Thermal control systems and methods therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018133971-A1
Application number	US-201515564377-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2015
Priority date	Jul 22, 2015
Publication date	May 17, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for thermal control in an additive manufacturing system is disclosed: the method including receiving position information from an encoder device, receiving a data stream from a thermal sensing device, filtering the data stream based on the position information and building a temperature image map from the filtered data stream. A thermal control system and an additive manufacturing system having a thermal control system are also disclosed.

First claim

1 . A method for thermal control in an additive manufacturing system, comprising:
receiving position information from an encoder device; receiving a data stream from a thermal sensing device; filtering the data stream based on the position information; and building a temperature image map from the filtered data stream.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
computing an energy to be applied by an energy source based on the temperature image map; and controlling the energy source based on the computed energy.

3 . A method according to claim 2 , further comprising, prior to receiving the data stream, triggering the thermal sensing device to deliver the data stream.

4 . A method according to claim 3 , wherein the triggering is based on position information.

5 . A method according to claim 4 , further comprising, prior to triggering the thermal sensing device:
determining a zone of a plurality of zones of the energy source covering an area of the build surface where at least one carriage is present; and reducing the energy applied by the determined zone.

6 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein filtering the data stream comprises discarding data relating to pixels having a thermal reading showing an abrupt temperature variation.

7 . A method according to claim 6 , wherein the abrupt temperature variation exceeds a value of more than 40° C., or more than 50° C., or more than 60° C.

8 . A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
the encoder device encoding a position of at least one carriage present above a build surface as position information.

9 . A method according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one carriage comprises a printer carriage and/or a recoater carriage.

10 . A method according to claim 2 , wherein controlling the energy source comprises switching on and/or off the energy source.

11 . A thermal control system, comprising:
a thermal sensing device; an encoder device; and a thermal control logic to build a temperature image map by filtering a data stream received from the thermal sensing device using position information received from the encoder device.

12 . A system according to claim 11 , further comprising:
an energy source; and wherein the thermal control logic: computes an energy to be applied by the energy source based on the temperature image map; and controls the energy source based on the computed energy.

13 . A system according to claim 12 , wherein the thermal control logic, prior to receiving the data stream:
determines a zone of a plurality of zones of the energy source covering an area of the build surface where at least one carriage is present; reduces the energy applied by the determined zone; and triggers the thermal sensing device for delivering the data stream.

14 . An additive manufacturing system comprising a thermal control system according to claim 11 .

15 . An additive manufacturing system according to claim 14 , further comprising:
a build surface; a printer carriage; a recoater carriage; and a guide rail system for the printer carriage and recoater carriage respectively.

Assignees

• Tuset Pere
• Mostaccio Diego Javier
• Hewlett Packard Development Co
• Xavier Vilajosana

Inventors

• Vilajosana Xavier
• Tuset Pere
• Mostaccio Diego Javier

Classifications

• B29C64/393 Primary

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• G05D23/27

  with sensing element responsive to radiation · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y30/00

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