Apparatus and Method for Manufacturing an Anti-counterfeit Three-dimensional Article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016221114-A1
Application number	US-201514613504-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 4, 2015
Priority date	Feb 4, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and method for manufacturing and authenticating a three-dimensional article including the steps of (1) successively building up the article from a metal powder by an additive manufacturing process by scanning a selected portion of the metal powder with electromagnetic radiation, (2) forming an anti-counterfeiting mark in the article during the additive manufacturing process, and (3) determining whether the article includes the anti-counterfeiting mark.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for manufacturing a three-dimensional article, said method comprising:
successively building up said article from a metal powder by an additive manufacturing process by scanning a selected portion of said metal powder with electromagnetic radiation; and forming an anti-counterfeiting mark in said article during said additive manufacturing process.

2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
establishing an article microstructure of said article; and
establishing an anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure of said anti-counterfeiting mark,
wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure is different than said article microstructure.

3 . The method of claim 2 wherein establishing said article microstructure comprises setting a process parameter of said additive manufacturing process, and wherein establishing said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure comprises manipulating said process parameter of said additive manufacturing process.

4 . The method of claim 3 wherein said process parameter comprises a melting speed of said metal powder.

5 . The method of claim 3 wherein said process parameter comprises a power level of said electromagnetic radiation.

6 . The method of claim 3 wherein said process parameter comprises a direction of said electromagnetic radiation.

7 . The method of claim 3 wherein said process parameter comprises a melting temperature of said metal powder.

8 . The method of claim 3 wherein said process parameter comprises a hold temperature of said metal powder upon melting.

9 . The method of claim 3 wherein said process parameter comprises a hold time of said metal powder upon melting.

10 . The method of claim 3 wherein said process parameter comprises a cool down time to solidify said metal powder following melting.

11 . The method of claim 3 wherein said process parameter comprises a scanning velocity of said electromagnetic radiation.

12 . The method of claim 3 wherein said process parameter comprises a focal offset value.

13 . The method of claim 1 wherein building up said article comprises:
depositing a powder stratum onto a build platform;
melting a selected portion of said powder stratum with said electromagnetic radiation;
depositing subsequent powder stratums upon each prior powder stratum;
melting a selected portion of each subsequent powder stratum with said electromagnetic radiation;
solidifying said selected portion of said powder stratum and said selected portion of said each subsequent powder stratum to form said article; and
establishing an article microstructure of said article.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein said powder stratum and said subsequent powder stratums each comprises a uniform thickness.

15 . The method of claim 13 wherein forming said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises:
melting a selected portion of a topmost powder stratum of said subsequent powder stratums;
solidifying said selected portion of said topmost powder stratum of said subsequent powder stratums to form said anti-counterfeiting mark in said article; and
establishing an anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure of said anti-counterfeiting mark,
wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure is different than said article microstructure.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein establishing said article microstructure comprises setting a process parameter of said additive manufacturing process, and wherein establishing said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure comprises manipulating said process parameter of said additive manufacturing process.

17 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:
generating a three-dimensional model representing said article;
generating cross-sectional slices of said three-dimensional model representing layers of said article;
generating article process parameters for said additive manufacturing process to establish an article microstructure; and
providing said cross-sectional slices and said article process parameters to an additive manufacturing apparatus.

18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:
generating an anti-counterfeiting image representing said anti-counterfeiting mark;
generating anti-counterfeiting mark process parameters for said additive manufacturing process to establish an anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure; and
providing said anti-counterfeiting image and said anti-counterfeiting mark process parameters to said additive manufacturing apparatus.

19 . The method of claim 18 further comprising processing said three-dimensional model and said anti-counterfeiting image such that at least one cross-sectional slice represents at least one layer and at least a portion of anti-counterfeiting mark.

20 . The method of claim 1 wherein said additive manufacturing process comprises electron beam melting.

21 . The method of claim 1 wherein said additive manufacturing process comprises selective laser melting.

22 . The method of claim 1 further comprising determining whether said article includes said anti-counterfeiting mark during said additive manufacturing process.

23 . The method of claim 22 wherein said determining whether said article includes said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises examining an exterior of said article.

24 . The method of claim 22 wherein said determining whether said article includes said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises examining an interior of said article.

25 . The method of claim 22 further comprising:
establishing an article microstructure of said article; and
establishing an anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure of said anti-counterfeiting mark,
wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure comprises a microscopically perceptible variation compared to said article microstructure.

26 . The method of claim 22 wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises at least one branding element for authenticating said article.

27 . An additively manufactured three-dimensional article comprising:
layers successively built up from a metal powder by an additive manufacturing process by scanning a selected portion of said metal powder with electromagnetic radiation; and an anti-counterfeiting mark formed in at least one layer of said layers during said additive manufacturing process.

28 . The article of claim 27 wherein said topmost layer comprises a layer microstructure, wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises an anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure, and wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure is different than said layer microstructure.

29 . The article of claim 28 wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark microstructure comprises a microscopically perceptible variation compared to said article microstructure.

30 . The article of claim 28 wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark is only visible under at least a 25× magnification.

31 . The article of claim 27 wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises at least one of an image, a symbol, a string of one or more alphabetic characters, a string of one or more numeric characters, a bar code and a QR code.

32 . The article of claim 27 wherein said anti-counterfeiting mark comprises at least one branding element for authenticating said article.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Dietrich David M

Classifications

• B22F3/105

  by using electric current {other than for infrared radiant energy}, laser radiation or plasma (B22F3/11 takes precedence){; by ultrasonic bonding (B22F3/115 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B29C64/10

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• G06K19/086 Primary

  with markings consisting of randomly placed or oriented elements, the randomness of the elements being useable for generating a unique identifying signature of the record carrier, e.g. randomly placed magnetic fibers or magnetic particles in the body of a credit card · CPC title

• B23K15/0086 Primary

  welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. build-up welding · CPC title

• B22F10/39

  Traceability, e.g. incorporating identifier into a workpiece or article · CPC title