Apparatus and method for manufacturing an anti-counterfeit three-dimensional article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10065264-B2
Application number	US-201514613504-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 4, 2015
Priority date	Feb 4, 2015
Publication date	Sep 4, 2018
Grant date	Sep 4, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus and method for manufacturing and authenticating a three-dimensional article including the steps of (1) successively building up the article from a metal powder by an additive manufacturing process by scanning a selected portion of the metal powder with electromagnetic radiation, (2) forming an anti-counterfeiting mark in the article during the additive manufacturing process, and (3) determining whether the article includes the anti-counterfeiting mark.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional article, said method comprising:
successively building up said article from a metal powder by an additive manufacturing process by scanning a selected portion of said metal powder with electromagnetic radiation and establishing an article microstructure of said article following solidification of said selected portion of said metal powder; and
forming an anti-counterfeiting mark in said article during said additive manufacturing process by scanning another selected portion of said metal powder with said electromagnetic radiation and establishing an anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure of said anti-counterfeiting mark following solidification of said another selected portion of said metal powder; and wherein:
said article microstructure and said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure are different;
establishing said article microstructure comprises setting at least one process parameter of said additive manufacturing process; and
establishing said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure comprises manipulating said at least one process parameter of said additive manufacturing process; and
said at least one process parameter comprises a direction of said electromagnetic radiation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one process parameter further comprises a melting speed of said metal powder.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one process parameter further comprises a power level of said electromagnetic radiation.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one process parameter further comprises a melting temperature of said metal powder.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one process parameter further comprises a hold temperature of said metal powder upon melting.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one process parameter further comprises a hold time of said metal powder upon melting.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one process parameter further comprises a cool down time to solidify said metal powder following melting.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one process parameter further comprises a scanning velocity of said electromagnetic radiation.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one process parameter further comprises a focal offset value.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein building up said article comprises:
depositing a powder stratum onto a build platform;
setting said at least one process parameter of said additive manufacturing process;
melting a selected portion of said powder stratum with said electromagnetic radiation at a set process parameter;
solidifying said selected portion of said powder stratum to form a layer of said article having said article microstructure;
depositing subsequent powder stratums upon each prior powder stratum;
melting a selected portion of each subsequent powder stratum with said electromagnetic radiation at said set process parameter; and
solidifying said selected portion of said each subsequent powder stratum to form subsequent layers of said article having said article microstructure.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said powder stratum and said subsequent powder stratums each comprises a uniform thickness.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein forming said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises:
modifying said at least one process parameter of said additive manufacturing process;
melting a selected portion of a topmost powder stratum of said subsequent powder stratums at a modified process parameter; and
solidifying said selected portion of said topmost powder stratum of said subsequent powder stratums to form said anti-counterfeiting mark in a topmost layer of said article having said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein forming said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises:
modifying said at least one process parameter of said additive manufacturing process;
melting another selected portion of at least one of said subsequent powder stratums at a modified process parameter; and
solidifying said another selected portion of said at least one of said subsequent powder stratums to form said anti-counterfeiting mark in at least one of said subsequent layers of said article having said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein forming said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises:
modifying said at least one process parameter of said additive manufacturing process;
melting another selected portion of at least one of said subsequent powder stratums at a modified process parameter;
melting a selected portion of a topmost powder stratum of said subsequent powder stratums at said modified process parameter; and
solidifying said another selected portion of at least one of said subsequent powder stratums and said selected portion of said topmost powder stratum of said subsequent powder stratums to form said anti-counterfeiting mark in at least one of said subsequent layers and a topmost layer of said article having said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark extends at least partially through a thickness of at least one of said subsequent layers.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating a three-dimensional model representing said article;
generating cross-sectional slices of said three-dimensional model representing layers of said article;
generating article process parameters for said additive manufacturing process to establish an article microstructure; and
utilizing said cross-sectional slices and said article process parameters in said additive manufacturing process to build up said article.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:
generating an anti-counterfeiting image representing said anti-counterfeiting mark;
generating anti-counterfeiting mark process parameters for said additive manufacturing process to establish an anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure; and
utilizing said anti-counterfeiting image and said anti-counterfeiting mark process parameters in said additive manufacturing process to form said anti-counterfeiting mark in said article.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising processing said three-dimensional model and said anti-counterfeiting image such that at least one cross-sectional slice represents at least one layer and at least a portion of anti-counterfeiting mark.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said additive manufacturing process comprises electron beam melting.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said additive manufacturing process comprises selective laser melting.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether said article includes said anti-counterfeiting mark during said additive manufacturing process.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said determining whether said article includes said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises examining an exterior of said article.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein said determining whether said article includes said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises examining an interior of said article.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure comprises a microscopically perceptible variation in at least one of grain structure and grain orientation compared to said article microstructure.

25. The method of claim

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Dietrich David M

Classifications

• B29C64/10

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B22F3/105

  by using electric current {other than for infrared radiant energy}, laser radiation or plasma (B22F3/11 takes precedence){; by ultrasonic bonding (B22F3/115 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G06K19/086 Primary

  with markings consisting of randomly placed or oriented elements, the randomness of the elements being useable for generating a unique identifying signature of the record carrier, e.g. randomly placed magnetic fibers or magnetic particles in the body of a credit card · CPC title

• B23K15/0086 Primary

  welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding · CPC title

• B22F10/39

  Traceability, e.g. incorporating identifier into a workpiece or article · CPC title