Method for producing a three-dimensional component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11292060-B2
Application number	US-202017003424-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2020
Priority date	Jul 28, 2010
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

Additive manufacturing systems may include a laser melting apparatus, a sensor device, and a visualization apparatus. A laser melting apparatus may form a three-dimensional component by exposing a powder bed to a beam of radiation based on build coordinates, with the beam of radiation providing an energy influx that generates a melt pool in a melt region of the powder bed. A sensor device may capture sensor values corresponding to the melt pool and/or the melt region. A visualization apparatus may display a representation of the three-dimensional component, with the display including the build coordinates and the sensor values in respect of a capture location thereof in the three-dimensional component. The displayed representation may be based on a display output that includes sensor values correlated with build coordinates.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a laser melting apparatus configured to form a three-dimensional component by exposing a powder bed to a beam of radiation based at least in part on build coordinates for the three-dimensional component, the beam of radiation providing an energy influx that generates a melt pool in a melt region of the powder bed;
a sensor device operably configured to capture sensor values corresponding to the melt pool and/or the melt region;
a visualization apparatus configured to display, based at least in part on a display output, a two-dimensional and/or a multidimensional representation of the three-dimensional component comprising the build coordinates and the sensor values in respect of a capture location thereof in the three-dimensional component, the display output comprising the sensor values having been correlated with the build coordinates.

2. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional and/or the multidimensional representation comprises image data of the three-dimensional component.

3. The additive manufacturing system of claim 2 , wherein the two-dimensional and/or the multidimensional representation comprises the sensor values mapped to the image data of the three-dimensional component.

4. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , comprising:
a storage apparatus configured to determine the size of the melt pool based at least in part on specific parts of an electromagnetic spectrum of a beam of radiation emitted by the melt pool having been selected from the sensor values.

5. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the build coordinates are substituted and/or augmented with newly obtained coordinate values, and wherein the sensor is configured to capture the newly obtained coordinate values.

6. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the two-dimensional and/or the multidimensional representation comprises one or more component regions having a deviation from an intended value being selectively displayed and/or highlighted.

7. The additive manufacturing system of claim 6 , wherein the intended value corresponds to a degree of solidification, a degree of fusion, a melt temperature, a density, an energy influx, and/or a melt pool dimension.

8. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor values are used to accept, reject, or modify the three-dimensional component.

9. The additive manufacturing system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor values are used to determine for the melt region of the powder bed when the melt pool solidifies, a degree of fusion, a temperature, and/or a temperature profile.

10. A method of additively manufacturing a three-dimensional component, the method comprising:
correlating sensor values with build coordinates for a three-dimensional component, the laser apparatus configured to form the three-dimensional component by exposing a powder bed to a beam of radiation based at least in part on the build coordinates, the beam of radiation providing an energy influx that generates a melt pool in a melt region of the powder bed, the sensor values having been captured by a sensor device and corresponding to the melt pool and/or the melt region; and
displaying with a visualization apparatus, based at least in part on a display output, a two-dimensional and/or a multidimensional representation of the three-dimensional component comprising the build coordinates and the sensor values in respect of a capture location thereof in the three-dimensional component, the display output comprising the sensor values having been correlated with the build coordinates.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the two-dimensional and/or the multidimensional representation comprises image data of the three-dimensional component.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the two-dimensional and/or the multidimensional representation comprises the sensor values mapped to the image data of the three-dimensional component.

13. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
determining, with a storage apparatus, the size of the melt pool based at least in part on specific parts of an electromagnetic spectrum of a beam of radiation emitted by the melt pool having been selected from the sensor values.

14. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
substituting and/or augmenting the build coordinates with newly obtained coordinate values, the newly obtained coordinate values having been captured by the sensor.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the two-dimensional and/or the multidimensional representation comprises one or more component regions having a deviation from an intended value being selectively displayed and/or highlighted.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the intended value corresponds to a degree of solidification, a degree of fusion, a melt temperature, a density, an energy influx, and/or a melt pool dimension.

17. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
accepting, rejecting, and/or modifying the three-dimensional component based at least in part on the sensor values.

18. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
using the sensor values to determine for the melt region of the powder bed when the melt pool solidifies, a degree of fusion, a temperature, and/or a temperature profile.

19. The method of claim 10 , comprising:
modifying the three-dimensional object during formation thereof based at least in part on the sensor values.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor associated with an apparatus for additively manufacturing a three-dimensional component, causes the apparatus to perform a method comprising:
correlating sensor values with build coordinates for a three-dimensional component, the laser apparatus configured to form the three-dimensional component by exposing a powder bed to a beam of radiation based at least in part on the build coordinates, the beam of radiation providing an energy influx that generates a melt pool in a melt region of the powder bed, the sensor values having been captured by a sensor device and corresponding to the melt pool and/or the melt region; and
displaying with a visualization apparatus, based at least in part on a display output, a two-dimensional and/or a multidimensional representation of the three-dimensional component comprising the build coordinates and the sensor values in respect of a capture location thereof in the three-dimensional component, the display output comprising the sensor values having been correlated with the build coordinates.

Assignees

• Concept Laser Gmbh
• Univ Leuven Kath

Inventors

• Herzog Frank
• Bechmann Florian
• Berumen Sebastian
• Kruth Jean Pierre
• Craeghs Tom

Classifications

• B23K31/12 Primary

  relating to investigating the properties, e.g. the weldability, of materials · CPC title

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F12/49

  Scanners · CPC title

• B22F12/44

  characterised by the configuration of the radiation means · CPC title

• B22F10/31

  Calibration of process steps or apparatus settings, e.g. before or during manufacturing · CPC title