Method and apparatus for additive manufacturing of a workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12194535-B2
Application number	US-202117526717-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 15, 2021
Priority date	May 15, 2019
Publication date	Jan 14, 2025
Grant date	Jan 14, 2025

Abstract

In a method for additive manufacturing of a workpiece, a data set defines the workpiece in multiple layers. A first energy beam is moved relative to a manufacturing platform along first trajectories to produce, in temporally successive steps, a stack of workpiece layers. Individual properties of the stack are determined using a measurement arrangement having an exciter that excites the stack with a second energy beam, and having a detector that detects properties of the stack resulting from an excitation along a defined detection path in a spatially resolved manner. At least one of the second energy beam and the detection path is moved relative to the manufacturing platform along further trajectories using a further scanning unit. The first scanning unit and the further scanning unit establish completely separate beam paths for the first energy beam and the at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for additive manufacturing of a workpiece using a structuring tool having a first scanning unit, the method comprising:
obtaining a data set that defines the workpiece in a plurality of layers arranged one on top of another;
determining a plurality of first trajectories using the data set;
moving a first energy beam of the first scanning unit in a spatially resolved manner relative to a manufacturing platform in temporally successive steps along a respective first trajectory from the plurality of first trajectories to produce, in the temporally successive steps, a stack of workpiece layers arranged one on top of another, wherein the workpiece layers correspond to the plurality of first trajectories;
determining individual properties of the stack using a measurement arrangement including (i) an exciter that excites the stack with a second energy beam and (ii) a detector that detects properties of the stack resulting from an excitation along a defined detection path in a spatially resolved manner; and
moving at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path relative to the manufacturing platform along a plurality of further trajectories using a further scanning unit,
wherein the first scanning unit and the further scanning unit establish completely separate beam paths for the first energy beam and the at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path, and
wherein the plurality of further trajectories differ at least partially from the plurality of first trajectories.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path is moved in one of the temporally successive steps along a further trajectory from the plurality of further trajectories, while the first energy beam is moved along a first trajectory.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the plurality of further trajectories based on the plurality of first trajectories.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first energy beam and the second energy beam are moved in a coordinated manner such that a superposition of the first energy beam and the second energy beam on the stack is avoided.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the manufacturing platform has a platform diameter, and
the method includes positioning, during the additive manufacturing of the workpiece, the at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path at a lateral distance from the first energy beam that is greater than half the platform diameter.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the manufacturing platform has a platform diameter, and
the method includes, during an entirety of the additive manufacturing of the workpiece, positioning at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path at a lateral distance from the first energy beam that is greater than half the platform diameter.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the exciter and the detector are arranged in separate housing modules that are spatially distant from one another.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the separate housing modules are arranged on different sides of the manufacturing platform.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein selected first trajectories from the plurality of first trajectories are modified based on the individual properties of the stack.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of further trajectories are determined iteratively based on the selected first trajectories from the plurality of first trajectories.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the further scanning unit moves the second energy beam and the detection path together along the plurality of further trajectories.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the further scanning unit has a first further scanning unit and a structurally separate second further scanning unit,
the second energy beam is moved using the first further scanning unit, and
the detection path is moved using the second further scanning unit.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path is continuously moved using the further scanning unit, and
the measurement arrangement includes a third scanning unit that follows the further scanning unit.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
selectively heating the stack using the exciter; and
detecting, using the measurement arrangement, deformation contrasts in the stack resulting from selective heating.

15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating an ultrasonic wave in the stack using the exciter.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the measurement arrangement detects temperature contrasts in the stack.

17. An apparatus for additive manufacturing of a workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
an interface for obtaining a data set that defines the workpiece in a plurality of layers arranged one on top of another;
a manufacturing platform;
a structuring tool including a first scanning unit configured to move a first energy beam in a spatially resolved manner relative to the manufacturing platform;
a controller configured to control the first scanning unit using the data set to move the first energy beam relative to the manufacturing platform in temporally successive steps along a plurality of first trajectories, wherein the structuring tool produces, in the temporally successive steps, a stack of workpiece layers arranged one on top of another, and wherein the workpiece layers correspond to the plurality of first trajectories; and
a measurement arrangement configured to determine individual properties of the stack,
wherein the measurement arrangement includes an exciter configured to excite the stack with a second energy beam,
wherein the measurement arrangement includes a detector configured to detect properties of the stack resulting from an excitation along a detection path in a spatially resolved manner,
wherein the measurement arrangement includes a further scanning unit,
wherein the controller is configured to control the further scanning unit separately from the first scanning unit in such a manner that at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path moves relative to the manufacturing platform along a plurality of further trajectories,
wherein the plurality of further trajectories can differ from the plurality of first trajectories, and
wherein the first scanning unit and the further scanning unit establish completely separate beam paths for the first energy beam and the at least one of the second energy beam and the detection path.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Ag
• Zeiss Carl Industrielle Messtechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Widulle Frank
• Platt Christian
• Milde Thomas
• Wiedemann Bernhard

Classifications

• B28B17/0081

  Process control · CPC title

• B28B1/001

  Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material (selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00) · CPC title

• B23K26/34

  Laser welding for purposes other than joining · CPC title

• B22F10/28

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

• B22F10/38

  to achieve specific product aspects, e.g. surface smoothness, density, porosity or hollow structures · CPC title