ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20190329323A1
• Filed: 07/10/2019
• Published: 10/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renishaw PLC
• Original Assignee: Renishaw PLC
• Inventors: MCMURTRY, David Roberts, MCFARLAND, Geoffrey, WESTON, Nicholas John, FERRAR, Ben Ian
• Granted Patent: US 11,123,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 15/04 from a small area, e.g. a tool removing chips B23Q11/0042
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/224 for motion along a direction within the plane of a layer
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/44 characterised by the configuration of the radiation means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/45 Two or more
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/47 parallel to the deposition plane
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/67 Blades
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/70 Gas flow means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2999/00 Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy
• 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: B33Y 30/00 Apparatus for additive manufacturing; Details thereof or accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/00 Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/02 for controlling the intensity of light G02B26/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/101 with both horizontal and vertical deflecting means, e.g. raster or XY scanners colour television using laser beams scanning a display screen H04N9/3129
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

This invention concerns an additive manufacturing apparatus for building objects by layerwise consolidation of material. The apparatus comprises a build chamber 101 containing a working area, a plurality of high energy beams 133, 233 for consolidating material deposited in the working area in layers and an optical unit 135 for controlling transmission of the high energy beams onto material in the working area. The optical unit 135 comprises a plurality of independently controllable optical elements 141, 241 each optical element 141, 241 for controlling transmission of at least one of the high energy beams onto the material in the working area, the optical unit 135 movable in the build chamber 101.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing apparatus for building objects by layerwise consolidation of material, the apparatus comprising a build chamber containing a working area, an optical unit comprising at least one movable optical component for steering a laser beam onto material in the working area for consolidating the material deposited in layers, a first actuator for controlling movement of the laser beam across the working area in a first dimension and a second actuator for controlling movement of the laser beam across the working area in the first dimension, the second actuator having a faster dynamic response than the first actuator, and a controller arranged to control the first actuator and the second actuator to steer the laser beam in the first dimension using the faster dynamic response of the second actuator simultaneously with moving the laser beam in the first dimension using the first actuator.

2. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the optical component comprises at least one mirror mounted for rotation about an axis.

3. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second actuator drives rotation of the at least one mirror about the axis and the first actuator drives movement of the optical unit.

4. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is arranged to control the first and second actuators to steer the laser beam in the first dimension using the faster dynamic response of the second actuator simultaneously with moving the laser beam in the first dimension using the first actuator such that the working area is exposed to the laser beam in a series of separated discrete hops.

5. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a third actuator for controlling movement of the laser beam in a second dimension perpendicular to the first dimension.

6. The additive manufacturing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the third actuator is arranged to oscillate the laser beam in the second dimension simultaneously with the first and/or second actuator moving the laser beam in the first dimension.

7. An additive manufacturing apparatus for building objects by layerwise consolidation of material, the apparatus comprising a build chamber containing a working area, an optical unit for controlling transmission of a plurality of laser beams onto material in the working area for consolidating the material deposited in layers, the optical unit arranged to move over the working area and comprising a plurality of independently controllable optical elements, each optical element for controlling transmission of a corresponding laser beam of the plurality of laser beams onto the material in the working area, wherein the optical unit is connected to a wiper for spreading material across the working area such that the optical unit and wiper move across the working area as a single unit.