Systems and methods for calibration feedback for additive manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019329502-A1
Application number	US-201916509017-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2019
Priority date	Apr 24, 2017
Publication date	Oct 31, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Complexity of a geometry of a desired (i.e., target) three-dimensional (3D) object being produced by an additive manufacturing system, as well as atypical behavior of the processes employed by such a system, pose challenges for producing a final version of the desired 3D object with fidelity relative to the desired object. An example embodiment enables such challenges to be overcome as a function of feedback to enable the final version to be produced with fidelity. The feedback may be at least one value that is associated with at least one characteristic of a printed object following processing of the printed object. Such feedback may be obtained as part of a calibration process of the 3D printing system or as part of an operational process of the 3D printing system.

First claim

1 - 73 . (canceled)

74 . A printer system configured to print a three-dimensional (3D) metal object, the system comprising:
a carrier configured to dispense a build material; a build plate configured to receive the build material from the carrier during printing; an obtaining device configured to measure a geometry of a printed object formed from the build material, wherein the obtaining device includes a laser scanner; a memory having a target geometry stored thereon; and a controller configured to compare the measured geometry of the printed object to the target geometry and to control the carrier to dispense the build material based on the comparison.

75 . The system according to claim 74 , wherein at least one of the carrier or the build plate are components of a 3D printer, and the obtaining device is separate from the 3D printer.

76 . The system according to claim 74 , wherein the system is configured to generate an image of the printed object based on the measured geometry, the controller is configured to compare the image of the printed object to the target geometry, and the controller is configured to change at least one print parameter of they system prior to printing a subsequent printed object.

77 . The system according to claim 76 , wherein the controller is configured to change the at least one print parameter for each subsequent printed object.

78 . The system according to claim 76 , wherein the carrier is configured to form the printed object by dispensing a plurality of layers of build material, the laser scanner is configured to scan at least one of the dispensed plurality of layers of build material, and the controller is configured to compare the measured geometry of the printed object to the target geometry by comparing at least one image generated from the scan of the at least one of the plurality of layers of build material to the target geometry.

79 . The system according to claim 78 , wherein the controller is configured to change the at least one print parameter prior to dispensing a subsequent layer of build material if there is a discrepancy between the at least one image of the at least one of the plurality of layers of build material and the target geometry.

80 . The system according to claim 74 , further comprising:
a transceiver configured to receive one or more measured geometries of the printed object from the laser scanner.

81 . The system according to claim 74 , wherein the controller is configured to control the carrier to dispense the build material to print a subsequent printed object having a parameter that is different from at least one print parameter of the printed object if there is a discrepancy between the measured geometry of the printed object and the target geometry.

82 . The system according to claim 81 , wherein the measured geometry includes a geometric characteristic or a dimension of the printed object.

83 . The system according to claim 74 , wherein the obtaining device further includes a contact measurement device.

84 . The system according to claim 74 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the carrier by changing at least one print parameter to dispense the build material if there is a discrepancy between the measured geometry of the printed object and the target geometry.

85 . The system according to claim 74 , wherein the obtaining device is configured to be manually operated.

86 . A printer system configured to print a three-dimensional (3D) metal object, the system comprising:
a nozzle for dispensing a build material including a binder and a metal powder; a build plate configured to receive the build material during printing; a laser scanner configured to measure a geometry of a printed object formed from the build material to generate a laser measurement; and a controller configured to compare the laser measurement to a geometry of a representation of a target object, and to control the printer system to change a parameter of the printer system if there is a discrepancy between the laser measurement and the geometry of the representation of the target object.

87 . The system according to claim 86 , wherein the laser scanner is configured to be manually operated.

88 . The system according to claim 86 , further comprising a transceiver configured to receive information from the laser scanner.

89 . The system according to claim 86 , further comprising at least one of a debinder or a furnace.

90 . The system according to claim 89 , wherein the laser scanner is a component of at least one of the debinder or the furnace.

91 . The system according to claim 86 , wherein the parameter includes one or more of a print speed, a print temperature of the nozzle, or a toolpath.

92 . The system according to claim 86 , wherein one or more of the nozzle or the build plate are components of a printer, and the laser scanner is separate from the printer.

93 . The system according to claim 86 , wherein one or more of the nozzle or the build plate are components of a printer, and the laser scanner is a component of the printer.

94 . The system according to claim 86 , wherein the object is formed by dispensing a plurality of layers of build material layer-by-layer, and the controller is configured to change the parameter prior to printing a subsequent layer of build material if there is a discrepancy between the laser measurement and the geometry of the representation of the target object.

95 . The system according to claim 86 , wherein the controller is configured to change the parameter prior to forming a subsequently printed object.

96 . The system according to claim 86 , further comprising a contact measurement device configured to measure a geometry of the printed object formed from the build material.

97 . A method of printing a three-dimensional (3D) metal object, the method comprising:
dispensing a build material to form a printed object; measuring at least one characteristic of the printed object using a coordinate measuring machine, wherein the at least one characteristic includes one or more of a geometric shape of the printed object or a dimension of the printed object; comparing the at least one characteristic of the printed object to a corresponding characteristic of a target object; determining whether there is a discrepancy between the at least one characteristic of the printed object and the corresponding characteristic of the target object; and changing a parameter of the dispensing if there is the discrepancy.

98 . The method of claim 97 , wherein the measuring occurs after one or more of: the dispensing of the build material, a de-powdering of the printed object, a de-binding of the printed object, or a sintering of the printed object.

99 . The method of claim 97 , wherein the measuring includes forming an image of the printed object from the at least one measured characteristic.

100 . The method of claim 97 , wherein the coordinate measuring machine includes at least one of a laser scanner or a contact measuring device.

101 . The method of claim 97 , wherein the dispensing includes forming the object layer-by-layer, and the measuring includes measuring at least one layer before dispensing a subsequent layer.

102 . The method of claim 101 , wherein the changing includes changing the param

Assignees

• Desktop Metal Inc

Inventors

• Tobia Jay
• Tuncer Nihan
• Preston Aaron
• Fulop Ricardo
• Gibson Michael A
• Fontana Richard Remo
• Hart Anastasios John

Classifications

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• B22F10/14

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

• B22F10/12

  by photopolymerisation, e.g. stereolithography [SLA] or digital light processing [DLP] · CPC title

• B22F12/22

  Driving means · CPC title

• B22F10/31

  Calibration of process steps or apparatus settings, e.g. before or during manufacturing · CPC title