Method and apparatus for additive manufacture of a workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12558727-B2
Application number	US-202318304154-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 20, 2023
Priority date	Oct 20, 2020
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

A method for additive manufacturing includes obtaining a dataset that defines the workpiece in multiple workpiece layers arranged one on top of the other. A layer stack of multiple workpiece layers is produced based on the dataset. The layer stack has a respective topmost workpiece layer at a defined instant of time. The layer stack is thermally excited at the defined instant of time and a sequence of images of the respective topmost workpiece layer is recorded. The layer stack is inspected using the sequence of images. The inspection involves evaluation of an individual temporal deformation profile of the respective topmost workpiece layer in response to the thermal excitation. The individual temporal deformation profile has multiple characteristic features including an individual deformation increase, an individual deformation maximum, and an individual deformation decrease. The inspection result is determined by evaluating at least one of the characteristic features.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for additively manufacturing a workpiece, comprising:
obtaining a dataset that defines the workpiece in a plurality of workpiece layers arranged one on top of the other; producing the plurality of workpiece layers arranged one on top of the other using a layer forming tool which is controlled in dependence on the dataset, wherein the plurality of workpiece layers form a layer stack which, at a defined instant of time, has a respective topmost workpiece layer and a number of respective workpiece layers underneath; thermally exciting the layer stack at the defined instant of time; recording a sequence of images of the respective topmost workpiece layer; and inspecting the layer stack using the sequence of images in order to obtain an inspection result that is representative of the workpiece, wherein an individual temporal deformation profile of the respective topmost workpiece layer is determined in response to the thermal excitation using the sequence of images, wherein the individual temporal deformation profile has a plurality of characteristic features including an individual deformation increase, an individual deformation maximum, and an individual deformation decrease, and wherein the inspection result is determined by evaluating at least one of the characteristic features from the plurality of characteristic features.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the inspection result is determined by evaluating at least two of the characteristic features from the plurality of characteristic features.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the characteristic features includes the individual deformation maximum.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining the inspection result comprises determining at least one of a slope of the individual temporal deformation profile or an instant of time when the individual deformation maximum occurs.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining the inspection result comprises determining a turning point in the individual temporal deformation profile.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
each image from the sequence of images has a plurality of image segments,
a respective individual temporal deformation profile is determined for each image segment from the plurality of image segments in response to the thermal excitation, and
the inspection result is determined based on the respective individual temporal deformation profiles.

7 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the thermal excitation of the layer stack includes a thermal excitation of the topmost workpiece layer in a first layer region which is locally delimited,
the sequence of images show the first layer region and a further layer region of the topmost workpiece layer, and
the first layer region and the further layer region are disjoint.

8 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the sequence of images include at least one first image of the topmost workpiece layer which was recorded before the thermal excitation, and
the inspection result is determined using the at least one first image and further images recorded after the thermal excitation.

9 . The method of claim 1 wherein the sequence of images are normalized using at least one reference image before the individual temporal deformation profile is determined.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein the sequence of images are recorded with a frame rate of ≥1 kHz.

11 . The method of claim 1 wherein the inspection result is determined based on the sequence of images using a principal component analysis.

12 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the layer stack is repeatedly thermally excited,
at least one excitation parameter is varied between repeated excitations, and
the inspection result is determined based on the repeated excitations.

13 . The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one excitation parameter is an excitation intensity or an excitation duration.

14 . The method of claim 1 wherein:
the thermally exciting, recording a sequence of images, and inspecting the layer stack using the sequence of images are repeated for a plurality of respective topmost workpiece layers, and
the method further comprises determining a plurality of inspection results based on the plurality of respective topmost workpiece layers.

15 . The method of claim 14 wherein a weighted average is formed from the plurality of inspection results in order to detect an undesired anomaly in the layer stack.

16 . The method of claim 1 wherein the individual temporal deformation profile is determined using a measurement method including at least one of: speckle interferometry, digital holography, shearography, laser Doppler vibrometry, Fabry-Perot interferometry, Sagnac interferometry, or interferometry with nonlinear optics.

17 . The method of claim 1 wherein the inspection result is additionally determined using at least one of a thermal transient profile, ultrasonic excitation, a simulated deformation profile, a melt pool characterization, or angle-selective illumination of the topmost workpiece layer.

18 . An apparatus for additively manufacturing a workpiece, the apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store a dataset that defines the workpiece in a plurality of workpiece layers arranged one on top of the other; a manufacturing platform; a layer forming tool; a heating tool; a camera directed at the manufacturing platform; and an evaluation and control unit configured to:
produce a plurality of workpiece layers arranged one on top of the other on the manufacturing platform using the layer forming tool and the dataset, the plurality of workpiece layers forming a layer stack which, at a defined instant of time, has a topmost workpiece layer and a number of workpiece layers underneath,
thermally excite the layer stack at the defined instant of time using the heating tool,
record a sequence of images of the topmost workpiece layer using the camera,
determine an individual temporal deformation profile of the topmost workpiece layer in response to the thermal excitation using the sequence of images, and
inspect the layer stack using the individual temporal deformation profile,
wherein the individual temporal deformation profile has a plurality of characteristic features including an individual deformation increase, an individual deformation maximum, and an individual deformation decrease, and wherein the evaluation and control unit determines an inspection result using at least one of the characteristic features from the plurality of characteristic features.

Assignees

• Zeiss Carl Industrielle Messtechnik Gmbh

Inventors

• Totzeck Michael
• Widulle Frank
• Platt Christian
• Mout Beat Marco
• Spengler Diana

Classifications

• B22F12/90

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

• B22F10/85

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

  Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor · CPC title

• G01N25/72

  Investigating presence of flaws · CPC title