System and method for fabricating or repairing a part

• US 7,020,539 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2003
• Issued: 03/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Southern Methodist University
• Original Assignee: Southern Methodist University
• Inventors: Kovacevic, Radovan, Valant, Michael E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): KASENGE, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US10/649,925
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: 700/95, 700/97, 700/98, 700/105, 700/108, 700/109, 700/110, 700/117, 700/118, 700/119, 700/123, 700/159, 700/160, 700/166, 700/169, 700/174, 700/179, 700/182, 700/245
• US Class Current: 700/166
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/25 Direct deposition of metal particles, e.g. direct metal deposition [DMD] or laser engineered net shaping [LENS]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/32 of the atmosphere, e.g. composition or pressure in a building chamber
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/36 of energy beam parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/66 by mechanical means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/41 characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/52 Hoppers
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/53 Nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/55 Two or more means for feeding material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/57 Metering means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/70 Gas flow means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2003/247 Removing material: carving, cleaning, grinding, hobbing, honing, lapping, polishing, milling, shaving, skiving, turning the surface
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2202/11 Use of irradiation
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2202/13 Use of plasma
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/00 Supplementary information concerning processes or compositions relating to powder metallurgy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 3/24 After-treatment of workpieces or articles B22F3/1146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0884 in at least in three axial directions, e.g. manipulators, robots
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/1482 Detachable nozzles, e.g. exchangeable or provided with breakaway lines
• 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 40/00 : Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/20 : Post-treatment, e.g. curing, coating or polishing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 50/02 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 483/17 : including machine tool or component

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the invention, a system for fabricating a part includes a computer operable to control the fabrication of a three-dimensional part using a solid CAD model, a deposition station operable to deposit successive two-dimensional layers of material to fabricate the three-dimensional part, and a machining station operable to remove at least a portion of one or more of the deposited two-dimensional layers of material. The deposition station includes a substrate on which to fabricate the three-dimensional part, a welding-based deposition system having a welding torch, a laser-based deposition system having a laser head, a plasma powder cladding system having a plasma torch, and a multi-axis robot operable to, when directed by the computer, utilize one of the welding-based deposition system, laser-based deposition system, and plasma powder cladding system to deposit any of the two-dimensional layers of material. The machining station includes a multi-axis milling machine and an automatic tool changer. The milling machine is operable to, when directed by the computer, select from a plurality of machining tools associated with the automatic tool changer for use in the milling machine.

Claims

1. A system for fabricating a part, comprising:

a computer operable to control the fabrication of a three-dimensional part using digital engineering data;

a deposition station operable to deposit successive two-dimensional layers of material to fabricate the three-dimensional part, the deposition station comprising;

a substrate on which to fabricate the three-dimensional part;

a welding-based deposition system comprising a welding torch;

a laser-based deposition system comprising;

a laser head; and

a powder delivery system comprising a hopper adapted to contain a powder and continuously feed the powder through an output of the hopper, a metering device adjacent the output of the hopper adapted to receive the powder continuously fed through the output of the hopper, and a vacuum powder removal device operable to remove the powder from the top surface via a vacuum;

a plasma powder cladding system comprising a plasma torch; and

a multi-axis robot operable to, when directed by the computer, utilize one of the welding-based deposition system, laser-based deposition system, and plasma powder cladding system to deposit any of the two-dimensional layers of material; and

a machining station operable to remove at least a portion of one or more of the deposited two-dimensional layers of material, the machining station comprising;

a multi-axis milling machine; and

an automatic tool changer associated with the milling machine, the milling machine operable to, when directed by the computer, select from a plurality of machining tools associated with the automatic tool changer for use in the milling machine.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an inspection station operable to inspect the three-dimensional part for dimensional accuracy at any time during the fabrication of the three-dimensional part.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the inspection station is operable to scan a completed part and wherein the computer is operable to generate and store a solid CAD model of the completed part for subsequent use in fabricating a new part of the same geometrical configuration.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the welding-based deposition system further comprises a wire feeder and wherein the welding-based deposition system is selected from the group consisting of a gas metal arc welding system and a gas tungsten arc welding system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser-based deposition system comprises a Nd:

YAG laser deposition system.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser-based deposition system comprises a diode laser deposition system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a two rotary axis shifting platform.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-axis milling machine comprises a four axis CNC milling machine having a three axis work table.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the multi-axis milling machine is operable to perform a machining process selected from the group consisting of milling, drilling, boring, reaming, tapping, grinding, polishing, and vertical turning.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer comprises a CAD/CAM application operable to store a solid CAD model and control the deposition station and the machining station based on the solid CAD model to fabricate the three-dimensional part.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the computer is operable to control the heat input into any of the two-dimensional layers based upon the geometry of a predetermined CAD Data file from the solid CAD model.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer is operable to vary an amount of the powder continuously fed to the metering device in response to monitoring material deposition by the laser-based deposition system.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the laser-based deposition system further comprises an infrared sensing device operable to sense a molten pool during material deposition by the laser-based deposition system, the infrared sensing device operable to provide feedback to the computer for substantially real-time control of the molten pool.

14. A method for fabricating a part, comprising:

generating a solid model representing a three-dimensional part on a computer;

generating a plurality of electronic two-dimensional layers based on the solid model;

selecting a deposition system to use for depositing respective two-dimensional layers of material corresponding to each of the electronic two-dimensional layers, the deposition system selected from the group consisting of a welding-based deposition system, a laser-based deposition system, and a plasma powder cladding system, the laser-based deposition system comprising an infrared sensing device operable to sense a molten pool during material deposition by the laser-based deposition system and operable to provide feedback to the computer for substantially real-time control of the molten pool;

directing a multi-axis robot to obtain a desired deposition device corresponding to the selected deposition system;

successively depositing, via the selected deposition system, the respective two-dimensional layers of material on a substrate; and

intermittently removing, via a multi-axis milling machine controlled by the computer, material from the three-dimensional part based on the solid model during fabrication.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising intermittently inspecting the three-dimensional part for dimensional accuracy during the fabrication of the three-dimensional part.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein electronically generating the plurality of electronic two-dimensional layers comprises creating a plurality of CAD data files.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the welding-based deposition system is selected from the group consisting of a gas metal arc welding system and a gas tungsten arc welding system.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the laser-based deposition system comprises a Nd:

YAG laser deposition system.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the laser-based deposition system comprises a diode laser deposition system.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling, by the computer, a two rotary axis shifting platform during fabrication of the three-dimensional part.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the multi-axis milling machine comprises a four axis CNC milling machine having a three axis work table.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein intermittently removing material comprises intermittently performing a machining process selected from the group consisting of milling, drilling, boring, reaming, tapping, grinding, polishing, and vertical turning during fabrication of the three-dimensional part.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling, by the computer, the heat input into any of the two-dimensional layers based upon the geometry of a corresponding electronic two-dimensional layer.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the deposition device is selected from the group consisting of a weld torch, a plasma torch, and a laser head.

25. A system for fabricating a part, comprising:

a computer operable to control the fabrication of a three-dimensional part using digital engineering data;

a deposition station operable to deposit successive two-dimensional layers of material to fabricate the three-dimensional part, the deposition station comprising;

a substrate on which to fabricate the three-dimensional part;

a welding-based deposition system comprising a welding torch;

a laser-based deposition system comprising;

a laser head; and

a powder delivery system comprising a hopper adapted to contain a powder and continuously feed the powder through an output of the hopper, a metering device adjacent the output of the hopper adapted to receive the powder continuously fed through the output of the hopper, a vacuum powder removal device operable to remove the powder from the top surface via a vacuum, and wherein the computer is operable to vary an amount of the powder continuously fed to the metering device in response to monitoring material deposition by the laser-based deposition system;

a plasma powder cladding system comprising a plasma torch; and

a multi-axis robot operable to, when directed by the computer, utilize one of the welding-based deposition system, laser-based deposition system, and plasma powder cladding system to deposit any of the two-dimensional layers of material; and

a machining station operable to remove at least a portion of one or more of the deposited two-dimensional layers of material, the machining station comprising;

a multi-axis milling machine; and

an automatic tool changer associated with the milling machine, the milling machine operable to, when directed by the computer, select from a plurality of machining tools associated with the automatic tool changer for use in the milling machine.

26. The system of claim 25, further comprising an inspection station operable to inspect the three-dimensional part for dimensional accuracy at any time during the fabrication of the three-dimensional part.

27. A system for fabricating a part, comprising:

a computer operable to control the fabrication of a three-dimensional part using digital engineering data;

a deposition station operable to deposit successive two-dimensional layers of material to fabricate the three-dimensional part, the deposition station comprising;

a substrate on which to fabricate the three-dimensional part;

a welding-based deposition system comprising a welding torch;

a laser-based deposition system comprising a laser head and an infrared sensing device operable to sense a molten pool during material deposition by the laser-based deposition system, the infrared sensing device operable to provide feedback to the computer for substantially real-time control of the molten pool;

a plasma powder cladding system comprising a plasma torch; and

a multi-axis robot operable to, when directed by the computer, utilize one of the welding-based deposition system, laser-based deposition system, and plasma powder cladding system to deposit any of the two-dimensional layers of material; and

a machining station operable to remove at least a portion of one or more of the deposited two-dimensional layers of material, the machining station comprising;

a multi-axis milling machine; and

an automatic tool changer associated with the milling machine, the milling machine operable to, when directed by the computer, select from a plurality of machining tools associated with the automatic tool changer for use in the milling machine.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising an inspection station operable to inspect the three-dimensional part for dimensional accuracy at any time during the fabrication of the three-dimensional part.