Additive manufacturing of three-dimensional articles
First Claim
1. A method for forming a three-dimensional article through successively depositing individual layers of powder material that are fused together so as to form the article, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing at least one electron beam source emitting an electron beam for at least one of heating or fusing said powder material, where said electron beam source comprises a cathode, an anode, and a grid between said cathode and anode;
controlling the electron beam source in a first mode when said formation of said three dimensional article is in a first process step; and
controlling said electron beam source in a second mode when said formation of said three dimensional article is in a second process step,wherein;
the second process step comprises one of the group of;
preheating the surface prior to applying a new powder layer onto said surface, preheating a new powder layer, preheating a powder distribution, and post heat treatment of an already fused powder layer;
an electron beam current from said electron beam source is controlled in a feed-forward mode in said first mode;
the first process step involves fusing said powder material;
a predetermined grid potential provided to the grid is changed, during fusion of said powder material in the first process step, from a first predetermined grid potential to a second predetermined grid potential different from the first predetermined grid potential;
said electron beam current is controlled in a feed-back mode in said second mode; and
said feed-back mode comprises measuring said electron beam current.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a method for forming a three-dimensional article through successively depositing individual layers of powder material that are fused together so as to form the article, said method comprising the steps of: providing at least one electron beam source emitting an electron beam for heating and/or fusing said powder material. Controlling the electron beam source in a first mode when said formation of said three dimensional article is in a first process step. Controlling said electron beam in a second mode when said formation of said three dimensional article is in a second process step, wherein in said first mode an electron beam current from said electron beam source is controlled in a feed-forward mode and in said second mode said electron beam current is controlled in a feed-back mode.
219 Citations
6 Claims
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1. A method for forming a three-dimensional article through successively depositing individual layers of powder material that are fused together so as to form the article, said method comprising the steps of:
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providing at least one electron beam source emitting an electron beam for at least one of heating or fusing said powder material, where said electron beam source comprises a cathode, an anode, and a grid between said cathode and anode; controlling the electron beam source in a first mode when said formation of said three dimensional article is in a first process step; and controlling said electron beam source in a second mode when said formation of said three dimensional article is in a second process step, wherein; the second process step comprises one of the group of;
preheating the surface prior to applying a new powder layer onto said surface, preheating a new powder layer, preheating a powder distribution, and post heat treatment of an already fused powder layer;an electron beam current from said electron beam source is controlled in a feed-forward mode in said first mode; the first process step involves fusing said powder material; a predetermined grid potential provided to the grid is changed, during fusion of said powder material in the first process step, from a first predetermined grid potential to a second predetermined grid potential different from the first predetermined grid potential; said electron beam current is controlled in a feed-back mode in said second mode; and said feed-back mode comprises measuring said electron beam current. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification