Methods and systems for controlling and adjusting heat distribution over a part bed
First Claim
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1. A method, comprising:
- determining a temperature distribution within a part bed by capturing an infrared image of the part bed and analyzing the infrared image to infer the temperature distribution;
illuminating a powder within the part bed with a laser to transform the powder from a solid state to a liquid state simultaneous to the capturing the infrared image of the part bed;
generating a zone heat distribution for one or more heat zones from the temperature distribution;
analyzing the zone heat distribution to create an adjustment command to control at least one heater for providing a desired temperature distribution within the part bed; and
adjusting the at least one heater based on the adjustment command.
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Abstract
Methods and systems for controlling and adjusting heat distribution over a part bed are disclosed. In one embodiment, a technique for providing a calibrated heat distribution over a part bed includes determining the temperature distribution within a part bed, generating a zone heat distribution for a plurality of heat zones from the temperature distribution, analyzing the zone heat distribution to create an adjustment command to calibrate a heater for providing a substantially consistent temperature distribution within the part bed, and adjusting the heater based on the adjustment command.
135 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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determining a temperature distribution within a part bed by capturing an infrared image of the part bed and analyzing the infrared image to infer the temperature distribution; illuminating a powder within the part bed with a laser to transform the powder from a solid state to a liquid state simultaneous to the capturing the infrared image of the part bed; generating a zone heat distribution for one or more heat zones from the temperature distribution; analyzing the zone heat distribution to create an adjustment command to control at least one heater for providing a desired temperature distribution within the part bed; and adjusting the at least one heater based on the adjustment command. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. One or more computer readable media comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform acts comprising:
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measuring a temperature distribution of a part bed; generating temperature zones from the temperature distribution; and creating a heater adjustment command from the temperature zones to adjust at least one of a plurality of heaters to provide a desired temperature distribution over the part bed, wherein the heater adjustment command includes a command to adjust a position of the heater by at least one of rotating the heater about a mounting axis and moving the heater along a plane parallel to the heater bed. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system, comprising:
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a thermal imaging device to generate temperature distribution data from material in a part bed; and a processor to receive the temperature distribution data, convert the temperature distribution data into a zone temperature grid, create a heater control command based on the difference between a target temperature and the zone temperature grid, and transmit the heater control command to at least one heater element of a plurality of heater elements, wherein the processor includes a first module to convert the temperature distribution data into a zone temperature grid by averaging the temperatures of sub-zones within each zone of the zone temperature grid. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification