EP-4735235-A2 - SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING A SEGMENTED SCAN PATTERN TO BUILD LARGE SINGLE CRYSTAL OBJECTS

Abstract

Segmented scan patterns produce 3D printed metallic objects having large scale cubic crystal structures. A first patterned layer is produced by moving a melt pool in a first powder layer along a first layer scan pattern that includes a first layer first section, a first layer second section, and a first layer first overlap where the first layer first section and the first layer second section intersect. A second patterned layer is produced by moving the melt pool in a second powder layer along a second layer scan pattern that includes a second layer first section, a second layer second section, and a second layer first overlap where the second layer first section and the second layer second section intersect. The second layer first overlap overlies the first layer first section or the first layer second section. The second layer first overlap does not overlie the first layer first overlap.

Inventors

• LIM, Peck, C.
• ENRIQUE, Pablo

Assignees

• Beehive Industries, LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260506

Application Date

20240701

Claims (20)

1. 1. A method comprising: depositing a first powder layer; producing a first patterned layer by moving a melt pool in the first powder layer along a first layer scan pattern that includes a first layer first section, a first layer second section, and a first layer first overlap where the first layer first section and the first layer second section intersect; depositing a second powder layer on the first patterned layer; producing a second patterned layer by moving the melt pool in the second powder layer along a second layer scan pattern; depositing a third powder layer on the second patterned layer; and producing a third patterned layer by moving the melt pool in the third powder layer along a third layer scan pattern that includes a third layer first section, a third layer second section, and a third layer first overlap where the third layer first section and the third layer second section intersect, wherein: the third layer first overlap overlies the first layer first section or the first layer second section; and the third layer first overlap does not overlie the first layer first overlap.
2. 2. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the first layer scan pattern includes a plurality of first layer sections and includes a plurality of first layer overlaps where one of the first layer sections intersects another one of the first layer sections; the third layer scan pattern includes a plurality of third layer sections and includes a plurality of third layer overlaps where one of the third layer sections intersects another one of the third layer sections; the third layer sections overlie the first layer sections; and none of the third layer overlaps overlie any of the first layer overlaps.
3. 3. The method of claim 1 , wherein growth of stray grains in the first layer first overlap is discouraged by moving the melt pool through the first layer overlap twice.
4. 4. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the first layer first section includes a first scan line segment; and the melt pool extends through an entire length of the first scan line segment after the melt pool is moved along the first scan line segment.
5. 5. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the first layer first section includes a first scan line segment and a second scan line segment; the melt pool extends through an entire length of the first scan line segment after the melt pool is moved along the first scan line segment; the melt pool is moved along the second scan line segment immediately after the melt pool is moved along the first scan line segment; and the melt pool does not extend through the entire length of the first scan line segment after the melt pool is moved along the second scan line segment.
6. 6. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the first layer first section includes a first scan line segment and a second scan line segment; the melt pool extends through an entire length of the first scan line segment after the melt pool is moved along the first scan line segment; the melt pool is moved along the second scan line segment immediately after the melt pool is moved along the first scan line segment; the melt pool does not extend through the entire length of the first scan line segment after the melt pool is moved along the second scan line segment; and the melt pool extends from the second scan line segment into the first scan line segment due to lateral heating.
7. 7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of lengths of a plurality of scan line segments is used to set a beam power of an energy beam that produces the melt pool.
8. 8. The method of claim 1 , wherein: a map associates a plurality of scan line lengths with a plurality of beam power values; and a plurality of lengths of a plurality scan line segments is used to set a beam power of an energy beam that produces the melt pool in accordance with the map.
9. 9. The method of claim 1 , wherein a beam power while scanning a first scan line segment does not equal the beam power while scanning a second scan line segment because the first scan line segment and the second scan line segment have different lengths.
10. 10. The method of claim 1 , wherein: the first layer first section includes a plurality of scan line segments having a plurality of lengths; and the lengths of the scan line segments are used to set a scan speed of an energy beam that produces the melt pool.
11. 11 . The method of claim 10, wherein: the scan speed has a first speed value while scanning a first one of the scan line segments; the scan speed has a second speed value while scanning a second one of the scan line segments; and the first speed value does not equal the second speed value because the first one of the scan line segments and the second one of the scan line segments have different lengths.
12. 12. The method of claim 1 , wherein: a map associates a plurality of scan line lengths with a plurality of scan speed values; the first layer first section includes a plurality of scan line segments having a plurality of lengths; and the lengths of the scan line segments are used to set a scan speed in accordance with the map.
13. 13. The method of claim 1 , wherein: an energy beam is scanned to thereby move the melt pool; the energy beam has a scan speed and a beam power; a series of melt pool images show a melt pool shape; and the scan speed or the beam power are adaptively controlled to obtain the melt pool shape that is a desired melt pool shape.
14. 14. A system comprising: a powder feeder configured to produce a first powder layer and a second powder layer by depositing a powder on a powder bed; a beam source configured to produce a melt pool in the powder; and a beam scanner configured to produce a first patterned layer and a second patterned layer by moving the melt pool relative to the powder bed, wherein: the first patterned layer is produced by moving the melt pool in the first powder layer along a first layer scan pattern that includes a first layer first section, a first layer second section, and a first layer first overlap where the first layer first section and the first layer second section intersect; the second patterned layer is produced by moving the melt pool in the second powder layer along a second layer scan pattern that includes a second layer first section, a second layer second section, and a second layer first overlap where the second layer first section and the second layer second section intersect; the second layer first overlap overlies the first layer first section or the first layer second section; and the second layer first overlap does not overlie the first layer first overlap.
15. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein growth of stray grains is discouraged by moving the melt pool through the first layer overlap twice.
16. 16. The system of claim 14, wherein: the first layer includes a first scan line segment and a second scan line segment parallel to the first scan line segment; the melt pool extends through an entire length of a first line segment after the melt pool is moved along the first scan line segment; the melt pool is moved along the second scan line segment immediately after the melt pool is moved along the first scan line segment; the melt pool does not extend through the entire length of the first line segment after the melt pool is moved along the second scan line segment; and the melt pool extends from the second scan line segment into the first line segment due to lateral heating.
17. 17. The system of claim 14, wherein a plurality of lengths of a plurality of scan line segments is used to set a power of the beam source or a scan speed of the melt pool.
18. 18. A system comprising: a deposition means for producing a plurality of powder layers by depositing a powder; and a patterning means for producing a plurality of patterned layers by moving a melt pool through the powder; wherein: a first one of the patterned layers is produced by moving the melt pool in a first one of the powder layers along a first layer scan pattern that includes a first layer first section, a first layer second section, and a first layer first overlap where the first layer first section and the first layer second section intersect; a second one of the patterned layers is produced by moving the melt pool in a second one of the powder layers along a second layer scan pattern; a third one of the patterned layers is produced by moving the melt pool in a third powder layer along a third layer scan pattern that includes a third layer first section, a third layer second section, and a third layer first overlap where the third layer first section and the third layer second section intersect; the second one of the patterned layers is over the first one of the patterned layers and under the third one of the patterned layers; and the third layer first overlap does not overlie the first layer first overlap.
19. 19. The system of claim 18, wherein the third layer first overlap overlies the first layer first section or the first layer second section.
20. 20. The system of claim 18, wherein growth of stray grains is discouraged by moving the melt pool through the first layer overlap twice.

Description

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING A SEGMENTED SCAN PATTERN TO BUILD LARGE SINGLE CRYSTAL OBJECTS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This patent application claims the priority and benefit of U.S. provisional patent application no. 63/51 1 ,155, titled “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR USING A SEGMENTED SCAN PATTERN TO BUILD LARGE SINGLE CRYSTAL OBJECTS” filed on June 29, 2023. U.S. provisional patent application no. 63/511 ,155. TECHNICAL FIELD [0002] The described aspects are generally related to additive manufacturing, 3D printing, selective laser melting (SLM) printing of 3D objects, and 3D printing of cubic materials. The aspects are also related to controlling melt pool shape and overlap to thereby form directional and single crystal microstructures in a 3D printed object. BACKGROUND [0003] Objects can be printed by 3D printers using a variety of techniques such as stereolithography (SLA), selective laser melting (SLM), selective laser sintering (SLS), fused deposition modeling (FDM), direct metal printing (DMP), electron beam melting (EBM), directed energy deposition (DED), and laser bed powder fusion (LBPF). The field is developing rapidly with new techniques being developed and known techniques being refined. Many of the techniques operate by forming a patterned layer of material on a substrate and then forming additional layers over previously produced layers. Some techniques (e.g., DED, etc.) produce patterned layers by producing a melt pool and then adding material to the melt pool while moving the melt pool. Some techniques (e.g., SLM, EBPF, etc.) produce patterned layers by laying down a layer of powdered material and then producing the pattern layer of solid material by selectively melting the powdered material. The materials used for additive manufacturing are very often cubic materials. Cubic materials are materials that form cubic crystal structures having <100> orientations. [0004] Additive manufacturing is a technology that is merely decades old whereas classical processes are thousands of years old. For example, the bronze age began approximately 5000 years ago and the iron age began 3000 years ago. The classical processes are highly refined because they have been studied and improved for millennia. Systems and methods are needed for producing additively manufactured objects that meet or exceed the material properties exhibited by objects produced using classical processes. BRIEF SUMMARY [0005] The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the examples disclosed and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects of the examples can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, drawings, and abstract as a whole. [0006] One aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented by a method. The method can include depositing a first powder layer. The method can further include producing a first patterned layer by moving a melt pool in the first powder layer along a first layer scan pattern that includes a first layer first section, a first layer second section, and a first layer first overlap where the first layer first section and the first layer second section intersect. The method may further include depositing a second powder layer on the first patterned layer, producing a second patterned layer by moving the melt pool in the second powder layer along a second layer scan pattern, depositing a third powder layer on the second patterned layer, and producing a third patterned layer by moving the melt pool in the third powder layer along a third layer scan pattern that includes a third layer first section, a third layer second section, and a third layer first overlap where the third layer first section and the third layer second section intersect. The third layer first overlap overlies the first layer first section or the first layer second section, and the third layer first overlap does not overlie the first layer first overlap. [0007] Another aspect of the subject matter described in this disclosure can be implemented by a system. The system can include a powder feeder configured to produce a first powder layer and a second powder layer by depositing a powder on a powder bed, a beam source configured to produce a melt pool in the powder, and a beam scanner configured to produce a first patterned layer and a second patterned layer by moving the melt pool relative to the powder bed. The first patterned layer is produced by moving the melt pool in the first powder layer along a first layer scan pattern that includes a first layer first section, a first layer second section, and a first layer first overlap where the first layer first section and the first layer second section intersect, the second patterned layer is produced by moving the melt pool in the second powder layer along a second layer scan pattern that includes a second layer first section, a second