Automatic process control of additive manufacturing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10427348-B2
Application number	US-201715824207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2017
Priority date	Aug 7, 2013
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Automatic process control of additive manufacturing. The system includes an additive manufacturing device for making an object and a local network computer controlling the device. At least one camera is provided with a view of a manufacturing volume of the device to generate network accessible images of the object. The computer is programmed to stop the manufacturing process when the object is defective based on the images of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for automated processing control of a three dimensional printer device comprising:
the three dimensional printer device for making an object;
an array of lights illuminating a manufacturing volume of the three dimensional printer device for dynamically creating object shadows for reconstructing a profile view from the point of view of each light in the array of lights; and
a camera with a view of a manufacturing volume of the three dimensional printer device to generate network accessible images of the object;
a layer-by-layer verification is used to detect errors on the images of the object during a printing process;
wherein the computer is programmed to stop the manufacturing process when the object is defective based on the images of the object using the layer-by-layer verification.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the camera has a fixed view of the manufacturing volume.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the camera, has a robotically controlled view of the manufacturing volume.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the images are video streams.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the images are static.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer further includes a series of service-side applications executing remote algorithms.

7. The system of claim 1 further including a web-browser based control interface.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the algorithm includes machine learning algorithms.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the machine learning algorithms include markov model, bayesian inference or artificial neural network algorithms.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the manufacturing volume includes a calibration pattern thereon.

11. The system of claim 1 further including three-dimensional print preview to update object rendering in real time.

12. The system of claim 1 further including an array of lights for creating object shadows for reconstructing a profile view from the point of view of each light.

Assignees

• Massachusetts Inst Technology

Inventors

• Perez Alfonso Alexander
• Haid Christopher Michael
• Doll Mateo Pena
• Pieper Forrest W

Classifications

• B29C64/118

  using filamentary material being melted, e.g. fused deposition modelling [FDM] · CPC title

• B29C48/266

  Means for allowing relative movements between the apparatus parts, e.g. for twisting the extruded article or for moving the die along a surface to be coated · CPC title

• B29C48/865

  Heating · CPC title

• B29C2948/92571

  Position, e.g. linear or angular · CPC title

• B29C2948/926

  Flow or feed rate · CPC title