METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR THERMOGRAPHIC INSPECTION OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURED PARTS

• Main Authors: DehghanNiri, Ehsan, Kottilingam, Srikanth Chandrudu, Going, JR., Claude Leonard
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 19.04.2018
• 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; CASTING; COLORIMETRY; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT,POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRA-RED,VISIBLE OR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT; MEASURING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; POWDER METALLURGY; RADIATION PYROMETRY; TESTING; TRANSPORTING; WORKING METALLIC POWDER

A method for inspection of additive manufactured parts and monitoring operational performance of an additive manufacturing apparatus is provided. The method includes a heating step for heating an area of a build platform on which at least one part is built by the additive manufacturing apparatus. An obtaining step is used for obtaining, in real-time during an additively manufactured build process, a thermographic scan of the area of the build platform. An evaluating step evaluates, by a processor, the thermographic scan. A determining step determines, based on the evaluating, whether an operational flaw with the additive manufacturing apparatus has occurred or a defect in the at least one part has occurred.