System and methods for fabricating a component with laser array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10583530-B2
Application number	US-201715401643-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2017
Priority date	Jan 9, 2017
Publication date	Mar 10, 2020
Grant date	Mar 10, 2020

Abstract

A component is fabricated in a powder bed by moving a laser array across the powder bed. The laser array includes a plurality of laser devices. The power output of each laser device of the plurality of laser devices is independently controlled. The laser array emits a plurality of energy beams from a plurality of selected laser devices of the plurality of laser devices to generate a melt pool in the powder bed. A non-uniform energy intensity profile is generated by the plurality of selected laser devices. The non-uniform energy intensity profile facilitates generating a melt pool that has a predetermined characteristic.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of fabricating a component in a powder bed, said method comprising:
moving a laser array across the powder bed, the laser array including a plurality of laser devices arranged in a linear arrangement;
independently controlling a power output of each laser device of the plurality of laser devices;
emitting a plurality of energy beams from adjacent laser devices that form a subset of the laser array to generate a melt pool; and
generating a non-uniform energy intensity profile from the adjacent laser devices of the laser array, wherein the non-uniform energy intensity profile facilitates generating a melt pool having a predetermined characteristic, and wherein generating a non-uniform energy intensity profile comprises:
controlling the power output of a pair of outer laser devices of the adjacent laser devices to generate a first power output, the pair of outer laser devices positioned at opposite ends of the linear arrangement; and
simultaneously controlling the power output of at least one laser device positioned between the pair of outer laser devices to generate a second power output less than the first power output, wherein the non-uniform energy intensity profile includes a first outer region, a second outer region, and a central region between the first and second outer regions, the central region having a lower power output than the first and second outer regions, and wherein the first and second outer regions align with the pair of outer laser devices positioned at opposite ends of the linear arrangement.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein moving the laser array across the powder bed comprises pivoting the laser array about a center point defined by geometry of the component to facilitate fabricating a layer of the component with one sweep of the laser array.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein moving the laser array across the powder bed comprises one or more of moving the laser array in a linear path, a curved path, rotating the laser array, or adjusting an orientation of the laser array with respect to the powder bed.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein moving the laser array across the powder bed comprises moving the laser array relative to the powder bed.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein moving the laser array across the powder bed comprises moving the powder bed relative to a stationary laser array.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein independently controlling a power output of each laser device of the adjacent laser devices comprises independently controlling one or more of a duration, an average output power, a pulse width, and a pulse duration of each laser device of the adjacent laser devices.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein independently controlling a power output of each laser device comprises independently controlling the power output of each laser device based on an absolute position of each laser device.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein emitting a plurality of energy beams from the adjacent laser devices of the plurality of laser devices comprises:
emitting a plurality of energy beams from a first set of the adjacent laser devices having a first energy intensity profile corresponding to a first build parameter of the component at a first position of the laser array; and
emitting a plurality of energy beams from a second set of the adjacent laser devices having a second energy intensity profile corresponding to a second build parameter of the component at a second position of the laser array.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein generating a non-uniform energy intensity profile comprises independently controlling the power output of a first laser device of the laser array and a second laser device of the laser array, the first laser device and the second laser device including different devices.

10. An additive manufacturing system comprising:
a laser array comprising a plurality of laser devices arranged in a linear arrangement, each laser device of said plurality of laser devices configured to generate a melt pool in a layer of powdered material, said plurality of laser devices comprises a pair of outer laser devices and at least one inner laser device positioned between said pair of outer laser devices, the pair of outer laser devices positioned at opposite ends of the linear arrangement;
an actuator system configured to move said laser array across the layer of powdered material; and
a controller configured to:
generate control signals to independently control a power output of said each laser device;
transmit the control signals to said each laser device to emit a plurality of energy beams from a plurality of selected laser devices of said plurality of laser devices to generate the melt pool;
transmit the control signals to said pair of outer laser devices to generate a first power output;
simultaneously transmit the control signals to said inner laser device to generate a second power output less than the first power output, wherein the non-uniform energy intensity profile includes a first outer region, a second outer region, and a central region between the first and second outer regions, the central region having a lower power output than the first and second outer regions, and wherein the first and second outer regions align with the pair of outer laser devices positioned at opposite ends of the linear arrangement; and
generate a non-uniform energy intensity profile from said plurality of selected laser devices, wherein the non-uniform energy intensity profile facilitates generating the melt pool having a predetermined characteristic.

11. The system in accordance with claim 10 further comprising a mounting system coupled to said laser array, said actuator system coupled to said mounting system and configured to pivot said laser array about a center point defined by geometry of a component to facilitate fabricating a layer of the component with one sweep of said laser array.

12. The system in accordance with claim 10 further comprising a powder bed and a support structure coupled to said powder bed, said actuator system coupled to said support structure and configured to move said powder bed relative to said laser array.

13. The system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein said controller is further configured to transmit the control signals including one or more of a duration, an average output power, a pulse width, and a pulse duration of said each laser device.

14. The system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein said controller is further configured to:
transmit the control signals to a first set of said plurality of selected laser devices to emit a plurality of energy beams having a first energy intensity profile corresponding to a first build parameter of a component at a first position of said laser array; and
transmit the control signals to a second set of said plurality of selected laser devices to emit a plurality of energy beams having a second energy intensity profile corresponding to a second build parameter of the component at a second position of said laser array.

15. The system in accordance with claim 10 , wherein said plurality of laser devices comprises a first laser device and a second laser device, said first laser device comprising a laser device different than said second laser device.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Karp Jason Harris
• Gambone Jr Justin John
• Graham Michael Evans
• Bogdan Jr David Charles
• Ostroverkhov Victor Petrovich
• Carter William Thomas
• Mathews Jr Harry Kirk
• Harding Kevin George
• Shi Jinjie
• Jones Marshall Gordon
• Sears James William

Classifications

• B22F2301/00

  Metallic composition of the powder or its coating · CPC title

• B33Y30/00 Primary

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• B29C64/282

  of the same type, e.g. using different energy levels · CPC title

• B29C64/153

  using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting · CPC title

• B23K2103/04

  Steel {or steel} alloys · CPC title