Method for producing a three-dimensional component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11904413-B2
Application number	US-202217688130-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2022
Priority date	Jul 28, 2010
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

Sensor values captured by a sensor device are determined, one or more regions of a three-dimensional component having a deviation from an intended value are determined based at least in part on build coordinates for additively manufacturing the three-dimensional component corresponding to the sensor values, and a quality of the three-dimensional component is evaluated based at least in part on the one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from the intended value. The sensor values correspond to an electromagnetic spectrum emitted by a melt pool formed by exposing a powder bed to a beam of radiation emitted from a laser apparatus, with the beam of radiation generating the melt pool in a melt region of the powder bed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which when executed by a processor associated with an apparatus for additively manufacturing a three-dimensional component, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
determining sensor values having been captured by a sensor device, the sensor values corresponding to an electromagnetic spectrum emitted by a melt pool formed by exposing a powder bed to a beam of radiation emitted from a laser apparatus, the beam of radiation generating the melt pool in a melt region of the powder bed;
determining, based at least in part on build coordinates for additively manufacturing the three-dimensional component corresponding to the sensor values, one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from an intended value; and
evaluating a quality of the three-dimensional component based at least in part on the one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from the intended value.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the intended value comprises at least one of: an intended degree of solidification and an intended melt pool dimension.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the sensor values comprise at least one of: an energy influx and a melt pool dimension.

4. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , comprising further computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform the method, including:
generating 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.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4 , wherein the multidimensional representation of the three-dimensional component comprises the one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from the intended value.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5 , comprising further computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform the method, including:
displaying with a visualization apparatus, the multidimensional representation of the three-dimensional component.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the multidimensional representation comprises the one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from the intended value being selectively displayed and/or highlighted.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , comprising further computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform the method, including:
determine a melt pool dimension based at least in part on the sensor values corresponding to the electromagnetic spectrum emitted by the melt pool, wherein the intended value comprises an intended melt pool dimension.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , comprising further computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform the method, including:
substituting and/or augmenting the build coordinates with newly obtained coordinate values having been captured by the sensor device.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein the intended value corresponds to at least one of: a degree of solidification, a degree of fusion, a melt temperature, a density, an energy influx, and a melt pool dimension.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , wherein evaluating the quality of the three-dimensional component comprises at least one of: accepting, rejecting, and modifying the three-dimensional component.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1 , comprising further computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform the method, including:
determining, based at least in part on the sensor values, at least one of: a degree of fusion, a temperature, and a temperature profile.

13. An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a laser melting apparatus configured to expose a powder bed to a beam of radiation emitted from the laser melting apparatus, the beam of radiation providing an energy influx that generates a melt pool in a melt region of the powder bed to form a three-dimensional component;
a sensor device configured to capture sensor values corresponding to an electromagnetic spectrum emitted by the melt pool; and
a non-transitory data storage medium and a processor, wherein the non-transitory data storage medium comprise computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
determining the sensor values having been captured by the sensor device;
determining, based at least in part on build coordinates for additively manufacturing the three-dimensional component corresponding to the sensor values, one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from an intended value; and
evaluating a quality of the three-dimensional component based at least in part on the one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from the intended value.

14. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , wherein the non-transitory data storage medium comprises further computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform the method, including:
generating 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.

15. The additive manufacturing system of claim 14 , wherein the multidimensional representation of the three-dimensional component comprises the one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from the intended value.

16. The additive manufacturing system of claim 15 , comprising:
a visualization apparatus configured to display the multidimensional representation of the three-dimensional component.

17. The additive manufacturing system of claim 16 , wherein the multidimensional representation comprises the one or more regions of the three-dimensional component having a deviation from the intended value being selectively displayed and/or highlighted.

18. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , wherein the intended value comprises at least one of: an intended degree of solidification and an intended melt pool dimension.

19. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , wherein the sensor values comprise at least one of: an energy influx and a melt pool dimension.

20. The additive manufacturing system of claim 13 , wherein the non-transitory data storage medium comprises further computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to further perform the method, including:
determine a melt pool dimension based at least in part on the sensor values corresponding to the electromagnetic spectrum emitted by the melt pool, wherein the intended value comprises an intended melt pool dimension.

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

• B22F10/00

  Additive manufacturing of workpieces or articles from metallic powder (apparatus or devices therefor B22F12/00) · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B22F10/31

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

• B22F12/90

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