Accurate three-dimensional printing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017239891-A1
Application number	US-201715435065-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Feb 18, 2016
Publication date	Aug 24, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, and systems using, inter alia, a controller that regulates formation of at least one 3D object (e.g., in real time during the 3D printing); and a non-transitory computer-readable medium facilitating the same. For example, a controller that regulates a deformation of at least a portion of the 3D object. The control may be in situ control. The control may be real-time control during the 3D printing process. For example, the control may be during a physical-attribute pulse. The present disclosure provides various methods, apparatuses, systems and software for estimating the fundamental length scale of a melt pool, and for various tools that increase the accuracy of the 3D printing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for printing a three-dimensional object comprising:
(a) disposing a pre-transformed material towards a platform; (b) transforming the pre-transformed material with an energy beam to form a first melt pool as part of the three-dimensional object, which first melt pool is disposed on a target surface that is disposed at or above the platform; (c) detecting a physical attribute of the first melt pool to obtain a first physical attribute value during the printing; (d) detecting the physical attribute of a vicinity of the first melt pool to obtain a second physical attribute value during the printing; and (e) controlling the energy beam using the first physical attribute value, the second physical attribute value, or the first physical attribute value and the second physical attribute value, which controlling is during the printing.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical attribute value is correlated to the temperature.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical attribute value comprises an amplitude, or a wavelength of an electromagnetic beam that irradiates from the target surface.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the electromagnetic beam comprises an infra-red beam.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the physical attribute value comprises an amplitude, or wavelength of an electromagnetic beam that is reflected from the target surface.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting comprises using an optical fiber that is coupled to a detector.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein during the printing comprises during formation of a layer, a plurality of melt pools within a layer, the first melt pool, or any combination thereof, wherein the layer is a portion of the three-dimensional object.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling comprises altering at least one characteristic of the energy beam.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the energy beam comprises (i) the power density, (ii) the cross-section beam, (iii) the dwell time, or (iv) the focus.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling comprises comparing the first physical attribute value with the second physical attribute value.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the controlling comprises comparing (i) the first physical attribute value with a respective first physical attribute threshold value, (ii) the second physical attribute value with a respective second physical attribute threshold value, or (iii) the first physical attribute value with the second physical attribute threshold value.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the printing comprises using a printing instruction to control the energy beam, and wherein the method further comprises altering the printing instruction using the comparing.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the altering is during the printing.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the pre-transformed material is at least a portion of a material bed, and wherein the material bed is planarized during the printing using a layer dispensing mechanism comprising a cyclonic separator.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the vicinity is an area having a radius of at most about six fundamental length scales of the first melt pool, that is concentric with the first melt pool.

16 . A system for printing a three-dimensional object comprising:
an enclosure configured to contain a platform; an energy source that is configured to generate an energy beam that transforms a pre-transformed material into a transformed material comprising a melt pool, which melt pool is a part of the three-dimensional object, wherein the energy source is operatively coupled to the platform; a first detector that is configured to detect a physical-attribute of the melt pool, which detector is operatively coupled to the platform; and a second detector that is configured to detect the physical-attribute of a vicinity of the melt pool, which second detector is operatively coupled to the platform; and at least one controller operatively coupled to the platform, energy source, and detector and is programmed to: (i) direct the energy beam to transform the pre-transformed material to form a melt pool as part of the three-dimensional object; (ii) direct detecting the physical-attribute of the melt pool by the first detector to obtain a first physical-attribute value; (iii) direct detecting the physical-attribute of the melt pool vicinity by the second detector to obtain a second physical-attribute value and (iv) use, or direct use of, the first physical-attribute value, second physical-attribute value, or the first physical-attribute value and the second physical-attribute value, to alter at least one characteristics of the energy beam during the printing.

17 . The system of claim 16 , further comprising a layer dispensing mechanism that includes a cyclonic separator, which layer dispensing mechanism is configured to planarize a material bed disposed adjacent to the platform, which material bed comprises the pre-transformed material.

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the physical attribute value is correlated to the temperature.

19 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the detecting comprises using an optical fiber that is coupled to a detector.

20 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the first detector is different from the second detector.

21 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the second detector comprises a second detector set.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the second detector set comprises an optical fiber bundle comprising a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the plurality of optical fibers is operatively coupled to a plurality of detectors.

23 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the detecting in (iii) comprises averaging the signal detected from the second detector set to obtain the second physical attribute value.

24 . The system of claim 16 , wherein alter in (iv) is during the transforming to form the melt pool.

25 . The system of claim 16 , wherein alter in (iv) comprises comparing (I) the first physical attribute value with a respective first physical attribute threshold value, (II) the second physical attribute value with a respective second physical attribute threshold value, or (III) the first physical attribute value with the second physical attribute threshold value.

26 . The system of claim 25 , wherein the alter in (iv) is to control the temperature distribution profile in the volume comprising the melt pool or the vicinity of the melt pool.

27 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the use or direct use of in (iv) comprises estimate or direct estimation of, a temperature distribution profile in the in the volume comprising the melt pool or the vicinity of the melt pool.

28 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the use or direct use of in (iv) comprises adjust, or direct adjustment of, a printing instruction of the three-dimensional model.

29 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the use, or direct use of, in (iv) comprises alter, or direct alteration of, a physical model of the printing respectively.

30 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the use, or direct use of, in (iv) comprises alter, or direct alteration of, at least one parameter of a physical model of the printing respectively.

Assignees

• Velo3D Inc

Inventors

• Buller Benyamin
• LAPPAS Tasso
• Mendelsberg Rueben Joseph
• Milshtein Erel
• Lappen Alan Rick

Classifications

• B22F10/14

  by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder · CPC title

• B29C64/393 Primary

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B22F10/18

  by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF] · CPC title

• B22F10/36

  of energy beam parameters · CPC title

• B22F12/49

  Scanners · CPC title