SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MEASURING RADIATED THERMAL ENERGY DURING AN ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING OPERATION
First Claim
1. An additive manufacturing method, comprising:
- identifying spectral peaks associated with a batch of powder;
selecting a first wavelength and a second wavelength spaced apart from the first wavelength, the first wavelength and the second wavelength being offset from the identified spectral peaks;
generating a plurality of scans of an energy source across a layer of the batch of powder disposed upon a build plane during an additive manufacturing operation;
measuring an amount of energy radiated from the build plane at the first wavelength;
measuring an amount of energy radiated from the build plane at the second wavelength;
determining variations in temperature of an area of the build plane traversed by the plurality of scans based upon a ratio of energy radiated at the first wavelength to energy radiated at the second wavelength;
determining that the variations in temperature are outside a threshold range of values; and
thereafter, adjusting subsequent scans of the energy source across or proximate the area of the build plane.
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Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure describes various methods and apparatus for characterizing an additive manufacturing process. A method for characterizing the additive manufacturing process can include generating scans of an energy source across a build plane; measuring an amount of energy radiated from the build plane during each of the scans using an optical sensing system that monitors two discrete wavelengths associated with a blackbody radiation curve of the layer of powder; determining temperature variations for an area of the build plane traversed by the scans based upon a ratio of sensor readings taken at the two discrete wavelengths; determining that the temperature variations are outside a threshold range of values; and thereafter, adjusting subsequent scans of the energy source across or proximate the area of the build plane.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An additive manufacturing method, comprising:
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identifying spectral peaks associated with a batch of powder; selecting a first wavelength and a second wavelength spaced apart from the first wavelength, the first wavelength and the second wavelength being offset from the identified spectral peaks; generating a plurality of scans of an energy source across a layer of the batch of powder disposed upon a build plane during an additive manufacturing operation; measuring an amount of energy radiated from the build plane at the first wavelength; measuring an amount of energy radiated from the build plane at the second wavelength; determining variations in temperature of an area of the build plane traversed by the plurality of scans based upon a ratio of energy radiated at the first wavelength to energy radiated at the second wavelength; determining that the variations in temperature are outside a threshold range of values; and thereafter, adjusting subsequent scans of the energy source across or proximate the area of the build plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An additive manufacturing method, comprising:
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identifying spectral peaks associated with a batch of powder; selecting a first wavelength and a second wavelength spaced apart from the first wavelength, the first wavelength and the second wavelength being offset from the identified spectral peaks; generating a plurality of scans of an energy source across a layer of the batch of powder on a build plane; generating sensor readings during each of the plurality of scans using an optical sensing system that monitors the first wavelength and the second wavelength; determining variations in temperature across the build plane during the plurality of scans using a ratio of the sensor readings collected at the first wavelength to the sensor readings collected at the second wavelength; determining when the variations in temperature are outside a threshold range of values; and thereafter, adjusting an output of the energy source. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. An additive manufacturing method, comprising:
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identifying spectral peaks associated with a batch of powder; selecting a first wavelength and a second wavelength spaced apart from the first wavelength, the first wavelength and the second wavelength being offset from the identified spectral peaks; generating a plurality of scans of an energy source across a layer of powder on a build plane; generating sensor readings during each of the plurality of scans using an optical sensing system that monitors the first and second wavelengths during the plurality of scans; for each of the plurality of scans, mapping portions of each of the sensor readings to a respective one of a plurality of regions of the build plane; for each of the plurality of regions; characterizing temperature variations within the region based on a ratio of the sensor readings taken at the first wavelength and the sensor readings taken at the second wavelength; determining that the temperature variations associated with one or more of the plurality of regions are outside a threshold range of values; and thereafter, adjusting an output of the energy source. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification