Powder bed fusion system with point and area scanning laser beams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018200835-A1
Application number	US-201715405367-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 13, 2017
Priority date	Jan 13, 2017
Publication date	Jul 19, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A powder bed fusion system includes a plurality of individual build chambers, with each individual build chamber including an area laser scanner optical device and a point laser scanner. A single, area beam delivery system and the plurality of build chambers are moveable relative to each other, such that the area beam delivery system may be positioned to provide an area scanning laser beam to any of the area laser scanner optical devices in any of the plurality of build chambers. The point laser scanners may be used to contour an edge of an object, and the area scanning laser beam may be used to fill in large areas of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A powder bed fusion system comprising:
a plurality of individual build chambers; an area laser beam generator operable to generate an area scanning laser beam; a plurality of area laser scanner optical devices, with one of the plurality of area laser scanner optical devices dedicated to only one of the plurality of build chambers; and an area beam delivery system operatively connected to the area laser beam generator for receiving the area scanning laser beam from the area laser beam generator and directing the area scanning laser beam to one of the plurality of area laser scanner optical devices; wherein the area beam delivery system and the plurality of individual build chambers are moveable relative to each other, such that the area beam delivery system is operable to direct the area scanning laser beam to any of the plurality of area laser scanner optical devices in any of the plurality of build chambers.

2 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of build chambers are arranged in a linear array, with the area beam delivery system and the linear array of the plurality of build chambers moveable relative to each other along a linear path.

3 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 2 , wherein the area beam delivery system is moveable relative to the linear array of the plurality of build chambers.

4 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 3 , further comprising a track system moveably supporting the area beam delivery system.

5 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 4 , further comprising a drive system interconnecting the track system and the area beam delivery system, wherein the drive system is operable to move the area beam delivery system along the linear path relative to the track system.

6 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of build chambers are arranged in an annular array having an approximate center, with the area laser beam generator disposed at the approximate center of the annular array of the plurality of build chambers, and with the annular array of the plurality of build chambers and the area beam delivery system rotatable relative to each other about an axis.

7 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 6 , wherein the area beam delivery system is rotatable about the axis relative to the annular array of the plurality of build chambers.

8 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 7 , further comprising a turntable supporting the area beam delivery system.

9 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 8 , further comprising a drive system connected to the turntable, wherein the drive system is operable to rotate the turntable about the axis relative to the annular array of the plurality of build chambers.

10 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of area laser scanner optical devices focuses the area scanning laser beam onto a first area equal to or larger than 4.0 mm 2 .

11 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 1 , wherein the area beam delivery system includes a pattern control system operable to form a pattern in the area scanning laser beam, such that the pattern includes at least one heated area that is heated to a first temperature, and at least one second temperature area having a second temperature that is different from the first temperature.

12 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of point laser scanners, with one of the plurality of point laser scanners dedicated to only one of the plurality of build chambers.

13 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of point laser scanners focuses a respective point scanning laser beam on a second area equal to or less than 0.8 mm 2 .

14 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 12 , wherein each of the plurality of point laser scanners includes a respective point laser generator and a respective point laser optical device.

15 . The powder bed fusion system set forth in claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of build chambers includes a respective powder supply, a respective powder spreader, and a respective powder bed.

16 . A method of operating a powder bed fusion system, the method comprising:
selecting one of a plurality of individual build chambers as a first active build chamber; spreading a powder over a powder bed in the first active build chamber; activating a point laser scanner dedicated to the first active build chamber to direct a point scanning laser beam onto the powder in the powder bed; moving the point scanning laser beam relative to the powder bed to melt the powder in the powder bed along a path defining an exterior edge of a closed shape of a product; moving an area beam delivery system into a position adjacent the first active build chamber such that the area beam delivery system is positioned to direct an area scanning laser beam to an area laser scanner optical device dedicated to the first active build chamber; activating an area laser beam generator to generate the area scanning laser beam and direct the area scanning laser beam to the area beam delivery system; directing the area scanning laser beam from the area beam delivery system to the area laser scanner optical device of the first active build chamber, whereby the area laser scanner optical device directs the area scanning laser beam onto the powder in the powder bed to melt the powder within the exterior edge of the closed shape to fill in an interior of the closed shape and define one layer of the product.

17 . The method set forth in claim 16 , further comprising providing the powder bed fusion system to include:
a plurality of individual build chambers; a single, area laser beam generator operable to generate the area scanning laser beam; a plurality of point laser scanners, with one of the plurality of point laser scanners dedicated to only one of the plurality of build chambers, wherein each of the plurality of point laser scanners focuses a respective point scanning laser beam at a second area equal to or less than 0.8 mm 2 ; a plurality of area laser scanner optical devices, with one of the plurality of area laser scanner optical devices dedicated to only one of the plurality of build chambers, wherein each of the plurality of area laser scanner optical devices focuses the area scanning laser beam onto a first area equal to or larger than 4.0 mm 2 ; and an area beam delivery system operatively connected to the area laser beam generator for receiving the area scanning laser beam from the area laser beam generator and directing the area scanning laser beam to one of the plurality of area laser scanner optical devices, wherein the area beam delivery system and the plurality of individual build chambers are moveable relative to each other, such that the area beam delivery system is operable to direct the area scanning laser beam to any of the plurality of area laser scanner optical devices in any of the plurality of build chambers.

18 . The method set forth in claim 16 , further comprising controlling a pattern control system to form a pattern in the area scanning laser beam to correspond to at least a portion of the interior of the closed shape.

19 . The method set forth in claim 16 , further comprising:
deactivating the area laser beam generator; moving the area laser scanner optical device dedicated to the first active build cham

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Chae Hyungmin
• Spicer John P
• Smith Mark A

Classifications

• B22F12/44

  characterised by the configuration of the radiation means · CPC title

• B22F12/46

  with translatory movement · CPC title

• B22F12/84

  Parallel processing within single device · CPC title

• B22F10/28

  Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM] · CPC title

• B22F12/226

  for rotary motion · CPC title