Additive manufacturing method and system for detecting and extracting impurities and producing a composition

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to additive manufacturing methods and systems that detect and extract impurities and produce compositions. An additive manufacturing system that extracts impurities in an additive manufacturing material, the system including an additive manufacturing machine that manufactures a part using the additive manufacturing material. The system can additionally include a conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material. The system can also include an energy source that distributes an electric charge through the conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material. Distributing the electric charge through the conductive plate can attract the impurities from the additive manufacturing material to the conductive plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for detecting and extracting impurities in additive manufacturing materials (and more specifically, using conductive plates to attract and extract impurities from additive manufacturing samples). Additionally, this disclosure generally relates to methods and systems for producing compositions in additive manufacturing material samples. Background Technology

[0002] The quality of the powder used in additive manufacturing (AM) methods can affect the quality of the parts constructed from the powder. Particle size factors influence the flowability and thickness of individual powder layers within the build box. For high-performance applications, it is important to identify additional factors, such as the type, quantity, and size of particulate contaminants that may be present in the powder. Contaminants can be introduced during powder manufacturing, handling, or the construction process itself. When contaminants are mixed into the powder, contaminants contained within a batch of powder may be introduced into the part, and contaminants may exist as discrete particles or as non-fusion interfaces acting as stress concentrators.

[0003] The presence of contaminants can reduce the lifespan of parts by increasing the likelihood of fatigue cracks.

[0004] Currently, operators use microscopes to inspect additive manufacturing powder samples for foreign matter debris (FOD) or contaminants. Operators rely on judgment to determine the quantitative count of FOD in the powder sample. This manual process is time-consuming, tedious, and prone to underestimating the amount of FOD in the additive manufacturing powder sample. Furthermore, operator safety is at risk when using ultraviolet light to detect FOD. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In the example, the additive manufacturing system for extracting impurities includes an additive manufacturing machine that manufactures parts using additive manufacturing material, a conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material, and an energy source that distributes electrical charge through the conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material. The electrical charge distribution through the conductive plate attracts impurities from the additive manufacturing material to the conductive plate.

[0006] In another example, a method for extracting impurities from additive manufacturing materials includes the steps of: generating an electric charge through a conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material, and attracting impurities from the additive manufacturing material to the conductive plate while generating the electric charge through the conductive plate.

[0007] In yet another example, a method for producing a composition in an additive manufacturing material includes the steps of: spreading a layer of additive manufacturing material by rollers, the layer comprising elongated fibers. The method further includes the steps of: generating an electric field on the layer of additive manufacturing material, and simultaneously aligning the elongated fibers within the layer while generating the electric field. The method further includes the step of: curing the layer of additive manufacturing material and the aligned elongated fibers using an energy source.

[0008] In yet another example, the additive manufacturing system includes an additive manufacturing machine for manufacturing parts using additive manufacturing material and rollers for spreading layers of additive manufacturing material. The layers of additive manufacturing material comprise elongated fibers. The additive manufacturing machine also includes an electric field generator that generates an electric field on the layers of additive manufacturing material and aligns the elongated fibers within the layers. The additive manufacturing system additionally includes an energy source for curing the layers of additive manufacturing material and the aligned elongated fibers.

[0009] The features, functionalities, and advantages already discussed can be implemented independently in various examples or combined in other examples. Further details of the examples can be seen in the following description and accompanying figures. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The appended claims set forth novel features that are considered exemplary examples. However, the exemplary examples, preferred modes of use, their additional objectives, and descriptions will be best understood when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings by referring to the following detailed description of the exemplary examples of this disclosure, wherein:

[0011] Figure 1 An example system for detecting impurities in additive manufacturing materials is shown, based on an example implementation.

[0012] Figure 2 The example shows a board and a mirror implemented as shown in the example.

[0013] Figure 3 An example of a conductive plate implemented according to the example is shown.

[0014] Figure 4 An example of a waveguide on a conductive plate is shown, based on the example implementation.

[0015] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example method for detecting and extracting impurities in additive manufacturing materials, based on an example implementation, is shown.

[0016] Figure 6 An example system for producing compositions in additive manufacturing materials is shown, based on an example implementation.

[0017] Figure 7A flowchart illustrating an example method for producing a composition in additive manufacturing, based on an example implementation. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The disclosed examples will now be described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate some, but not all, of the disclosed examples. In fact, many different examples may be described and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein. Rather, these examples are described so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of this disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0019] A. Detection and extraction of impurities in additive manufacturing materials

[0020] In the example, a method for detecting and extracting impurities in additive manufacturing materials is described, the method comprising the steps of: generating an electric charge through a conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material and attracting the impurities from the additive manufacturing material to the conductive plate.

[0021] The methods described herein can be used to automatically extract and detect contaminants (such as impurities and / or foreign matter debris) in additive manufacturing materials via electrostatic techniques. A conductive plate is used to electrostatically attract and extract impurities from additive manufacturing material samples.

[0022] The example methods and systems described herein eliminate the need for operators to inspect additive manufacturing powders for contaminants or foreign matter debris, and enable more accurate identification and quantification of foreign matter debris. The amount of foreign matter debris in an additive manufacturing material sample can affect the quality and mechanical properties (e.g., fatigue life and tensile strength) of the finished additive manufacturing part. Therefore, determining the amount of contaminants can be useful in deciding whether to replace additive manufacturing materials.

[0023] For example, an example method for detecting impurities in additive manufacturing materials can be used in an additive manufacturing system. The example additive manufacturing system may include an additive manufacturing machine that manufactures parts using the additive manufacturing material and a conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material. The example system also includes an energy source that distributes electrical charge through the conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material. The distribution of charge through the conductive plate attracts impurities from the additive manufacturing material to the conductive plate.

[0024] Now refer to the attached diagram, Figure 1A system 100 for extracting and detecting impurities in additive manufacturing materials according to an example implementation is illustrated. System 100 includes an additive manufacturing machine 102 for manufacturing parts using additive manufacturing material 104 and a conductive plate 106 adjacent to additive manufacturing material 104. System 100 also includes an energy source 110 that distributes charge through the conductive plate 106 adjacent to additive manufacturing material 104. The charge distribution through the conductive plate 106 attracts impurities 112 from the top layer 116 of additive manufacturing material 104 to the conductive plate 106.

[0025] Additive manufacturing material 104 can be included within container 126 and can include many types of materials, such as polymers (e.g., polycarbonate, nylon, epoxy resin), ceramics (silicon dioxide or glass), and metals (steel, titanium alloy, aluminum alloy, etc.). Additive manufacturing material 104 can also be in many forms, such as powder, liquid, or combination.

[0026] The conductive plate 106 may be transparent or translucent. In some examples, the conductive plate 106 may comprise a conductive glass or polymer plate, such as indium tin oxide, or a conductive polymer, such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-tetramethacrylate (PEDOT-TMA), poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT:PSS), or poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT). The conductive plate 106 is coupled to an energy source 110 such that the energy source 110 can distribute charge on the conductive plate 106. For example, the impurity 112 may be a fiber that is attracted to the electrostatic charge generated by the energy source 110 and distributed on the conductive plate 106 and is light enough to be lifted from the additive manufacturing material 104 to the conductive plate 106. The additive manufacturing material 104 may not be attracted to the electrostatic charge and may be retained in the container 126.

[0027] The conductive plate 106 may be mounted above the container 126 of the additive manufacturing material 104. Additionally, the additive manufacturing material 104 may include, for example, a top layer 116, such that the conductive plate 106 attracts impurities 112 on the top layer 116. For example, when exposed to the conductive plate 106, the impurities 112 may be lifted from the container 126 to the conductive plate 106.

[0028] In the example, system 100 may further include a light source 118 for illuminating the conductive plate 106 and a camera 122 for capturing image data of the conductive plate 106 and / or impurities. The light source 118 and camera 122 can be mounted to illuminate the conductive plate 106 and acquire image data; therefore, the light source 118 and camera 122 can be mounted above the container of additive manufacturing material 104. Additionally, in some examples, camera 122 may be coupled to a computing device 124 having one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in memory 130 to process the image data to determine the amount of impurities on the conductive plate 106. Furthermore, data from numerous samples can accumulate in memory 130 over time, allowing machine learning to be used to improve FOD identification.

[0029] In some examples, the light source 118 and the camera 122 are communicatively connected to the computing device 124. For example, the light source 118 and the camera 122 can communicate with the computing device 124 via wired or wireless communication. The computing device 124 can send instructions to the light source 118 and the camera 122 and control their operation, and the light source 118 and the camera 122 can provide output to the computing device 124.

[0030] The light source 118 can produce a collimated beam 120. The collimated beam 120 has parallel or substantially parallel rays, and therefore will have minimal diffusion as it propagates.

[0031] In the example where impurity 112 is present on conductive plate 106, the impurity 112 on conductive plate 106 will reflect a portion of the light from light source 118 instead of allowing that light to pass through the transparent or translucent conductive plate 106. In other words, conductive plate 106 can be configured to reflect scattered light where impurity 112 is present, while the remaining direct light from light source 118 passes through conductive plate 106. This allows for the detection and identification of impurity 112.

[0032] Camera 122 may be a high-resolution camera used to capture images. In the example, camera 122 acquires image data including pixels or voxels (or otherwise collects or obtains image data). Camera 122 (or computing device 124) may then generate or produce an image based on the acquired image data. For example, a representation of impurities 112 on conductive plate 106 may then be included in the image.

[0033] The computing device 124 receives image data from the camera 122 and processes the image data to determine the amount of impurities 112 on the conductive plate 106. To perform these functions, the computing device 124 includes a processor 128 and a memory 130. The computing device 124 may also include hardware to enable communication within the computing device 124 and between the computing device 124 and other devices (not shown). For example, the hardware may include a transmitter, a receiver, and an antenna.

[0034] Memory 130 may take the form of a non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as one or more computer-readable storage media that can be read or accessed by one or more processors 128). The computer-readable storage medium may include volatile and / or non-volatile storage components, such as optical, magnetic, organic, or other memory or disk storage units, which may be integrated wholly or partially with one or more processors 128. Memory 130 can therefore be considered a non-transitory computer-readable medium. In some examples, memory 130 may be implemented using a single physical device (e.g., a single optical, magnetic, organic, or other memory or disk storage unit), while in other examples, memory 130 may be implemented using two or more physical devices. Therefore, memory 130 is a computer-readable medium and stores instructions. The instructions include computer-executable code.

[0035] One or more processors 128 may be general-purpose processors or special-purpose processors (e.g., digital signal processors, application-specific integrated circuits, etc.). One or more processors 128 may be configured to execute instructions (e.g., computer-readable program instructions) stored in memory 130 and executable to provide the functionality of the computing device 124 described herein.

[0036] The computing device 124 and / or processor 128 can output data indicating the amount of impurities 112 on the conductive plate 106. This data may additionally include information relating to the size, shape, or location of the impurities 112 on the conductive plate 106. As described above, this information may be determined based on the amount of light scattered or reflected from the light source 118.

[0037] In the example, during operation, when instructions are executed by one or more processors 128 of computing device 124, the one or more processors 128 are caused to perform the following functions: receive image data from camera 122 and process the image data to determine the amount of impurities on conductive plate 106.

[0038] Now refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2The conductive plate 106, according to the example implementation, includes plate 212 and mirror 214. In some examples, mirror 214 is thin enough to allow light to pass through (e.g., translucent). Mirror 214 may also be translucent or reflective on one side and transparent on the other side (e.g., a one-way mirror). Plate 212 may be translucent or transparent, allowing light from light source 118 to pass through. Plate 212 and / or mirror 214 are conductive, such that charges generated by energy source 110 are distributed on plate 212 and / or mirror and attract impurities 112 in additive manufacturing material 104. In some examples, conductive plate 106 may consist only of mirror 214.

[0039] When there are no impurities on the conductive plate 106, a portion 204 of the collimated light beam 120 illuminating the conductive plate 106 passes through the plate and the mirror 214, and a portion 206 of the beam 120 can be reflected. In contrast, illuminating the collimated light beam 120 at the location of impurities 112 will produce a light site 208. The light site 208 can be detected by the camera 122 and processed by the computing device 124 (e.g., ...). Figure 1 As shown, the computing device 124 can identify information related to the size, shape, or location of the impurity 112 on the conductive plate 106.

[0040] Now refer to Figure 3 , Figure 3 The conductive plate 106 includes waveguides according to the example implementation. In the example, the conductive plate 106 may include a first set of waveguides 302 and a second set of waveguides 304 on its surface. The first set of waveguides 302 and the second set of waveguides 304 may intersect at an intersection region 314.

[0041] In the example, the conductive plate 106 may include a first light emitter 306 at a first end of the waveguide 302 of the first assembly and a first light receiver 312 at a second end of the waveguide 302 of the first assembly. The first light emitter 306 may emit light to pass through the waveguide 302 of the first assembly. The first light receiver 312 may measure the light received from the first light emitter 306 that has traveled through the waveguide 302 of the first assembly.

[0042] Additionally, the conductive plate 106 may include a second light emitter 308 at the first end of the waveguide 304 of the second assembly and a first light receiver 312 at the second end of the waveguide 304 of the second assembly. The second light emitter 308 may emit light to pass through the waveguide 302 of the second assembly. The first light receiver 312 may measure the light received from the first light emitter 306 that has traveled through the waveguide 302 of the first assembly.

[0043] The first optical transmitter 306, the first optical receiver 312, the second optical transmitter 308, and / or the second optical receiver 310 can be coupled to a device having one or more processors (such as...). Figure 1 The computing device 124 shown is a computing device (such as...) Figure 1 The computing device 124 shown, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute operations stored in memory (such as... Figure 1 The instructions in the memory 130 shown are processed. Furthermore, in some examples, the first optical transmitter 306 and the second optical transmitter 308, as well as the first optical receiver 312 and the second optical receiver 310, are communicatively connected to the computing device 124. For example, the first optical transmitter 306 and the second optical transmitter 308, as well as the first optical receiver 312 and the second optical receiver 310, can communicate with the computing device 124 via wired or wireless communication. The computing device 124 can send instructions to and control the operation of the first optical transmitter 306 and the second optical transmitter 308, as well as the first optical receiver 312 and the second optical receiver 310, and the first optical transmitter 306 and the second optical transmitter 308, as well as the first optical receiver 312 and the second optical receiver 310, can provide output to the computing device 124.

[0044] One or more processors 128 can determine information and data related to the impurity 112 (such as the size, shape, or location of the impurity 112 on the conductive plate 106) based on the light received at the first optical receiver 312 and / or the second optical receiver 310. For example, the longer the impurity 112, the more it will interfere with the waveguide, thus affecting the light detected, for example, at the first optical receiver 312. Additionally, the intersection region 314 allows for comparison of detected interference to determine the location and size of the impurity 112. For example, the computing device 124 can use data from the light detected at each of the first optical receiver 312 and the second optical receiver 310 to recreate a mesh of the intersection region 314.

[0045] In some examples of using waveguides to locate and identify impurities, the additive manufacturing system may not include a light source 118 and / or a camera 122, because the first light emitter 306 and the second light emitter 308, as well as the first light receiver 312 and the second light receiver 310, can determine information related to the impurity 112 without the presence of a light source 118 and / or a camera 122.

[0046] Now refer to Figure 4 , Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of the waveguide based on the example implementation. Figure 4 The waveguides shown represent either or both of waveguide 302 in the first set and / or waveguide 304 in the second set. For example... Figure 4As shown, waveguide 302 of the first set and / or waveguide 304 of the second set can include waveguide 402 within a substrate (such as glass). In the example, waveguide 402 can be fused silica.

[0047] Figure 5 A flowchart illustrating an example of a method 500 for extracting and detecting impurities in additively manufactured materials, based on an example implementation, is shown. For example, Figure 5 The method shown in 500 presents a way to interact with Figure 1 The system 100 shown and Figure 2 and Figure 3 This is an example of a method used with the conductive plate 106 shown. Furthermore, devices or systems can be used or configured to perform... Figure 5 The presented logical function. In some cases, components of a device and / or system can be configured to perform functions in a manner that allows the components to be actually configured and structured (using hardware and / or software) to achieve this performance. In other examples, components of a device and / or system can be arranged to be suitable, capable of, or adapted to perform functions, such as when operating in a particular manner. Method 500 may include one or more operations, functions, or actions as illustrated in one or more of boxes 502-504. Although the boxes are illustrated in a sequential order, these boxes may also be executed in parallel, and / or in an order different from that described herein. Furthermore, various boxes may be combined into fewer boxes, divided into additional boxes, and / or removed based on desired implementation methods.

[0048] It should be understood that, with respect to the processes and methods disclosed herein, as well as other processes and methods, the flowchart illustrates the function and operation of one possible implementation of this example. In this regard, individual boxes or portions of individual boxes may represent modules, segments, or portions of program code, which include one or more instructions executable by a processor to implement a specific logical function or step in the process. The program code may be stored on any type of computer-readable medium or data storage, such as storage devices including disks or hard disk drives. Furthermore, the program code may be encoded in a machine-readable format on a computer-readable storage medium, or on other non-transitory media or articles of art. Computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable media or memories, such as computer-readable media for short-term data storage, like register memory, processor cache, and random access memory (RAM). Computer-readable media may also include non-transitory media, such as secondary long-term storage or persistent long-term storage, such as read-only memory (ROM), optical disks or magnetic disks, and optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Computer-readable media may also be any other volatile or non-volatile storage system. For example, a computer-readable medium can be considered a tangible computer-readable storage medium.

[0049] also, Figure 5 The individual blocks or portions of the blocks, and in other processes and methods disclosed herein, may represent circuits connected to perform specific logical functions of the process. Alternative implementations are included within the scope of the examples of this disclosure, wherein functions may be performed in a different order than that shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order, depending on the functions involved, as those skilled in the art would understand.

[0050] In block 502, method 500 includes the step of generating an electric charge through a conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material.

[0051] In block 504, method 500 includes the step of attracting impurities from additive manufacturing material to the conductive plate while generating charge through the conductive plate.

[0052] In other examples, method 500 may further include the step of determining the amount of impurities on the conductive plate. The step of determining the amount of impurities may further include illuminating the conductive plate with light using a light source, thereby enabling a camera to acquire image data of the conductive plate, and processing the image data to determine the amount of impurities on the conductive plate.

[0053] In another example, the step of detecting the amount of impurities on the conductive plate may include detecting multiple scattered light sites. In these examples, the step of distributing charge through the conductive plate may include distributing the charge through a glass plate and a mirror attached to the glass plate. The mirror can reflect the scattered light sites where impurities are present.

[0054] In other examples, method 500 may further include the steps of: emitting light along a waveguide on a conductive plate via a light emitter, wherein the light emitter is adjacent to a first end of the waveguide; measuring the light received at a second end of the waveguide via a light receiver; and determining, via a processor, at least one of the size, shape, or location of an impurity on the conductive plate based on a comparison of the light emitted by the light emitter and the light received by the light receiver.

[0055] Furthermore, the light emitter may be a first light emitter, the waveguide may be a waveguide of a first set, and the light receiver may be a first light receiver. Method 500 may further include the steps of: emitting light along the waveguide of a second set on a conductive plate via a second light emitter, wherein the second light emitter is adjacent to a first end of the waveguide of the second set, and wherein the waveguide of the second set intersects with the waveguide of the first set. Method 500 may further include the steps of: measuring light received at a second end of the waveguide via a second light receiver; and determining, via a processor, at least one of the size, shape, or location of an impurity based on a comparison of the light emitted by the second light emitter and the light received by the second light receiver.

[0056] Furthermore, manufacturers employing powder-based additive manufacturing can utilize the example methods and systems described herein to define a stable and repeatable process for extracting and detecting impurities in additive manufacturing materials.

[0057] B. Compositions used in the production of additive manufacturing materials

[0058] In the example, a method for producing a composition of additive manufacturing material includes the steps of: spreading a layer of additive manufacturing material, comprising elongated fibers, by rollers. The example method further includes the step of generating an electric field on the layer of additive manufacturing material and aligning the elongated fibers within the layer. The example method may also include the step of curing the layer of additive manufacturing material and the aligned elongated fibers using an energy source.

[0059] Typically, additive manufacturing machines operate by creating parts in a layer-by-layer structure of multiple material layers. Additive manufacturing can involve applying liquid or powder material to a work area and then performing a combination of sintering, curing, melting, and / or cutting to create layers. This process can be repeated thousands of times to construct the desired finished part or device. Additive manufacturing machines can include components such as printheads or printer nozzles, control mechanisms (e.g., computing devices), molds, etc., depending on the type of manufacturing used. A range of processes seeking industrial applications for additive manufacturing include direct metal deposition, electron beam melting, polymer processes such as fused filament fabrication (FFF), fused deposition modeling (FDM), solid surface curing (SGC), laminated object fabrication (LOM), and selective laser sintering (SLS) or selective laser melting (SLM). Additive manufacturing machines can include components dedicated to any of these processes, or in some examples, additive manufacturing machines can include hybrid machine tools to combine additive manufacturing with subtractive processing. Additive manufacturing machines may also include laser metal powder beds, in which a laser melts metal powder in a material layer (e.g., direct metal laser sintering, selective laser melting).

[0060] Parts produced using additive manufacturing machines are built by laying down layers of material one by one on a build platform. This process provides performance comparable to that of castings.

[0061] The example methods and systems described herein enable fiber alignment within layers of additive manufacturing materials. The additive manufacturing materials and the resulting manufactured parts or apparatus can then possess enhanced isotropic or anisotropic structural properties, electronic properties, and / or thermal properties.

[0062] For example, an example method for producing a composition of additive manufacturing material can be used in an additive manufacturing system. The example additive manufacturing system may include an additive manufacturing machine for manufacturing parts using the additive manufacturing material and rollers for spreading layers of the additive manufacturing material, wherein the additive manufacturing material comprises elongated fibers. The example system also includes an electric field generator for generating an electric field on the layer of additive manufacturing material and aligning the elongated fibers within the layer, and an energy source for curing the layer of additive manufacturing material and the aligned elongated fibers.

[0063] Now refer to Figure 6 , Figure 6 This is an additive manufacturing system for producing additive manufacturing material compounds. System 600 includes an additive manufacturing machine 640 for manufacturing parts using additive manufacturing materials and a roller 606 for spreading a layer 624 of additive manufacturing material, wherein the layer 624 of additive manufacturing material includes elongated fibers 604. System 600 also includes electric field generators 612, 614 for generating an electric field 610 on the layer 624 of additive manufacturing material and aligning the elongated fibers 604 within the layer 624. System 600 also includes an energy source 622 for curing the layer 624 of additive manufacturing material and the aligned elongated fibers 604.

[0064] Long, thin fibers 604 can be added to additive manufacturing material powder 608 in bin 630. In examples, long, thin fibers 604 may include silicon fibers, zinc oxide fibers, polyethylene fibers, or carbon fibers. In some example implementations, long, thin fibers 604 may be entirely composed of materials (e.g., silicon fibers). In alternative examples, long, thin fibers 604 may include a combination of materials (e.g., silicon fibers and carbon fibers). Furthermore, in some examples, long, thin fibers 604 may include wires, microwires, nanowires, fibers, microfibers, or nanofibers.

[0065] In practice, roller 606 can gather the top surface 602 of additive manufacturing material powder 608 and elongated fibers 604, and spread layers of additive manufacturing material powder 608 and elongated fibers 604 into bin 626 for alignment and curing. This process can be repeated, for example, when the bed 632 of the bin is raised and roller 606 travels from bin 630 to bin 626 to create article 638. Article 638 may include multiple layers of cured powder and elongated fibers 604.

[0066] In the example, electric field generators 612 and 614 may be van der Graff generators, etc. Electric field generators 612 and 614 may be mounted above the chamber 626. In the example, electric field 610 aligns the elongated fibers 604 in the direction of electric field 610. This results in the alignment of the elongated fibers 604 within the layer 624 of the additive manufacturing material. The alignment of the elongated fibers 604 within layer 624 can produce a composition with anisotropic mechanical, thermal, and / or optical properties. For example, layer 624 of the additive manufacturing material may conduct heat in one direction instead of the other. Furthermore, in the example, electric field generators 612 and 614 may be mounted such that they can rotate about the chamber 626 and thus generate electric fields in various directions.

[0067] In the example, energy source 622 may emit beam 618, such as a laser beam or an electron beam. In either example, energy source 622 is configured to cure layer 624 of additive manufacturing material and aligned elongated fibers 604. It is desirable to cure the elongated fibers 604 to maintain the alignment generated by electric field 610 and the desired quality of the material (e.g., conducting heat in one direction rather than the other).

[0068] This process can be repeated multiple times for multiple layers. The bed 636 of bin 626 can be lowered to allow for the spreading of more layers of additive manufacturing material powder 608. In these examples, the second layer of additive manufacturing material (e.g., second layer 628), i.e., the second layer 628 of additive manufacturing material, comprises a second set of elongated fibers 604. Electric field generators 612, 614 are configured to generate a second electric field on the second layer 628 of additive manufacturing material and align the second set of elongated fibers 604 in the direction of electric field 610, as described above. Energy source 622 is then configured to cure the second layer 628 of additive manufacturing material and the second set of elongated fibers.

[0069] Furthermore, in this example, the alignment of the elongated fibers 604 within each layer can be varied. For example, an electric field generator can align the elongated fibers 604 in layer 624 in a first direction based on the direction of the electric field 610; for illustrative purposes, layer 624 can be considered the first layer. The electric field generators 612, 614 can be rotated to align the elongated fibers 604 in the second layer 628 in a second direction different from the first direction. Thus, the elongated fibers 604 can be aligned in different directions within each layer (e.g., the electric field generators 612, 614 can be gradually rotated as new layers of additive manufacturing material powder are spread, aligned, and cured), thereby obtaining twisted, chiral, helical, or spiral structures. Alternatively, the elongated fibers 604 can be aligned within multiple layers (i.e., the elongated fibers 604 are aligned with each other across multiple layers). For example, this may be desirable for increasing the torsional stiffness of the cured material.

[0070] Figure 7 A flowchart illustrating an example of a method 700 for producing a composition of additive manufacturing materials according to an example implementation is shown. Figure 7 The method 700 shown presents a way to interact with Figure 6 The example shown illustrates a method used in conjunction with system 600. Furthermore, devices or systems can be used or configured to perform... Figure 7 The presented logical function. In some cases, components of a device and / or system can be configured to perform functions in a manner that allows the components to be actually configured and structured (using hardware and / or software) to achieve this performance. In other examples, components of a device and / or system can be arranged to be suitable, capable of, or adapted to perform functions, such as when operating in a particular manner. Method 700 may include one or more operations, functions, or actions as illustrated in one or more of boxes 702-708. Although the boxes are illustrated in a sequential order, these boxes may also be executed in parallel, and / or in an order different from that described herein. Furthermore, various boxes may be combined into fewer boxes, divided into additional boxes, and / or removed based on desired implementation methods.

[0071] It should be understood that, with respect to the processes and methods disclosed herein, as well as other processes and methods, the flowchart illustrates the function and operation of one possible implementation of this example. In this regard, individual boxes or portions of individual boxes may represent modules, segments, or portions of program code, which include one or more instructions executable by a processor to implement a specific logical function or step in the process. The program code may be stored on any type of computer-readable medium or data storage, such as storage devices including disks or hard disk drives. Furthermore, the program code may be encoded in a machine-readable format on a computer-readable storage medium, or on other non-transitory media or articles of art. Computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable media or memories, such as computer-readable media for short-term data storage, like register memory, processor cache, and random access memory (RAM). Computer-readable media may also include non-transitory media, such as secondary long-term storage or persistent long-term storage, such as read-only memory (ROM), optical disks or magnetic disks, and optical disc read-only memory (CD-ROM). Computer-readable media may also be any other volatile or non-volatile storage system. For example, a computer-readable medium can be considered a tangible computer-readable storage medium.

[0072] also, Figure 7 The individual blocks or portions of the blocks, and in other processes and methods disclosed herein, may represent circuits connected to perform specific logical functions of the process. Alternative implementations are included within the scope of the examples of this disclosure, wherein functions may be performed in a different order than that shown or discussed, including substantially simultaneously or in reverse order, depending on the functions involved, as those skilled in the art would understand.

[0073] In frame 702, method 700 includes the step of: spreading a layer of additive manufacturing material by rollers, wherein the layer of additive manufacturing material comprises elongated fibers.

[0074] In block 704, method 700 includes the step of generating an electric field on a layer of additive manufacturing material.

[0075] In block 706, method 700 includes the step of aligning elongated fibers within a layer of additive manufacturing material while generating an electric field on the layer.

[0076] In box 708, method 700 includes the following steps: curing layers of additive manufacturing material and aligned elongated fibers by means of an energy source.

[0077] In the examples, the layer of additive manufacturing material is a first layer of additive manufacturing material, the electric field is a first electric field, and the elongated fibers are a first set of elongated fibers. In these examples, method 700 includes the step of: spreading a second layer of additive manufacturing material by a roller, wherein the second layer of additive manufacturing material comprises a second set of elongated fibers. Method 700 may then include the steps of: aligning the elongated fibers of the first set in a first direction, and aligning the elongated fibers of the second set includes aligning the elongated fibers of the second set in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0078] The terms “substantially” and “approximately” as used herein mean that the feature, parameter, or value is not required to be precisely achieved, but may deviate or vary in a quantity that does not exclude the effect that the feature is intended to provide (e.g., including tolerances, measurement errors, measurement accuracy limitations, and other factors known to those skilled in the art).

[0079] The various examples of systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein include a variety of components, features, and functions. It should be understood that the various examples of systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein may include any component, feature, and function of any example of any other example of systems, devices, and methods disclosed herein, employing any combination or sub-combination, and all such possibilities are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure.

[0080] Furthermore, this disclosure includes examples pursuant to the following terms:

[0081] Clause 1. An additive manufacturing system (100) for extracting impurities (112) from an additive manufacturing material (104), the additive manufacturing system (100) comprising: an additive manufacturing machine (102) for manufacturing parts using the additive manufacturing material (104); a conductive plate (106) adjacent to the additive manufacturing material (104); and an energy source (110) for distributing charge through the conductive plate (106) adjacent to the additive manufacturing material (104), wherein the impurities (112) are attracted from the additive manufacturing material (104) to the conductive plate (106) by the charge distribution through the conductive plate (106).

[0082] Clause 2. The additive manufacturing system (100) according to Clause 1 further includes: a light source (118) that illuminates the conductive plate (106) with light; and a camera (122) that captures image data of the conductive plate (106).

[0083] Clause 3. The additive manufacturing system (100) according to Clause 2 further includes: a computing device (124) having one or more processors (128) configured to execute instructions stored in a memory (130) to process the image data to determine the amount of impurities (112) on the conductive plate (106).

[0084] Clause 4. The additive manufacturing system (100) according to Clause 2, wherein the conductive plate (106) comprises: a glass plate (212); and a mirror (214) coupled to the glass plate (212), wherein the mirror (214) is configured to reflect a scattered light site (208) where the impurity (112) is present.

[0085] Clause 5. The additive manufacturing system (100) according to Clause 1, wherein the conductive plate (106) comprises conductive glass or polymer.

[0086] Clause 6. The additive manufacturing system (100) according to Clause 1, the additive manufacturing system further comprising: a waveguide (302) on the conductive plate (106); a light emitter (306) located at a first end of the waveguide (302) that emits light to pass through the waveguide (302); a light receiver (312) located at a second end of the waveguide (302) that measures the light received from the light emitter (306); and a processor (128) that determines at least one of the size, shape, and location of the impurity (112) on the conductive plate (106) based on a comparison of the light emitted by the light emitter (306) with the light received by the light receiver (312).

[0087] Clause 7. The additive manufacturing system (100) according to Clause 6, wherein the waveguide is a first set of waveguides (302), the light emitter (306) is a first light emitter (306), the light receiver is a first light receiver (312), and wherein the additive manufacturing system (100) further comprises: a second set of waveguides (304) on the conductive plate (106), wherein the second set of waveguides (304) intersects with the first set of waveguides (302); a second light emitter (308) located at a first end of the second set of waveguides (304) for emitting light such that the light passes through the second set of waveguides (302). The waveguide (304) of the second set; a second optical receiver (310) located at a second end of the waveguide (304) of the second set, the second optical receiver measuring light from the second optical emitter (308); and wherein the processor (128) is configured to determine at least one of the size, shape and location of the impurity (112) on the conductive plate (106) based on a comparison of light emitted by the first optical emitter (306) with light received by the first optical receiver (312) and a comparison of light emitted by the second optical emitter (308) with light received by the second optical receiver (310).

[0088] Clause 8. A method (500) for extracting impurities (112) from an additive manufacturing material (104), the method comprising the steps of: generating an electric charge through a conductive plate (106) adjacent to the additive manufacturing material (104); and simultaneously attracting the impurities (112) from the additive manufacturing material (104) to the conductive plate (106) while generating the electric charge through the conductive plate (106).

[0089] Clause 9. The method (500) according to Clause 8, the method further comprising the steps of: determining the amount of the impurity (112) on the conductive plate (106), wherein the step of determining the amount of the impurity (112) further comprises: illuminating the conductive plate (106) with light by means of a light source (118); while illuminating the conductive plate (106) with light, causing a camera (122) to acquire image data of the conductive plate (106); and processing the image data to determine the amount of the impurity (112) on the conductive plate (106).

[0090] Clause 10. The method (500) according to Clause 9, wherein the step of determining the amount of the impurity (112) on the conductive plate (106) comprises: detecting the number of scattering light sites (208).

[0091] Clause 11. The method (500) according to Clause 9, wherein the step of distributing the charge through the conductive plate (106) comprises: distributing the charge through a glass plate and a mirror connected to the glass plate (212), wherein the mirror (214) is configured to reflect the scattered light sites (208) where the impurity (112) is present.

[0092] Clause 12. The method (500) according to Clause 8, the method further comprising the steps of: emitting light along a waveguide (302) on the conductive plate (106) via a light emitter (306), wherein the light emitter (306) is adjacent to a first end of the waveguide (302); measuring the light received at a second end of the waveguide (302) via a light receiver; and determining, via a processor (128), at least one of the size, shape, and location of the impurity on the conductive plate (106) based on a comparison of the light emitted by the light emitter (306) with the light received by the light receiver (312).

[0093] Clause 13. The method according to Clause 12, wherein the light emitter (306) is a first light emitter (306), the waveguide (302) is a first set of waveguides (302), the light receiver (312) is a first light receiver (312), and wherein the method further comprises the steps of: emitting light along a second set of waveguides (304) on the conductive plate (106) via a second light emitter (308), wherein the second light emitter (308) is adjacent to a first end of the second set of waveguides (304), and wherein the second set of waveguides (304) intersects with the first set of waveguides (302); measuring the light received at a second end of the waveguide via a light receiver (310); and determining, by the processor (128), at least one of the size, shape, and location of the impurity based on a comparison of the light emitted by the second light emitter (308) and the light received by the light receiver (310).

[0094] Clause 14. The method (500) according to Clause 8, wherein the step of distributing charge through the conductive plate (106) comprises: distributing charge through a conductive glass plate.

[0095] Clause 15. A method (700) for producing a composition in an additive manufacturing material (608), the method comprising the steps of: spreading a layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608) by means of a roller (606), wherein the layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608) comprises elongated fibers (604); generating an electric field (610) on the layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608); aligning the elongated fibers (604) within the layer (624) while generating the electric field (610) on the layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608); and curing the layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608) and the aligned elongated fibers (604) by means of an energy source (622).

[0096] Clause 16. The method (700) according to Clause 15, wherein the layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608) is a first layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608), the electric field (610) is a first electric field (610), and the elongated fiber (604) is a first set of elongated fibers (604), and wherein the method (700) further comprises the step of: spreading a second layer (628) of the additive manufacturing material (608) by the roller (606), wherein the first layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608) is a first set of elongated fibers (604), and wherein the second ... The second layer (628) includes a second set of elongated fibers (604); a second electric field (610) is generated on the second layer (628) of the additive manufacturing material (608); while generating the electric field (610) on the second layer (628) of the additive manufacturing material (608), the elongated fibers (604) of the second set in the second layer (628) are aligned; and the second layer (628) of the additive manufacturing material (608) and the second aligned set of elongated fibers (604) are cured by the energy source (622).

[0097] Clause 17. The method (700) according to Clause 16, wherein the step of aligning the elongated fibers (604) of the first set comprises: aligning the elongated fibers (604) of the first set in a first direction, and the step of aligning the elongated fibers (604) of the second set comprises: aligning the elongated fibers (604) of the second set in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0098] Clause 18. The method (700) according to Clause 15, wherein the step of aligning the elongated fibers (604) within the layer comprises aligning at least one of silicon fibers, zinc oxide fibers, polyethylene fibers, and carbon fibers.

[0099] Clause 19. The method (700) according to Clause 15, wherein the step of curing the layer of the additive manufacturing material (608) and the aligned elongated fiber (604) by the energy source (622) comprises: curing the layer of the additive manufacturing material (608) and the aligned elongated fiber (604) by laser.

[0100] Clause 20. The method (700) according to Clause 15, wherein the step of curing the layer of the additive manufacturing material and the aligned elongated fibers (604) by the energy source (622) comprises: curing the layer of the additive manufacturing material (608) and the aligned elongated fibers (604) by an electron beam (616).

[0101] Clause 21. An additive manufacturing system (600) comprising: an additive manufacturing machine (640) for manufacturing parts using an additive manufacturing material (608); a roller (606) for spreading layers of the additive manufacturing material (608), wherein the layers of the additive manufacturing material (608) comprise elongated fibers (604); an electric field generator (614) for generating an electric field (610) on the layers of the additive manufacturing material (608) and aligning the elongated fibers (604) within the layers; and an energy source (622) for curing the layers of the additive manufacturing material (608) and the aligned elongated fibers (604).

[0102] Clause 22. The additive manufacturing system (600) according to Clause 21, wherein the layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608) is a first layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608), the electric field (610) is a first electric field (610), and the elongated fiber (604) is a first set of elongated fibers (604), and wherein the additive manufacturing system further comprises: a second layer (628) of the additive manufacturing material (608), wherein the additive manufacturing material ( The second layer (628) of the additive manufacturing material (608) includes a second set of elongated fibers (604); wherein the electric field generator (614) is configured to generate a second electric field (610) on the second layer (628) of the additive manufacturing material (608) and align the second set of elongated fibers (604); and wherein the energy source (622) is configured to cure the second layer (628) of the additive manufacturing material (608) and the second set of elongated fibers (604).

[0103] Clause 23. The additive manufacturing system (600) according to Clause 22, wherein the elongated fibers (604) of the first set are aligned in a first direction, and the elongated fibers (604) of the second set are aligned in a second direction different from the first direction.

[0104] Clause 24. The additive manufacturing system (600) according to Clause 21, wherein the elongated fibers (604) within the layer (624) of the additive manufacturing material (608) comprise at least one of silicon fibers, zinc oxide fibers, polyethylene fibers, and carbon fibers.

[0105] Clause 25. The additive manufacturing system (600) according to Clause 21, wherein the energy source (622) includes at least one of a laser and an electron beam (616).

[0106] Clause 26. An article (638) produced using an additive manufacturing process, the article (638) comprising: a first layer (624) of cured powder, the first layer (624) comprising additive manufacturing material (608) and a first set of elongated fibers (604) aligned in a first direction; and a second layer (628) of cured powder, the second layer (628) comprising additive manufacturing material (608) and a second set of elongated fibers (604) aligned in a second direction.

[0107] Clause 27. The article (638) according to Clause 26, wherein the elongated fiber (604) comprises thread, microwire, nanowire, fiber, microfiber or nanofiber.

[0108] Clause 28. The article (638) as described in Clause 26, wherein the article (638) includes anisotropic mechanical properties, electronic properties, magnetic properties, optical properties or thermal properties.

[0109] Clause 29. Article (638) as described in Clause 26, wherein the first direction is different from the second direction.

[0110] Clause 30. Article (638) according to Clause 26, wherein the first direction is aligned with the second direction.

[0111] Descriptions of various advantageous arrangements have been presented for illustrative and descriptive purposes, and are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting of the examples of the disclosed forms. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, different advantageous examples may describe different advantages compared to other advantageous examples. The selection and description of one or more examples are for the purpose of best explaining the principles and practical applications of the examples, and enabling others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure of various examples with various modifications suitable for the particular use considered.

Claims

1. An additive manufacturing system, wherein the additive manufacturing system extracts impurities from additive manufacturing materials, the additive manufacturing system comprising: An additive manufacturing machine that uses additive manufacturing materials to manufacture parts; A conductive plate, the conductive plate being adjacent to the additive manufacturing material; An energy source that distributes charge through a conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material, wherein the charge distribution through the conductive plate attracts impurities from the additive manufacturing material to the conductive plate; Waveguide, the waveguide being on the conductive plate; An optical transmitter, located at the first end of the waveguide, is used to emit light so that the light passes through the waveguide; An optical receiver, located at the second end of the waveguide, is used to measure light received from the optical transmitter; and A processor that determines at least one of the size, shape, and location of the impurity on the conductive plate by comparing light emitted by the light emitter with light received by the light receiver.

2. The additive manufacturing system according to claim 1, further comprising: A light source that illuminates the conductive plate; as well as A camera that captures image data of the conductive plate.

3. The additive manufacturing system according to claim 2, further comprising: A computing device having one or more processors configured to execute instructions stored in a memory to process the image data to determine the amount of impurities on the conductive plate.

4. The additive manufacturing system according to claim 2, wherein, The conductive plate includes: glass plate; and A mirror, connected to the glass plate, wherein the mirror is configured to reflect scattered light sites where the impurities are present.

5. The additive manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein, The conductive plate may be made of conductive glass or polymer.

6. The additive manufacturing system according to claim 1, wherein, The waveguide is a first set of waveguides, the optical transmitter is a first optical transmitter, the optical receiver is a first optical receiver, and the additive manufacturing system further includes: A second set of waveguides, the second set of waveguides being on the conductive plate, wherein the second set of waveguides intersects with the first set of waveguides; A second optical transmitter, located at the first end of the waveguide of the second assembly, is used to emit light so that the light passes through the waveguide of the second assembly; A second optical receiver, located at the second end of the waveguide of the second assembly, measures the light from the second optical emitter; and The processor is configured to determine at least one of the size, shape, and location of the impurity on the conductive plate based on a comparison of light emitted by the first light emitter and light received by the first light receiver, and a comparison of light emitted by the second light emitter and light received by the second light receiver.

7. A method for extracting impurities from additive manufacturing materials, the method comprising the following steps: Charge is generated by a conductive plate adjacent to the additive manufacturing material; While generating the charge through the conductive plate, the impurities are attracted from the additive manufacturing material to the conductive plate; Light is emitted along a waveguide on the conductive plate via a light emitter, wherein the light emitter is adjacent to a first end of the waveguide; The light received at the second end of the waveguide is measured using an optical receiver; and The processor determines at least one of the size, shape, and location of the impurity on the conductive plate by comparing the light emitted by the light emitter with the light received by the light receiver.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising: Determining the amount of impurities on the conductive plate, wherein the step of determining the amount of impurities further includes: illuminating the conductive plate with light using a light source; simultaneously illuminating the conductive plate with light and having a camera acquire image data of the conductive plate; and processing the image data to determine the amount of impurities on the conductive plate.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The step of determining the amount of the impurity on the conductive plate includes: detecting the number of scattering light sites.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising: The charge is distributed through the conductive plate.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein, The light emitter is a first light emitter, the waveguide is a first set of waveguides, the light receiver is a first light receiver, and the method further includes the following steps: emitting light along the second set of waveguides on the conductive plate via a second light emitter, wherein the second light emitter is adjacent to a first end of the second set of waveguides, and wherein the second set of waveguides intersects with the first set of waveguides; measuring the light received at a second end of the waveguide via the light receiver; and determining, by the processor, at least one of the size, shape, and location of the impurity based on a comparison of the light emitted by the second light emitter and the light received by the light receiver.

12. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The step of distributing the charge through the conductive plate includes distributing the charge through a glass plate and a mirror connected to the glass plate, wherein the mirror is configured to reflect scattered light sites where the impurities are present.

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