Measuring system for a device for the generative manufacturing of a three-dimensional object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11993007-B2
Application number	US-201816624363-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2018
Priority date	Jun 28, 2017
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

A measuring system serves for equipping or retrofitting a device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by selective layerwise solidification of a building material. The device includes an irradiator for selectively irradiating a layer of the building material applied in a working plane of the device at locations corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured. The irradiator includes at least two irradiation units, and each irradiation unit can be projected onto a pixel in the working plane and can be at least switched on and off. The measuring system includes at least one camera for determining and evaluating the radiation emitted by the irradiator and/or the position and/or orientation of the irradiation unit(s) in absolute and/or relative to one another, and at least one distance sensor for detecting an extension in a direction (z) perpendicular to the working plane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A measuring system for equipping or retrofitting a device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by selective layerwise solidification of a building material, wherein the device includes an irradiator for selectively irradiating a layer of the building material applied in a working plane of the device at locations corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured to thereby solidify the irradiated locations, the irradiator including at least two irradiation units, the measuring system comprises:
a positioning unit and a measuring head holder movably mounted on the positioning unit;
at least one camera for capturing an image of an element located above the camera and for determining and evaluating radiation emitted by the irradiator and/or the position and/or orientation of the at least one of the irradiation units in absolute and/or relative to one another; and
at least one distance sensor for determining a vertical distance to an element located above the distance sensor,
wherein the at least one camera and the at least one distance sensor are mounted in a fixed position relative to one another on the measuring head holder.

2. The measuring system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one power measuring device for determining a radiation power of the irradiator and/or of at least one irradiation units.

3. The measuring system according to claim 1 , wherein the device further includes a recoater, and further comprising at least one switch that is designed to avoid a collision of the irradiator and the a recoater.

4. The measuring system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the camera comprises a CMOS sensor and/or a CCD sensor, and/or
the power measuring device comprises a photodiode and/or a photo resistor.

5. The measuring system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two irradiation units are laser arrays.

6. The measuring system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one camera and the at least one distance sensor are integrated in a single measuring device.

7. The measuring system according to claim 4 , wherein the photodiode and/or the photo resistor of the power measuring device are integrated in an Ulbricht sphere.

8. A measuring system for equipping or retrofitting an additive manufacturing device that solidifies building material at a working plane, wherein the additive manufacturing device includes at least two laser arrays, the measuring system comprising:
a positioning unit and a measuring head holder movably mounted on the positioning unit;
a camera for capturing an image of an element located above the camera and for determining and evaluating at least one of (a) radiation emitted by at least one of the laser arrays; (b) a position of at least one of the laser arrays; and (c) an orientation of at least one of the laser arrays; and
a distance sensor that measures a distance between the distance sensor and another element located above the distance sensor,
wherein the at least one camera and the at least one distance sensor are mounted in a fixed position relative to one another on the measuring head holder.

9. A measuring system for a device for manufacturing a three-dimensional object by selective layerwise solidification of a building material, wherein the device includes a plurality of irradiation units, the measuring system comprising:
a positioning unit;
a measuring head holder movably mounted on the positioning unit, the measuring head holder including a camera, a power measuring device, and a distance sensor each mounted in a fixed position relative to each other,
wherein the camera captures an image of the irradiation units in a light-emitting state and converts the image into an image signals via an image sensor, the image signal evaluating at least one of (a) radiation emitted by the irradiation units; (b) an orientation of the irradiation units within the device; and (c) an orientation of the irradiation units relative to each other;
wherein the power measuring device determines radiation power emitted by the irradiation units by converting an optical power of the irradiation units into a power signal; and
wherein the distance sensor determines a vertical distance to an element located above the distance sensor and creates a distance signal representing the vertical distance.

Assignees

• Eos Gmbh Electro Optical Systems

Inventors

• Mattes Thomas
• Philippi Jochen

Classifications

• B29C64/153 Primary

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

• B22F12/45

  Two or more · CPC title

• B22F12/90

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

• B29C64/268

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

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title