas between dashed
lines 164 may
be built up using the direct metal deposition tool 114 (FIG. 2) and, if
necessary, machined to a
final profile. In some embodiments, a production tool such as the multi-axis
mill 136 (FIG. 4)
may be equipped with an optical scanning system (not shown) configured to
generate an
electronic representation of the actual shape of the worn rotary drag bit 162.
The electronic
representation of the actual shape of the worn rotary drag bit 162 may be
compared to an
electronic representation of a shape of the rotary drag bit 162 according to
design
specifications. For example, the electronic representation of the actual shape
of the worn
rotary drag bit 162 and an electronic representation of the design
specifications of an
associated unworn rotary drag bit may be entered in a processor of the multi-
axis mill 136.
The processor may compare the actual shape of the worn rotary drag bit 162
with the design
specifications, and may develop a tool path for the direct metal deposition
tool 114 to deposit
material in appropriate areas to return the wom rotary drag bit 162 to the
design specifications.
The direct metal deposition tool 114 may apply a metal, metal alloy,
hardfacing material, etc.,
as needed to the worn rotary drag bit 162 to achieve dimensions approaching
design
specifications, which may be characterized as near net shape dimensions, of
the worn portion
or portion of the rotary drag bit 162. Machining (e.g., milling, ultrasonic
machining) as
described above may be performed as necessary to the material applied by the
direct metal
deposition tool 114 to meet the design specifications. The cutting elements
160 may be
replaced in the cutting element pockets 150 and brazed within the cutting
element pockets 150
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as described above. In some embodiments, machining may be performed on the
wont areas to
clean and/or profile the worn areas (e.g., impart to the worn areas a
specified geometric shape)
prior to application of material by the direct metal deposition tool 114.
FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram of a manufacturing system 166 according to
the
disclosure. The manufacturing system 166 may be or include, for example, the
multi-axis
CNC mill 136 (FIG. 4). The manufacturing system 166 may include a computer
system 168
with memory 170 and a processor 172. Data containing a geometric
representation of an
earth-boring tool component (e.g., earth-boring tool component 110 (FIG. 2))
may be entered
into the memory 170 of the computer system 168. The computer system 168 may be
operatively connected to a CNC multi-axis machine tool 174, which may include,
without
limitation, at least one of a multi-axis positioner 176, a direct metal
deposition tool 178 which,
in some embodiments, may comprise a 3D printer, a machine tool 180, and an
ultrasonic
machine tool 182. Based on the data in the memory 170, the processor 172 may
apply one or
more software routines to generate tool paths for one or more of the multi-
axis positioner 176,
the direct metal deposition tool 178, the rotary machine tool 180, and the
ultrasonic machine
tool 182 to form an earth-boring tool component 110 as described above.
Compared to other methods of forming an earth-boring tool component, direct
metal
deposition processes may result in significantly less waste of material and
smaller
manufacturing tolerances, as well as the ability to custom-tailor component
shapes and
dimensions and to produce a variety of different earth-boring tools in limited
numbers, or even
a single tool of a particular design. Thus, the disclosed processes may enable
cost-effective
production of earth-boring tool components from relatively high-cost
materials. For example,
in some embodiments, the earth-boring tool component 110 (FIG. 2) may comprise
so-called
"superalloys," such as nickel-based (e.g., at least about forty percent (40%)
by mass nickel)
alloys. Reduction of waste due to excessive machining of metallic blanks may
enable
relatively economical use of costlier materials.
Furthermore, provision of the direct metal deposition tool 114 (FIG. 2),
machine
tool 132 (FIG. 2), and ultrasonic machine tool 137 (FIG. 9) or other tools
within a single
production station, e.g., multi-axis CNC mill 136 (FIG. 4), may reduce
production time and
associated cost by eliminating the need to manually or automatically transfer
the earth-boring
tool component between tools during production. For example, a complete earth-
boring tool
such as the rotary drag bit 158 (FIG. 8) may be manufactured from start to
finish while
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remaining within the working envelope 134 (FIG. 4) of the multi-axis mill 136
and affixed to
the multi-axis positioner 112.
Additional non-limiting example embodiments of the disclosure are set forth
below.
Embodiment 1: A method of forming at least a portion of an earth-boring tool,
the
method comprising: entering an electronic representation of at least one
geometric feature of
at least a component of an earth-boring tool in a computer system including
memory and a
processor, the computer system operatively connected to a multi-axis
positioning system, a
direct metal deposition tool, and a material removal tool; generating, with
the processor, a first
tool path for the direct metal deposition tool, the first tool path based at
least in part on the
electronic representation of the at least one geometric feature of the at
least a component of
the earth-boring tool; operating the direct metal deposition tool along the
first tool path to
deposit metal on an earth-boring tool component coupled to the multi-axis
positioning system
to at least partially form the at least one geometric feature of the earth-
boring tool; generating,
with the processor, a second tool path for the material removal tool, the
second tool path based
at least in part on the electronic representation of the at least one
geometric feature of the
earth-boring tool; and operating the material removal tool along the second
tool path to
remove at least a portion of the deposited metal from the at least one
geometric feature of the
at least a component of the earth-boring tool.
Embodiment 2: The method of Embodiment 1, wherein operating the direct metal
deposition tool along the first tool path to deposit metal on the at least a
component of the
earth-boring tool comprises: applying heat from a heat source to a portion of
the at least a
component of the earth-boring tool to form a melt pool on a surface of the
earth-boring tool
component; introducing a powdered metal material into the melt pool by
directing a flow of
powdered metal material through a deposition nozzle of the direct metal
deposition tool: at
least partially melting the powdered metal material with heat from one or both
of the heat
source and heat contained in the melt pool; and solidifying the melt pool and
the at least
partially melted powdered metal material to form a volume of metal material on
the surface of
the earth-boring tool component.
Embodiment 3: The method of Embodiment 2, wherein introducing the powdered
metal material into the melt pool comprises introducing a powdered metal
material
comprising a composition substantially the same as a composition of a metal
material of the at
least a component of the earth-boring tool.
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Embodiment 4: The method of Embodiment 2, wherein introducing the powdered
metal material into the melt pool comprises introducing a powdered metal
material
comprising a composition different from a composition of a metal material of
the at least a
component of the earth-boring tool component.
Embodiment 5: The method of Embodiment 2, wherein introducing the powdered
metal material into the melt pool comprises introducing a powdered metal
material
comprising an alloy composition comprising at least about forty percent (40%)
nickel.
Embodiment 6: The method of any one of Embodiments 1 through 5, wherein
operating the direct metal deposition tool along the first tool path to
deposit metal on the at
least a component of the earth-boring tool comprises: continuously obtaining
information
related to at least one of temperature of a melt pool formed by a heat source
of the direct metal
deposition tool and a size of the melt pool formed by the heat source of the
direct metal
deposition tool, and adjusting a power level of the heat source responsive to
the information
related to at least one of the temperature of the melt pool and the size of
the melt pool.
Embodiment 7: The method of any one of Embodiments 1 through 6, wherein
operating the direct metal deposition tool along the first tool path to
deposit metal on the at
least a component of the earth-boring tool coupled to the multi-axis
positioning system to at
least partially form the geometric feature of the earth-boring tool comprises
at least one of
rotating and translating the at least a component of the earth-boring tool by
manipulating the
multi-axis positioning system.
Embodiment 8: The method of any one of Embodiments 1 through 7, wherein
operating the material removal tool along the second tool path to remove at
least a portion of
the deposited metal to form the geometric feature of the earth-boring tool
comprises at least
one of rotating and translating the at least a component of the earth-boring
tool by
manipulating the multi-axis positioning system.
Embodiment 9: The method of any one of Embodiments 1 through 8, wherein
operating the material removal tool along the second tool path to remove at
least a portion of
the deposited metal to form the geometric feature of the at least a component
of the
earth-boring tool comprises operating a rotary milling tool along the second
tool path to
remove at least a portion of the deposited metal to form the geometric feature
of the at least a
component of the earth-boring tool.
Embodiment 10: The method of any one of Embodiments 1 through 9, wherein
operating the direct metal deposition tool along the first tool path to
deposit metal on the at
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least a component of the earth-boring tool to at least partially form the
geometric feature of the
at least a component of the earth-boring tool comprises depositing a plurality
of layers of
metal on the at least a component of the earth-boring tool to form a fully-
dense geometric
feature.
Embodiment 11: The method of any one of Embodiments 1 through 10, further
comprising: generating a third tool path for the direct metal deposition tool;
and operating the
direct metal deposition tool along the third tool path to apply a hardfacing
material to at least a
portion of the at least a component of the earth-boring tool.
Embodiment 12: The method of Embodiment 11, wherein operating the direct metal
deposition tool along the third tool path to apply a hardfacing material to at
least a portion of
the at least a component of the earth-boring tool comprises: introducing a
powdered
hardfacing material through a nozzle of the direct metal deposition tool to a
location on a
surface of the at least a component of the earth-boring tool proximate a heat
source of the
direct metal deposition tool; and applying the powdered hardfacing material to
the surface of
the at least a component of the earth-boring tool by at least partially
melting the powdered
hardfacing material with the heat source.
Embodiment 13: A method of forming a rotary drag bit, the method comprising:
entering an electronic representation of a rotary drag bit in a computer
system of a multi-axis
milling machine, the computer system comprising memory and a processor;
affixing a metal
blank to a multi-axis positioner of the multi-axis milling machine; removing
material from the
metal blank by operating a milling tool along a milling tool path determined
by the processor
of the multi-axis milling machine based at least in part on the electronic
representation of the
rotary drag bit to form a shank of the rotary drag bit including a threaded
portion for
connection to a drill string; depositing metal material on the shank of the
rotary drag bit by
operating a direct metal deposition tool along a first deposition tool path
determined by the
processor of the multi-axis milling machine based at least in part on the
electronic
representation of the rotary drag bit to form a geometric feature of the
rotary drag bit including
at least a portion of a blade on the shank of the rotary drag bit; and
depositing a hardfacing
material on the at least a portion of the blade of the rotary drag bit by
operating a direct metal
deposition tool along a hardfacing tool path determined by the processor of
the multi-axis
milling machine based at least in part on the electronic representation of the
rotary drag bit to
form at least one hardfaced area on the at least a portion of the blade of the
rotary drag bit.
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Embodiment 14: The method of Embodiment 13, further comprising removing at
least a portion of the hardfacing material from the at least one hardfaced
area to form at least
one cutting element pocket in the at least a portion of the blade of the
rotary drag bit.
Embodiment 15: The method of Embodiment 14, wherein removing at least a
portion
of the hardfacing material from the at least one hardfaced area to form at
least one cutting
element pocket in the at least a portion of the blade of the rotary drag bit
comprises operating
an ultrasonic machine tool along an ultrasonic machine tool path determined by
the processor
of the multi-axis milling machine based at least in part on the electronic
representation of the
rotary drag bit.
Embodiment 16: The method of Embodiment 15, further comprising: positioning a
cutting element in the cutting element pocket; introducing a braze material to
an interface
between the cutting element and the cutting element pocket; melting the braze
material by
applying heat from a heat source to one or both of the braze material and the
interface; and
solidifying the braze material to retain the cutting element within the
cutting element pocket.
Embodiment 17: The method of Embodiment 16, wherein introducing the braze
material to an interface between the cutting element and the cutting element
pocket comprises
introducing the braze material to an interface between the cutting element and
the cutting
element pocket by directing a powdered braze material through a deposition
nozzle of the
direct metal deposition tool.
Embodiment 18: A method of repairing an earth-boring tool, the method
comprising:
generating an electronic representation of the shape of a worn earth-boring
tool: using a
computer system, comparing the electronic representation of the shape of the
worn
earth-boring tool to an electronic representation of a shape of the earth-
boring tool in an
unworn state based on design specifications associated with the earth-boring
tool to identify
worn areas of the earth-boring tool; using a computer system, generating a
tool path based on
a difference between the compared shape of the worn earth-boring tool and the
shape of the
earth-boring tool in an unworn state based on the design specifications of the
earth-boring
tool; and operating a direct metal deposition tool along the tool path to
build up worn areas of
the worn earth-boring tool to meet the design specifications.
Embodiment 19: The method of Embodiment 18, wherein generating an electronic
representation of the shape of the worn earth-boring tool comprises:
positioning the worn
earth-boring tool within a working envelope of a multi-axis milling machine;
and scanning the
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shape of the worn earth-boring tool with an optical scanning tool operatively
connected to the
multi-axis milling machine.
Embodiment 20: The method of Embodiment 19, wherein operating the direct metal
deposition tool along the tool path comprises operating a direct metal
deposition tool
operatively connected to the multi-axis milling machine while the worn earth-
boring tool is
positioned within the working envelope of the multi-axis milling machine.
Embodiment 21: A method of altering at least one dimension of at least a
portion of
an earth-boring tool using an electronic representation of at least one
geometric feature of at
least a portion of a component of an earth-boring tool using a multi-axis
positioning system, a
direct metal deposition apparatus, and a material removal apparatus, the
method comprising:
generating, with a processor and based at least in part on the electronic
representation, a
deposition path for deposition of metal material by the direct metal
deposition apparatus;
depositing metal material according to the generated deposition path using the
direct metal
deposition apparatus on an earth-boring tool component related to the
electronic
representation and coupled to the multi-axis positioning system; generating,
with the
processor and based at least in part on the electronic representation, a
removal path for the
material removal apparatus; and removing at least a portion of the deposited
metal material
according to the generated removal path using the material removal apparatus
from the
earth-boring tool component.
Embodiment 22: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein depositing metal material
according to the generated deposition path using the direct metal deposition
apparatus further
comprises: applying heat from a heat source to a portion of a surface of the
earth-boring tool
component; introducing a metal material onto the heated portion of the
component surface by
depositing the metal material with the direct metal deposition apparatus; at
least partially
melting the metal material with heat from one or both of the heat source and
the heated
surface; and solidifying the at least partially melted metal material to form
a volume of metal
material on the surface of the earth-boring tool component.
Embodiment 23: The method of Embodiment 22, wherein introducing the metal
material onto the heated portion of the component surface comprises
introducing a metal
material comprising a composition substantially the same as a composition of a
metal material
of the earth-boring tool component.
Embodiment 24: The method of Embodiment 22, wherein introducing the metal
material onto the heated portion of the component surface comprises
introducing a metal
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material comprising a composition different from a composition of a metal
material of the
earth-boring tool component.
Embodiment 25: The method of Embodiment 22, wherein introducing the metal
material onto the heated portion of the component surface comprises
introducing a metal
material comprising one or more of cobalt, nickel, copper, chromium, aluminum,
iron, steel,
stainless steel, titanium, tungsten, or alloys and mixtures thereof,
magnetically responsive
materials, polyetheretherketone (PEEKTm), carbon-based materials, glass, and
metal-carbide
ceramic materials.
Embodiment 26: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein depositing metal material
according to the generated deposition path using the direct metal deposition
apparatus further
comprises: continuously obtaining information related to at least one of
temperature of a
surface of the earth-boring tool component heated by a heat source and a size
of the heated
surface heated by the heat source; and adjusting a power level of the heat
source responsive to
the information related to at least one of the temperature of the heated
surface and the size of
the heated surface.
Embodiment 27: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein depositing metal material
according to the generated deposition path using the direct metal deposition
apparatus on the
earth-boring tool component to alter at least one dimension of the earth-
boring tool
component comprises at least one of rotating and translating the earth-boring
tool component
with the multi-axis positioning system.
Embodiment 28: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein removing at least a
portion
of the deposited metal material according to the generated removal path using
the material
removal apparatus from the earth-boring tool component to further alter at
least one
dimension of the earth-boring tool component comprises at least one of
rotating and
translating the at least a component of the earth-boring tool with the multi-
axis positioning
system.
Embodiment 29: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein removing at least a
portion
of the deposited metal material according to the generated removal path using
the material
removal apparatus from the earth-boring tool component to further alter at
least one
dimension of the earth-boring tool component comprises operating a rotary
milling tool along
the removal path.
Embodiment 30: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein depositing metal material
according to the generated deposition path using the direct metal deposition
apparatus on the
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earth-boring tool component comprises depositing a plurality of layers of
metal material on
the earth-boring tool component to form a fully-dense geometric feature.
Embodiment 31: The method of Embodiment 21, further comprising: generating a
another deposition path for the direct metal deposition apparatus; and
applying a hardfacing
material to the earth-boring tool component along the another generated
deposition path using
the direct metal deposition apparatus.
Embodiment 32: The method of Embodiment 31, wherein applying a hardfacing
material to the earth-boring tool component along the another generated
deposition path using
the direct metal deposition apparatus further comprises: introducing a
hardfacing material
with the direct metal deposition apparatus to at least one location on a
surface of the
earth-boring tool component to the at least one location heated by output of a
heat source
directed to the at least one location; and at least partially melting the
powdered hardfacing
material with the heat source.
Embodiment 33: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein depositing metal material
according to the generated deposition path using the direct metal deposition
apparatus
comprises micro-plasma powder deposition. selective laser melting, direct
metal laser
sintering, selective laser sintering, electron beam melting, electron beam
freeform fabrication
direct laser deposition, cold gas processing, laser cladding, direct material
deposition, ceramic
additive manufacturing, or binder jetting and subsequent sintering.
Embodiment 34: The method of Embodiment 33, wherein depositing metal material
according to the generated deposition path using the direct metal deposition
apparatus
comprises using a 3D printer.
Embodiment 35: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein depositing metal material
according to the generated deposition path using the direct metal deposition
apparatus
comprises using a 3D printer.
Embodiment 36: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein depositing metal material
comprises depositing a metal material powder from a reservoir delivered in a
flowable
gaseous medium, using a powder bed having a movable delivery column of metal
material
powder and a distributor to distribute quantities of the metal material
powder, using a spool of
metal material powder embedded in a solid, destructible transport medium,
using a spool of
metal material wire, or using an extruded column of the metal material.
Embodiment 37: The method of Embodiment 21, wherein altering at least one
dimension of an earth-boring tool component comprises one of: depositing at
least one metal
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material according to the generated deposition path to form at least a portion
of the earth-
boring tool component to a near net shape state; or depositing at least one
metal material
according to the generated deposition path to repair at least a worn portion
of the earth-boring
tool component to a near net shape state.
Embodiment 38: The method of Embodiment 21, further comprising removing metal
material of the earth-boring tool component with the material removal
apparatus.
Embodiment 39: The method of Embodiment 38, wherein removing metal material of
the earth-boring tool component with the material removal apparatus comprises
forming an
aperture through the deposited metal material and into the metal material of
the earth-boring
component, and inserting a portion of a cutting element into the aperture.
Embodiment 40: The method of Embodiment 39, further comprising securing the
portion of the cutting element within the aperture to the earth-boring tool
component.
Although the foregoing description and accompanying drawings contain many
specifics, these are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the
disclosure, but merely as
describing certain embodiments. Similarly, other embodiments may be devised,
which do not
depart from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. For example, features
described herein with
reference to one embodiment also may be provided in others of the embodiments
described
herein. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated and limited only
by the appended
claims and their legal equivalents. All additions, deletions, and
modifications to the disclosed
embodiments, which fall within the meaning and scope of the claims, are
encompassed by the
disclosure.
