EP-4737035-A1 - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURING THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

EP4737035A1EP 4737035 A1EP4737035 A1EP 4737035A1EP-4737035-A1

Abstract

A method for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects includes generating a laser beam with one or more laser beam sources and modulating the laser beam via one or more modulation devices to generate a modulated beam based on a set of one or more defined parameters where the modulated beam is directed onto a build plane. One or more sensor devices detect first data corresponding to one or more measured parameters of the modulated beam and second data corresponding to reflected radiation from the build plane. The set of the one or more defined parameters is modified based on the first data and the second data.

Inventors

THOMPSON, BRIAN THOMAS
STEELE, WILLIAM JOSEPH
ZIMMERMANN, MAIK
EICHENBERG, BORIS

Assignees

General Electric Company
Concept Laser GmbH

Dates

Publication Date: 20260506
Application Date: 20251024

Claims (15)

A method for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the method comprising: generating a laser beam with one or more laser beam sources; modulating the laser beam via one or more modulation devices to generate a modulated beam based on a set of one or more defined parameters; directing the modulated beam onto a build plane; detecting, via one or more sensor devices: first data corresponding to one or more measured parameters of the modulated beam; and second data corresponding to reflected radiation from the build plane; and modifying the set of the one or more defined parameters based on the first data and the second data.
The method of claim 1, further comprising conditioning the laser beam via one or more beam conditioners located upstream of the one or more modulation devices.
The method of claim 2, further comprising detecting, via the one or more sensor devices, third data corresponding to one or more measured properties of the laser beam after the laser beam is conditioned by the one or more beam conditioners; optionally further comprising modifying the set of the one or more defined parameters based on the third data.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein detecting the second data corresponding to the reflected radiation from the build plane comprises detecting at least one of a temperature or a geometry of a melt pool at the build plane.
The method of any preceding claim, further comprising: conditioning the laser beam via one or more beam conditioners disposed upstream of the one or more modulation devices; controlling the one or more modulation devices to receive the laser beam after being conditioned via the one or more beam conditioners and direct the laser beam downstream as unmodulated; and detecting, downstream of the one or more modulation devices via the one or more sensor devices, third data corresponding to one or more measured properties of the laser beam after the laser beam is conditioned by the one or more beam conditioners and unmodulated by the one or more modulation devices.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein detecting the first data corresponding to the one or more measured parameters of the modulated beam comprises detecting at least one of a phase, an amplitude, or a polarization of the modulated beam.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein modifying the set of the one or more defined parameters based on the first data and the second data comprises controlling the one or more modulation devices to control at least one of a phase, an amplitude, or a polarization of the modulated beam; and/or further comprising generating, via a controller, at least one control signal to control the one or more modulation devices based on the first data and the second data.
The method of any preceding claim, further comprising: conditioning the laser beam via one or more beam conditioners located upstream of the one or more modulation devices; and detecting, upstream of the one or more modulation devices via the one or more sensor devices, third data corresponding to one or more measured properties of the laser beam after the laser beam is conditioned by the one or more beam conditioners; and/or splitting a measurement beam from the laser beam after being conditioned by the one or more beam conditioners, the measurement beam propagating to the one or more sensor devices.
An apparatus for additively manufacturing three-dimensional objects, the apparatus comprising: one or more laser beam sources configured to generate a laser beam; one or more modulation devices disposed downstream of the one or more laser beam sources and configured to receive the laser beam and generate a modulated beam based on a set of one or more defined parameters; one or more optical devices disposed downstream of the one or more modulation devices and configured to direct the modulated beam onto a build plane; one or more sensor devices configured to detect: first data corresponding to one or more measured parameters of the modulated beam; and second data corresponding to reflected radiation from the build plane; and a controller configured to manipulate the set of the one or more defined parameters based on the first data and the second data.
The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising one or more beam conditioners disposed upstream of the one or more modulation devices.
The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one sensor device of the one or more sensor devices is configured to detect third data corresponding to one or more measured properties of the laser beam after the laser beam is conditioned by the one or more beam conditioners; optionally wherein the controller is configured to manipulate the set of the one or more defined parameters based on the third data.
The apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 11, further comprising one or more beam conditioners disposed upstream of the one or more modulation devices, and wherein at least one sensor device of the one or more sensor devices is configured to detect third data corresponding to one or more measured properties of the laser beam after the laser beam is conditioned by the one or more beam conditioners, and wherein the controller is configured to control the one or more modulation devices to receive the laser beam and direct the laser beam downstream as unmodulated, and wherein the at least one sensor device is configured to detect the third data from the laser beam being unmodulated by the one or more modulation devices.
The apparatus of any one of claims 9 to 12, further comprising one or more dielectric mirrors disposed downstream of the one or more modulation devices.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor associated with an additive manufacturing machine, cause the processor to perform a method comprising: generating a laser beam with one or more laser beam sources; modulating the laser beam via one or more modulation devices to generate a modulated beam based on a set of one or more defined parameters; directing the modulated beam onto a build plane; detecting, via one or more sensor devices: first data corresponding one or more measured parameters of the modulated beam; and second data corresponding to reflected radiation from the build plane; and modifying the set of the one or more defined parameters based on the first data and the second data.
The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method comprising: conditioning the laser beam via one or more beam conditioners located upstream of the one or more modulation devices; and detecting, via the one or more sensor devices, third data corresponding to one or measured parameters of the laser beam after being conditioned by the one or more beam conditioners; and/or wherein the computer-executable instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform the method comprising: modifying the set of the one or more defined parameters based on the third data.

Description

FIELD The present disclosure relates to additive manufacturing of three-dimensional objects. BACKGROUND Three-dimensional objects may be additively manufactured using a powder bed fusion process in which an energy or laser beam is directed onto a powder bed to melt and/or sinter sequential layers of powder material. The properties of the three-dimensional object formed by melting and/or fusing the powder material may depend at least in part on one or more characteristics of the energy beam. The laser beam has beam properties defined by one or more laser beam parameter(s) or a beam profile defined by one or more laser beam parameter(s). BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A full and enabling disclosure of the present disclosure, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended FIGS., in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an apparatus for additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object in accordance with an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure.FIG. 2 is a flow diagram depicting an embodiment of a method of additively manufacturing a three-dimensional object in accordance with various aspects of the present disclosure.FIG. 3 is a block diagram depicting an example computing system according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Reference will now be made in detail to present embodiments of the disclosure, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The detailed description uses numerical and letter designations to refer to features in the drawings. Like or similar designations in the drawings and description have been used to refer to like or similar parts of the disclosure. The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Additionally, unless specifically identified otherwise, all embodiments described herein should be considered exemplary. As used herein, the terms "first", "second", and "third" may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the relative direction with respect to an energy or laser beam along an optical pathway. For example, "upstream" refers to the direction from which the laser beam originates or emanates, and "downstream" refers to the direction to which the laser beam is propagating. The terms "coupled," "fixed," "attached to," and the like refer to both direct coupling, fixing, or attaching, as well as indirect coupling, fixing, or attaching through one or more intermediate components or features, unless otherwise specified herein. The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. The phrases "from X to Y" and "between X and Y" each refers to a range of values inclusive of the endpoints (i.e., refers to a range of values that includes both X and Y). Here and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations are combined and interchanged, such ranges are identified and include all the sub-ranges contained therein unless context or language indicates otherwise. For example, all ranges disclosed herein are inclusive of the endpoints, and the endpoints are independently combinable with each other. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, is applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term or terms, such as "about", "approximately", and "substantially", are not to be limited to the precise value specified. In at least some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value, or the precision of the methods or machines for constructing or manufacturing the components and/or systems. For example, the approximating language may refer to being within a 1, 2, 4, 10, 15, or 20 percent margin. These approximating margins may apply to a single value, either or both endpoints defining numerical ranges, and/or the margin for ranges between endpoints. As described herein, the presently disclosed subject matter involves the use of additive manufacturing machines or systems. As used herein, the term "additive manufacturing" refers generally to manufacturing technology in which components are manufactured in a layer-by-layer manner. An exemplary additive manufacturing machine may be configured to utilize any suitable additive manufacturing technology. The additive manufacturing machine may utilize an additive manufacturing technology that includes a powder bed fusion (PBF) techn