Method for additive manufacturing

• US 9,676,033 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arcam Ab (Danaher Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Arcam Ab (Danaher Corporation)
• Inventors: Hellestam, Calle
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNN, COLLEEN P
• Application Number:
  US14/452,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20150088295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/28 Powder bed fusion, e.g. selective laser melting [SLM] or electron beam melting [EBM]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/366 Scanning parameters, e.g. hatch distance or scanning strategy
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/368 Temperature or temperature gradient, e.g. temperature of the melt pool
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/85 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/41 characterised by the type, e.g. laser or electron beam
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/45 Two or more
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 1/001 Rapid manufacturing of 3D objects by additive depositing, agglomerating or laminating of material selective deposition modelling of metallic powder B22F10/00; rapid manufacturing of 3D objects in general and in particular of plastics B29C64/00
• CPC Class Codes: B28B 17/0081 Process control
• 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 64/386 Data acquisition or data processing for additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/251 Particles, powder or granules expandable particles B29K2105/046
• 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 50/02 for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4099 Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49023 3-D printing, layer of powder, add drops of binder in layer, new powder
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 Process efficiency

Abstract

A method for forming a three-dimensional article through successive fusion of parts of a powder bed, applying a first powder layer on a work table, directing a first energy beam from a first energy beam source over said work table causing said first powder layer to fuse in first selected locations according to a corresponding model to form a first cross section of said at least one three-dimensional article, where said first energy beam is fusing a first article with parallel scan lines in a first direction, fusing a second scan line in said first direction in said first layer in said first article within a predetermined time interval after fusing a first scan line in said first article, wherein at least one intermediate scan line is fused within said time interval at another predetermined position and where said first and second scan lines are adjacent to each other.

Claims

1. A method for forming at least two separate three-dimensional articles through successive fusion of parts of a powder bed, which parts correspond to successive cross sections of the three-dimensional articles, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a model of said at least two separate three-dimensional articles;

applying a first powder layer on a work table;

directing a first energy beam from a first energy beam source over said work table causing said first powder layer to fuse in first selected locations according to the corresponding model to form a first cross section of said at least two separate three-dimensional articles, where said first energy beam is fusing a first article with parallel scan lines in a first direction;

fusing a second scan line in said first direction in said first layer in said first article within a first predetermined time interval after fusing a first scan line in said first article, where said first and second scan lines are adjacent to each other; and

during a first time period including respective points in time for fusing the first and second scan lines and the first predetermined time interval between the respective points in time, fusing a first set of at least one intermediate scan line at another predetermined position, wherein said first set of at least one intermediate scan line is in a second article and said second article is different from said first article.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first set of intermediate scan lines is provided at a predetermined distance from said first and second scan lines.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

applying a second powder layer on the at least partially fused first powder layer;

directing the first energy beam over said second powder layer causing said second powder layer to fuse in second selected locations according to a corresponding model to form a second cross section of the at least two separate three dimensional articles, where the first energy beam is fusing said first article with parallel scan lines in a second direction;

fusing a fourth scan line in said second direction in said first article in said second layer within a second predetermined time interval after fusing a third scan line in said first article in said second direction, where said third and fourth scan lines in said second direction are adjacent to each other; and

during a second time period including time for fusing the third and fourth scan lines and the second predetermined time interval, fusing a second set of at least one intermediate scan line at another predetermined position.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said second set of at least one intermediate scan line is within said first article.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said second set of at least one intermediate scan line is provided at a predetermined distance from said first and second scan lines.

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein said second set of at least one intermediate scan line is in another article.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first scan line in at least one layer of the at least two three-dimensional articles is fused with a first energy beam from a first energy beam source and a second scan line in at least one layer of the at least two three-dimensional articles is fused with a second energy beam from a second energy beam source.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said first energy beam is emanating from a first electron beam source and said second energy beam is emanating from a first laser beam source.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said first energy beam is emanating from a first electron beam source and said second energy beam is emanating from a second electron beam source.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein said first energy beam is emanating from a first laser beam source and said second energy beam is emanating from a second laser beam source.

11. The method according to claim 3, wherein said first direction is rotated an angle a with respect to said second direction, where 1°

≦

α

≦

179°

.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scan lines in at least one layer of at least one three-dimensional article are straight lines.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the scan lines in at least one layer of at least one three-dimensional region are meandering.

14. The method according to claim 3, wherein said first direction is perpendicular to said second direction.

15. The method according to claim 7, wherein said first and second energy beams are fusing at least said first and said first set of at least one intermediate scan lines substantially simultaneously.

16. The method according to claim 7, wherein said first and second energy beams are fusing at least said second and said first set of at least one intermediate scan lines substantially simultaneously.

17. The method according to claim 1, wherein said powder is selected from a group consisting of metallic powder, polymer powder, and ceramic powder.

18. The method according to claim 1, wherein said steps are performed via a controlling computer.