Diode laser fiber array for contour of powder bed fabrication or repair

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11712765-B2
Application number	US-202117397011-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2021
Priority date	Oct 26, 2017
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A method of forming a build in a powder bed includes providing a first diode laser fiber array and a second diode laser fiber array, emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the second diode laser fiber array onto the powder bed, corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the build, simultaneously melting powder in the powder bed corresponding to the pattern of the layer of the build, scanning a first diode laser fiber array along an outer boundary of the powder bed and emitting a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the first diode laser fiber array and simultaneously melting powder in the powder bed corresponding to the outer boundary of the layer of the build to contour the layer of the build. An apparatus for forming a build in a powder bed including a first diode laser fiber array and a second diode laser fiber array is also disclosed. The first diode laser fiber array configured to contour the layer of the build.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for forming a build in a powder bed, comprising:
a first diode laser fiber array comprising a plurality of diode lasers and a plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of diode lasers, each optical fiber configured to receive a laser beam from a respective diode laser and configured to emit the laser beam;
a second diode laser fiber array comprising a plurality of diode lasers and a plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of diode lasers, each optical fiber configured to receive a laser beam from a respective diode laser and configured to emit the laser beam;
a support configured to support a powder bed or a component configured to support the powder bed at a distance from ends of the optical fibers of the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array; and
a controller configured to control the second diode laser fiber array to emit a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the second diode laser fiber array onto the powder bed, the selected fibers of the second diode laser fiber array corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the build and simultaneously melt the powder in the powder bed corresponding to the pattern of the layer of the build,
the controller configured to control the first diode laser fiber array to emit a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the first diode laser fiber array onto an outer boundary of the layer of the build in the powder bed, the selected fibers of the first diode laser fiber array corresponding to the outer boundary of the layer of the build and simultaneously melt the powder in the powder bed.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array comprise a single diode laser fiber array.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control at least one of a duration of each laser beam of the first diode laser fiber array, a pulse energy of each diode laser of the first diode laser fiber array, a pulse width of each diode laser of the first diode laser fiber array, an average output power of each diode laser of the first diode laser fiber array, an energy distribution of each laser beam of the first diode laser fiber array, power density of each laser beam of the first diode laser fiber array, a rate of reduction of the power of each laser beam of the first diode laser fiber array, and/or a distance of ends of fibers of the first diode laser fiber array from the powder bed.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control at least one of a duration of each laser beam of the second diode laser fiber array, a pulse energy of each diode laser of the second diode laser fiber array, a pulse width of each diode laser of the second diode laser fiber array, an average output power of each diode laser of the second diode laser fiber array, an energy distribution of each laser beam of the second diode laser fiber array, power density of each laser beam of the second diode laser fiber array, a rate of reduction of the power of each laser beam of the second diode laser fiber array, and/or a distance of ends of fibers of the second diode laser fiber array from the powder bed.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the array of fibers of the first diode laser fiber array are one of arranged linearly, arranged in a staggered line, in a close-packed arrangement or arranged in intersecting lines.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a spacing between the diode laser fibers of the first diode laser fiber array is less than a spacing between the diode laser fibers of the second diode laser fiber array.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of diode laser fibers of the first diode laser fiber array is less than the plurality of diode laser fibers of the second diode laser fiber array.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a diameter of each of the diode laser fibers of the first diode laser fiber array is less than a diameter of each of the diode laser fibers of the second diode laser fiber array.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein an average output power of each diode laser of the first diode laser fiber array is between about 2 W to about 60 W.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a power density of each laser beam of the first diode laser fiber array is about 1,000,000 W/cm 2 .

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured such that the powder is metal, ceramic, glass, or plastic.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the layer of the build is between about 1 μm to about 1 mm.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured such that the build is a repair of a component.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is configured such that the component is an airfoil of a turbine.

15. An apparatus for forming a build in a powder bed, comprising:
a first diode laser fiber array comprising a plurality of diode lasers and a plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of diode lasers, each optical fiber configured to receive a laser beam from a respective diode laser and configured to emit the laser beam;
a second diode laser fiber array comprising a plurality of diode lasers and a plurality of optical fibers corresponding to the plurality of diode lasers, each optical fiber configured to receive a laser beam from a respective diode laser and configured to emit the laser beam;
a support configured to support a powder bed or a component configured to support the powder bed at a distance from ends of the optical fibers of the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array; and
a controller configured to control the second diode laser fiber array to emit a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the second diode laser fiber array onto the powder bed, the selected fibers of the second diode laser fiber array corresponding to a pattern of a layer of the build and simultaneously melt the powder in the powder bed corresponding to the pattern of the layer of the build,
the controller configured to control the first diode laser fiber array to emit a plurality of laser beams from selected fibers of the first diode laser fiber array onto an outer boundary of the layer of the build in the powder bed, the selected fibers of the first diode laser fiber array corresponding to the outer boundary of the layer of the build and simultaneously melt the powder in the powder bed, wherein the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array are each independently operable with respect to the other.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to control at least one of a duration of each laser beam of the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array, a pulse energy of each diode laser of the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array, a pulse width of each diode laser of the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array, an average output power of each diode laser of the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array, an energy distribution of each laser beam of the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array, power density of each laser beam of the first diode laser fiber array and the second diode laser fiber array, a rate of reduction

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Bogdan Jr David Charles
• Karp Jason Harris
• Carter William Thomas

Classifications

• B23P6/007 Primary

  using only additive methods, e.g. build-up welding · CPC title

• B23K26/0006

  taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• B23K26/0604

  by a combination of beams · CPC title

• B23K26/0622

  by shaping pulses · CPC title

• B23K26/0626

  Energy control of the laser beam (B23K26/0622 takes precedence) · CPC title