Method and apparatus for examination of objects and structures
First Claim
1. A method for producing an object or structure, the method comprising:
- (i) providing a layer of powder material;
(ii) irradiating selected areas of the layer to combine the powder material in the selected areas;
(iii) providing a further layer of powder material overlying the previously provided layer;
(iv) repeating step (ii) to combine the powder material in selected areas of the further layer and to combine the powder material in the selected areas of the further layer with the combined powder material in the underlying layer;
(v) successively repeating steps (iii) and (iv) to produce an object or structure;
wherein the method comprises analysing the properties of the combined powder material of at least one layer prior to providing a further layer of powder material overlying the previously provided layer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Defects within structures formed by deposition processes can be relatively expensive, particularly as previously non-destructive testing was performed only once the component had been formed. By in-situ continuous or intermittent sequential non-destructive testing, early notice of defects can be provided. Such early notice may allow rejection of the part-formed component, correction of the errors causing the defect, or through an auto-correction process adjustment of the deposition devices or otherwise to improve component quality. Generally, deposition processes provide for provision of a layer of material which is consolidated in order to form an object component through use of a consolidation device. By providing a non-destructive testing device which either continuously inspects the layers of consolidated component or sequentially inspects the object component, it is possible as indicated to provide an early identification of defect problems within a formed object component.
-
Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A method for producing an object or structure, the method comprising:
-
(i) providing a layer of powder material; (ii) irradiating selected areas of the layer to combine the powder material in the selected areas; (iii) providing a further layer of powder material overlying the previously provided layer; (iv) repeating step (ii) to combine the powder material in selected areas of the further layer and to combine the powder material in the selected areas of the further layer with the combined powder material in the underlying layer; (v) successively repeating steps (iii) and (iv) to produce an object or structure; wherein the method comprises analysing the properties of the combined powder material of at least one layer prior to providing a further layer of powder material overlying the previously provided layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 31)
-
- 14. A method of forming objects by deposition, the method comprising depositing layers of material, consolidating one layer upon another layer of material to form the object and non-destructively testing/inspecting consolidation to at least a depth of one layer of material relative to depositing and/or consolidation of further layers of material.
- 29. An apparatus for forming objects by deposition, the apparatus comprising a material deposition device for depositing layers of material, a consolidation device for consolidating layers of material and a non-destructive testing device for non-destructively testing and/or inspecting consolidation to at least one layer of material.
- 30. A method of testing a deposition process of forming objects where non-destructive testing is performed upon layers of material deposited and consolidated in order to form an object.
Specification