Irradiation in generative fabrication

• US 9,636,769 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2014
• Issued: 05/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG (MTU)
• Original Assignee: MTU Aero Engines AG (MTU)
• Inventors: Goehler, Thomas, Hess, Thomas, Maiwald-Immer, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Heinrich, Samuel M
• Application Number:
  US14/567,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20150165545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: 21912113-12117, 21912135, 21912163-12166, 21912185, 29889-889722
• 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 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/36 of energy beam parameters
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/13 to preheat the material
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/17 to heat the build chamber or platform
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/45 Two or more
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 5/009 of turbine components other than turbine blades of turbine blades B22F5/04
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 15/0006 specially adapted for particular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 15/0013 Positioning or observing workpieces, e.g. with respect to the impact; Aligning, aiming or focusing electronbeams
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 15/004 Tandem beams or torches, i.e. working simultaneously with several beams or torches
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 15/0086 welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. built-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/02 Positioning or observing the workpiece, e.g. with respect to the point of impact; Aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 Build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 10/00 Processes of additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 9/22 with heating by wave energy or particle radiation by acoustic waves C22B9/026
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 9/223 by laser beams working by laser beam B23K26/00
• CPC Class Codes: C22B 9/228 by particle radiation, e.g. electron beams
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 13/24 using electromagnetic waves
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/52 Alloys
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for the generative production of components, particularly of single-crystalline or directionally-solidified components, particularly for the production of components for turbomachines, in which the component is constructed in layers on a substrate or a previously produced part of the component (3), wherein a construction in layers takes place by melting of powder material in layers with a high-energy beam (14) and solidification of the powder melt (16) takes place, wherein the high-energy beam has a beam cross section (19) in the area of its impingement on the powder material that is altered in comparison to a circular or other symmetrical cross section and/or the beam energy is distributed non-uniformly, in particular asymmetrically or eccentrically, over the beam section.

Claims

1. A method for the generative production of components for turbomachines, in which the component is constructed in layers on a substrate or a previously produced part of the component (3), wherein a construction in layers results by melting of powder material in layers with a high-energy beam (13) and solidification of the powder melt (16),

wherein

the high-energy beam has a beam cross section (19) in the area of its impingement on the powder material that is altered in comparison to a circular or other symmetrical cross section and/or the beam energy is distributed, over the beam cross section, in a shape that is selected from the group consisting of non-uniform, asymmetrical and eccentric, and that

the powder material, after melting has occurred, is irradiated a second time, at a time delay to the melting, by a high-energy beam with an energy input into the powder material that is altered in comparison to the melting, and

wherein the solidification of the powder melt occurs epitaxially.

2. The method according to claim 1,

wherein

at least two high-energy beams (13) are irradiated on the powder material in temporal succession at spatially adjacent sites of the component or a part thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1,

wherein

the second irradiation or additional irradiations with a high-energy beam (13) occurs or occur at time points when the melted powder material has not yet fully solidified.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

preheating the powder material by radiant heating or induction heating, prior to the melting.

5. The method according to claim 1,

wherein

the high-energy beam (13) is a laser or electron beam.

6. The method according to claim 1,

wherein

at least one high-energy beam is directed along movement tracks (20, 20′

) over the powder material arranged in a powder bed.

7. The method according to claim 6,

wherein

the tracks of movement (20, 20′

) of the high-energy beams with beam cross section (19) that deviates from circular or otherwise symmetrical cross section and/or non-uniform and/or asymmetrical and/or eccentric energy distribution over the beam cross section, and/or the movement tracks for which the high-energy beam impinges for the first time on the powder material at least partially for melting of the powder material overlap one another.

8. The method according to claim 1,

wherein

a computer-assisted simulation of the energy input and the local and/or temporal temperature distribution in the powder material and/or the already produced component (3) takes place.

9. The method according to claim 1,

wherein

a computer-assisted simulation of the phase state of the powder material and/or the direction of solidification and/or the rate of solidification of the melted powder material takes place.

10. The method according to claim 8,

wherein

by a computer-assisted simulation, one or more parameters for the irradiation with high-energy beams is or are determined, wherein said parameters are chosen from the group that includes the power of the high-energy beam or beams, the number of high-energy beams, the shape of the beam cross section of the beam or beams, the non-uniform, asymmetric or eccentric energy distribution of the high-energy beam or beams over the beam cross section, the time interval of a second irradiation or of additional irradiations of the powder material, the geometry of the tracks of the high-energy beams, and the track separation of the movement tracks of the high-energy beams.

11. The method according to claim 10,

wherein

by a computer-assisted simulation, the parameters for irradiation with high-energy beams are determined so that a desired structure can be created.

12. The method according to claim 1,

wherein

the method is used for the production of single-crystalline or directionally solidified components.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein

by a computer-assisted simulation, one or more parameters for the irradiation with high-energy beams is or are determined, wherein said parameters are chosen from the group that includes the power of the high-energy beam or beams, the number of high-energy beams, the shape of the beam cross section of the beam or beams, the non-uniform, asymmetric or eccentric energy distribution of the high-energy beam or beams over the beam cross section, the time interval of a second irradiation or of additional irradiations of the powder material, the geometry of the tracks of the high-energy beams, and the track separation of the movement tracks of the high-energy beams.