Method and Divice for Producing Components in a Beam Melting Installation

• US 20150115490A1
• Filed: 04/10/2013
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
• Original Assignee: EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
• Inventors: Reinarz, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 10,035,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 264/40.1
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/37 of powder bed aspects, e.g. density
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/85 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/67 Blades
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/153 using layers of powder being selectively joined, e.g. by selective laser sintering or melting
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2009/00 Layered products
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

The invention relates to a beam melting installation and method for producing components thereof, in which a component to be produced is produced layer-wise, wherein, a coating slide moves across a build platform, a powder layer is applied onto the build platform and already produced component layers by a blade fastened on the coating slide, and melt traces are subsequently inscribed in the powder layer by means of a directed beam, so that the powder melts in the melt trace and bonds to underlying component layers, wherein, during the travel of the coating slide in order to apply a new powder layer, perturbations of the travel of the coating slide or components connected thereto are metrologically detected, and in particular the beam melting installation is controlled and/or regulated as a function of the detected measured values. The invention furthermore relates to a device for retrofitting beam melting installations.

Claims

1. A method for producing components in a beam melting installation, in which at least one component to be produced is produced layer-wise,

wherein, in order to produce each component layer by means of a coating slide, which moves across a build platform, a powder layer is applied onto the build platform and already produced component layers by a blade fastened on the coating slide, and

melt traces are subsequently inscribed in the powder layer by means of a directed beam, in particular a laser beam or electron beam, so that the powder melts in the melt trace and bonds to underlying component layers,

characterized in that:

during the travel of the coating slide in order to apply a new powder layer, perturbations of the travel of the coating slide or components connected thereto are metrologically detected.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the perturbations of the travel are detected by at least one of the following alternatives:

a. metrological detection of perturbations of the coating slide or components connected thereto, in particular by the measurement of accelerations and/or of the amplitude and/or frequency, in particular by means of a sensor on the coating slide or a component connected thereto,

b. metrological detection of forces, in particular of forces acting against the travel direction on the coating slide or a component connected thereto, in particular by means of a sensor on the coating slide or a component connected thereto,

c. metrological detection of the drive power or the driving currents of the motor, with which the coating slide is moved,

d. metrological detection of acoustic sound by means of a microphone as a sensor, particularly inside the production chamber,

e. metrological detection of deflections of the coating slide or components connected thereto, in particular by means of at least one strain gauge as a sensor.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the perturbations or the measurement values are only detected within a subregion of the overall travel distance of the coating slide, all components to be produced being arranged inside the subregion.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the detected measurement values are checked for the exceeding of at least one stored limit value, in particular with different limit-value-dependent actions being initiated for a plurality of predetermined limit values.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the current production situation is photographically or videographically detected as a function of the detected measurement values, in particular when a predetermined limit value is exceeded.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the component to be produced currently arranged under the coating slide is excluded from the further production process as a function of the detected measurement values, in particular when a predetermined limit value is exceeded.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that an emergency stop of the beam melting installation is generated as a function of the detected measurement values, in particular when a predetermined limit value is exceeded.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the beam melting installation is controlled and/or regulated as a function of the detected measurement values.

8. A beam melting installation for layer-wise production of at least one component, having:

a process chamber,

a build platform, arranged height-adjustably therein, on which the at least one component can be produced, and

a coating slide which is movable across the build platform in order to produce each component layer, in order to apply a powder layer onto the build platform and already produced component layers by a blade fastened on the coating slide, and subsequently to inscribe melt traces in the powder layer by means of a directed beam, in particular a laser beam or electron beam, so that the powder can be melted in the melt trace and bonds to underlying component layers,

characterized in that;

the installation is configured, during the travel of the coating slide in order to apply a new powder layer, to metrologically detect perturbations of the travel of the coating slide or components connected thereto.

9. The beam melting installation as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one sensor on the coating slide or on the component connected thereto, by which perturbations and/or deflections of the coating slide, or of the component connected thereto, occurring during the travel can be metrologically detected.

12. The beam melting installation as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the beam melting installation is controllable and/or regulatable as a function of the detected measurement values.

10. A device for retrofitting beam melting installations, characterized in that:

a. it comprises at least one sensor unit, which can be connected to a coating slide of a beam melting installation or to a component arranged thereon, and is suitable for detecting perturbations of the travel of the coating slide, in particular perturbations and/or deflections of the coating slide or of the component arranged thereon, which occur during the travel of the coating slide, and

b. it comprises a data processing system for detecting measurement values from the sensor unit and for evaluating the measurement values.

13. The device for retrofitting beam melting installations as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the data processing system is configured in order to monitor the detected measurement values for the exceeding of at least one limit value, and as a function of the exceeded limit value, to initiate actions which are suitable for acting on the control of the beam melting installation, in particular in that an error event is simulated which is monitored by the control.