Additive manufacturing including layer-by-layer imaging

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9886015-B2
Application number	US-201514642145-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Mar 12, 2014
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

In some examples, a technique includes forming, on a surface of a first layer of material, a second layer of material using an additive manufacturing process. The technique also may include imaging the second layer using a laser imaging device to generate a second layer image. Further, the technique may include determining, by a computing device, whether a thickness of the second layer, in a direction substantially normal to the surface of the first layer of material, is within a defined range of thickness for the second layer.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
delivering a powder on a surface of a first layer of material;
imaging the powder using a laser imaging device to generate a powder image;
storing, by the computing device, the powder image as an image file for an as-built component including the first layer of material and a second layer of material;
determining, by the computing device, whether the powder includes a powder defect based at least in part on the powder image;
responsive to determining that the powder includes the powder defect, performing, by the computing device, a predetermined action; and
delivering energy to a volume of the powder to join at least some of the powder to the first layer of material and form the second layer of material on the first layer of material.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the predetermined action comprises at least one of:
controlling, by the computing device, a device to remove the powder defect from a tool path in which the powder will be added to the first layer;
outputting, by the computing device, an indication that the powder includes the powder defect; or
controlling, by the computing device, an energy delivery device to direct energy toward a volume of the powder to join at least some of the powder to the first layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
imaging the second layer using the laser imaging device to generate a second layer image; and
determining, by a computing device, whether a thickness of the second layer, in a direction substantially normal to the surface of the first layer of material, is within a defined range of thicknesses for the second layer.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
forming, on a surface of the second layer of material, a third layer of material using the additive manufacturing process;
imaging the third layer using the laser imaging device to generate a third layer image;
determining, by the computing device, whether a thickness of the third layer, in a direction substantially normal to the surface of the second layer of material, is within a defined range of thickness for the third layer.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
responsive to determining that the thickness of the second layer is outside the defined range of thickness for the second layer, performing, by the computing device, a predetermined action, wherein the predetermined action comprises at least one of:
outputting, by the computing device, an indication that the thickness of the second layer is outside of the defined range of thickness; or
modifying, by the computing device, a tool path used to form a third layer on a surface of the second layer.

6. The method of claim 3 , further comprising storing, by the computing device, the second layer image as an image file for an as-built component including the first layer of material and the second layer of material.

7. A system comprising:
a powder delivery device;
an energy delivery device;
a laser imaging device; and
a computing device configured to:
control the powder delivery device to deliver powder on a surface of a first layer of material;
prior to controlling the energy delivery device to deliver energy, control the laser imaging device to image the powder to generate a powder image;
store the powder image as an image file for an as-built component including the first layer of material and a second layer of material;
determine whether the powder includes a powder defect based at least in part on the powder image;
responsive to determining that the powder includes the powder defect, perform a predetermined action; and
control the energy delivery device to deliver energy to a volume of the powder to join at least some of the powder to the first layer of material and form the second layer of material on the first layer of material.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein predetermined action comprises at least one of:
controlling a device to remove the powder defect from a tool path in which the powder will be added to the first layer;
outputting an indication that the powder includes the powder defect; or
controlling the energy delivery device to direct energy toward a volume of the powder to join at least some of the powder to the first layer.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
control the laser imaging device to image the second layer to generate a second layer image; and
determine whether a thickness of the second layer, in a direction substantially normal to the surface of the first layer of material, is within a defined range of thickness for the second layer.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
control the powder delivery device to deliver powder on a surface of the second layer;
control the energy delivery device to deliver energy to a volume of the powder to join at least some of the powder to the second layer of material and form a third layer;
control the laser imaging device to image the third layer to generate a third layer image; and
determine whether a thickness of the third layer, in a direction substantially normal to the surface of the second layer of material, is within a defined range of thickness for the third layer.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computing device is further configured to, responsive to determining that the thickness of the second layer is outside the defined range of thickness for the second layer, performing, by the computing device, a predetermined action, wherein the predetermined action comprises at least one of:
outputting an indication that the thickness of the second layer is outside of the defined range of thickness; or
modifying a tool path used to form a third layer on a surface of the second layer.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the computing device is further configured to store the second layer image as an image file for an as-built component including the first layer of material and the second layer of material.

13. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed, configure one or more processors of a computing device to:
control a powder delivery device to deliver powder on a surface of a first layer of material;
prior to controlling an energy delivery device to deliver energy, control the laser imaging device to image the powder to generate a powder image;
store the powder image as an image file for an as-built component including the first layer of material and a second layer of material;
determine whether the powder includes a powder defect based at least in part on the powder image;
responsive to determining that the powder includes the powder defect, perform a predetermined action; and
control the energy delivery device to deliver energy to a volume of the powder to join at least some of the powder to the first layer of material and form the second layer of material on the first layer of material.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined action comprises at least one of:
controlling a device to remove the powder defect from a tool path in which the powder will be added to the first layer;
outputting an indication that the powder includes the powder defect; or
controlling the energy delivery device to direct energy toward a volume of the powder of the material to join at least some of the powder to the first layer.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13 , further comprising instructions that, when executed, configure one or more processors of the computin

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Corp

Inventors

• Wilson Eric E
• Gatton Geoffrey L
• Proctor Robert F

Classifications

• B29C64/393

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y50/02

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B22F12/90

  Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors · CPC title

• B22F10/85

  for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes · CPC title