Systems and methods for calibrating additive manufacturing operations based on energy density

• Main Author: Marchione, Thierry
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 04.02.2020
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS; MACHINE TOOLS; METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; TRANSPORTING; WELDING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A system for additive manufacturing includes a laser configured to produce a laser beam having a laser spot area and configured to operate at a transverse speed. The system includes a power source configured to power the laser to selectively heat the powdered material at a configurable power level. The system includes a controller configured to determine an energy density for an ideal build for the object, the ideal build having ideal surface properties for the ideal build including a bead overlap and a build layer thickness, the energy density being based on a plurality of parameters, which include the power level, the laser spot area, the transverse speed, the bead overlap, and the build layer thickness. The controller is configured to calibrate one or both of the power source and the laser based, at least, on the energy density, and execute, after calibration, toolpath instructions to form the object.