Additive manufacturing apparatus and additive manufacturing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017266727-A1
Application number	US-201515505448-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 23, 2015
Priority date	Sep 16, 2014
Publication date	Sep 21, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An additive manufacturing apparatus according to one embodiment includes a manufacturing unit, an elastic wave generation unit, an elastic wave detection unit, and an inspection unit. The manufacturing unit sequentially stacks a layer formed by emitting a first energy beam to a material and solidifying the material. The elastic wave generation unit emits a second energy beam to a manufactured object including the layer and generates an elastic wave propagating in the manufactured object. The elastic wave detection unit detects the elastic wave. The inspection unit inspects the manufactured object on the basis of a detection result from the elastic wave detection unit.

First claim

1 . An additive manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a manufacturing unit that sequentially stacks a layer formed by emitting a first energy beam to a material and solidifying the material; an elastic wave generation unit that emits a second energy beam to a manufactured object including the layer and generates an elastic wave propagating in the manufactured object; an elastic wave detection unit that detects the elastic wave; and an inspection unit that inspects the manufactured object on the basis of a detection result from the elastic wave detection unit.

2 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the elastic wave generation unit is served as a processing unit that processes a surface of the manufactured object by emitting the second energy beam.

3 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising
a measurement unit that measures a shape of the layer, wherein the processing unit processes the surface on the basis of a measurement result from the measurement unit.

4 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the elastic wave detection unit detects the elastic wave in an area of the manufactured object having the surface processed by the processing unit.

5 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
the second energy beam is a first laser beam, the elastic wave detection unit is a laser interferometer that emits a second laser beam to the surface and receives reflected light of the second laser beam reflected from the surface, and the first laser beam and the second laser beam do not interfere with each other.

6 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising
a single lens that focuses the first laser beam and the second laser beam.

7 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a single laser emitter that emits a third laser beam; and a dividing unit that divides the third laser beam emitted from the laser emitter into the first laser beam and the second laser beam.

8 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a removal unit that is capable of partially removing the manufactured object, wherein when the inspection unit detects abnormality in the manufactured object, the removal unit partially removes the manufactured object from the surface of the manufactured object to the abnormality, and the manufacturing unit fills the material in an opening of the manufactured object formed after removal thereof by the removal unit and solidifies the material.

9 . The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the removal unit removes at least part of the manufactured object protruded from the opening.

10 . An additive manufacturing method comprising:
emitting a first energy beam to a material and solidifying the material to form a layer; emitting a second energy beam to a manufactured object including the layer, and generating an elastic wave propagating in the manufactured object; detecting the elastic wave; and inspecting the manufactured object on the basis of a detection result about the elastic wave.

11 . The additive manufacturing method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
processing a surface of the manufactured object by emitting the second energy beam; and generating the elastic wave by processing the surface.

12 . The additive manufacturing method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
measuring a shape of the layer; and processing the surface on the basis of a result of the measurement.

13 . The additive manufacturing method according to claim 11 , wherein
the detecting includes detecting the elastic wave in an area of the manufactured object in which the surface is processed.

14 . The additive manufacturing method according to claim 11 , wherein
the second energy beam is a first laser beam, the additive manufacturing method further comprises emitting the second laser beam to the surface and receiving reflected light of the second laser beam reflected from the surface to detect the elastic wave, and the first laser beam and the second laser beam do not interfere with each other.

15 . The additive manufacturing method according to claim 14 , further comprising:
emitting a third laser beam; and dividing the third laser beam into the first laser beam and the second laser beam.

16 . The additive manufacturing method according to claim 10 , further comprising
when abnormality in the manufactured object is detected, partially removing the manufactured object from the surface of the manufactured object to the abnormality, and filling the material in an opening of the manufactured object formed after removal thereof and solidifying the material.

17 . The additive manufacturing method according to claim 16 , wherein
the partially removing includes removing at least part of the manufactured object protruded from the opening.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Nishino Tomoko
• Okada Naotada

Classifications

• B29C67/00

  Shaping techniques not covered by groups B29C39/00 - B29C65/00, B29C70/00 or B29C73/00 · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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

• G01N21/1702

  with opto-acoustic detection, e.g. for gases or analysing solids · CPC title

• G01N2021/1706

  in solids · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title