Accurate three-dimensional printing

• US 9,919,360 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2017
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Velo3D, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Velo3D, Inc.
• Inventors: Buller, Benyamin, Lappas, Tasso, Lappen, Alan Rick
• Primary Examiner(s): OCHYLSKI, RYAN M
• Application Number:
  US15/435,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20170239721A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/12 by photopolymerisation, e.g. stereolithography [SLA] or digital light processing [DLP]
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/14 by jetting of binder onto a bed of metal powder
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/18 by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF]
• 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 10/32 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 10/47 characterised by structural features
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 10/80 Data acquisition or data processing
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/44 characterised by the configuration of the radiation means
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/49 Scanners
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 12/90 Means for process control, e.g. cameras or sensors
• CPC Class Codes: B22F 2998/10 Processes characterised by the sequence of their steps
• 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 15/0086 welding for purposes other than joining, e.g. built-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 15/02 Control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/032 using optical means
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/034 Observing the temperature of the workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/04 Automatically aligning, aiming or focusing the laser beam, e.g. using the back-scattered light
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/0643 comprising mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/342 : Build-up welding
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/702 : Auxiliary equipment
• 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: B29C 64/393 : for controlling or regulating additive manufacturing processes
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 64/40 : Structures for supporting 3D objects during manufacture and intended to be sacrificed after completion thereof
• 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 40/00 : Auxiliary operations or equipment, e.g. for material handling
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 40/10 : Pre-treatment
• 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: G05B 19/4099 : Surface or curve machining, making 3D objects, e.g. desktop manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/35134 : 3-D cad-cam
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/49007 : Making, forming 3-D object, model, surface
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 10/25 : Process efficiency

Abstract

The present disclosure provides three-dimensional (3D) printing methods, apparatuses, and systems using, inter alia, a controller that regulates formation of at least one 3D object (e.g., in real time during the 3D printing); and a non-transitory computer-readable medium facilitating the same. For example, a controller that regulates a deformation of at least a portion of the 3D object. The control may be in situ control. The control may be real-time control during the 3D printing process. For example, the control may be during a physical-attribute pulse. The present disclosure provides various methods, apparatuses, systems and software for estimating the fundamental length scale of a melt pool, and for various tools that increase the accuracy of the 3D printing.

Claims

1. A system for three-dimensional printing of at least one three-dimensional object comprising:

an energy source that is configured to generate an energy beam directed to a target surface, which energy beam transforms a pre-transformed material into a transformed material as part of the at least one three-dimensional object, which energy beam optionally causes a fraction of the transformed material to separate from the target surface;

a detector that is configured to detect a temperature at a position of the target surface, wherein the detector is operatively coupled to the target surface; and

at least one controller that is operatively coupled to the energy source and to the detector, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to;

(i) direct the energy beam to irradiate the pre-transformed material;

(ii) use the detector to detect a temperature at the position;

(iii) evaluate a deviation between the temperature and a target temperature profile; and

(iv) based at least in part on the deviation, control at least one characteristic of the energy beam to alter an amount of the fraction that separates from the target surface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the target temperature profile is a single value, a temperature range, or a temperature function.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to control the at least one characteristic of the energy beam to reduce or prevent separation of the fraction from the target surface.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to control the at least one characteristic of the energy beam to reduce an amount of the fraction that separates from the target surface.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the target surface is an exposed surface of a material bed.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the exposed surface is planarized by a layer dispensing mechanism comprising a cyclonic separator.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-transformed material comprises at least one member of the group consisting of an elemental metal, metal alloy, ceramic, an allotrope of elemental carbon, and an organic material.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the pre-transformed material comprises a particulate material.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the particulate material comprises a powder material.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein separate(s) from the target surface comprises becoming gas-borne, evaporate, or form plasma.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the position comprises a footprint of the energy beam on the target surface, or a position adjacent to the footprint, wherein the position adjacent to the footprint is in an area having a radius of at most about six fundamental length scales of the footprint that centers at the footprint.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion comprises a melt pool.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the fraction that separates from the target surface forms debris.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the debris comprises soot.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the target surface is disposed in an enclosure, and wherein the fraction that separates from the target surface further reacts with one or more gases in the enclosure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more gases comprise oxygen or water.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the fraction that separates from the target surface chemically reacts with the one or more gases in the enclosure.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the fraction that separates from the target surface chemically reacts with the one or more gases in the enclosure by being oxidized by the one or more gases.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the fraction that separates from the target surface affects the transformation of the pre-transformed material into the transformed material.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the target temperature is less than (I) a temperature at which the fraction separates from the target surface, (II) an evaporation temperature of a type of the pre-transformed material, (III) a plasma forming temperature of the type of the pre-transformed material, or (IV) any combination thereof.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one characteristic of the energy beam comprises dwell time, footprint, cross section, power per unit area, translation speed, focus, fluence, flux, or intensity.

22. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy beam is configured to cause the fraction of the transformed material to separate from the target surface.

23. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller comprises one or more computer processors that are individually or collectively programmed to perform (i)-(iv).

24. A method for three-dimensional printing of at least one three-dimensional object implemented by at least one controller that is operatively coupled to (i) an energy source that is configured to generate an energy beam directed to a target surface, and (ii) a detector that is configured to detect a temperature at a position of the target surface, the method comprising:

(a) directing the energy source to generate the energy beam to irradiate a pre-transformed material to transform the pre-transformed material into a transformed material as part of the at least one three-dimensional object, which energy beam optionally causes a fraction of the transformed material to separate from the target surface;

(b) using the detector to detect a temperature at the position;

(c) evaluating a deviation between the temperature and a target temperature profile; and

(d) based at least in part on the deviation, controlling at least one characteristic of the energy beam to alter an amount of the fraction that separates from the target surface,

wherein the at least one controller is programmed to evaluate the deviation; and

, based on at least in part on the deviation, control at least one characteristic of the energy beam to alter an amount of the fraction that separates from the target surface.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising controlling at least one characteristic of the energy beam to reduce or prevent the fraction from separating from the (i) at least a portion of the at least one three-dimensional object and/or (ii) from the transformed material.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein (d) comprises reducing or preventing the amount of the fraction that separates from the at least the portion of the at least one three- dimensional object.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the pre-transformed material forms a material bed comprising an exposed surface.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein separate(s) from the target surface comprises becoming gas-borne, evaporate or form plasma.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the position comprises an area occupied by a footprint of the energy beam on the target surface, or a position adjacent to the area occupied by the footprint, wherein position adjacent to the area occupied by the footprint is in an area having a radius of at most about six fundamental length scales of the footprint that centers at the footprint.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the target surface comprises (i) an exposed surface of a material bed or (ii) an exposed surface of the at least the portion of the at least one three-dimensional object.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least the portion of the at least one three-dimensional object comprises a melt pool.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the fraction that separates from the at least the portion of the at least one three-dimensional object forms debris.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the debris comprises soot.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the debris affects transformation of the pre-transformed material into the transformed material.

35. The method of claim 24, wherein a target temperature of the target temperature profile is less than (I) a temperature at which the fraction separates from the at least the portion of the at least one three-dimensional object, (II) an evaporation temperature of a type of the pre-transformed material, (III) a plasma forming temperature of the type of the pre-transformed material, or (IV) any combination thereof.

36. The method of claim 24, wherein the at least one characteristic of the energy beam comprises dwell time, footprint, cross section, power per unit area, translation speed, focus, fluence, flux, or intensity.

37. The method of claim 24, wherein the energy beam causes a fraction of the transformed material to separate from the at least the portion of the at least one three-dimensional object.