OPERATIONAL PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT OF ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING

• US 20150165683A1
• Filed: 12/13/2013
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: TAIT, Robert William, CHEVERTON, Mark Allen, NAFIS, Christopher Allen, DENNISON, Russell Ryder
• Granted Patent: US 9,724,876 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/85 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/112 using individual droplets, e.g. from jetting heads
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/124 using layers of liquid which are selectively solidified
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/393 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30164 Workpiece; Machine component
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 7/0004 Industrial image inspection
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A method for assessment of operational performance of a 3D manufacturing apparatus is provided. Images are obtained, in real-time during a 3D polymer printing build process in which at least one structure is built by the 3D manufacturing apparatus, the images being of an area of a build platform on which the at least one structure is built. The obtained images are evaluating, and it is determined, based on the evaluating, whether an operational flaw with the 3D manufacturing apparatus has occurred. Operational flaws include errors in the operation of the 3D manufacturing apparatus and/or component thereof, as evidenced by, for instance, distortions or other errors in the structure(s) being built and/or materials being used.

Claims

1. A method for assessment of operational performance of a 3D manufacturing apparatus, the method comprising:

obtaining, in real-time during a 3D polymer printing build process in which at least one structure is built by the 3D manufacturing apparatus, images of an area of a build platform on which the at least one structure is built;

evaluating, by a processor, the obtained images; and

determining, based on the evaluating, whether an operational flaw with the 3D manufacturing apparatus has occurred.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating comprises performing image processing on the obtained images to detect an error indicative of occurrence of the operational flaw with the 3D manufacturing apparatus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined operational flaw comprises a malfunction of the 3D manufacturing apparatus indicative that maintenance of the 3D manufacturing apparatus is necessary.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining that the operational flaw has occurred, performing one or more of the following:

providing an alert to a user that the operational flaw has occurred, and halting the build process.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to determining that the operational flaw has occurred, modifying the build process, wherein the modifying disables (i) building at least a portion of a structure which is determined to exhibit the operational flaw or (ii) building at a location of the build platform at which the operational flaw is determined to be exhibited.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the evaluating further comprises comparing one or more physical properties of the at least one structure as it is being built during the build process to a computer-aided design specification describing one or more target properties for the at least one structure, and wherein the determining comprises determining, based on the comparison, whether the structure being built is accurate to the computer-aided design specification.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the 3D manufacturing apparatus comprises a plurality of nozzles, and wherein the evaluating detects an error associated with at least one nozzle.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the error comprises the at least one nozzle being clogged.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein one or more nozzles of the plurality of nozzles deposit a first material during the build process and one or more other nozzles of the plurality of nozzles deposit a second material during the build process, and wherein the error comprises mixing of the first material and the second material at an interface between the first material and the second material in the built at least one structure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a structure of the at least one structure being built comprises a witness fence to facilitate detecting occurrence of operational flaws of the 3D manufacturing apparatus, wherein the witness fence comprises alternating rows of a first material and a second material being deposited by the 3D manufacturing apparatus during the build process, and wherein the area of the build platform being imaged comprises the witness fence during building thereof.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the alternating rows of first material and second material are of varying thicknesses.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the evaluating assesses whether mixing of the first material and second material occurs at an interface between adjacent rows of the alternating rows of first material and second material, wherein the mixing indicates that the operational flaw has occurred.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtained images are high resolution images.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtained images comprise high resolution images and low resolution images, and wherein the low resolution images are used to determine that a large scale issue with the 3D manufacturing apparatus has occurred, and the high resolution images are used to determine the operational flaw.

15. A system for assessment of operational performance of an additive manufacturing apparatus, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in communication with the memory, wherein the system is configured to perform;

obtaining, in real-time during an additive manufacturing build process in which at least one structure is built by the additive manufacturing apparatus, images of an area of a build platform on which the at least one structure is built;

evaluating, by a processor, the obtained images; and

determining, based on the evaluating, whether an operational flaw with the additive manufacturing apparatus has occurred.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the system further comprises one or more cameras for acquiring the images of the area of the build platform, wherein at least one camera of the one or more cameras is a high resolution imaging camera.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one high resolution imaging camera is configured to capture images having image resolution between 70 micrometers (um) per pixel and 130 um per pixel.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said at least one high resolution imaging camera is configured to obtain low resolution images and high resolution images.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one camera of the one or more cameras is a low resolution imaging camera.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more cameras comprise at least one low resolution imaging camera and at least one high resolution imaging camera.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one camera of the one or more cameras is an internal camera disposed within a build chamber of the additive manufacturing apparatus.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one camera of the one or more cameras is an internal camera disposed within an insulated chamber, the insulated chamber disposed at least partially within a build chamber of the additive manufacturing apparatus, and wherein the insulated chamber comprises a cooling component configured to control temperature of the at least one camera during operation thereof.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one camera of the one or more cameras is an external camera disposed external to a build chamber of the additive manufacturing apparatus, wherein the at least one external camera images the area of the build platform through a door or window of the additive manufacturing apparatus.

24. A computer program product for assessment of operational performance of a 3D manufacturing apparatus, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium readable by a processor and storing instructions for execution by the process to perform a method comprising;

obtaining, in real-time during a 3D polymer printing build process in which at least one structure is built by the 3D manufacturing apparatus, images of an area of a build platform on which the at least one structure is built;

evaluating the obtained images; and

determining, based on the evaluating, whether an operational flaw with the 3D manufacturing apparatus has occurred.