Interlace scanning strategies and uses thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11945158-B2
Application number	US-201816761656-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 2, 2018
Priority date	Nov 10, 2017
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and program for additive manufacturing. In one aspect, the method comprises: forming an at least partially solidified portion within a first scan region ( 801 ), wherein the solidified portion within the first scan region ( 801 ) is formed by irradiating a build material along a first irradiation path ( 811 ). A second portion of a build material may be irradiated along a second irradiation path ( 813 ), wherein the second scan region ( 803 ) is offset with respect to the first scan region ( 801 ) thereby defining an offset region ( 802 ). The offset region ( 802 ) is at least partially solidified by the first irradiation path ( 811 ) and the second irradiation path ( 813 ) and a reference line ( 819 ) intersects the first irradiation path ( 811 ) and the second irradiation path ( 813 ) within the offset region ( 802 ), wherein the reference line ( 819 ) is substantially parallel to a side ( 810 ) of the first scan region ( 801 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming an object comprising:
irradiating a first portion of build material within a first scan region along a first irradiation path to form a first solidification line; and
irradiating a second portion of build material within a second scan region along a second irradiation path to form a second solidification line, wherein the second scan region is offset with respect to the first scan region thereby defining an offset region, wherein the offset region is at least partially solidified by the first solidification line extending into the offset region along the first irradiation path and the second solidification line extending into the offset region along the second irradiation path, and a reference line intersects the first irradiation path and the second irradiation path within the offset region, wherein the reference line is substantially parallel to a side of the first scan region,
wherein an irradiation source is adjusted at a location along the first irradiation path while forming the first solidification line to reduce a power output of the irradiation source while forming a first portion of the first solidification line within the first scan region from a first power output to a second power output upon crossing into the offset region while forming a second portion of the first solidification line within the offset region,
wherein the first solidification line and the second solidification line are spaced from each other within the offset region.

2. The method of forming an object of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of build material is irradiated within the first scan region when a build unit is at a first location with respect to the object, and the second portion of build material is irradiated within the second scan region is formed when the build unit is at a second location different from the first location.

3. The method of forming an object of claim 1 , wherein the first scan region and the second scan region are located on a mobile build platform, wherein the first portion of the build material is in a first location with respect to a build unit and the at least partially solidified portion within the second scan region is formed when the mobile build platform is in a second location with respect to the build unit.

4. The method of forming an object of claim 1 , wherein the second solidification line is substantially parallel to the first solidification line, wherein the first solidification line intersects the reference line and the second solidification line does not intersect the reference line.

5. The method of forming an object of claim 4 , wherein the at least partially solidified portion within the second scan region includes a third solidification line and a fourth solidification line substantially parallel to the third solidification line, wherein the third solidification line does not intersect the reference line and the fourth solidification line does intersect the reference line.

6. The method of forming an object of claim 1 , comprising irradiating an interlocking solidification path to at least partially solidify a space between the first scan region and the second scan region.

7. The method of forming an object of claim 6 , wherein the interlocking solidification path has a shape that has an interlocking geometry that interlocks the first scan region with the second scan region, wherein the interlocking geometry includes a series of teeth, a series of semicircles, a sinusoidal curve, a series of dovetails, a series of rectangular shapes, or a series of square shapes.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program configured to cause a computer to execute an additive manufacturing method, the additive manufacturing method comprising:
irradiating a first portion of build material within a first scan region along a first irradiation path to form a first solidification line; and
irradiating a second portion of build material within a second scan region along a second irradiation path to form a second solidification line,
wherein the second scan region is offset with respect to the first scan region thereby defining an offset region, wherein the offset region is at least partially solidified by the first solidification line extending into the offset region along the first irradiation path and the second solidification line extending into the offset region along the second irradiation path, and a reference line intersects the first irradiation path and the second irradiation path within the offset region, wherein the reference line is substantially parallel a side of the first scan region,
wherein an irradiation source is adjusted at a location along the first irradiation path while forming the first solidification line to reduce a power output of the irradiation source while forming a first portion of the first solidification line within the first scan region from a first power output to a second power output upon crossing into the offset region while forming a second portion of the first solidification line within the offset region,
wherein the first solidification line and the second solidification line are spaced from each other within the offset region.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of claim 8 , wherein the first portion of build material is irradiated within the first scan region when a build unit is at a first location with respect to an object, and the second portion of build material is irradiated within the second scan region when the build unit is at a second location different from the first location.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of claim 8 , wherein the first scan region and the second scan region are located on a mobile build platform, wherein the first portion of the build material is in a first location with respect to a build unit and the second scan region is at least partially solidified when the mobile build platform is in a second location with respect to the build unit.

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of claim 8 , wherein the second solidification line is substantially parallel to the first solidification line, wherein the first solidification line crosses the reference line and the second solidification line does not cross the reference line.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of claim 11 , wherein the second scan region includes a third solidification line and a fourth solidification line substantially parallel to the third solidification line, wherein the third solidification line does not cross the reference line and the fourth solidification line does cross the reference line.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of claim 12 , wherein the first scan region is bounded by a solidified stripe, which represents a border for the first scan region.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of claim 13 , wherein the second scan region is bounded by a second solidified stripe, which represents a second border for the second scan region.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of claim 8 , wherein irradiating the first portion of build material comprises irradiating the first portion of build material with a laser.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program of claim 8 , wherein the additive manufacturing method is a direct metal laser sintering method or a direct metal laser melting method.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a progra

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Mamrak Justin
• Gansler Michael Thomas

Classifications

• B29C64/153 Primary

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

• B22F10/28

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

• B22F10/366

  Scanning parameters, e.g. hatch distance or scanning strategy · CPC title

• B29C64/268

  using laser beams; using electron beams [EB] · CPC title

• B33Y10/00 Primary

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title