Additive manufacturing method using a plurality of synchronized laser beams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017173737-A1
Application number	US-201615380660-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 17, 2015
Publication date	Jun 22, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An additive manufacturing method includes providing a first and second scanners with fields of view that at least partially overlap. The method includes applying a layer of powder-based materials to the part bed and providing a number of laser sources that direct a number of laser beams to the first and second scanners. The laser beams are directed from the scanners to the part bed to selectively fuse the material to produce a layer of a three-dimensional part. The layer is formed by selectively directing laser energy to the material in a selected pattern, and synchronizing the movement of the laser beams to continuously process the selected pattern in each layer of the three-dimensional part. An additive manufacturing system includes first and second laser sources, first and second scanners, and a controller configured to operate the scanners and laser(s) for producing the three-dimensional printed part.

First claim

What is claimed:

1 . A method of additive manufacturing for building a three-dimensional part in a part bed, the method comprising:
providing a first scanner having a first field of view; providing a second adjacent scanner having a second field of view wherein the first field of view and the second field of view at least partially overlap and wherein the first and second scanners are positioned at a selected height above the substrate; applying a layer of one or more materials onto or over the part bed; providing a plurality of laser sources configured to produce a plurality of laser beams; directing a first laser beam of the plurality of laser beams to the first scanner and a second laser beam of the plurality of laser beams to the second scanner; directing a movement of the laser beam from each corresponding scanner to selectively fuse the materials based on a sliced layer of a digital model for the three-dimensional part to produce a layer of the three-dimensional part by selectively directing laser energy to the materials in a selected pattern; and synchronizing the movement of the laser beams to continuously process the selected pattern in each layer of the three-dimensional part.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the materials are powder-based.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the materials are photocurable polymer based.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein synchronizing further comprises synchronizing the movement of the laser beams to scan along a same tool path of the slice layer substantially concurrently.

5 . The method of claim 4 , and further comprising tracing at least a portion of the selected pattern being melted by the first laser beam in the overlap of the fields of view with the second laser beam for at least a selected distance along the selected pattern.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein directing the laser beams from each corresponding scanner to selectively melt further comprises melting a first portion of the selected pattern for a layer with the first laser beam and melting a second, separate portion of the selected pattern for a layer with the second laser beam, wherein the first and the second portions comprise the entire selected pattern.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each scanner is configured to direct its respective laser beam along an area defined by the respective field of view of each scanner and the area comprises at least a portion of the adjacent field of view bounded by the at least partial overlap of the fields of view.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the sliced layer comprises a tool path that crosses from the first scanner field of view through the at least partial overlap of the fields of view and to the second scanner field of view.

9 . The method of claim 1 , and further comprising selectively melting the powder-based material by concurrently directing the movement the plurality of laser beams along a length of the tool path that traverses the portion of the fields of view that overlap.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of laser sources includes a first laser source configured to produce the first laser beam and a second laser source configured to produce the second laser beam.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein synchronizing further comprises synchronizing the plurality of laser sources to process portions of the selected pattern with one or more of the plurality of laser sources.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein synchronizing further comprises post heating the selected pattern to control a part energy profile.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein post heating comprises pulsing at least one of the plurality of laser sources.

14 . A method for producing a three-dimensional printed part, the method comprising:
generating tool paths from sliced layers of a part model for producing the three-dimensional printed part using a powder-based selective metal process wherein at least one tool path substantially traverses a part bed; selectively melting a layer of powder-based material by providing a plurality of selectively directable mirrors configured to steer a plurality of laser beams to continuously apply laser energy to the at least one tool path and wherein the plurality of lasers are concurrently directed to at least a length of the tool path.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of laser beams to continuously apply laser energy to the at least one tool path are each provided with a laser energy sufficient to melt the powder-based material.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the plurality of laser beams are concurrently directed to at least a length of the tool path that traverses an area bounded by an area of a field of view of each laser beam that overlaps.

17 . The method of claim 16 , and further comprising selectively pre-heating the powder-based material along the tool path with the plurality of laser beams concurrently directed to the at least one tool path.

18 . The method of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the plurality of laser beams for continuously applying laser energy to the at least one tool path are provided with a laser energy sufficient to pre-heat the powder-based material.

19 . The method of claim 16 and further comprising selectively pre-heating the powder-based material along the tool path with the plurality of laser beams concurrently directed to the at least one tool path.

20 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the powder-based material comprises a plastic.

21 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the powder-based material comprises a metal.

22 . An additive manufacturing system, comprising:
a plurality of laser sources to generate a plurality of laser beams; a plurality of scanners, each scanner to receive a one of the generated laser beams and to direct its respective received generated laser beam; a part bed to receive the directed laser beams; and a controller, the controller configured to operate the plurality of scanners and to control power of the plurality of laser beams to provide a continuous application of laser energy along a tool path generated from sliced layers of a part model for producing the three-dimensional printed part.

23 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of lasers comprises two laser sources, a first laser source to generate a first laser beam and a second laser source to generate a second laser beam.

24 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 22 , wherein the controller is further configured to synchronize the movement of the plurality of laser beams to scan along a portion of the tool path of the slice layer substantially concurrently.

25 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 23 , wherein the controller is further configured to direct at least one laser beam from each corresponding scanner to selectively melt a first portion of the selected pattern for a layer with the first laser beam and melt a second, separate portion of the selected pattern for a layer with the second laser beam, wherein the first and the second portions comprise the entire selected pattern.

26 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 22 , wherein the plurality of laser beams are each provided with a laser energy sufficient to melt a powder-based material in the part bed.

27 . The additive manufacturing system of claim 22 , wherein the controller i

Assignees

• Stratasys Inc

Inventors

• Gray Damien Francis

Classifications

• B33Y30/00

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

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B23K26/082

  Scanning systems, i.e. devices involving movement of the laser beam relative to the laser head · CPC title

• B23K26/342 Primary

  Build-up welding · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title